Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Virginia
Overall State Ranking
#11 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#11of 50
Approval Score
4.36
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
94.3
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
98.6
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
71.0
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
#4
Economy
#14
Infrastructure
#2
Cost of Business
#31
Business Friendliness
#7
Workforce
#14
Access to Capital
#10
Tech & Innovation
#8
Education
#1
Cost of Living
#21
Quality of Life
#8
Best States
US News & World Report
#16
Economy
#10
Fiscal Stability
#23
Infrastructure
#38
Opportunity
#25
Education
#15
Health Care
#18
Crime & Corrections
#12
Natural Environment
#19
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#14
Affordability
#15
Economy
#17
Education & Health
#16
Quality of Life
#21
Safety
#18
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
#25of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#15of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#19of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#24of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#15of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#2of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#31of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#7of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
2.1%#24 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
76%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#4of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#16of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#14of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#8score 69.6
State Tech & Science Index