Colorado vs Illinois: contractor markets, side by side
Colorado has 7,671 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Illinois has 15,797: about 2.1× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the IDFPR + Chicago Department of Buildings; market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Colorado | Illinois | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 7,671 | 15,797 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 13.3 | 12.4 |
| Residents | 5,771,158 | 12,757,583 |
| Households | 2,500,219 | 5,427,336 |
| Median household income | $92,748 | $84,033 |
| Building permits (2025) | 33,754 | 18,551 |
| Top city by licenses | Denver | Chicago |
Colorado is the denser market: 13.3 active licenses per 10k residents against 12.4 in Illinois. 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 $84,033 in Illinois, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Colorado | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 4,677 | 2,601 |
| Plumbers | 3,003 | 993 |
| General Contractors | — | 6,715 |
| Roofing Contractors | — | 4,509 |
| Masons | — | 979 |
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 Illinois: common questions
Does Colorado or Illinois have more licensed contractors?
Illinois has more: 15,797 active licensed contractors against 7,671 in Colorado, about 2.1× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the IDFPR + Chicago Department of Buildings.
Which has the denser contractor market, Colorado or Illinois?
Colorado is denser: 13.3 active licenses per 10k residents against 12.4 in Illinois.
Where does household income run higher, Colorado or Illinois?
Colorado: $92,748 median household income against $84,033 in Illinois, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Colorado vs Illinois comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the IDFPR + Chicago Department of Buildings; population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.