NAICS 23

Construction in Columbus, IN

Metro Market Score 40.4 (Moderate), ranked #110 of 342 metros. 171 establishments, 1,704 jobs.

Metro Market Score 40.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

At #110 of 342 metros, Columbus's construction sector scores 40.4 on the market index. Concentration (8.8), wage levels (29.5), and growth (20.8) all track close to the median. Local factors like lease costs and client access will matter more than macro signals.

Industry Concentration

8.8

LQ: 0.65

Rank #30 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

29.5

$67,807 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 20.8

Employment growth index

Rank #272 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

35.4

YoY wage change index

171 Construction Firms in Columbus

171

Establishments

-0.6% YoY

1,704

Total Employment

-1.3% YoY

$67,807

Average Annual Wage

+5.1% YoY

0.65

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Indiana

#4 of 12

construction metros in state

Indiana state rank

#11 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

-10.9

better than median (51.4)

Columbus vs Indiana Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to Indiana overall. The state ranks #11/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Columbus	IN Statewide
Overall Score	40.4 Moderate	35.0 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#110 of 342 metros	#11 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 Columbus

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 12.6 Other Services 24.5 Retail Trade 24.9 Information 25.2 Finance and Insurance 30.6 Healthcare and Social Assistance 32.0 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 53.0 Accommodation and Food Services 53.8 Administrative and Support Services 58.0

Construction in Other Indiana Metros

Muncie 29.5 #37/342 Lafayette-West Lafayette 32.3 #54/342 Bloomington 37.2 #79/342 Elkhart-Goshen 44.3 #140/342 South Bend-Mishawaka 48.4 #176/342 Fort Wayne 51.4 #209/342 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood 51.4 #210/342 Kokomo 56.5 #261/342 Michigan City-La Porte 59.4 #278/342 Terre Haute 64.1 #307/342

+ 1 more metros. View all in Indiana →

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Columbus's 40.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Springfield, MO 40.6 #111/342 Williamsport, PA 40.7 #112/342 Oklahoma City, OK 40.7 #113/342 Athens-Clarke County, GA 40.0 #109/342 Lansing-East Lansing, MI 39.8 #108/342 Waco, TX 39.8 #107/342 Hanford-Corcoran, CA 39.7 #106/342 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 41.2 #114/342 Tyler, TX 41.2 #115/342 Yakima, WA 39.6 #105/342

Construction in States Bordering Indiana

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

Michigan 28.0 #2/51 Kentucky 39.8 #19/51 Ohio 41.7 #24/51 Illinois 49.1 #34/51

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 Columbus's construction sector, the employment growth component (79.2) 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 Columbus, IN MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment