Ohio vs Oregon: contractor markets, side by side
Ohio has 12,552 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Oregon has 31,562: about 2.5× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) and the Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Ohio | Oregon | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 12,552 | 31,562 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 10.7 | 74.6 |
| Residents | 11,774,683 | 4,229,341 |
| Households | 5,251,186 | 1,818,529 |
| Median household income | $71,229 | $80,169 |
| Building permits (2025) | 33,640 | 14,679 |
| Top city by licenses | Cincinnati | Portland |
Oregon is the denser market: 74.6 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 Oregon: $80,169 median against $71,229 in Ohio, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Ohio | Oregon |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 4,514 | 1,183 |
| Plumbers | 3,084 | 1,912 |
| HVAC Contractors | 4,956 | 444 |
| General Contractors | — | 29,946 |
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?
Ohio vs Oregon: common questions
Does Ohio or Oregon have more licensed contractors?
Oregon has more: 31,562 active licensed contractors against 12,552 in Ohio, about 2.5× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) and the Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB).
Which has the denser contractor market, Ohio or Oregon?
Oregon is denser: 74.6 active licenses per 10k residents against 10.7 in Ohio.
Where does household income run higher, Ohio or Oregon?
Oregon: $80,169 median household income against $71,229 in Ohio, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Ohio vs Oregon comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) and the Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB); population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.