Florida vs Illinois: contractor markets, side by side
Florida has 110,411 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Illinois has 15,797: about 7× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and the IDFPR + Chicago Department of Buildings; market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Florida | Illinois | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 110,411 | 15,797 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 51.0 | 12.4 |
| Residents | 21,634,506 | 12,757,583 |
| Households | 9,915,946 | 5,427,336 |
| Median household income | $71,602 | $84,033 |
| Building permits (2025) | 178,297 | 18,551 |
| Top city by licenses | Miami | Chicago |
Florida is the denser market: 51.0 active licenses per 10k residents against 12.4 in Illinois. 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 Illinois: $84,033 median against $71,602 in Florida, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Florida | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 14,039 | 2,601 |
| Plumbers | 8,367 | 993 |
| HVAC Contractors | 13,726 | — |
| General Contractors | 58,802 | 6,715 |
| Roofing Contractors | 10,034 | 4,509 |
| Solar Contractors | 430 | — |
| Pool Contractors | 4,666 | — |
| Masons | — | 979 |
| Excavating Contractors | 2,614 | — |
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?
Florida vs Illinois: common questions
Does Florida or Illinois have more licensed contractors?
Florida has more: 110,411 active licensed contractors against 15,797 in Illinois, about 7× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and the IDFPR + Chicago Department of Buildings.
Which has the denser contractor market, Florida or Illinois?
Florida is denser: 51.0 active licenses per 10k residents against 12.4 in Illinois.
Where does household income run higher, Florida or Illinois?
Illinois: $84,033 median household income against $71,602 in Florida, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Florida vs Illinois comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and the IDFPR + Chicago Department of Buildings; population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.