Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Pennsylvania
Overall State Ranking
#30 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#39of 50
Approval Score
13.11
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
78.6
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
88.0
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
46.9
0-100 approval-quality signal
Economic Profile & Benchmarks
How independent national rankings see this state (1-50, 1 = best)
Top States for Business
CNBC, 2025
#17
Economy
#16
Infrastructure
#17
Cost of Business
#25
Business Friendliness
#40
Workforce
#37
Access to Capital
#9
Tech & Innovation
#9
Education
#12
Cost of Living
#12
Quality of Life
#23
Best States
US News & World Report
#41
Economy
#38
Fiscal Stability
#39
Infrastructure
#43
Opportunity
#29
Education
#39
Health Care
#11
Crime & Corrections
#17
Natural Environment
#40
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#10
Affordability
#29
Economy
#35
Education & Health
#17
Quality of Life
#5
Safety
#11
Benchmark ranks are published by their respective sources and shown here for context; they are inputs or companions to the Red Tape 50 composite, not outputs of it.
Pillar Breakdown
Composite inputs · full bar = #1 of 50
Fiscal
Freedom in the 50 States
#5of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#31of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#28of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#43of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#29of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#17of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#25of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#40of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
0.6%#43 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
76%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#17of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#41of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#10of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#15score 59.0
State Tech & Science Index