NAICS 23

Construction in Akron, OH

Metro Market Score 49.8 (Challenging), ranked #188 of 342 metros. 1,512 establishments, 14,630 jobs.

Metro Market Score 49.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

Akron's construction market sits near the national metro median, ranking #188 of 342 with a market score of 49.8. No single metric stands out as an outlier, which means entry conditions depend more on your specific business model than on broad market forces.

Industry Concentration

34.8

LQ: 0.88

Rank #119 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

72.8

$77,867 avg wage

Growth Trend

48.3

Employment growth index

Rank #178 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

36.6

YoY wage change index

1,512 Construction Firms in Akron

1,512

Establishments

+0.8% YoY

14,630

Total Employment

+1.7% YoY

$77,867

Average Annual Wage

+5.6% YoY

0.88

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Ohio

#9 of 11

construction metros in state

Ohio state rank

#24 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

+3.5

worse than median (46.2)

Akron vs Ohio Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to Ohio overall. The state ranks #24/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Akron	OH Statewide
Overall Score	49.8 Challenging	41.7 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#188 of 342 metros	#24 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 Akron

Other Services 35.4 Accommodation and Food Services 43.9 Healthcare and Social Assistance 46.4 Administrative and Support Services 52.1 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 52.8 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 55.3 Retail Trade 56.7 Information 60.9 Finance and Insurance 67.2

Construction in Other Ohio Metros

Springfield 28.4 #31/342 Sandusky 32.1 #53/342 Lima 35.9 #70/342 Mansfield 36.0 #71/342 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek 46.1 #155/342 Columbus 46.2 #157/342 Canton-Massillon 46.3 #158/342 Cleveland 47.0 #163/342 Toledo 54.5 #240/342 Youngstown-Warren 61.3 #292/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Akron's 49.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Charleston-North Charleston, SC 49.8 #189/342 Cedar Rapids, IA 49.8 #190/342 Champaign-Urbana, IL 49.7 #187/342 Lexington-Fayette, KY 49.6 #186/342 Binghamton, NY 50.0 #191/342 Boise City, ID 50.0 #192/342 Decatur, IL 50.0 #193/342 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 50.0 #194/342 Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ 50.1 #195/342 Niles, MI 50.1 #196/342

Construction in States Bordering Ohio

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

Michigan 28.0 #2/51 Pennsylvania 28.4 #3/51 Indiana 35.0 #11/51 Kentucky 39.8 #19/51 West Virginia 49.5 #35/51

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 Akron's construction sector, the wage competitiveness component (72.8) 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 Akron, OH MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment