Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Texas
Overall State Ranking
#4 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#34of 50
Approval Score
9.39
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
89.4
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
89.8
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
53.8
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
#2
Economy
#2
Infrastructure
#26
Cost of Business
#5
Business Friendliness
#17
Workforce
#1
Access to Capital
#2
Tech & Innovation
#2
Education
#24
Cost of Living
#39
Quality of Life
#49
Best States
US News & World Report
#29
Economy
#2
Fiscal Stability
#12
Infrastructure
#18
Opportunity
#48
Education
#25
Health Care
#32
Crime & Corrections
#40
Natural Environment
#46
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#38
Affordability
#34
Economy
#40
Education & Health
#40
Quality of Life
#9
Safety
#38
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
#7of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#11of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#1of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#3of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#34of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#26of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#5of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#17of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
7.3%#3 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
84%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#2of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#29of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#38of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#18score 56.1
State Tech & Science Index