NAICS 23

Construction in Jonesboro, AR

Metro Market Score 39.1 (Moderate), ranked #98 of 342 metros. 314 establishments, 2,718 jobs.

Metro Market Score 39.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

Labor costs are a clear advantage in Jonesboro's construction sector. The wage competitiveness index of 17.0 puts it among the lowest-cost metros, and wage pressure at 21.4 suggests that gap is holding steady.

Industry Concentration

30.7

LQ: 0.86

Rank #105 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

17.0

$63,031 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 23.7

Employment growth index

Rank #262 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

21.4

YoY wage change index

314 Construction Firms in Jonesboro

314

Establishments

+3.0% YoY

2,718

Total Employment

-1.0% YoY

$63,031

Average Annual Wage

-0.7% YoY

0.86

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Arkansas

#4 of 5

construction metros in state

Arkansas state rank

#8 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

+0.6

worse than median (38.5)

Jonesboro vs Arkansas Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to Arkansas overall. The state ranks #8/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Jonesboro	AR Statewide
Overall Score	39.1 Moderate	34.3 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#98 of 342 metros	#8 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Jonesboro

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 16.1 Finance and Insurance 27.0 Retail Trade 47.4 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 50.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 51.4

Construction in Other Arkansas Metros

Hot Springs 36.8 #77/342 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers 37.8 #84/342 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway 38.5 #91/342 Fort Smith 46.4 #159/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Jonesboro's 39.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 39.1 #97/342 Louisville-Jefferson County, KY 39.1 #99/342 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 39.1 #100/342 Idaho Falls, ID 39.2 #101/342 Visalia, CA 38.9 #96/342 Tulsa, OK 38.9 #95/342 Springfield, IL 38.9 #94/342 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC 39.4 #102/342 Hinesville, GA 39.4 #103/342 Rockford, IL 39.4 #104/342

Construction in States Bordering Arkansas

State-level entry risk for construction in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Tennessee 34.8 #10/51 Texas 46.3 #29/51 Mississippi 50.8 #36/51 Oklahoma 52.2 #39/51 Louisiana 53.6 #41/51 Missouri 54.6 #43/51

Browse Construction in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for construction across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Jonesboro's construction sector, the employment growth component (76.3) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Jonesboro, AR MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment