NAICS 23

Construction in Rochester, NY

Metro Market Score 59.5 (Challenging), ranked #280 of 342 metros. 2,460 establishments, 22,722 jobs.

Metro Market Score 59.5

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 Rochester are tougher than average. The 59.5 market score reflects a combination of high labor costs, slowing employment, and moderate competition. Rank: #280 of 342 metros.

Industry Concentration

34.2

LQ: 0.87

Rank #117 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

80.1

$80,656 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 23.1

Employment growth index

Rank #264 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

39.1

YoY wage change index

2,460 Construction Firms in Rochester

2,460

Establishments

-4.5% YoY

22,722

Total Employment

-1.1% YoY

$80,656

Average Annual Wage

+6.6% YoY

0.87

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within New York

#12 of 12

construction metros in state

New York state rank

#37 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

+8.0

worse than median (51.5)

Rochester vs New York Statewide

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

Measure	Rochester	NY Statewide
Overall Score	59.5 Challenging	51.1 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#280 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 Rochester

Accommodation and Food Services 51.5 Administrative and Support Services 55.8 Healthcare and Social Assistance 56.0 Other Services 59.3 Information 62.4 Retail Trade 62.6 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 68.3 Finance and Insurance 69.3

Construction in Other New York Metros

Elmira 31.2 #46/342 Ithaca 31.6 #48/342 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

+ 1 more metros. View all in New York →

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Rochester's 59.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

New Haven, CT 59.5 #281/342 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN 59.5 #279/342 Michigan City-La Porte, IN 59.4 #278/342 Wildwood-The Villages, FL 59.3 #277/342 Augusta-Richmond County, GA 59.8 #282/342 Sumter, SC 59.9 #283/342 Lancaster, PA 59.0 #276/342 Greeley, CO 60.0 #284/342 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC 60.0 #285/342 Syracuse, NY 58.5 #275/342

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 Rochester's construction sector, the employment growth component (76.9) 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 Rochester, NY MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment