Illinois vs Washington: contractor markets, side by side
Illinois has 14,951 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Washington has 70,774 — about 5× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the IDFPR + Chicago Department of Buildings and the Washington Labor & Industries (L&I); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Illinois | Washington | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 14,951 | 70,774 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 11.7 | 84.0 |
| Residents | 12,757,583 | 8,422,710 |
| Households | 5,427,336 | 3,540,228 |
| Median household income | $84,033 | $95,237 |
| Building permits (2025) | 18,551 | 34,913 |
| Top city by licenses | Chicago | Seattle |
Washington is the denser market: 84.0 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 Washington — $95,237 median against $84,033 in Illinois — which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Illinois | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 2,567 | — |
| Plumbers | 943 | 539 |
| HVAC Contractors | — | 821 |
| General Contractors | 6,074 | 57,282 |
| Roofing Contractors | 4,404 | 639 |
| Landscape Contractors | — | 1,739 |
| Pool Contractors | — | 71 |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | — | 117 |
| Carpenters | — | 1,371 |
| Concrete Contractors | — | 870 |
| Masons | 963 | 364 |
| Drywall Contractors | — | 437 |
| Tile Contractors | — | 1,209 |
| Excavating Contractors | — | 409 |
| Painters | — | 2,702 |
| Flooring Contractors | — | 2,256 |
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.