NAICS 23

Construction in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX

Metro Market Score 15.4 (Favorable), ranked #5 of 342 metros. 423 establishments, 3,867 jobs.

Metro Market Score 15.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

📈Rapid Growth✓Favorable Market🌱Emerging Market

Brownsville-Harlingen ranks in the top 10% for construction market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 15.4, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

2.9

LQ: 0.47

Rank #10 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

2.0

$52,924 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 75.4

Employment growth index

Rank #85 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

34.0

YoY wage change index

423 Construction Firms in Brownsville-Harlingen

423

Establishments

+4.7% YoY

3,867

Total Employment

+5.3% YoY

$52,924

Average Annual Wage

+4.5% YoY

0.47

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Texas

#1 of 22

construction metros in state

Texas state rank

#29 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

-29.0

better than median (44.4)

Brownsville-Harlingen vs Texas Statewide

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

Measure	Brownsville-Harlingen	TX Statewide
Overall Score	15.4 Favorable	46.3 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#5 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 Brownsville-Harlingen

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 17.3 Finance and Insurance 23.3 Information 27.5 Other Services 30.1 Retail Trade 37.2 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 45.2 Accommodation and Food Services 48.8 Healthcare and Social Assistance 56.0 Administrative and Support Services 59.3

Construction in Other Texas Metros

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 Sherman-Denison 43.0 #129/342

+ 11 more metros. View all in Texas →

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Brownsville-Harlingen's 15.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Dalton, GA 15.0 #4/342 McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX 16.4 #6/342 Gadsden, AL 14.3 #3/342 Gainesville, FL 18.0 #7/342 Rome, GA 18.4 #8/342 Lawton, OK 11.9 #2/342 Beckley, WV 11.7 #1/342 Wichita Falls, TX 19.2 #9/342 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 19.7 #10/342 Columbia, MO 19.8 #11/342

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 Brownsville-Harlingen's construction sector, the employment growth component (24.6) 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 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment