Oregon vs Texas: contractor markets, side by side
Oregon has 32,659 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Texas has 10,207 — about 3× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Oregon | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 32,659 | 10,207 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 77.2 | 3.5 |
| Residents | 4,229,341 | 29,242,689 |
| Households | 1,818,529 | 11,654,379 |
| Median household income | $80,169 | $78,473 |
| Building permits (2025) | 14,679 | 210,217 |
| Top city by licenses | Portland | Houston |
Oregon is the denser market: 77.2 active licenses per 10k residents against 3.5 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 Oregon — $80,169 median against $78,473 in Texas — which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Oregon | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 1,168 | 11,230 |
| Plumbers | 1,877 | — |
| HVAC Contractors | 429 | — |
| General Contractors | 29,185 | — |
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.