Minnesota vs Virginia: contractor markets, side by side
Minnesota has 16,386 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Virginia has 42,424 — about 2.6× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) and the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Minnesota | Virginia | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 16,386 | 42,424 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 28.8 | 35.5 |
| Residents | 5,695,830 | 11,942,085 |
| Households | 2,494,239 | 4,997,364 |
| Median household income | $88,902 | $102,122 |
| Building permits (2025) | 20,947 | 32,274 |
| Top city by licenses | Minneapolis | Virginia Beach |
Virginia is the denser market: 35.5 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 Virginia — $102,122 median against $88,902 in Minnesota — which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Minnesota | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 3,037 | 3,849 |
| Plumbers | 1,882 | 1,388 |
| HVAC Contractors | 4,713 | 2,373 |
| General Contractors | 14,761 | 29,762 |
| Roofing Contractors | 173 | 1,316 |
| Landscape Contractors | — | 2,141 |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | — | 408 |
| Carpenters | — | 53 |
| Concrete Contractors | — | 1,262 |
| Masons | — | 1,015 |
| Drywall Contractors | — | 139 |
| Excavating Contractors | — | 3,096 |
| Painters | — | 2,104 |
| Flooring Contractors | — | 154 |
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.