NAICS 23

Construction in Charleston-North Charleston, SC

Metro Market Score 49.8 (Challenging), ranked #189 of 342 metros. 2,738 establishments, 22,201 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.

💰High-Cost Market📈Rapid Growth

Charleston-North Charleston ranks in the lower half for construction market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 49.8, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

63.7

LQ: 1.09

Rank #218 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

81.0

$81,124 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 81.3

Employment growth index

Rank #65 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

39.8

YoY wage change index

2,738 Construction Firms in Charleston-North Charleston

2,738

Establishments

+7.0% YoY

22,201

Total Employment

+6.3% YoY

$81,124

Average Annual Wage

+6.9% YoY

1.09

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within South Carolina

#5 of 8

construction metros in state

South Carolina state rank

#30 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (49.8)

Charleston-North Charleston vs South Carolina Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to South Carolina overall. The state ranks #30/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Charleston-North Charleston	SC Statewide
Overall Score	49.8 Challenging	47.0 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#189 of 342 metros	#30 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 Charleston-North Charleston

Healthcare and Social Assistance 36.4 Retail Trade 49.4 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 58.6 Other Services 59.5 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 62.7 Accommodation and Food Services 63.4 Administrative and Support Services 64.4 Finance and Insurance 70.0 Information 73.8

Construction in Other South Carolina Metros

Florence 26.4 #23/342 Columbia 30.8 #44/342 Spartanburg 37.5 #82/342 Greenville-Anderson-Greer 44.2 #139/342 Sumter 59.9 #283/342 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach 60.0 #285/342 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal 66.9 #319/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

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

Akron, OH 49.8 #188/342 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 South Carolina

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

North Carolina 38.2 #15/51 Georgia 42.1 #25/51

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 Charleston-North Charleston's construction sector, the wage competitiveness component (81.0) 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 Charleston-North Charleston, SC MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment