NAICS 23

Construction in Trenton-Princeton, NJ

Metro Market Score 55.1 (Challenging), ranked #248 of 342 metros. 650 establishments, 5,683 jobs.

Metro Market Score 55.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

💰High-Cost Market

Market conditions for construction in Trenton-Princeton are tougher than average. The 55.1 market score reflects a combination of high labor costs, slowing employment, and moderate competition. Rank: #248 of 342 metros.

Industry Concentration

2.0

LQ: 0.41

Rank #7 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

98.3

$96,995 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 20.2

Employment growth index

Rank #274 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

30.3

YoY wage change index

650 Construction Firms in Trenton-Princeton

650

Establishments

-3.6% YoY

5,683

Total Employment

-1.4% YoY

$96,995

Average Annual Wage

+3.0% YoY

0.41

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within New Jersey

#2 of 3

construction metros in state

New Jersey state rank

#33 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (55.1)

Trenton-Princeton vs New Jersey Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to New Jersey overall. The state ranks #33/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Trenton-Princeton	NJ Statewide
Overall Score	55.1 Challenging	48.3 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#248 of 342 metros	#33 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 Trenton-Princeton

Retail Trade 42.0 Administrative and Support Services 42.0 Healthcare and Social Assistance 44.7 Accommodation and Food Services 46.1 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 59.5 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 62.8 Other Services 66.4 Finance and Insurance 74.4 Information 75.7

Construction in Other New Jersey Metros

Atlantic City-Hammonton 27.9 #28/342 Vineland 65.2 #312/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Trenton-Princeton's 55.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT 55.1 #249/342 Midland, MI 55.1 #246/342 Saginaw, MI 55.1 #247/342 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX 54.9 #245/342 Grand Junction, CO 54.8 #244/342 Medford, OR 54.8 #243/342 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 55.5 #250/342 Punta Gorda, FL 54.7 #242/342 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 55.5 #251/342 Fargo, ND 54.6 #241/342

Construction in States Bordering New Jersey

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

Pennsylvania 28.4 #3/51 Delaware 43.0 #26/51 New York 51.1 #37/51

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 Trenton-Princeton's construction sector, the wage competitiveness component (98.3) 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 Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment