NAICS 23

Construction in Reading, PA

Metro Market Score 54.4 (Challenging), ranked #237 of 342 metros. 884 establishments, 7,460 jobs.

Metro Market Score 54.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

💰High-Cost Market

At #237 of 342 metros, Reading's construction sector scores 54.4 on the market index. Concentration (26.3), wage levels (75.4), and growth (26.9) all track close to the median. Local factors like lease costs and client access will matter more than macro signals.

Industry Concentration

26.3

LQ: 0.82

Rank #90 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

75.4

$78,831 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 26.9

Employment growth index

Rank #251 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

35.2

YoY wage change index

884 Construction Firms in Reading

884

Establishments

+1.5% YoY

7,460

Total Employment

-0.6% YoY

$78,831

Average Annual Wage

+5.0% YoY

0.82

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Pennsylvania

#12 of 14

construction metros in state

Pennsylvania state rank

#3 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

+8.8

worse than median (45.7)

Reading vs Pennsylvania Statewide

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

Measure	Reading	PA Statewide
Overall Score	54.4 Challenging	28.4 Low
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#237 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.

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 Harrisburg-Carlisle 45.7 #152/342 State College 46.0 #154/342 Pittsburgh 50.9 #203/342

+ 3 more metros. View all in Pennsylvania →

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Reading's 54.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Alexandria, LA 54.4 #236/342 Glens Falls, NY 54.5 #238/342 Pittsfield, MA 54.5 #239/342 Toledo, OH 54.5 #240/342 Fargo, ND 54.6 #241/342 Charleston, WV 54.2 #235/342 Wichita, KS 54.2 #234/342 Punta Gorda, FL 54.7 #242/342 Medford, OR 54.8 #243/342 Grand Junction, CO 54.8 #244/342

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 Reading's construction sector, the employment growth component (73.1) 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 Reading, PA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment