Colorado vs New York: contractor markets, side by side
Colorado has 7,671 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; New York has 29,413: about 4× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP; market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Colorado | New York | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 7,671 | 29,413 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 13.3 | 14.7 |
| Residents | 5,771,158 | 19,994,326 |
| Households | 2,500,219 | 8,494,175 |
| Median household income | $92,748 | $89,542 |
| Building permits (2025) | 33,754 | 38,667 |
| Top city by licenses | Denver | Brooklyn |
New York is the denser market: 14.7 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 $89,542 in New York, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Colorado | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 4,677 | 3,528 |
| Plumbers | 3,003 | 1,152 |
| HVAC Contractors | — | 103 |
| General Contractors | — | 24,160 |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | — | 470 |
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 New York: common questions
Does Colorado or New York have more licensed contractors?
New York has more: 29,413 active licensed contractors against 7,671 in Colorado, about 4× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP.
Which has the denser contractor market, Colorado or New York?
New York is denser: 14.7 active licenses per 10k residents against 13.3 in Colorado.
Where does household income run higher, Colorado or New York?
Colorado: $92,748 median household income against $89,542 in New York, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Colorado vs New York comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP; population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.