NAICS 23

Construction in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN

Metro Market Score 32.3 (Favorable), ranked #54 of 342 metros. 444 establishments, 4,655 jobs.

Metro Market Score 32.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

📈Rapid Growth

Lafayette-West Lafayette ranks in the top quartile for construction market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 32.3, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

33.3

LQ: 0.87

Rank #114 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

47.4

$71,917 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 82.8

Employment growth index

Rank #60 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

35.0

YoY wage change index

444 Construction Firms in Lafayette-West Lafayette

444

Establishments

+4.7% YoY

4,655

Total Employment

+6.8% YoY

$71,917

Average Annual Wage

+4.9% YoY

0.87

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Indiana

#2 of 12

construction metros in state

Indiana state rank

#11 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

-19.0

better than median (51.4)

Lafayette-West Lafayette vs Indiana Statewide

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

Measure	Lafayette-West Lafayette	IN Statewide
Overall Score	32.3 Favorable	35.0 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#54 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 47.9

Construction in Other Indiana Metros

Muncie 29.5 #37/342 Bloomington 37.2 #79/342 Columbus 40.4 #110/342 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette's 32.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Manhattan, KS 32.4 #55/342 Sandusky, OH 32.1 #53/342 Huntsville, AL 32.5 #56/342 Bowling Green, KY 32.6 #57/342 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 31.9 #52/342 Yuma, AZ 31.9 #51/342 Salinas, CA 31.6 #50/342 Chambersburg, PA 31.6 #49/342 Ithaca, NY 31.6 #48/342 Auburn-Opelika, AL 31.5 #47/342

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 Lafayette-West Lafayette's construction sector, the wage competitiveness component (47.4) 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment