NAICS 23

Construction in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI

Metro Market Score 49.1 (Challenging), ranked #179 of 342 metros. 3,457 establishments, 37,206 jobs.

Metro Market Score 49.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

💰High-Cost Market

Milwaukee-Waukesha has a relatively low concentration of construction firms (index: 33.6) paired with positive employment growth. This suggests an underpenetrated market where demand may outpace current supply.

Industry Concentration

33.6

LQ: 0.87

Rank #115 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

88.6

$86,239 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 63.2

Employment growth index

Rank #127 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

37.4

YoY wage change index

3,457 Construction Firms in Milwaukee-Waukesha

3,457

Establishments

+5.0% YoY

37,206

Total Employment

+3.6% YoY

$86,239

Average Annual Wage

+5.9% YoY

0.87

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Wisconsin

#9 of 13

construction metros in state

Wisconsin state rank

#1 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

+4.7

worse than median (44.4)

Milwaukee-Waukesha vs Wisconsin Statewide

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

Measure	Milwaukee-Waukesha	WI Statewide
Overall Score	49.1 Challenging	25.1 Low
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#179 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha

Accommodation and Food Services 37.3 Retail Trade 39.2 Other Services 51.0 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 53.9 Administrative and Support Services 54.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 58.5 Information 67.4 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 67.5 Finance and Insurance 74.4

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 Madison 52.1 #216/342 Fond du Lac 61.7 #296/342

+ 2 more metros. View all in Wisconsin →

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Milwaukee-Waukesha's 49.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Sioux Falls, SD 49.1 #180/342 Lake Charles, LA 49.1 #181/342 Jacksonville, FL 49.2 #182/342 Fayetteville, NC 49.2 #183/342 Sebring, FL 49.2 #184/342 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA 48.8 #178/342 Helena, MT 48.8 #177/342 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 49.4 #185/342 Lexington-Fayette, KY 49.6 #186/342 Champaign-Urbana, IL 49.7 #187/342

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 Milwaukee-Waukesha's construction sector, the wage competitiveness component (88.6) 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment