Nevada vs New York: contractor markets, side by side
Nevada has 15,178 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; New York has 28,981 — about 1.9× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB) and the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP; market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Nevada | New York | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 15,178 | 28,981 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 40.4 | 14.5 |
| Residents | 3,752,362 | 19,994,326 |
| Households | 1,578,064 | 8,494,175 |
| Median household income | $71,790 | $89,542 |
| Building permits (2025) | 18,628 | 38,667 |
| Top city by licenses | Las Vegas | Brooklyn |
Nevada is the denser market: 40.4 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 $71,790 in Nevada — which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Nevada | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 2,207 | 3,510 |
| Plumbers | 1,019 | 1,148 |
| HVAC Contractors | 1,217 | 103 |
| General Contractors | 4,047 | 23,751 |
| Roofing Contractors | 420 | — |
| Solar Contractors | 24 | — |
| Landscape Contractors | 742 | — |
| Pool Contractors | 214 | — |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | 142 | 469 |
| Carpenters | 1,482 | — |
| Concrete Contractors | 730 | — |
| Masons | 376 | — |
| Drywall Contractors | 327 | — |
| Tile Contractors | 407 | — |
| Excavating Contractors | 368 | — |
| Painters | 985 | — |
| Flooring Contractors | 678 | — |
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.