Colorado vs Ohio: contractor markets, side by side
Colorado has 7,671 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Ohio has 12,552: about 1.6× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Colorado | Ohio | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 7,671 | 12,552 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 13.3 | 10.7 |
| Residents | 5,771,158 | 11,774,683 |
| Households | 2,500,219 | 5,251,186 |
| Median household income | $92,748 | $71,229 |
| Building permits (2025) | 33,754 | 33,640 |
| Top city by licenses | Denver | Cincinnati |
Colorado is the denser market: 13.3 active licenses per 10k residents against 10.7 in Ohio. 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 $71,229 in Ohio, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Colorado | Ohio |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 4,677 | 4,514 |
| Plumbers | 3,003 | 3,084 |
| HVAC Contractors | — | 4,956 |
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 Ohio: common questions
Does Colorado or Ohio have more licensed contractors?
Ohio has more: 12,552 active licensed contractors against 7,671 in Colorado, about 1.6× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB).
Which has the denser contractor market, Colorado or Ohio?
Colorado is denser: 13.3 active licenses per 10k residents against 10.7 in Ohio.
Where does household income run higher, Colorado or Ohio?
Colorado: $92,748 median household income against $71,229 in Ohio, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Colorado vs Ohio comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB); population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.