NAICS 23

Construction in Jacksonville, NC

Metro Market Score 37.8 (Moderate), ranked #83 of 342 metros. 443 establishments, 3,052 jobs.

Metro Market Score 37.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

Labor costs are a clear advantage in Jacksonville's construction sector. The wage competitiveness index of 14.0 puts it among the lowest-cost metros, and wage pressure at 40.8 suggests that gap is holding steady.

Industry Concentration

62.3

LQ: 1.07

Rank #213 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

14.0

$61,803 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 64.9

Employment growth index

Rank #121 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

40.8

YoY wage change index

443 Construction Firms in Jacksonville

443

Establishments

-5.5% YoY

3,052

Total Employment

+3.8% YoY

$61,803

Average Annual Wage

+7.3% YoY

1.07

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within North Carolina

#7 of 14

construction metros in state

North Carolina state rank

#15 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

-1.6

better than median (39.4)

Jacksonville vs North Carolina Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to North Carolina overall. The state ranks #15/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Jacksonville	NC Statewide
Overall Score	37.8 Moderate	38.2 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#83 of 342 metros	#15 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 Jacksonville

Healthcare and Social Assistance 10.9 Finance and Insurance 24.0 Information 36.4 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 43.3 Other Services 49.4 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 53.0 Accommodation and Food Services 59.4 Administrative and Support Services 63.0 Retail Trade 69.7

Construction in Other North Carolina Metros

Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton 19.7 #10/342 Greenville 29.9 #40/342 Durham-Chapel Hill 31.9 #52/342 Winston-Salem 35.4 #67/342 Wilmington 35.6 #68/342 Goldsboro 36.6 #73/342 Pinehurst-Southern Pines 39.4 #102/342 Greensboro-High Point 43.0 #128/342 Rocky Mount 43.5 #134/342 Fayetteville 49.2 #183/342

+ 3 more metros. View all in North Carolina →

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Jacksonville's 37.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR 37.8 #84/342 Wheeling, WV 38.0 #85/342 Spartanburg, SC 37.5 #82/342 Twin Falls, ID 38.1 #86/342 Fresno, CA 37.4 #80/342 Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA 37.4 #81/342 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI 38.1 #87/342 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL 38.1 #88/342 Harrisonburg, VA 38.2 #89/342 Carson City, NV 38.3 #90/342

Construction in States Bordering North Carolina

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

Tennessee 34.8 #10/51 Virginia 39.0 #18/51 Georgia 42.1 #25/51 South Carolina 47.0 #30/51

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 Jacksonville's construction sector, the industry concentration component (62.3) 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 Jacksonville, NC MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment