NAICS 23

Construction in Cleveland, OH

Metro Market Score 47.0 (Moderate), ranked #163 of 342 metros. 4,831 establishments, 40,198 jobs.

Metro Market Score 47.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

Construction conditions in Cleveland are mixed. The 47.0 market score puts it at #163 of 342, with no metric pulling sharply in either direction. Wages, growth, and competition are all within a normal range for this industry.

Industry Concentration

14.9

LQ: 0.74

Rank #51 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

71.3

$77,396 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 30.7

Employment growth index

Rank #238 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

23.1

YoY wage change index

4,831 Construction Firms in Cleveland

4,831

Establishments

+100.0% YoY

40,198

Total Employment

+0.0% YoY

$77,396

Average Annual Wage

+0.0% YoY

0.74

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Ohio

#8 of 11

construction metros in state

Ohio state rank

#24 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

+0.8

worse than median (46.2)

Cleveland vs Ohio Statewide

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

Measure	Cleveland	OH Statewide
Overall Score	47.0 Moderate	41.7 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#163 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 Cleveland

Retail Trade 38.7 Accommodation and Food Services 48.6 Information 51.7 Administrative and Support Services 56.7 Other Services 57.6 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 58.1 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 62.4 Finance and Insurance 63.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 69.5

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 Akron 49.8 #188/342 Toledo 54.5 #240/342 Youngstown-Warren 61.3 #292/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Cleveland's 47.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Flint, MI 47.1 #164/342 Lynchburg, VA 47.1 #165/342 Green Bay, WI 47.3 #166/342 Missoula, MT 47.4 #167/342 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 47.5 #168/342 Stockton-Lodi, CA 46.4 #161/342 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL 46.4 #162/342 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 46.4 #160/342 Fort Smith, AR 46.4 #159/342 Canton-Massillon, OH 46.3 #158/342

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 Cleveland's construction sector, the employment growth component (69.3) 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 Cleveland, OH MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment