Red Tape 50 · State Profile
South Carolina
Overall State Ranking
#28 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#48of 50
Approval Score
33.53
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
0.0
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
84.5
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
33.1
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
#18
Economy
#10
Infrastructure
#21
Cost of Business
#28
Business Friendliness
#28
Workforce
#12
Access to Capital
#30
Tech & Innovation
#21
Education
#14
Cost of Living
#16
Quality of Life
#39
Best States
US News & World Report
#40
Economy
#14
Fiscal Stability
#20
Infrastructure
#36
Opportunity
#42
Education
#43
Health Care
#30
Crime & Corrections
#42
Natural Environment
#21
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#44
Affordability
#9
Economy
#39
Education & Health
#42
Quality of Life
#34
Safety
#46
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
#32of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#14of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#6of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#5of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#9of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#21of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#28of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#28of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
7.0%#5 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
68%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#18of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#40of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#44of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#43score 33.9
State Tech & Science Index