NAICS 23

Construction in Omaha, NE

Metro Market Score 61.0 (Difficult), ranked #290 of 342 metros. 3,359 establishments, 32,531 jobs.

Metro Market Score 61.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

Omaha scores 61.0 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

77.8

LQ: 1.26

Rank #266 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

53.5

$73,261 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 28.4

Employment growth index

Rank #246 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

33.3

YoY wage change index

3,359 Construction Firms in Omaha

3,359

Establishments

-1.1% YoY

32,531

Total Employment

-0.3% YoY

$73,261

Average Annual Wage

+4.2% YoY

1.26

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Nebraska

#2 of 2

construction metros in state

Nebraska state rank

#5 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (61.0)

Omaha vs Nebraska Statewide

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

Measure	Omaha	NE Statewide
Overall Score	61.0 Difficult	32.5 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#290 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 Omaha

Other Services 40.2 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 45.2 Retail Trade 51.0 Accommodation and Food Services 53.6 Information 70.4 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 72.3 Administrative and Support Services 75.2 Finance and Insurance 76.6

Construction in Other Nebraska Metros

Lincoln 55.7 #253/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Omaha's 61.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA 60.9 #289/342 Kennewick-Richland, WA 60.8 #288/342 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL 61.1 #291/342 Youngstown-Warren, OH 61.3 #292/342 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT 61.4 #293/342 Corpus Christi, TX 60.5 #287/342 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 60.5 #286/342 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 61.5 #294/342 Urban Honolulu, HI 61.6 #295/342 Fond du Lac, WI 61.7 #296/342

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 Omaha's construction sector, the employment growth component (71.6) 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 Omaha, NE-IA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment