NAICS 23

Construction in Ithaca, NY

Metro Market Score 31.6 (Favorable), ranked #48 of 342 metros. 196 establishments, 923 jobs.

Metro Market Score 31.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

Construction wages in Ithaca run well below the metro average (competitiveness index: 17.5), and year-over-year wage pressure is low at 43.0. For labor-intensive operations, this cost advantage could improve unit economics significantly.

Industry Concentration

1.2

LQ: 0.37

Rank #4 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

17.5

$63,773 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 38.9

Employment growth index

Rank #210 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

43.0

YoY wage change index

196 Construction Firms in Ithaca

196

Establishments

-1.5% YoY

923

Total Employment

+0.4% YoY

$63,773

Average Annual Wage

+8.2% YoY

0.37

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within New York

#2 of 12

construction metros in state

New York state rank

#37 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

-19.9

better than median (51.5)

Ithaca vs New York Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to New York overall. The state ranks #37/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Ithaca	NY Statewide
Overall Score	31.6 Favorable	51.1 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#48 of 342 metros	#37 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 Ithaca

Retail Trade 34.3 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 36.4 Administrative and Support Services 40.6 Information 54.0 Accommodation and Food Services 54.9 Other Services 60.1 Finance and Insurance 62.4 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 65.4

Construction in Other New York Metros

Elmira 31.2 #46/342 Watertown-Fort Drum 42.6 #124/342 Utica-Rome 43.9 #136/342 Binghamton 50.0 #191/342 Buffalo-Cheektowaga 51.1 #207/342 Kingston 51.5 #211/342 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh 53.2 #228/342 Glens Falls 54.5 #238/342 Albany-Schenectady-Troy 55.5 #250/342 Syracuse 58.5 #275/342

+ 1 more metros. View all in New York →

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Ithaca's 31.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Chambersburg, PA 31.6 #49/342 Salinas, CA 31.6 #50/342 Auburn-Opelika, AL 31.5 #47/342 Yuma, AZ 31.9 #51/342 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 31.9 #52/342 Elmira, NY 31.2 #46/342 Sandusky, OH 32.1 #53/342 El Centro, CA 31.0 #45/342 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN 32.3 #54/342 Manhattan, KS 32.4 #55/342

Construction in States Bordering New York

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

Pennsylvania 28.4 #3/51 Vermont 40.0 #21/51 Massachusetts 41.5 #23/51 Connecticut 43.2 #27/51 New Jersey 48.3 #33/51

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 Ithaca's construction sector, the employment growth component (61.1) 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 Ithaca, NY MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment