NAICS 23

Construction in Fort Wayne, IN

Metro Market Score 51.4 (Challenging), ranked #209 of 342 metros. 1,202 establishments, 12,580 jobs.

Metro Market Score 51.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

Despite a mature construction presence (concentration: 62.0), Fort Wayne is still adding jobs in this sector. Growth trend sits at 73.1, and the overall 51.4 market score lands in the lower half. Established markets with growth are worth a closer look.

Industry Concentration

62.0

LQ: 1.07

Rank #212 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

74.8

$78,644 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 73.1

Employment growth index

Rank #93 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

45.4

YoY wage change index

1,202 Construction Firms in Fort Wayne

1,202

Establishments

+2.1% YoY

12,580

Total Employment

+4.7% YoY

$78,644

Average Annual Wage

+9.2% YoY

1.07

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Indiana

#7 of 12

construction metros in state

Indiana state rank

#11 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (51.4)

Fort Wayne vs Indiana Statewide

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

Measure	Fort Wayne	IN Statewide
Overall Score	51.4 Challenging	35.0 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#209 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 Fort Wayne

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 34.1 Other Services 49.5 Information 49.6 Retail Trade 58.3 Finance and Insurance 61.4

Construction in Other Indiana Metros

Muncie 29.5 #37/342 Lafayette-West Lafayette 32.3 #54/342 Bloomington 37.2 #79/342 Columbus 40.4 #110/342 Elkhart-Goshen 44.3 #140/342 South Bend-Mishawaka 48.4 #176/342 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 Fort Wayne's 51.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN 51.4 #210/342 Kingston, NY 51.5 #211/342 Mankato, MN 51.1 #208/342 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY 51.1 #207/342 Casper, WY 51.0 #206/342 Redding, CA 50.9 #205/342 Peoria, IL 50.9 #204/342 Bloomington, IL 50.9 #202/342 Pittsburgh, PA 50.9 #203/342 Jefferson City, MO 50.8 #201/342

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 Fort Wayne's construction sector, the wage competitiveness component (74.8) 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 Fort Wayne, IN MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment