NAICS 23

Construction in Paducah, KY

Metro Market Score 57.3 (Challenging), ranked #264 of 342 metros. 318 establishments, 3,440 jobs.

Metro Market Score 57.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

Paducah scores 57.3 on the Metro Market Score for construction, placing it in the bottom quartile. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

82.2

LQ: 1.32

Rank #281 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

48.8

$72,267 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 33.6

Employment growth index

Rank #228 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

23.1

YoY wage change index

318 Construction Firms in Paducah

318

Establishments

+100.0% YoY

3,440

Total Employment

+0.0% YoY

$72,267

Average Annual Wage

+0.0% YoY

1.32

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Kentucky

#5 of 6

construction metros in state

Kentucky state rank

#19 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

+7.7

worse than median (49.6)

Paducah vs Kentucky Statewide

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

Measure	Paducah	KY Statewide
Overall Score	57.3 Challenging	39.8 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#264 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 Paducah

Retail Trade 49.5

Construction in Other Kentucky Metros

Bowling Green 32.6 #57/342 Louisville-Jefferson County 39.1 #99/342 Owensboro 44.5 #144/342 Lexington-Fayette 49.6 #186/342 Elizabethtown 75.7 #339/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Paducah's 57.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Bakersfield-Delano, CA 57.5 #265/342 Odessa, TX 57.5 #266/342 Cleveland, TN 57.5 #267/342 Homosassa Springs, FL 57.6 #268/342 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 57.6 #269/342 Yuba City, CA 57.6 #270/342 Asheville, NC 56.7 #263/342 Kansas City, MO 57.9 #271/342 Waterbury-Shelton, CT 56.6 #262/342 Kokomo, IN 56.5 #261/342

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 Paducah's construction sector, the industry concentration component (82.2) 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 Paducah, KY-IL MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment