New York vs Texas: contractor markets, side by side
New York has 29,413 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Texas has 9,656: about 3× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| New York | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 29,413 | 9,656 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 14.7 | 3.3 |
| Residents | 19,994,326 | 29,242,689 |
| Households | 8,494,175 | 11,654,379 |
| Median household income | $89,542 | $78,473 |
| Building permits (2025) | 38,667 | 210,217 |
| Top city by licenses | Br | Houston |
New York is the denser market: 14.7 active licenses per 10k residents against 3.3 in Texas. 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 $78,473 in Texas, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | New York | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 3,539 | 12,392 |
| Plumbers | 1,153 | — |
| HVAC Contractors | 103 | — |
| General Contractors | 24,443 | — |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | 471 | — |
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 Texas: common questions
Does New York or Texas have more licensed contractors?
New York has more: 29,413 active licensed contractors against 9,656 in Texas, about 3× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
Which has the denser contractor market, New York or Texas?
New York is denser: 14.7 active licenses per 10k residents against 3.3 in Texas.
Where does household income run higher, New York or Texas?
New York: $89,542 median household income against $78,473 in Texas, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this New York vs Texas comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR); population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.