NAICS 23

Construction in Lincoln, NE

Metro Market Score 55.7 (Challenging), ranked #253 of 342 metros. 1,222 establishments, 10,714 jobs.

Metro Market Score 55.7

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

Lincoln's construction sector saw employment decline over the past year (growth trend: 18.7). That contraction, combined with a 55.7 market score, puts this metro in the lower half for market conditions. Understand why the local market is shrinking before committing.

Industry Concentration

68.7

LQ: 1.13

Rank #235 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

27.8

$67,480 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 18.7

Employment growth index

Rank #279 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

35.9

YoY wage change index

1,222 Construction Firms in Lincoln

1,222

Establishments

-0.7% YoY

10,714

Total Employment

-1.6% YoY

$67,480

Average Annual Wage

+5.3% YoY

1.13

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Nebraska

#1 of 2

construction metros in state

Nebraska state rank

#5 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

-5.3

better than median (61.0)

Lincoln vs Nebraska Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to Nebraska overall. The state ranks #5/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Lincoln	NE Statewide
Overall Score	55.7 Challenging	32.5 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#253 of 342 metros	#5 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 Lincoln

Accommodation and Food Services 36.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 38.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 41.9 Information 49.3 Other Services 50.6 Retail Trade 52.8 Administrative and Support Services 56.1 Finance and Insurance 62.0

Construction in Other Nebraska Metros

Omaha 61.0 #290/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Lincoln's 55.7 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Anchorage, AK 55.7 #252/342 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 55.5 #251/342 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 55.5 #250/342 St. Joseph, MO 56.0 #254/342 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC 56.0 #255/342 Raleigh-Cary, NC 56.1 #256/342 Albuquerque, NM 56.1 #257/342 Colorado Springs, CO 56.2 #258/342 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT 55.1 #249/342 Trenton-Princeton, NJ 55.1 #248/342

Construction in States Bordering Nebraska

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

Iowa 34.3 #7/51 South Dakota 34.7 #9/51 Kansas 51.5 #38/51 Colorado 53.2 #40/51 Missouri 54.6 #43/51 Wyoming 59.3 #49/51

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 Lincoln's construction sector, the employment growth component (81.3) 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 Lincoln, NE MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment