NAICS 23

Construction in Waco, TX

Metro Market Score 39.8 (Moderate), ranked #107 of 342 metros. 658 establishments, 8,983 jobs.

Metro Market Score 39.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

📈Rapid Growth

Waco ranks in the upper half for construction market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 39.8, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

82.8

LQ: 1.32

Rank #283 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

26.9

$66,938 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 86.8

Employment growth index

Rank #46 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

42.2

YoY wage change index

658 Construction Firms in Waco

658

Establishments

+6.3% YoY

8,983

Total Employment

+7.9% YoY

$66,938

Average Annual Wage

+7.9% YoY

1.32

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Texas

#8 of 22

construction metros in state

Texas state rank

#29 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

-4.6

better than median (44.4)

Waco vs Texas Statewide

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

Measure	Waco	TX Statewide
Overall Score	39.8 Moderate	46.3 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#107 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 Waco

Retail Trade 43.5

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 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 Waco's 39.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Lansing-East Lansing, MI 39.8 #108/342 Hanford-Corcoran, CA 39.7 #106/342 Athens-Clarke County, GA 40.0 #109/342 Yakima, WA 39.6 #105/342 Rockford, IL 39.4 #104/342 Hinesville, GA 39.4 #103/342 Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC 39.4 #102/342 Idaho Falls, ID 39.2 #101/342 Columbus, IN 40.4 #110/342 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 39.1 #100/342

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 Waco's construction sector, the industry concentration component (82.8) 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 Waco, TX MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment