New York vs Ohio: contractor markets, side by side
New York has 29,413 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Ohio has 12,552: about 2.3× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP and the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| New York | Ohio | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 29,413 | 12,552 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 14.7 | 10.7 |
| Residents | 19,994,326 | 11,774,683 |
| Households | 8,494,175 | 5,251,186 |
| Median household income | $89,542 | $71,229 |
| Building permits (2025) | 38,667 | 33,640 |
| Top city by licenses | Brooklyn | Cincinnati |
New York is the denser market: 14.7 active licenses per 10k residents against 10.7 in Ohio. 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 $71,229 in Ohio, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | New York | Ohio |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 3,528 | 4,514 |
| Plumbers | 1,152 | 3,084 |
| HVAC Contractors | 103 | 4,956 |
| General Contractors | 24,160 | — |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | 470 | — |
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?
New York vs Ohio: common questions
Does New York or Ohio have more licensed contractors?
New York has more: 29,413 active licensed contractors against 12,552 in Ohio, about 2.3× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP and the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB).
Which has the denser contractor market, New York or Ohio?
New York is denser: 14.7 active licenses per 10k residents against 10.7 in Ohio.
Where does household income run higher, New York or Ohio?
New York: $89,542 median household income against $71,229 in Ohio, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this New York vs Ohio comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP and the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB); population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.