Colorado vs Minnesota: contractor markets, side by side
Colorado has 7,671 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Minnesota has 16,763: about 2.2× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Colorado | Minnesota | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 7,671 | 16,763 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 13.3 | 29.4 |
| Residents | 5,771,158 | 5,695,830 |
| Households | 2,500,219 | 2,494,239 |
| Median household income | $92,748 | $88,902 |
| Building permits (2025) | 33,754 | 20,947 |
| Top city by licenses | Denver | Minneapolis |
Minnesota is the denser market: 29.4 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 $88,902 in Minnesota, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Colorado | Minnesota |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 4,677 | 3,064 |
| Plumbers | 3,003 | 1,900 |
| HVAC Contractors | — | 4,744 |
| General Contractors | — | 14,925 |
| Roofing Contractors | — | 175 |
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 Minnesota: common questions
Does Colorado or Minnesota have more licensed contractors?
Minnesota has more: 16,763 active licensed contractors against 7,671 in Colorado, about 2.2× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI).
Which has the denser contractor market, Colorado or Minnesota?
Minnesota is denser: 29.4 active licenses per 10k residents against 13.3 in Colorado.
Where does household income run higher, Colorado or Minnesota?
Colorado: $92,748 median household income against $88,902 in Minnesota, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Colorado vs Minnesota comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI); population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.