NAICS 23

Construction in Dalton, GA

Metro Market Score 15.0 (Favorable), ranked #4 of 342 metros. 256 establishments, 1,438 jobs.

Metro Market Score 15.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

📈Rapid Growth✓Favorable Market🌱Emerging Market

Dalton ranks in the top 10% for construction market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 15.0, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

1.8

LQ: 0.41

Rank #6 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

11.4

$60,218 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 81.0

Employment growth index

Rank #66 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

29.9

YoY wage change index

256 Construction Firms in Dalton

256

Establishments

+16.4% YoY

1,438

Total Employment

+6.2% YoY

$60,218

Average Annual Wage

+2.8% YoY

0.41

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Georgia

#1 of 9

construction metros in state

Georgia state rank

#25 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

-23.6

better than median (38.5)

Dalton vs Georgia Statewide

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

Measure	Dalton	GA Statewide
Overall Score	15.0 Favorable	42.1 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#4 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 Dalton

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 11.4 Information 15.1 Accommodation and Food Services 32.8 Finance and Insurance 35.4 Administrative and Support Services 36.0 Other Services 37.4 Retail Trade 44.4

Construction in Other Georgia Metros

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 Athens-Clarke County 40.0 #109/342 Savannah 43.8 #135/342 Augusta-Richmond County 59.8 #282/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Dalton's 15.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Brownsville-Harlingen, TX 15.4 #5/342 Gadsden, AL 14.3 #3/342 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX 16.4 #6/342 Lawton, OK 11.9 #2/342 Gainesville, FL 18.0 #7/342 Beckley, WV 11.7 #1/342 Rome, GA 18.4 #8/342 Wichita Falls, TX 19.2 #9/342 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 19.7 #10/342 Columbia, MO 19.8 #11/342

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 Dalton's construction sector, the wage pressure component (29.9) 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 Dalton, GA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment