NAICS 23

Construction in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA

Metro Market Score 63.2 (Difficult), ranked #300 of 342 metros. 14,017 establishments, 123,002 jobs.

Metro Market Score 63.2

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

💰High-Cost Market

Boston-Cambridge-Newton scores 63.2 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

32.2

LQ: 0.87

Rank #110 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

99.1

$104,740 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 22.2

Employment growth index

Rank #267 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

35.4

YoY wage change index

14,017 Construction Firms in Boston-Cambridge-Newton

14,017

Establishments

-3.9% YoY

123,002

Total Employment

-1.1% YoY

$104,740

Average Annual Wage

+5.1% YoY

0.87

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Massachusetts

#3 of 6

construction metros in state

Massachusetts state rank

#23 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

-2.4

better than median (65.7)

Boston-Cambridge-Newton vs Massachusetts Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to Massachusetts overall. The state ranks #23/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Boston-Cambridge-Newton	MA Statewide
Overall Score	63.2 Difficult	41.5 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#300 of 342 metros	#23 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton

Accommodation and Food Services 54.2 Retail Trade 56.0 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 66.6 Other Services 67.7 Administrative and Support Services 69.2 Healthcare and Social Assistance 70.3 Information 72.6 Finance and Insurance 79.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 80.3

Construction in Other Massachusetts Metros

Amherst Town-Northampton 44.4 #142/342 Pittsfield 54.5 #239/342 Springfield 65.7 #315/342 Worcester 70.7 #331/342 Barnstable Town 72.9 #333/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Boston-Cambridge-Newton's 63.2 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Midland, TX 63.3 #301/342 Sioux City, IA 63.4 #302/342 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA 63.4 #303/342 Lafayette, LA 63.4 #304/342 Salem, OR 63.0 #299/342 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA 63.5 #305/342 St. Cloud, MN 62.4 #298/342 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 62.4 #297/342 Pueblo, CO 64.1 #306/342 Terre Haute, IN 64.1 #307/342

Construction in States Bordering Massachusetts

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

New Hampshire 32.6 #6/51 Rhode Island 38.8 #17/51 Vermont 40.0 #21/51 Connecticut 43.2 #27/51 New York 51.1 #37/51

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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton's construction sector, the wage competitiveness component (99.1) 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment