Minnesota vs Nevada: contractor markets, side by side
Minnesota has 16,386 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Nevada has 15,178 — about 1.1× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) and the Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Minnesota | Nevada | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 16,386 | 15,178 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 28.8 | 40.4 |
| Residents | 5,695,830 | 3,752,362 |
| Households | 2,494,239 | 1,578,064 |
| Median household income | $88,902 | $71,790 |
| Building permits (2025) | 20,947 | 18,628 |
| Top city by licenses | Minneapolis | Las Vegas |
Nevada is the denser market: 40.4 active licenses per 10k residents against 28.8 in Minnesota. 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 Minnesota — $88,902 median against $71,790 in Nevada — which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Minnesota | Nevada |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 3,037 | 2,207 |
| Plumbers | 1,882 | 1,019 |
| HVAC Contractors | 4,713 | 1,217 |
| General Contractors | 14,761 | 4,047 |
| Roofing Contractors | 173 | 420 |
| Solar Contractors | — | 24 |
| Landscape Contractors | — | 742 |
| Pool Contractors | — | 214 |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | — | 142 |
| Carpenters | — | 1,482 |
| Concrete Contractors | — | 730 |
| Masons | — | 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.