NAICS 23

Construction in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

Metro Market Score 56.4 (Challenging), ranked #260 of 342 metros. 15,742 establishments, 231,473 jobs.

Metro Market Score 56.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

💰High-Cost Market

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington scores 56.4 on the Metro Market Score for construction, placing it in the bottom quartile. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

64.9

LQ: 1.10

Rank #222 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

91.2

$87,644 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 65.5

Employment growth index

Rank #119 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

35.2

YoY wage change index

15,742 Construction Firms in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington

15,742

Establishments

-1.4% YoY

231,473

Total Employment

+3.9% YoY

$87,644

Average Annual Wage

+5.0% YoY

1.10

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Texas

#17 of 22

construction metros in state

Texas state rank

#29 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

+12.0

worse than median (44.4)

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington vs Texas Statewide

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

Measure	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington	TX Statewide
Overall Score	56.4 Challenging	46.3 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#260 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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington

Retail Trade 54.0 Healthcare and Social Assistance 54.3 Other Services 57.5 Accommodation and Food Services 60.6 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 61.5 Finance and Insurance 64.7 Information 69.3 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 75.3

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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington's 56.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Kokomo, IN 56.5 #261/342 Albany, OR 56.4 #259/342 Waterbury-Shelton, CT 56.6 #262/342 Colorado Springs, CO 56.2 #258/342 Asheville, NC 56.7 #263/342 Albuquerque, NM 56.1 #257/342 Raleigh-Cary, NC 56.1 #256/342 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC 56.0 #255/342 St. Joseph, MO 56.0 #254/342 Lincoln, NE 55.7 #253/342

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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington's construction sector, the wage competitiveness component (91.2) 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 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment