NAICS 23

Construction in Louisville-Jefferson County, KY

Metro Market Score 39.1 (Moderate), ranked #99 of 342 metros. 3,808 establishments, 35,197 jobs.

Metro Market Score 39.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

📈Rapid Growth

Employment in Louisville-Jefferson County's construction sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 95.0. Combined with a 39.1 market score, this metro sits in the upper half for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

51.8

LQ: 0.98

Rank #177 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

68.1

$77,009 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 95.0

Employment growth index

Rank #18 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

38.4

YoY wage change index

3,808 Construction Firms in Louisville-Jefferson County

3,808

Establishments

+8.3% YoY

35,197

Total Employment

+12.1% YoY

$77,009

Average Annual Wage

+6.3% YoY

0.98

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Kentucky

#2 of 6

construction metros in state

Kentucky state rank

#19 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

-10.5

better than median (49.6)

Louisville-Jefferson County vs Kentucky Statewide

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

Measure	Louisville-Jefferson County	KY Statewide
Overall Score	39.1 Moderate	39.8 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#99 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 Louisville-Jefferson County

Other Services 41.6 Retail Trade 47.4 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 50.6 Finance and Insurance 68.2

Construction in Other Kentucky Metros

Bowling Green 32.6 #57/342 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 Louisville-Jefferson County's 39.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 39.1 #100/342 Jonesboro, AR 39.1 #98/342 Idaho Falls, ID 39.2 #101/342 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 39.1 #97/342 Visalia, CA 38.9 #96/342 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC 39.4 #102/342 Tulsa, OK 38.9 #95/342 Hinesville, GA 39.4 #103/342 Springfield, IL 38.9 #94/342 Rockford, IL 39.4 #104/342

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 Louisville-Jefferson County's construction sector, the wage competitiveness component (68.1) 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 Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment