California vs New York: contractor markets, side by side
California has 223,427 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; New York has 29,413: about 8× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) and the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP; market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| California | New York | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 223,427 | 29,413 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 54.8 | 14.7 |
| Residents | 40,805,409 | 19,994,326 |
| Households | 14,984,242 | 8,494,175 |
| Median household income | $97,970 | $89,542 |
| Building permits (2025) | 103,856 | 38,667 |
| Top city by licenses | Los Angeles | Brooklyn |
California is the denser market: 54.8 active licenses per 10k residents against 14.7 in New York. 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 $89,542 in New York, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | California | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 29,398 | 3,528 |
| Plumbers | 18,345 | 1,152 |
| HVAC Contractors | 12,372 | 103 |
| General Contractors | 120,055 | 24,160 |
| Roofing Contractors | 5,811 | — |
| Solar Contractors | 1,224 | — |
| Landscape Contractors | 12,792 | — |
| Pool Contractors | 3,000 | — |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | 2,305 | 470 |
| Carpenters | 1,096 | — |
| Concrete Contractors | 5,766 | — |
| Masons | 2,178 | — |
| Drywall Contractors | 3,389 | — |
| Tile Contractors | 6,551 | — |
| Excavating Contractors | 2,547 | — |
| 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 New York: common questions
Does California or New York have more licensed contractors?
California has more: 223,427 active licensed contractors against 29,413 in New York, about 8× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) and the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP.
Which has the denser contractor market, California or New York?
California is denser: 54.8 active licenses per 10k residents against 14.7 in New York.
Where does household income run higher, California or New York?
California: $97,970 median household income against $89,542 in New York, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this California vs New York comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) and the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP; population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.