New York vs Virginia: contractor markets, side by side
New York has 29,413 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Virginia has 42,816: about 1.5× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP and the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| New York | Virginia | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 29,413 | 42,816 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 14.7 | 35.9 |
| Residents | 19,994,326 | 11,942,085 |
| Households | 8,494,175 | 4,997,364 |
| Median household income | $89,542 | $102,122 |
| Building permits (2025) | 38,667 | 32,274 |
| Top city by licenses | Brooklyn | Virginia Beach |
Virginia is the denser market: 35.9 active licenses per 10k residents against 14.7 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 Virginia: $102,122 median against $89,542 in New York, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | New York | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 3,528 | 3,889 |
| Plumbers | 1,152 | 1,424 |
| HVAC Contractors | 103 | 2,418 |
| General Contractors | 24,160 | 30,002 |
| Roofing Contractors | — | 1,327 |
| Landscape Contractors | — | 2,156 |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | 470 | 408 |
| Carpenters | — | 54 |
| Concrete Contractors | — | 1,269 |
| Masons | — | 1,020 |
| Drywall Contractors | — | 140 |
| Excavating Contractors | — | 3,114 |
| Painters | — | 2,121 |
| 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.
Working one of these markets?
New York vs Virginia: common questions
Does New York or Virginia have more licensed contractors?
Virginia has more: 42,816 active licensed contractors against 29,413 in New York, about 1.5× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP and the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR).
Which has the denser contractor market, New York or Virginia?
Virginia is denser: 35.9 active licenses per 10k residents against 14.7 in New York.
Where does household income run higher, New York or Virginia?
Virginia: $102,122 median household income against $89,542 in New York, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this New York vs Virginia comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP and the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR); population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.