- Fort Worth leads the nation in permitting efficiency, according to Labrynth’s 2025 Red Tape Index 500, with a score of 0.96.
- Southern and Midwestern cities dominate the top ranks, while major coastal and Northeastern cities, including Los Angeles and Cambridge, MA, lag behind.
- Minnesota cities excel, capturing four of the top ten slots—reflecting strong regional governance and streamlined municipal processes.
- Slow permitting in bottom-ranked cities like Cambridge, MA, and Los Angeles poses a significant hurdle for commercial real estate development.
Regional Leaders in Speed
Fort Worth, Texas, has emerged as the national leader in permit processing, topping Labrynth’s 2025 Red Tape Index, per Globe St. The AI-powered ranking evaluates 500 US cities with populations over 50,000, measuring speed, transparency, and year-over-year improvement in permitting processes.
According to Labrynth, Fort Worth’s top ranking is no accident. The city has made deliberate investments in digital systems and procedural reform to accelerate development approvals—an advantage for real estate developers seeking minimal delays and regulatory clarity.
The Top Ten
Joining Fort Worth in the top ten are cities largely clustered in the Midwest and South:
- Fort Worth, TX
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Pocatello, ID
- Cedar Rapids, IA
- Lakeville, MN
- Grand Prairie, TX
- Maple Grove, MN
- Minnetonka, MN
- Duluth, MN
- Taunton, MA
Minnesota stands out with four cities in the top ten—an unexpected showing that challenges assumptions about colder climates and bureaucratic slowdowns.
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The Bottlenecks
At the other end of the spectrum, Cambridge, Massachusetts ranked last, scoring just 0.22—signaling high friction and inefficiency. Other low-performing cities include:
- Germantown, MD
- Los Angeles, CA
- Watsonville, CA
- Danbury, CT
- Fishers, IN
- Rogers, AR
- Providence, RI
- Macon, GA
- Winter Haven, FL
Labrynth’s report notes that dense urban environments, particularly on the coasts, continue to struggle with permitting delays, complicating post-disaster rebuilding and new commercial growth. The contrast is especially stark when compared to cities like Fort Worth, which continue to benefit from population inflows and rapid development momentum.
Los Angeles, ranked 492nd, is a case in point. The city’s ongoing recovery from natural disasters is being hindered by permitting delays that ripple through the construction and business sectors.
Why It Matters
For commercial real estate investors, permitting speed can be the difference between profit and stagnation. Cities at the top of the Index are not just faster—they’re actively improving transparency and responsiveness, offering developers an edge in execution.
What’s Next
Labrynth plans to expand its Red Tape Index in 2026 with county-level analysis, aiming to provide investors with even more granular insights into where deals can move fast—and where they risk being buried in paperwork.
