Ohio vs Washington: contractor markets, side by side
Ohio has 12,552 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Washington has 70,520: about 6× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) and the Washington Labor & Industries (L&I); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Ohio | Washington | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 12,552 | 70,520 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 10.7 | 83.7 |
| Residents | 11,774,683 | 8,422,710 |
| Households | 5,251,186 | 3,540,228 |
| Median household income | $71,229 | $95,237 |
| Building permits (2025) | 33,640 | 34,913 |
| Top city by licenses | Cincinnati | Seattle |
Washington is the denser market: 83.7 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 Washington: $95,237 median against $71,229 in Ohio, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Ohio | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 4,514 | — |
| Plumbers | 3,084 | 539 |
| HVAC Contractors | 4,956 | 844 |
| General Contractors | — | 59,229 |
| Roofing Contractors | — | 673 |
| Landscape Contractors | — | 1,788 |
| Pool Contractors | — | 72 |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | — | 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?
Ohio vs Washington: common questions
Does Ohio or Washington have more licensed contractors?
Washington has more: 70,520 active licensed contractors against 12,552 in Ohio, about 6× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) and the Washington Labor & Industries (L&I).
Which has the denser contractor market, Ohio or Washington?
Washington is denser: 83.7 active licenses per 10k residents against 10.7 in Ohio.
Where does household income run higher, Ohio or Washington?
Washington: $95,237 median household income against $71,229 in Ohio, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Ohio vs Washington comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (OCILB) and the Washington Labor & Industries (L&I); population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.