NAICS 23

Construction in Columbia, MO

Metro Market Score 19.8 (Favorable), ranked #11 of 342 metros. 606 establishments, 4,110 jobs.

Metro Market Score 19.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

📈Rapid Growth✓Favorable Market🌱Emerging Market

Columbia ranks in the top 10% for construction market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 19.8, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

15.2

LQ: 0.74

Rank #52 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

34.5

$69,193 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 92.7

Employment growth index

Rank #26 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

25.7

YoY wage change index

606 Construction Firms in Columbia

606

Establishments

+10.0% YoY

4,110

Total Employment

+10.2% YoY

$69,193

Average Annual Wage

+1.1% YoY

0.74

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Missouri

#1 of 6

construction metros in state

Missouri state rank

#43 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

-31.0

better than median (50.8)

Columbia vs Missouri Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to Missouri overall. The state ranks #43/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Columbia	MO Statewide
Overall Score	19.8 Favorable	54.6 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#11 of 342 metros	#43 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 Columbia

Retail Trade 32.6 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 42.4 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 42.7 Finance and Insurance 72.3

Construction in Other Missouri Metros

Joplin 29.0 #33/342 Springfield 40.6 #111/342 Jefferson City 50.8 #201/342 St. Joseph 56.0 #254/342 Kansas City 57.9 #271/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Columbia's 19.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 19.7 #10/342 Wichita Falls, TX 19.2 #9/342 Rome, GA 18.4 #8/342 Gainesville, FL 18.0 #7/342 Flagstaff, AZ 22.3 #12/342 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX 16.4 #6/342 Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD 23.3 #13/342 Bay City, MI 23.9 #14/342 Anniston-Oxford, AL 24.0 #15/342 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI 24.1 #16/342

Construction in States Bordering Missouri

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

Nebraska 32.5 #5/51 Iowa 34.3 #7/51 Arkansas 34.3 #8/51 Tennessee 34.8 #10/51 Kentucky 39.8 #19/51 Illinois 49.1 #34/51 Kansas 51.5 #38/51 Oklahoma 52.2 #39/51

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 Columbia's construction sector, the wage competitiveness component (34.5) 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 Columbia, MO MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment