Ohio vs Virginia: contractor markets, side by side
Ohio has 12,552 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Virginia has 42,816: about 3× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) and the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Ohio | Virginia | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 12,552 | 42,816 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 10.7 | 35.9 |
| Residents | 11,774,683 | 11,942,085 |
| Households | 5,251,186 | 4,997,364 |
| Median household income | $71,229 | $102,122 |
| Building permits (2025) | 33,640 | 32,274 |
| Top city by licenses | Cincinnati | Virginia Beach |
Virginia is the denser market: 35.9 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 Virginia: $102,122 median against $71,229 in Ohio, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Ohio | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 4,514 | 3,889 |
| Plumbers | 3,084 | 1,424 |
| HVAC Contractors | 4,956 | 2,418 |
| General Contractors | — | 30,002 |
| Roofing Contractors | — | 1,327 |
| Landscape Contractors | — | 2,156 |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | — | 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?
Ohio vs Virginia: common questions
Does Ohio or Virginia have more licensed contractors?
Virginia has more: 42,816 active licensed contractors against 12,552 in Ohio, about 3× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) and the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR).
Which has the denser contractor market, Ohio or Virginia?
Virginia is denser: 35.9 active licenses per 10k residents against 10.7 in Ohio.
Where does household income run higher, Ohio or Virginia?
Virginia: $102,122 median household income against $71,229 in Ohio, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Ohio vs Virginia comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) 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.