NAICS 23

Construction in Boulder, CO

Metro Market Score 53.8 (Challenging), ranked #232 of 342 metros. 834 establishments, 5,464 jobs.

Metro Market Score 53.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

Boulder's construction sector saw employment decline over the past year (growth trend: 11.1). That contraction, combined with a 53.8 market score, puts this metro in the lower half for market conditions. Understand why the local market is shrinking before committing.

Industry Concentration

5.0

LQ: 0.54

Rank #17 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

74.0

$78,041 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 11.1

Employment growth index

Rank #305 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

36.9

YoY wage change index

834 Construction Firms in Boulder

834

Establishments

-7.5% YoY

5,464

Total Employment

-4.4% YoY

$78,041

Average Annual Wage

+5.7% YoY

0.54

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Colorado

#1 of 7

construction metros in state

Colorado state rank

#40 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

-6.2

better than median (60.0)

Boulder vs Colorado Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to Colorado overall. The state ranks #40/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Boulder	CO Statewide
Overall Score	53.8 Challenging	53.2 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#232 of 342 metros	#40 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 Boulder

Administrative and Support Services 54.0 Healthcare and Social Assistance 54.6 Other Services 55.5 Retail Trade 58.3 Finance and Insurance 61.4 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 66.6 Information 68.1 Accommodation and Food Services 71.6 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 84.0

Construction in Other Colorado Metros

Grand Junction 54.8 #244/342 Colorado Springs 56.2 #258/342 Greeley 60.0 #284/342 Pueblo 64.1 #306/342 Fort Collins-Loveland 65.3 #314/342 Denver-Aurora-Centennial 68.0 #321/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Boulder's 53.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Traverse City, MI 53.7 #231/342 Eugene-Springfield, OR 53.9 #233/342 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT 53.4 #230/342 Gettysburg, PA 53.4 #229/342 Wichita, KS 54.2 #234/342 Charleston, WV 54.2 #235/342 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY 53.2 #228/342 Alexandria, LA 54.4 #236/342 Reading, PA 54.4 #237/342 Glens Falls, NY 54.5 #238/342

Construction in States Bordering Colorado

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

Nebraska 32.5 #5/51 Arizona 38.6 #16/51 Utah 40.1 #22/51 New Mexico 47.4 #31/51 Kansas 51.5 #38/51 Oklahoma 52.2 #39/51 Wyoming 59.3 #49/51

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 Boulder's construction sector, the employment growth component (88.9) 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 Boulder, CO MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment