Florida vs New York: contractor markets, side by side
Florida has 110,411 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; New York has 29,413: about 4× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP; market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Florida | New York | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 110,411 | 29,413 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 51.0 | 14.7 |
| Residents | 21,634,506 | 19,994,326 |
| Households | 9,915,946 | 8,494,175 |
| Median household income | $71,602 | $89,542 |
| Building permits (2025) | 178,297 | 38,667 |
| Top city by licenses | Miami | Brooklyn |
Florida is the denser market: 51.0 active licenses per 10k residents against 14.7 in New York. 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 New York: $89,542 median against $71,602 in Florida, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Florida | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 14,039 | 3,528 |
| Plumbers | 8,367 | 1,152 |
| HVAC Contractors | 13,726 | 103 |
| General Contractors | 58,802 | 24,160 |
| Roofing Contractors | 10,034 | — |
| Solar Contractors | 430 | — |
| Pool Contractors | 4,666 | — |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | — | 470 |
| 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 New York: common questions
Does Florida or New York have more licensed contractors?
Florida has more: 110,411 active licensed contractors against 29,413 in New York, about 4× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP.
Which has the denser contractor market, Florida or New York?
Florida is denser: 51.0 active licenses per 10k residents against 14.7 in New York.
Where does household income run higher, Florida or New York?
New York: $89,542 median household income against $71,602 in Florida, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Florida vs New York comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP; population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.