NAICS 23

Construction in Athens-Clarke County, GA

Metro Market Score 40.0 (Moderate), ranked #109 of 342 metros. 507 establishments, 3,877 jobs.

Metro Market Score 40.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

Athens-Clarke County has a relatively low concentration of construction firms (index: 19.3) paired with positive employment growth. This suggests an underpenetrated market where demand may outpace current supply.

Industry Concentration

19.3

LQ: 0.78

Rank #66 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

59.9

$74,663 avg wage

Growth Trend

52.9

Employment growth index

Rank #162 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

30.1

YoY wage change index

507 Construction Firms in Athens-Clarke County

507

Establishments

+5.4% YoY

3,877

Total Employment

+2.5% YoY

$74,663

Average Annual Wage

+2.9% YoY

0.78

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Georgia

#7 of 9

construction metros in state

Georgia state rank

#25 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

+1.4

worse than median (38.5)

Athens-Clarke County vs Georgia Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to Georgia overall. The state ranks #25/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Athens-Clarke County	GA Statewide
Overall Score	40.0 Moderate	42.1 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#109 of 342 metros	#25 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 Athens-Clarke County

Retail Trade 54.2 Other Services 61.6

Construction in Other Georgia Metros

Dalton 15.0 #4/342 Rome 18.4 #8/342 Warner Robins 24.6 #17/342 Brunswick-St. Simons 28.1 #29/342 Gainesville 38.5 #92/342 Hinesville 39.4 #103/342 Savannah 43.8 #135/342 Augusta-Richmond County 59.8 #282/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Athens-Clarke County's 40.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Lansing-East Lansing, MI 39.8 #108/342 Waco, TX 39.8 #107/342 Hanford-Corcoran, CA 39.7 #106/342 Yakima, WA 39.6 #105/342 Columbus, IN 40.4 #110/342 Rockford, IL 39.4 #104/342 Hinesville, GA 39.4 #103/342 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC 39.4 #102/342 Springfield, MO 40.6 #111/342 Williamsport, PA 40.7 #112/342

Construction in States Bordering Georgia

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

Alabama 30.3 #4/51 Tennessee 34.8 #10/51 North Carolina 38.2 #15/51 South Carolina 47.0 #30/51 Florida 54.5 #42/51

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 Athens-Clarke County's construction sector, the wage competitiveness component (59.9) 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 Athens-Clarke County, GA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment