Arizona vs Virginia: contractor markets, side by side
Arizona has 43,960 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Virginia has 42,816: about the same number of licensed contractors. Counts come from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) and the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Arizona | Virginia | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 43,960 | 42,816 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 61.3 | 35.9 |
| Residents | 7,173,962 | 11,942,085 |
| Households | 3,098,364 | 4,997,364 |
| Median household income | $76,830 | $102,122 |
| Building permits (2025) | 51,532 | 32,274 |
| Top city by licenses | Phoenix | Virginia Beach |
Arizona is the denser market: 61.3 active licenses per 10k residents against 35.9 in Virginia. 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 Virginia: $102,122 median against $76,830 in Arizona, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Arizona | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 5,330 | 3,889 |
| Plumbers | 3,480 | 1,424 |
| HVAC Contractors | 4,328 | 2,418 |
| General Contractors | 16,015 | 30,002 |
| Roofing Contractors | 1,494 | 1,327 |
| Landscape Contractors | 2,096 | 2,156 |
| Pool Contractors | 755 | — |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | 366 | 408 |
| Carpenters | 2,359 | 54 |
| Concrete Contractors | 1,083 | 1,269 |
| Masons | 413 | 1,020 |
| Drywall Contractors | 879 | 140 |
| Tile Contractors | 840 | — |
| Excavating Contractors | 1,101 | 3,114 |
| Painters | 2,163 | 2,121 |
| Flooring Contractors | 1,258 | 154 |
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 Virginia: common questions
Does Arizona or Virginia have more licensed contractors?
Arizona has more: 43,960 active licensed contractors against 42,816 in Virginia, about the same number of licensed contractors. Counts come from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) and the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR).
Which has the denser contractor market, Arizona or Virginia?
Arizona is denser: 61.3 active licenses per 10k residents against 35.9 in Virginia.
Where does household income run higher, Arizona or Virginia?
Virginia: $102,122 median household income against $76,830 in Arizona, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Arizona vs Virginia comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) and the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR); population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.