NAICS 23

Construction in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

Metro Market Score 61.5 (Difficult), ranked #294 of 342 metros. 6,971 establishments, 78,536 jobs.

Metro Market Score 61.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

💰High-Cost Market

Market conditions for construction in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson are tougher than average. The 61.5 market score reflects a combination of high labor costs, slowing employment, and an already crowded field. Rank: #294 of 342 metros.

Industry Concentration

64.6

LQ: 1.10

Rank #221 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

84.5

$83,323 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 39.8

Employment growth index

Rank #207 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

30.6

YoY wage change index

6,971 Construction Firms in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson

6,971

Establishments

-3.2% YoY

78,536

Total Employment

+0.5% YoY

$83,323

Average Annual Wage

+3.1% YoY

1.10

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Maryland

#4 of 4

construction metros in state

Maryland state rank

#12 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

+3.4

worse than median (58.1)

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson vs Maryland Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to Maryland overall. The state ranks #12/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson	MD Statewide
Overall Score	61.5 Difficult	35.0 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#294 of 342 metros	#12 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson

Accommodation and Food Services 45.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 47.8 Retail Trade 48.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 58.6 Administrative and Support Services 61.5 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 63.3 Finance and Insurance 72.8

Construction in Other Maryland Metros

Hagerstown-Martinsburg 23.3 #13/342 Salisbury 50.1 #197/342 Lexington Park 58.1 #272/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Baltimore-Columbia-Towson's 61.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Salt Lake City-Murray, UT 61.4 #293/342 Urban Honolulu, HI 61.6 #295/342 Youngstown-Warren, OH 61.3 #292/342 Fond du Lac, WI 61.7 #296/342 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL 61.1 #291/342 Omaha, NE 61.0 #290/342 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA 60.9 #289/342 Kennewick-Richland, WA 60.8 #288/342 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 62.4 #297/342 St. Cloud, MN 62.4 #298/342

Construction in States Bordering Maryland

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

Pennsylvania 28.4 #3/51 Virginia 39.0 #18/51 Delaware 43.0 #26/51 West Virginia 49.5 #35/51 District of Columbia 56.9 #45/51

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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson's construction sector, the wage competitiveness component (84.5) 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment