NAICS 23

Construction in Bowling Green, KY

Metro Market Score 32.6 (Favorable), ranked #57 of 342 metros. 466 establishments, 4,016 jobs.

Metro Market Score 32.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

📈Rapid Growth

Employment in Bowling Green's construction sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 84.5. Combined with a 32.6 market score, this metro sits in the top quartile for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

47.4

LQ: 0.95

Rank #162 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

32.8

$68,506 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 84.5

Employment growth index

Rank #54 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

39.6

YoY wage change index

466 Construction Firms in Bowling Green

466

Establishments

+7.4% YoY

4,016

Total Employment

+7.2% YoY

$68,506

Average Annual Wage

+6.8% YoY

0.95

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Kentucky

#1 of 6

construction metros in state

Kentucky state rank

#19 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

-17.0

better than median (49.6)

Bowling Green vs Kentucky Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to Kentucky overall. The state ranks #19/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Bowling Green	KY Statewide
Overall Score	32.6 Favorable	39.8 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#57 of 342 metros	#19 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 Bowling Green

Retail Trade 38.3 Administrative and Support Services 44.8

Construction in Other Kentucky Metros

Louisville-Jefferson County 39.1 #99/342 Owensboro 44.5 #144/342 Lexington-Fayette 49.6 #186/342 Paducah 57.3 #264/342 Elizabethtown 75.7 #339/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Bowling Green's 32.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Huntsville, AL 32.5 #56/342 Manhattan, KS 32.4 #55/342 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN 32.3 #54/342 Sandusky, OH 32.1 #53/342 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 31.9 #52/342 Yuma, AZ 31.9 #51/342 Logan, UT 33.4 #58/342 Longview, TX 33.5 #59/342 Salinas, CA 31.6 #50/342 Chambersburg, PA 31.6 #49/342

Construction in States Bordering Kentucky

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

Tennessee 34.8 #10/51 Indiana 35.0 #11/51 Virginia 39.0 #18/51 Ohio 41.7 #24/51 Illinois 49.1 #34/51 West Virginia 49.5 #35/51 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 Bowling Green's construction sector, the industry concentration 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 Bowling Green, KY MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment