Minnesota vs Oregon: contractor markets, side by side
Minnesota has 16,386 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Oregon has 32,659 — about 2× 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 | 16,386 | 32,659 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 28.8 | 77.2 |
| 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: 77.2 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 $80,169 in Oregon — which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Minnesota | Oregon |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 3,037 | 1,168 |
| Plumbers | 1,882 | 1,877 |
| HVAC Contractors | 4,713 | 429 |
| General Contractors | 14,761 | 29,185 |
| Roofing Contractors | 173 | — |
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.