Colorado vs Utah: contractor markets, side by side
Colorado has 7,671 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Utah has 4,281: about 1.8× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Colorado | Utah | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 7,671 | 4,281 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 13.3 | 13.0 |
| Residents | 5,771,158 | 3,282,203 |
| Households | 2,500,219 | 1,160,621 |
| Median household income | $92,748 | $90,304 |
| Building permits (2025) | 33,754 | 26,775 |
| Top city by licenses | Denver | Salt Lake City |
Colorado is the denser market: 13.3 active licenses per 10k residents against 13.0 in Utah. 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 $90,304 in Utah, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Colorado | Utah |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 4,677 | 251 |
| Plumbers | 3,003 | 214 |
| HVAC Contractors | — | 440 |
| General Contractors | — | 2,708 |
| Roofing Contractors | — | 142 |
| Solar Contractors | — | 24 |
| Carpenters | — | 584 |
| Concrete Contractors | — | 362 |
| Masons | — | 392 |
| Drywall Contractors | — | 457 |
| Tile Contractors | — | 392 |
| Excavating Contractors | — | 236 |
| Painters | — | 457 |
| Flooring Contractors | — | 584 |
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 Utah: common questions
Does Colorado or Utah have more licensed contractors?
Colorado has more: 7,671 active licensed contractors against 4,281 in Utah, about 1.8× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL).
Which has the denser contractor market, Colorado or Utah?
Colorado is denser: 13.3 active licenses per 10k residents against 13.0 in Utah.
Where does household income run higher, Colorado or Utah?
Colorado: $92,748 median household income against $90,304 in Utah, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Colorado vs Utah comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations (DORA) and the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL); population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.