Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Rhode Island
Overall State Ranking
#45 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#12of 50
Approval Score
4.45
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
96.4
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
95.6
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
71.0
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
#46
Economy
#45
Infrastructure
#39
Cost of Business
#46
Business Friendliness
#46
Workforce
#21
Access to Capital
#37
Tech & Innovation
#33
Education
#33
Cost of Living
#36
Quality of Life
#13
Best States
US News & World Report
#24
Economy
#16
Fiscal Stability
#45
Infrastructure
#45
Opportunity
#24
Education
#38
Health Care
#4
Crime & Corrections
#6
Natural Environment
#8
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#25
Affordability
#45
Economy
#14
Education & Health
#22
Quality of Life
#44
Safety
#5
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
#22of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#41of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#48of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#33of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#45of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#39of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#46of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#46of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
1.4%#33 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
91%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#46of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#24of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#25of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#23score 50.8
State Tech & Science Index