NAICS 23

Construction in Madison, WI

Metro Market Score 52.1 (Challenging), ranked #216 of 342 metros. 1,704 establishments, 19,763 jobs.

Metro Market Score 52.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

💰High-Cost Market

At #216 of 342 metros, Madison's construction sector scores 52.1 on the market index. Concentration (42.1), wage levels (81.9), and growth (49.7) all track close to the median. Local factors like lease costs and client access will matter more than macro signals.

Industry Concentration

42.1

LQ: 0.92

Rank #144 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

81.9

$81,545 avg wage

Growth Trend

49.7

Employment growth index

Rank #173 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

30.3

YoY wage change index

1,704 Construction Firms in Madison

1,704

Establishments

+4.7% YoY

19,763

Total Employment

+1.8% YoY

$81,545

Average Annual Wage

+3.0% YoY

0.92

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Wisconsin

#10 of 13

construction metros in state

Wisconsin state rank

#1 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

+7.8

worse than median (44.4)

Madison vs Wisconsin Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to Wisconsin overall. The state ranks #1/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Madison	WI Statewide
Overall Score	52.1 Challenging	25.1 Low
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#216 of 342 metros	#1 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 Madison

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 37.8 Accommodation and Food Services 40.3 Retail Trade 45.9 Other Services 55.0 Information 58.8 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 60.0 Finance and Insurance 72.8

Construction in Other Wisconsin Metros

La Crosse-Onalaska 24.1 #16/342 Wausau 30.7 #43/342 Kenosha 35.3 #66/342 Sheboygan 35.8 #69/342 Racine-Mount Pleasant 38.1 #87/342 Eau Claire 41.4 #117/342 Janesville-Beloit 44.4 #141/342 Green Bay 47.3 #166/342 Milwaukee-Waukesha 49.1 #179/342 Fond du Lac 61.7 #296/342

+ 2 more metros. View all in Wisconsin →

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Madison's 52.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Dubuque, IA 52.1 #215/342 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 52.1 #214/342 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA 52.0 #213/342 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 52.0 #212/342 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 52.3 #217/342 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 52.3 #218/342 Coeur d'Alene, ID 52.6 #219/342 Topeka, KS 52.6 #220/342 Birmingham, AL 52.6 #221/342 Kingston, NY 51.5 #211/342

Construction in States Bordering Wisconsin

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

Michigan 28.0 #2/51 Iowa 34.3 #7/51 Minnesota 37.3 #14/51 Illinois 49.1 #34/51

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 Madison's construction sector, the wage competitiveness component (81.9) 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 Madison, WI MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment