Minnesota vs Oregon: contractor markets, side by side
Minnesota has 16,763 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Oregon has 31,562: about 1.9× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) and the Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Minnesota | Oregon | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 16,763 | 31,562 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 29.4 | 74.6 |
| Residents | 5,695,830 | 4,229,341 |
| Households | 2,494,239 | 1,818,529 |
| Median household income | $88,902 | $80,169 |
| Building permits (2025) | 20,947 | 14,679 |
| Top city by licenses | Minneapolis | Portland |
Oregon is the denser market: 74.6 active licenses per 10k residents against 29.4 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 $80,169 in Oregon, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Minnesota | Oregon |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 3,064 | 1,183 |
| Plumbers | 1,900 | 1,912 |
| HVAC Contractors | 4,744 | 444 |
| General Contractors | 14,925 | 29,946 |
| Roofing Contractors | 175 | — |
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?
Minnesota vs Oregon: common questions
Does Minnesota or Oregon have more licensed contractors?
Oregon has more: 31,562 active licensed contractors against 16,763 in Minnesota, about 1.9× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) and the Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB).
Which has the denser contractor market, Minnesota or Oregon?
Oregon is denser: 74.6 active licenses per 10k residents against 29.4 in Minnesota.
Where does household income run higher, Minnesota or Oregon?
Minnesota: $88,902 median household income against $80,169 in Oregon, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Minnesota vs Oregon comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) and the Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB); population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.