NAICS 23

Construction in Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA

Metro Market Score 45.7 (Moderate), ranked #152 of 342 metros. 1,056 establishments, 11,924 jobs.

Metro Market Score 45.7

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

Construction conditions in Harrisburg-Carlisle are mixed. The 45.7 market score puts it at #152 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

10.5

LQ: 0.68

Rank #36 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

74.6

$78,339 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 44.4

Employment growth index

Rank #191 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

38.6

YoY wage change index

1,056 Construction Firms in Harrisburg-Carlisle

1,056

Establishments

-1.1% YoY

11,924

Total Employment

+1.1% YoY

$78,339

Average Annual Wage

+6.4% YoY

0.68

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Pennsylvania

#8 of 14

construction metros in state

Pennsylvania state rank

#3 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (45.7)

Harrisburg-Carlisle vs Pennsylvania Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to Pennsylvania overall. The state ranks #3/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Harrisburg-Carlisle	PA Statewide
Overall Score	45.7 Moderate	28.4 Low
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#152 of 342 metros	#3 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 Harrisburg-Carlisle

Information 44.6 Retail Trade 46.5 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 52.6 Healthcare and Social Assistance 53.5 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 56.7 Finance and Insurance 67.0 Other Services 73.4

Construction in Other Pennsylvania Metros

Johnstown 26.0 #21/342 Altoona 29.8 #39/342 Chambersburg 31.6 #49/342 Erie 36.6 #74/342 Williamsport 40.7 #112/342 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre 43.2 #130/342 Lebanon 43.3 #132/342 State College 46.0 #154/342 Pittsburgh 50.9 #203/342 Gettysburg 53.4 #229/342

+ 3 more metros. View all in Pennsylvania →

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Harrisburg-Carlisle's 45.7 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Mobile, AL 45.8 #153/342 Grand Forks, ND 45.5 #151/342 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL 45.4 #150/342 Decatur, AL 45.4 #149/342 Monroe, MI 45.3 #148/342 State College, PA 46.0 #154/342 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH 46.1 #155/342 Farmington, NM 45.2 #147/342 Rochester, MN 46.2 #156/342 Columbus, OH 46.2 #157/342

Construction in States Bordering Pennsylvania

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

Maryland 35.0 #12/51 Ohio 41.7 #24/51 Delaware 43.0 #26/51 New Jersey 48.3 #33/51 West Virginia 49.5 #35/51 New York 51.1 #37/51

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 Harrisburg-Carlisle's construction sector, the wage competitiveness component (74.6) 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 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment