NAICS 23

Construction in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR

Metro Market Score 38.5 (Moderate), ranked #91 of 342 metros. 1,982 establishments, 18,885 jobs.

Metro Market Score 38.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway ranks in the upper half for construction market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 38.5, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

56.4

LQ: 1.01

Rank #193 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

27.5

$67,325 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 66.1

Employment growth index

Rank #117 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

36.6

YoY wage change index

1,982 Construction Firms in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway

1,982

Establishments

+3.2% YoY

18,885

Total Employment

+3.9% YoY

$67,325

Average Annual Wage

+5.6% YoY

1.01

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Arkansas

#3 of 5

construction metros in state

Arkansas state rank

#8 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (38.5)

Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway vs Arkansas Statewide

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

Measure	Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway	AR Statewide
Overall Score	38.5 Moderate	34.3 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#91 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 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway

Retail Trade 42.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 50.3 Finance and Insurance 62.8

Construction in Other Arkansas Metros

Hot Springs 36.8 #77/342 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers 37.8 #84/342 Jonesboro 39.1 #98/342 Fort Smith 46.4 #159/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway's 38.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Gainesville, GA 38.5 #92/342 St. George, UT 38.6 #93/342 Carson City, NV 38.3 #90/342 Harrisonburg, VA 38.2 #89/342 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI 38.1 #87/342 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL 38.1 #88/342 Springfield, IL 38.9 #94/342 Twin Falls, ID 38.1 #86/342 Tulsa, OK 38.9 #95/342 Visalia, CA 38.9 #96/342

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 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway's construction sector, the industry concentration component (56.4) 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 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment