Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Tennessee
Overall State Ranking
#1 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#4of 50
Approval Score
3.43
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
98.0
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
97.1
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
74.0
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
#8
Economy
#21
Infrastructure
#9
Cost of Business
#10
Business Friendliness
#3
Workforce
#10
Access to Capital
#28
Tech & Innovation
#24
Education
#18
Cost of Living
#18
Quality of Life
#50
Best States
US News & World Report
#32
Economy
#24
Fiscal Stability
#7
Infrastructure
#23
Opportunity
#22
Education
#31
Health Care
#41
Crime & Corrections
#45
Natural Environment
#34
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#40
Affordability
#7
Economy
#26
Education & Health
#43
Quality of Life
#35
Safety
#43
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
#4of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#13of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#8of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#11of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#7of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#9of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#10of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#3of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
4.6%#11 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
66%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#8of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#32of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#40of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#40score 37.4
State Tech & Science Index