Ohio vs Texas: contractor markets, side by side
Ohio has 12,552 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Texas has 9,387: about 1.3× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Ohio | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 12,552 | 9,387 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 10.7 | 3.2 |
| Residents | 11,774,683 | 29,242,689 |
| Households | 5,251,186 | 11,654,379 |
| Median household income | $71,229 | $78,473 |
| Building permits (2025) | 33,640 | 210,217 |
| Top city by licenses | Cincinnati | Houston |
Ohio is the denser market: 10.7 active licenses per 10k residents against 3.2 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 Texas: $78,473 median against $71,229 in Ohio, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Ohio | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 4,514 | 11,230 |
| Plumbers | 3,084 | — |
| HVAC Contractors | 4,956 | — |
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 Texas: common questions
Does Ohio or Texas have more licensed contractors?
Ohio has more: 12,552 active licensed contractors against 9,387 in Texas, about 1.3× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
Which has the denser contractor market, Ohio or Texas?
Ohio is denser: 10.7 active licenses per 10k residents against 3.2 in Texas.
Where does household income run higher, Ohio or Texas?
Texas: $78,473 median household income against $71,229 in Ohio, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Ohio vs Texas comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) 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.