Minnesota vs Washington: contractor markets, side by side
Minnesota has 16,386 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Washington has 70,774 — about 4× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) and the Washington Labor & Industries (L&I); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Minnesota | Washington | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 16,386 | 70,774 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 28.8 | 84.0 |
| Residents | 5,695,830 | 8,422,710 |
| Households | 2,494,239 | 3,540,228 |
| Median household income | $88,902 | $95,237 |
| Building permits (2025) | 20,947 | 34,913 |
| Top city by licenses | Minneapolis | Seattle |
Washington is the denser market: 84.0 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 Washington — $95,237 median against $88,902 in Minnesota — which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Minnesota | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 3,037 | — |
| Plumbers | 1,882 | 539 |
| HVAC Contractors | 4,713 | 821 |
| General Contractors | 14,761 | 57,282 |
| Roofing Contractors | 173 | 639 |
| Landscape Contractors | — | 1,739 |
| Pool Contractors | — | 71 |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | — | 117 |
| Carpenters | — | 1,371 |
| Concrete Contractors | — | 870 |
| Masons | — | 364 |
| Drywall Contractors | — | 437 |
| Tile Contractors | — | 1,209 |
| Excavating Contractors | — | 409 |
| Painters | — | 2,702 |
| Flooring Contractors | — | 2,256 |
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.