Minnesota vs New York: contractor markets, side by side
Minnesota has 16,386 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; New York has 28,981 — about 1.8× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) and the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP; market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Minnesota | New York | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 16,386 | 28,981 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 28.8 | 14.5 |
| Residents | 5,695,830 | 19,994,326 |
| Households | 2,494,239 | 8,494,175 |
| Median household income | $88,902 | $89,542 |
| Building permits (2025) | 20,947 | 38,667 |
| Top city by licenses | Minneapolis | Brooklyn |
Minnesota is the denser market: 28.8 active licenses per 10k residents against 14.5 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 $88,902 in Minnesota — which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Minnesota | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 3,037 | 3,510 |
| Plumbers | 1,882 | 1,148 |
| HVAC Contractors | 4,713 | 103 |
| General Contractors | 14,761 | 23,751 |
| Roofing Contractors | 173 | — |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | — | 469 |
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.