NAICS 23

Construction in Abilene, TX

Metro Market Score 50.3 (Challenging), ranked #199 of 342 metros. 438 establishments, 3,755 jobs.

Metro Market Score 50.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

Construction conditions in Abilene are mixed. The 50.3 market score puts it at #199 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

48.3

LQ: 0.96

Rank #165 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

27.2

$67,010 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 20.5

Employment growth index

Rank #273 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

38.1

YoY wage change index

438 Construction Firms in Abilene

438

Establishments

-0.7% YoY

3,755

Total Employment

-1.3% YoY

$67,010

Average Annual Wage

+6.2% YoY

0.96

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Texas

#15 of 22

construction metros in state

Texas state rank

#29 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

+5.9

worse than median (44.4)

Abilene vs Texas Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to Texas overall. The state ranks #29/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Abilene	TX Statewide
Overall Score	50.3 Challenging	46.3 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#199 of 342 metros	#29 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 Abilene

Accommodation and Food Services 41.6 Finance and Insurance 42.0 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 42.9 Information 46.4 Other Services 49.8 Administrative and Support Services 67.7 Retail Trade 72.9

Construction in Other Texas Metros

Brownsville-Harlingen 15.4 #5/342 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission 16.4 #6/342 Wichita Falls 19.2 #9/342 Eagle Pass 25.7 #19/342 Laredo 29.5 #36/342 Longview 33.5 #59/342 College Station-Bryan 34.2 #62/342 Waco 39.8 #107/342 Tyler 41.2 #115/342 Killeen-Temple 42.8 #126/342

+ 11 more metros. View all in Texas →

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Abilene's 50.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA 50.3 #198/342 Niles, MI 50.1 #196/342 Salisbury, MD 50.1 #197/342 Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ 50.1 #195/342 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 50.0 #194/342 Decatur, IL 50.0 #193/342 Boise City, ID 50.0 #192/342 Manchester-Nashua, NH 50.7 #200/342 Binghamton, NY 50.0 #191/342 Jefferson City, MO 50.8 #201/342

Construction in States Bordering Texas

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

Arkansas 34.3 #8/51 New Mexico 47.4 #31/51 Oklahoma 52.2 #39/51 Louisiana 53.6 #41/51

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 Abilene's construction sector, the employment growth component (79.5) 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 Abilene, TX MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment