The construction industry is struggling to attract young workers, contributing to a persistent labor shortage. Demand for new home construction continues to be high, and many construction companies are unable to find the workers needed in order to meet demand. As the share of young construction workers declines, the construction workforce is getting older. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the median age of construction workers was 41 in 2019, up from 39 a decade prior.
As fewer young people enter the industry, the share of older construction workers has increased. Compared to 2009, there were 330,000 fewer construction workers aged 20 to 29 in 2019, while there were 312,000 more workers aged 60 or older. While there isn’t one obvious reason for these changes, industry experts point to the decline in high school vocational programs and that construction firms hired fewer young people during the Great Recession—changes that have prevented young workers from gaining experience in the industry.
While once popular with young workers, the construction industry now skews older than some other industries that attract young people. The median age of workers in the hospitality industry is 30, while the median age of retail workers is 36. The median age of workers across all industries is 41, the same as in construction.
Construction workers skew older in some cities and states than in others—while the median age of construction workers is 41 at the national level, the age distribution of construction workers varies geographically. At the regional level, construction workers in the Northeast tend to be older while there are more young construction workers in the Great Plains states. North Dakota, Utah, and Alaska have the youngest construction workforces, with a median age of 36 in these states. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the median construction worker age is 46 in Maine, the oldest in the country.
To find the metropolitan areas with the youngest and oldest construction workers in the U.S., researchers at Construction Coverage analyzed the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The researchers ranked metro areas according to the median age of construction workers. Researchers also calculated the share of construction workers under 30, the share of construction workers over 50, and the total number of construction workers in the labor force.
To improve relevance, only metropolitan areas with at least 100,000 people were included in the analysis. Additionally, metro areas were grouped into the following cohorts based on population size:
- Small metros: 100,000–349,999
- Midsize metros: 350,000–999,999
- Large metros: 1,000,000 or more
Here are the metros with the youngest and oldest construction workers.
Large Metros With the Youngest Construction Workers
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1. Oklahoma City, OK
- Median age of construction workers: 35
- Share of construction workers under 30: 28.2%
- Share of construction workers over 50: 20.2%
- Total construction workers in the labor force: 46,216
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
2. Salt Lake City, UT
- Median age of construction workers: 36
- Share of construction workers under 30: 29.2%
- Share of construction workers over 50: 17.1%
- Total construction workers in the labor force: 41,070
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
3. San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
- Median age of construction workers: 38
- Share of construction workers under 30: 27.1%
- Share of construction workers over 50: 23.9%
- Total construction workers in the labor force: 82,680
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
4. Tucson, AZ
- Median age of construction workers: 38
- Share of construction workers under 30: 26.6%
- Share of construction workers over 50: 24.1%
- Total construction workers in the labor force: 23,676
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
5. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Median age of construction workers: 38
- Share of construction workers under 30: 26.0%
- Share of construction workers over 50: 20.4%
- Total construction workers in the labor force: 249,321
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
6. Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
- Median age of construction workers: 38
- Share of construction workers under 30: 25.9%
- Share of construction workers over 50: 20.9%
- Total construction workers in the labor force: 68,740
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
7. Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
- Median age of construction workers: 38
- Share of construction workers under 30: 25.5%
- Share of construction workers over 50: 20.0%
- Total construction workers in the labor force: 264,965
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
8. Austin-Round Rock, TX
- Median age of construction workers: 38
- Share of construction workers under 30: 22.5%
- Share of construction workers over 50: 21.7%
- Total construction workers in the labor force: 66,627
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
9. Columbus, OH
- Median age of construction workers: 39
- Share of construction workers under 30: 33.0%
- Share of construction workers over 50: 26.3%
- Total construction workers in the labor force: 35,763
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
10. Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI
- Median age of construction workers: 39
- Share of construction workers under 30: 30.1%
- Share of construction workers over 50: 28.9%
- Total construction workers in the labor force: 23,908
Large Metros With the Oldest Construction Workers
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
1. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Median age of construction workers: 45
- Share of construction workers under 30: 16.4%
- Share of construction workers over 50: 35.0%
- Total construction workers in the labor force: 182,224
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
2. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
- Median age of construction workers: 44
- Share of construction workers under 30: 19.9%
- Share of construction workers over 50: 37.2%
- Total construction workers in the labor force: 44,891
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
3. Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY
- Median age of construction workers: 44
- Share of construction workers under 30: 20.7%
- Share of construction workers over 50: 36.1%
- Total construction workers in the labor force: 23,067
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
4. Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT
- Median age of construction workers: 44
- Share of construction workers under 30: 18.5%
- Share of construction workers over 50: 35.0%
- Total construction workers in the labor force: 24,847
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
5. Cleveland-Elyria, OH
- Median age of construction workers: 44
- Share of construction workers under 30: 17.8%
- Share of construction workers over 50: 32.5%
- Total construction workers in the labor force: 42,397
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
6. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Median age of construction workers: 43
- Share of construction workers under 30: 19.0%
- Share of construction workers over 50: 30.6%
- Total construction workers in the labor force: 205,827
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
7. Pittsburgh, PA
- Median age of construction workers: 42
- Share of construction workers under 30: 21.8%
- Share of construction workers over 50: 36.2%
- Total construction workers in the labor force: 49,472
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
8. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
- Median age of construction workers: 42
- Share of construction workers under 30: 25.9%
- Share of construction workers over 50: 31.4%
- Total construction workers in the labor force: 76,962
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
9. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI
- Median age of construction workers: 42
- Share of construction workers under 30: 18.2%
- Share of construction workers over 50: 31.2%
- Total construction workers in the labor force: 27,853
Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
10. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
- Median age of construction workers: 42
- Share of construction workers under 30: 18.2%
- Share of construction workers over 50: 30.6%
- Total construction workers in the labor force: 116,757
Detailed Findings & Methodology
The Oklahoma City metro area boasts the most youthful construction workforce among all large metros, with half of its construction workers under age 35. Texas is home to four of the large metro areas with the youngest construction workers, where each has a median age of 38 for its construction worker labor force. Among the small and midsize metros with the youngest construction workers, some places skew even younger, with median construction worker ages in the lower 30’s.
The large metros with the oldest construction workers are located on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Median construction worker ages in these metros are in the mid-40’s, higher than the national median of 41. On average, construction workers over age 50 account for one-third of all construction workers in these cities.
To find the cities with the youngest and oldest construction workers in the U.S., researchers at Construction Coverage analyzed the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample. The researchers ranked metro areas according to the median age of construction workers. In the event of a tie the metro with the larger share of construction workers under 30 was ranked higher for the youngest worker list, and the metro with the larger share of construction workers over 50 was ranked higher for the oldest worker list. Researchers also calculated the total number of construction workers in the labor force.
Additionally, metros were grouped into the following cohorts based on population size:
- Small metros: 100,000–349,999
- Midsize metros: 350,000–999,999
- Large metros: 1,000,000 or more
