New York vs Washington: contractor markets, side by side
New York has 29,413 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Washington has 70,520: about 2.4× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP and the Washington Labor & Industries (L&I); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| New York | Washington | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 29,413 | 70,520 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 14.7 | 83.7 |
| Residents | 19,994,326 | 8,422,710 |
| Households | 8,494,175 | 3,540,228 |
| Median household income | $89,542 | $95,237 |
| Building permits (2025) | 38,667 | 34,913 |
| Top city by licenses | Brooklyn | Seattle |
Washington is the denser market: 83.7 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 Washington: $95,237 median against $89,542 in New York, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | New York | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 3,528 | — |
| Plumbers | 1,152 | 539 |
| HVAC Contractors | 103 | 844 |
| General Contractors | 24,160 | 59,229 |
| Roofing Contractors | — | 673 |
| Landscape Contractors | — | 1,788 |
| Pool Contractors | — | 72 |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | 470 | 121 |
| Carpenters | — | 1,422 |
| Concrete Contractors | — | 905 |
| Masons | — | 372 |
| Drywall Contractors | — | 455 |
| Tile Contractors | — | 1,238 |
| Excavating Contractors | — | 423 |
| Painters | — | 2,812 |
| Flooring Contractors | — | 2,312 |
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 Washington: common questions
Does New York or Washington have more licensed contractors?
Washington has more: 70,520 active licensed contractors against 29,413 in New York, about 2.4× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP and the Washington Labor & Industries (L&I).
Which has the denser contractor market, New York or Washington?
Washington is denser: 83.7 active licenses per 10k residents against 14.7 in New York.
Where does household income run higher, New York or Washington?
Washington: $95,237 median household income against $89,542 in New York, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this New York vs Washington comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP and the Washington Labor & Industries (L&I); population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.