NAICS 23

Construction in Walla Walla, WA

Metro Market Score 41.5 (Moderate), ranked #119 of 342 metros. 210 establishments, 1,127 jobs.

Metro Market Score 41.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

Construction wages in Walla Walla run well below the metro average (competitiveness index: 16.7), and year-over-year wage pressure is low at 21.4. For labor-intensive operations, this cost advantage could improve unit economics significantly.

Industry Concentration

15.8

LQ: 0.74

Rank #54 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

16.7

$62,833 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 2.9

Employment growth index

Rank #333 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

21.4

YoY wage change index

210 Construction Firms in Walla Walla

210

Establishments

-7.5% YoY

1,127

Total Employment

-11.7% YoY

$62,833

Average Annual Wage

-0.7% YoY

0.74

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Washington

#2 of 11

construction metros in state

Washington state rank

#46 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

-22.8

better than median (64.3)

Walla Walla vs Washington Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to Washington overall. The state ranks #46/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Walla Walla	WA Statewide
Overall Score	41.5 Moderate	58.1 High
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#119 of 342 metros	#46 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 Walla Walla

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 34.8 Information 42.9 Finance and Insurance 45.0 Accommodation and Food Services 46.1 Other Services 47.4 Retail Trade 51.0 Healthcare and Social Assistance 52.5

Construction in Other Washington Metros

Yakima 39.6 #105/342 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard 53.0 #226/342 Kennewick-Richland 60.8 #288/342 Spokane-Spokane Valley 60.9 #289/342 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater 64.3 #309/342 Longview-Kelso 64.8 #311/342 Mount Vernon-Anacortes 71.4 #332/342 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue 74.5 #338/342 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee 76.9 #340/342 Bellingham 77.4 #341/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Walla Walla's 41.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL 41.5 #118/342 Eau Claire, WI 41.4 #117/342 Parkersburg-Vienna, WV 41.4 #116/342 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 41.2 #114/342 Tyler, TX 41.2 #115/342 Battle Creek, MI 41.8 #120/342 Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI 42.0 #121/342 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL 42.3 #122/342 Oklahoma City, OK 40.7 #113/342 Williamsport, PA 40.7 #112/342

Construction in States Bordering Washington

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

Oregon 54.8 #44/51 Idaho 58.4 #48/51

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 Walla Walla's construction sector, the employment growth component (97.1) 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 Walla Walla, WA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment