NAICS 23

Construction in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA

Metro Market Score 62.4 (Difficult), ranked #297 of 342 metros. 8,865 establishments, 89,940 jobs.

Metro Market Score 62.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

💰High-Cost Market

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad scores 62.4 on the Metro Market Score for construction, placing it in the bottom quartile. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

68.1

LQ: 1.12

Rank #233 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

86.5

$84,397 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 41.8

Employment growth index

Rank #200 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

31.3

YoY wage change index

8,865 Construction Firms in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad

8,865

Establishments

+1.3% YoY

89,940

Total Employment

+0.7% YoY

$84,397

Average Annual Wage

+3.4% YoY

1.12

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within California

#17 of 25

construction metros in state

California state rank

#32 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

+4.9

worse than median (57.5)

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad vs California Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to California overall. The state ranks #32/51 for entry risk.

Measure	San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad	CA Statewide
Overall Score	62.4 Difficult	47.8 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#297 of 342 metros	#32 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad

Healthcare and Social Assistance 38.9 Other Services 59.2 Retail Trade 60.6 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 62.6 Information 71.5 Finance and Insurance 72.0 Administrative and Support Services 72.7 Accommodation and Food Services 72.7 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 81.7

Construction in Other California Metros

Merced 30.0 #42/342 El Centro 31.0 #45/342 Salinas 31.6 #50/342 Fresno 37.4 #80/342 Visalia 38.9 #96/342 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara 39.1 #97/342 Hanford-Corcoran 39.7 #106/342 Stockton-Lodi 46.4 #161/342 Santa Cruz-Watsonville 47.5 #168/342 Modesto 48.2 #174/342

+ 14 more metros. View all in California →

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad's 62.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

St. Cloud, MN 62.4 #298/342 Salem, OR 63.0 #299/342 Fond du Lac, WI 61.7 #296/342 Urban Honolulu, HI 61.6 #295/342 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA 63.2 #300/342 Midland, TX 63.3 #301/342 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 61.5 #294/342 Sioux City, IA 63.4 #302/342 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA 63.4 #303/342 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT 61.4 #293/342

Construction in States Bordering California

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

Arizona 38.6 #16/51 Nevada 39.8 #20/51 Oregon 54.8 #44/51

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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad's construction sector, the wage competitiveness component (86.5) 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment