Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Vermont
Overall State Ranking
#41 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#22of 50
Approval Score
4.47
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
93.6
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
95.1
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
76.4
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
#38
Economy
#35
Infrastructure
#40
Cost of Business
#35
Business Friendliness
#25
Workforce
#40
Access to Capital
#44
Tech & Innovation
#42
Education
#20
Cost of Living
#25
Quality of Life
#1
Best States
US News & World Report
#7
Economy
#15
Fiscal Stability
#41
Infrastructure
#9
Opportunity
#1
Education
#23
Health Care
#19
Crime & Corrections
#4
Natural Environment
#9
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#21
Affordability
#42
Economy
#1
Education & Health
#8
Quality of Life
#45
Safety
#31
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
#46of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#44of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#35of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#38of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#42of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#40of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#35of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#25of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
0.8%#38 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
35%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#38of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#7of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#21of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#26score 50.4
State Tech & Science Index