NAICS 23

Construction in Duluth, MN

Metro Market Score 65.2 (Difficult), ranked #313 of 342 metros. 822 establishments, 6,411 jobs.

Metro Market Score 65.2

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

💰High-Cost Market

Construction employment in Duluth contracted year-over-year, placing the growth trend in the bottom 10% at 16.4. Declining job counts can indicate consolidation, population shifts, or reduced local demand. Due diligence on the local economy is especially important here.

Industry Concentration

51.5

LQ: 0.98

Rank #176 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

86.0

$83,880 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 16.4

Employment growth index

Rank #287 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

28.6

YoY wage change index

822 Construction Firms in Duluth

822

Establishments

+0.9% YoY

6,411

Total Employment

-2.2% YoY

$83,880

Average Annual Wage

+2.3% YoY

0.98

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Minnesota

#5 of 5

construction metros in state

Minnesota state rank

#14 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

+5.7

worse than median (59.5)

Duluth vs Minnesota Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to Minnesota overall. The state ranks #14/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Duluth	MN Statewide
Overall Score	65.2 Difficult	37.3 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#313 of 342 metros	#14 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 Duluth

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 30.6 Information 30.9 Accommodation and Food Services 42.0 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 44.5 Retail Trade 48.9 Finance and Insurance 50.5 Other Services 57.5

Construction in Other Minnesota Metros

Rochester 46.2 #156/342 Mankato 51.1 #208/342 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington 59.5 #279/342 St. Cloud 62.4 #298/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Duluth's 65.2 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Vineland, NJ 65.2 #312/342 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO 65.3 #314/342 Longview-Kelso, WA 64.8 #311/342 Springfield, MA 65.7 #315/342 Ogden, UT 65.9 #316/342 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL 64.4 #310/342 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA 64.3 #309/342 Evansville, IN 66.1 #317/342 York-Hanover, PA 66.1 #318/342 Chico, CA 64.2 #308/342

Construction in States Bordering Minnesota

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

Wisconsin 25.1 #1/51 Iowa 34.3 #7/51 South Dakota 34.7 #9/51 North Dakota 58.3 #47/51

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 Duluth's construction sector, the employment growth component (83.6) 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 Duluth, MN-WI MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment