Colorado vs Texas: contractor markets, side by side
Colorado has 7,671 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Texas has 9,387: about 1.2× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Colorado | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 7,671 | 9,387 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 13.3 | 3.2 |
| Residents | 5,771,158 | 29,242,689 |
| Households | 2,500,219 | 11,654,379 |
| Median household income | $92,748 | $78,473 |
| Building permits (2025) | 33,754 | 210,217 |
| Top city by licenses | Denver | Houston |
Colorado is the denser market: 13.3 active licenses per 10k residents against 3.2 in Texas. 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 $78,473 in Texas, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Colorado | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 4,677 | 11,230 |
| Plumbers | 3,003 | — |
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 Texas: common questions
Does Colorado or Texas have more licensed contractors?
Texas has more: 9,387 active licensed contractors against 7,671 in Colorado, about 1.2× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
Which has the denser contractor market, Colorado or Texas?
Colorado is denser: 13.3 active licenses per 10k residents against 3.2 in Texas.
Where does household income run higher, Colorado or Texas?
Colorado: $92,748 median household income against $78,473 in Texas, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Colorado vs Texas comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR); population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.