Colorado vs Florida: contractor markets, side by side
Colorado has 7,671 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Florida has 110,411: about 14× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Colorado | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 7,671 | 110,411 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 13.3 | 51.0 |
| Residents | 5,771,158 | 21,634,506 |
| Households | 2,500,219 | 9,915,946 |
| Median household income | $92,748 | $71,602 |
| Building permits (2025) | 33,754 | 178,297 |
| Top city by licenses | Denver | Miami |
Florida is the denser market: 51.0 active licenses per 10k residents against 13.3 in Colorado. 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 Colorado: $92,748 median against $71,602 in Florida, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Colorado | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 4,677 | 14,039 |
| Plumbers | 3,003 | 8,367 |
| HVAC Contractors | — | 13,726 |
| General Contractors | — | 58,802 |
| Roofing Contractors | — | 10,034 |
| Solar Contractors | — | 430 |
| Pool Contractors | — | 4,666 |
| Excavating Contractors | — | 2,614 |
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?
Colorado vs Florida: common questions
Does Colorado or Florida have more licensed contractors?
Florida has more: 110,411 active licensed contractors against 7,671 in Colorado, about 14× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR).
Which has the denser contractor market, Colorado or Florida?
Florida is denser: 51.0 active licenses per 10k residents against 13.3 in Colorado.
Where does household income run higher, Colorado or Florida?
Colorado: $92,748 median household income against $71,602 in Florida, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Colorado vs Florida comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) 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.