NAICS 23

Construction in Rockford, IL

Metro Market Score 39.4 (Moderate), ranked #104 of 342 metros. 669 establishments, 6,024 jobs.

Metro Market Score 39.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

💰High-Cost Market📈Rapid Growth🌱Emerging Market

Rockford ranks in the upper half for construction market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 39.4, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

26.9

LQ: 0.83

Rank #92 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

83.9

$82,943 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 85.4

Employment growth index

Rank #51 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

36.6

YoY wage change index

669 Construction Firms in Rockford

669

Establishments

+0.0% YoY

6,024

Total Employment

+7.4% YoY

$82,943

Average Annual Wage

+5.6% YoY

0.83

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Illinois

#3 of 8

construction metros in state

Illinois state rank

#34 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

-10.6

better than median (50.0)

Rockford vs Illinois Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to Illinois overall. The state ranks #34/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Rockford	IL Statewide
Overall Score	39.4 Moderate	49.1 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#104 of 342 metros	#34 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 Rockford

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 38.5 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 42.8 Administrative and Support Services 44.0 Information 46.5 Other Services 50.7 Finance and Insurance 53.0 Accommodation and Food Services 54.4 Retail Trade 60.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 69.1

Construction in Other Illinois Metros

Kankakee 27.1 #25/342 Springfield 38.9 #94/342 Champaign-Urbana 49.7 #187/342 Decatur 50.0 #193/342 Bloomington 50.9 #202/342 Peoria 50.9 #204/342 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin 61.1 #291/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Rockford's 39.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Hinesville, GA 39.4 #103/342 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC 39.4 #102/342 Yakima, WA 39.6 #105/342 Idaho Falls, ID 39.2 #101/342 Hanford-Corcoran, CA 39.7 #106/342 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 39.1 #100/342 Louisville-Jefferson County, KY 39.1 #99/342 Jonesboro, AR 39.1 #98/342 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 39.1 #97/342 Waco, TX 39.8 #107/342

Construction in States Bordering Illinois

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

Wisconsin 25.1 #1/51 Iowa 34.3 #7/51 Indiana 35.0 #11/51 Kentucky 39.8 #19/51 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 Rockford's construction sector, the wage competitiveness component (83.9) 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 Rockford, IL MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment