Colorado vs Nevada: contractor markets, side by side
Colorado has 7,631 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Nevada has 15,178 — about 2× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Colorado | Nevada | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 7,631 | 15,178 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 13.2 | 40.4 |
| Residents | 5,771,158 | 3,752,362 |
| Households | 2,500,219 | 1,578,064 |
| Median household income | $92,748 | $71,790 |
| Building permits (2025) | 33,754 | 18,628 |
| Top city by licenses | Denver | Las Vegas |
Nevada is the denser market: 40.4 active licenses per 10k residents against 13.2 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 $71,790 in Nevada — which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Colorado | Nevada |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 4,637 | 2,207 |
| Plumbers | 2,994 | 1,019 |
| HVAC Contractors | — | 1,217 |
| General Contractors | — | 4,047 |
| Roofing Contractors | — | 420 |
| Solar Contractors | — | 24 |
| Landscape Contractors | — | 742 |
| Pool Contractors | — | 214 |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | — | 142 |
| Carpenters | — | 1,482 |
| Concrete Contractors | — | 730 |
| Masons | — | 376 |
| Drywall Contractors | — | 327 |
| Tile Contractors | — | 407 |
| Excavating Contractors | — | 368 |
| Painters | — | 985 |
| Flooring Contractors | — | 678 |
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.