Red Tape 50 · State Profile
South Dakota
Overall State Ranking
#5 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#46of 50
Approval Score
16.80
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
58.9
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
55.7
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
100.0
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
#35
Economy
#36
Infrastructure
#31
Cost of Business
#16
Business Friendliness
#2
Workforce
#47
Access to Capital
#28
Tech & Innovation
#49
Education
#35
Cost of Living
#16
Quality of Life
#29
Best States
US News & World Report
#8
Economy
#13
Fiscal Stability
#10
Infrastructure
#2
Opportunity
#12
Education
#8
Health Care
#46
Crime & Corrections
#34
Natural Environment
#5
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#18
Affordability
#21
Economy
#6
Education & Health
#34
Quality of Life
#41
Safety
#16
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
#3of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#12of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#10of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#13of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#21of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#31of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#16of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#2of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
4.3%#13 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
57%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#35of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#8of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#18of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#41score 36.9
State Tech & Science Index