Cities With the Youngest and Oldest Construction Workers

This story originally appeared on Construction Coverage.

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.

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.

To find the metropolitan areas with the youngest and oldest construction workers in the U.S., researchers at Construction Coverage, a review website for construction management software and builders risk insurance, 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.

Following are the metros with the youngest and oldest construction workers.

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

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

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

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

5. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

• Median age of construction workers: 38
• Share of construction workers under 30: 26%
• Share of construction workers over 50: 20.4%
• Total construction workers in the labor force: 249,321

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

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%
• Total construction workers in the labor force: 264,965

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

9. Columbus, OH

• Median age of construction workers: 39
• Share of construction workers under 30: 33%
• Share of construction workers over 50: 26.3%
• Total construction workers in the labor force: 35,763

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

Following are the large metros with the oldest construction workers.

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%
• Total construction workers in the labor force: 182,224

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

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

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%
• Total construction workers in the labor force: 24,847

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

6. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

• Median age of construction workers: 43
• Share of construction workers under 30: 19%
• Share of construction workers over 50: 30.6%
• Total construction workers in the labor force: 205,827

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

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

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

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 and 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 30s.

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-40s, 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.