Illinois vs Nevada: contractor markets, side by side
Illinois has 14,951 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Nevada has 15,178 — about the same number of licensed contractors. Counts come from the IDFPR + Chicago Department of Buildings and the Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Illinois | Nevada | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 14,951 | 15,178 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 11.7 | 40.4 |
| Residents | 12,757,583 | 3,752,362 |
| Households | 5,427,336 | 1,578,064 |
| Median household income | $84,033 | $71,790 |
| Building permits (2025) | 18,551 | 18,628 |
| Top city by licenses | Chicago | Las Vegas |
Nevada is the denser market: 40.4 active licenses per 10k residents against 11.7 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 $71,790 in Nevada — which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Illinois | Nevada |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 2,567 | 2,207 |
| Plumbers | 943 | 1,019 |
| HVAC Contractors | — | 1,217 |
| General Contractors | 6,074 | 4,047 |
| Roofing Contractors | 4,404 | 420 |
| Solar Contractors | — | 24 |
| Landscape Contractors | — | 742 |
| Pool Contractors | — | 214 |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | — | 142 |
| Carpenters | — | 1,482 |
| Concrete Contractors | — | 730 |
| Masons | 963 | 376 |
| Drywall Contractors | — | 327 |
| Tile Contractors | — | 407 |
| Excavating Contractors | — | 368 |
| Painters | — | 985 |
| Flooring Contractors | — | 678 |
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.