Red Tape 50 · State Profile
Wisconsin
Overall State Ranking
#26 of 50
Permitting Detail
Statewide permit records · Red Tape Index
Permitting Rank
#26of 50
Approval Score
6.09
Lower = faster · same scale as the rankings table
Commercial Approval Score
90.0
0-100, higher = faster
Residential Approval Score
97.7
0-100, higher = faster
Tags Score
66.6
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
#21
Economy
#28
Infrastructure
#18
Cost of Business
#13
Business Friendliness
#32
Workforce
#27
Access to Capital
#20
Tech & Innovation
#26
Education
#35
Cost of Living
#12
Quality of Life
#38
Best States
US News & World Report
#17
Economy
#27
Fiscal Stability
#18
Infrastructure
#31
Opportunity
#9
Education
#7
Health Care
#26
Crime & Corrections
#27
Natural Environment
#25
Best States to Live
WalletHub
#4
Affordability
#30
Economy
#12
Education & Health
#9
Quality of Life
#12
Safety
#8
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
#23of 50
Tax & fiscal policy. 1 = most competitive tax environment.
Land Use
Freedom in the 50 States
#28of 50
Zoning & development regulation. 1 = least restrictive rules.
Labor
Freedom in the 50 States
#2of 50
Labor market. 1 = strongest workforce conditions.
Growth
US Census
#35of 50
Population growth. 1 = fastest growing state.
Affordability
WalletHub
#30of 50
Housing & cost of living. 1 = most affordable.
Infrastructure
CNBC Top States
#18of 50
Roads, transit, utilities. 1 = best infrastructure.
Cost of Business
CNBC Top States
#13of 50
Operating cost burden. 1 = lowest costs.
Business Friendliness
CNBC Top States
#32of 50
Regulatory climate. 1 = most pro-business.
State Snapshot
External benchmarks, sourced independently of the composite
Population Growth
1.1%#35 of 50
US Census, 5-year
Urban Population
67%
Share living in urban areas
Top States for Business
#21of 50
CNBC, 2025
Best States
#17of 50
US News
Best States to Live
#4of 50
WalletHub
Tech & Science
#24score 50.7
State Tech & Science Index