Illinois vs Ohio: contractor markets, side by side
Illinois has 15,797 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Ohio has 12,552: about 1.3× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the IDFPR + Chicago Department of Buildings and the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Illinois | Ohio | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 15,797 | 12,552 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 12.4 | 10.7 |
| Residents | 12,757,583 | 11,774,683 |
| Households | 5,427,336 | 5,251,186 |
| Median household income | $84,033 | $71,229 |
| Building permits (2025) | 18,551 | 33,640 |
| Top city by licenses | Chicago | Cincinnati |
Illinois is the denser market: 12.4 active licenses per 10k residents against 10.7 in Ohio. 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 $71,229 in Ohio, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Illinois | Ohio |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 2,601 | 4,514 |
| Plumbers | 993 | 3,084 |
| HVAC Contractors | — | 4,956 |
| General Contractors | 6,715 | — |
| Roofing Contractors | 4,509 | — |
| Masons | 979 | — |
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?
Illinois vs Ohio: common questions
Does Illinois or Ohio have more licensed contractors?
Illinois has more: 15,797 active licensed contractors against 12,552 in Ohio, about 1.3× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the IDFPR + Chicago Department of Buildings and the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB).
Which has the denser contractor market, Illinois or Ohio?
Illinois is denser: 12.4 active licenses per 10k residents against 10.7 in Ohio.
Where does household income run higher, Illinois or Ohio?
Illinois: $84,033 median household income against $71,229 in Ohio, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Illinois vs Ohio comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the IDFPR + Chicago Department of Buildings and the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB); population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.