Coverage varies by state, trade and authority. These are source snapshots, not a census of unique businesses or a live license check. Ratios cannot establish market saturation or contractor quality.

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Florida vs Illinois: contractor markets, side by side

Florida has 110,411 roster records across the trades we cover; Illinois has 15,797. Counts come from the Florida DBPR (Dept. of Business & Professional Regulation) and the IDFPR + Chicago Department of Buildings; market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.

 FloridaIllinois
Covered roster records110,41115,797
Snapshot records per 10k residents51.012.4
Residents21,634,50612,757,583
Households9,915,9465,427,336
ZIP-weighted income indicator$71,602$84,033
Housing units authorized (source year)178,297 (2025)18,551 (2025)
Top covered city by recordsMiamiChicago

Florida has the higher snapshot ratio: 51.0 source records per 10k residents against 12.4 in Illinois. Differences in source coverage affect this ratio; it does not measure contractors per square mile or competition for jobs.

The ZIP-weighted income indicator is higher in Illinois: $84,033 against $71,602 in Florida, using the Census estimates in this dataset. This indicator does not establish renovation budgets or likely sales.

Trade by trade

TradeFloridaIllinois
Electricians14,1822,637
Plumbers8,4891,017
HVAC Contractors13,921—
General Contractors59,5967,056
Roofing Contractors10,1574,607
Solar Contractors432—
Pool Contractors4,751—
Masons—992
Excavating Contractors2,643—

Counts reflect the separate covered-trade snapshot. A “—” means no count is provided here; it says nothing about whether the trade exists or requires a license. These category counts are not reconciled with the headline roster totals.

Figures use separately generated snapshots: overall roster totals, trade counts and mapped-city counts can differ in scope and collection time and should not be added together or treated as a reconciled census. The displayed source refresh date does not date every aggregate. Population and households are sums of the covered ZIP estimates. The income indicator is a population-weighted average of ZIP-level household-income medians, not the state's household median. Census context can refer to a different period from the roster. Housing-unit authorizations refer to the displayed permit year; they are not completed projects. See the ACS estimate guidance and Building Permits Survey for the underlying statistical definitions.

Florida vs Illinois: common questions

Does Florida or Illinois have more contractor records?

Florida has 110,411 covered records; Illinois has 15,797. These counts reflect different source coverage, not a census of operating businesses. Sources: Florida DBPR (Dept. of Business & Professional Regulation) and the IDFPR + Chicago Department of Buildings.

Which has the higher snapshot records-to-population ratio, Florida or Illinois?

Florida has the higher snapshot ratio: 51.0 snapshot records per 10k residents against 12.4 in Illinois.

Which has the higher ZIP-weighted income indicator, Florida or Illinois?

Illinois: $84,033 against $71,602 in Florida. This is a population-weighted average of ZIP-level income medians, not either state's household median.

Where does this Florida vs Illinois comparison data come from?

Roster counts derive from Florida DBPR (Dept. of Business & Professional Regulation) and IDFPR + Chicago Department of Buildings; population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Counts are snapshot records, not a census of unique companies. Source scope and dates differ between states.