California vs Florida: contractor markets, side by side
California has 223,427 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Florida has 110,411: about 2× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| California | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 223,427 | 110,411 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 54.8 | 51.0 |
| Residents | 40,805,409 | 21,634,506 |
| Households | 14,984,242 | 9,915,946 |
| Median household income | $97,970 | $71,602 |
| Building permits (2025) | 103,856 | 178,297 |
| Top city by licenses | Los Angeles | Miami |
California is the denser market: 54.8 active licenses per 10k residents against 51.0 in Florida. 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 California: $97,970 median against $71,602 in Florida, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | California | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 29,398 | 14,039 |
| Plumbers | 18,345 | 8,367 |
| HVAC Contractors | 12,372 | 13,726 |
| General Contractors | 120,055 | 58,802 |
| Roofing Contractors | 5,811 | 10,034 |
| Solar Contractors | 1,224 | 430 |
| Landscape Contractors | 12,792 | — |
| Pool Contractors | 3,000 | 4,666 |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | 2,305 | — |
| Carpenters | 1,096 | — |
| Concrete Contractors | 5,766 | — |
| Masons | 2,178 | — |
| Drywall Contractors | 3,389 | — |
| Tile Contractors | 6,551 | — |
| Excavating Contractors | 2,547 | 2,614 |
| Painters | 16,506 | — |
| Flooring Contractors | 7,230 | — |
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?
California vs Florida: common questions
Does California or Florida have more licensed contractors?
California has more: 223,427 active licensed contractors against 110,411 in Florida, about 2× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR).
Which has the denser contractor market, California or Florida?
California is denser: 54.8 active licenses per 10k residents against 51.0 in Florida.
Where does household income run higher, California or Florida?
California: $97,970 median household income against $71,602 in Florida, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this California vs Florida comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR); population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.