Arizona vs Texas: contractor markets, side by side
Arizona has 43,960 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Texas has 9,387: about 5× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Arizona | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 43,960 | 9,387 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 61.3 | 3.2 |
| Residents | 7,173,962 | 29,242,689 |
| Households | 3,098,364 | 11,654,379 |
| Median household income | $76,830 | $78,473 |
| Building permits (2025) | 51,532 | 210,217 |
| Top city by licenses | Phoenix | Houston |
Arizona is the denser market: 61.3 active licenses per 10k residents against 3.2 in Texas. Density cuts both ways: more contractors to sell to per square mile, and more competition per job for the contractors themselves.
Household income runs higher in Texas: $78,473 median against $76,830 in Arizona, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Arizona | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 5,330 | 11,230 |
| Plumbers | 3,480 | — |
| HVAC Contractors | 4,328 | — |
| General Contractors | 16,015 | — |
| Roofing Contractors | 1,494 | — |
| Landscape Contractors | 2,096 | — |
| Pool Contractors | 755 | — |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | 366 | — |
| Carpenters | 2,359 | — |
| Concrete Contractors | 1,083 | — |
| Masons | 413 | — |
| Drywall Contractors | 879 | — |
| Tile Contractors | 840 | — |
| Excavating Contractors | 1,101 | — |
| Painters | 2,163 | — |
| Flooring Contractors | 1,258 | — |
Counts are active licenses only, from each state's license board. A “—” means that board doesn't issue a statewide license for the trade, not that the trade doesn't exist there.
Working one of these markets?
Arizona vs Texas: common questions
Does Arizona or Texas have more licensed contractors?
Arizona has more: 43,960 active licensed contractors against 9,387 in Texas, about 5× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
Which has the denser contractor market, Arizona or Texas?
Arizona is denser: 61.3 active licenses per 10k residents against 3.2 in Texas.
Where does household income run higher, Arizona or Texas?
Texas: $78,473 median household income against $76,830 in Arizona, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Arizona vs Texas comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR); population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.