NAICS 23

Construction in Kansas City, MO

Metro Market Score 57.9 (Challenging), ranked #271 of 342 metros. 5,588 establishments, 59,285 jobs.

Metro Market Score 57.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

💰High-Cost Market

Kansas City scores 57.9 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

59.4

LQ: 1.04

Rank #203 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

87.1

$85,061 avg wage

Growth Trend

55.0

Employment growth index

Rank #155 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

38.6

YoY wage change index

5,588 Construction Firms in Kansas City

5,588

Establishments

+0.3% YoY

59,285

Total Employment

+2.7% YoY

$85,061

Average Annual Wage

+6.4% YoY

1.04

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Missouri

#6 of 6

construction metros in state

Missouri state rank

#43 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

+7.1

worse than median (50.8)

Kansas City vs Missouri Statewide

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

Measure	Kansas City	MO Statewide
Overall Score	57.9 Challenging	54.6 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#271 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 Kansas City

Retail Trade 48.9

Construction in Other Missouri Metros

Columbia 19.8 #11/342 Joplin 29.0 #33/342 Springfield 40.6 #111/342 Jefferson City 50.8 #201/342 St. Joseph 56.0 #254/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Kansas City's 57.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Yuba City, CA 57.6 #270/342 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 57.6 #269/342 Lexington Park, MD 58.1 #272/342 Homosassa Springs, FL 57.6 #268/342 Fairbanks-College, AK 58.2 #273/342 Cleveland, TN 57.5 #267/342 Odessa, TX 57.5 #266/342 Bakersfield-Delano, CA 57.5 #265/342 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA 58.3 #274/342 Paducah, KY 57.3 #264/342

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 Kansas City's construction sector, the wage competitiveness component (87.1) 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 Kansas City, MO-KS MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment