10 States Investing the Most in Commercial Construction

Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Twisted Nail.

As the U.S. economy enters a new political era, the commercial construction sector is at a crossroads.

Much of the recent growth — particularly in manufacturing, logistics, and clean energy — was seeded by federal investment during the Biden Administration. But with the 2024 election reshaping Washington, the future trajectory of construction will depend on how the Trump Administration approaches trade, regulation, and industrial policy.

Understanding where things are headed requires understanding where we’ve been. Over the past five years, the industry has undergone dramatic shifts.

Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, residential construction surged while commercial construction plummeted amid widespread shutdowns and economic uncertainty. Since then, the dynamic has reversed: residential activity has cooled, while commercial construction — especially in infrastructure and industrial sectors — has rebounded.

To better understand these evolving trends, researchers at Twisted Nail — a Texas-based construction aggregate supplier — analyzed national and state-level data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The following examines which states are leading the way in private nonresidential construction spending.

10. District of Columbia

• Per-capita commercial construction spending: $2,093
• Total commercial construction spending: $1,421,000,000
• 5-year change in commercial construction spending: -45.8%
• 5-year change in commercial construction spending (adjusted): -55.3%
• 5-year change in population: -3.3%

9. Nebraska

• Per-capita commercial construction spending: $2,164
• Total commercial construction spending: $4,282,000,000
• 5-year change in commercial construction spending: 49.6%
• 5-year change in commercial construction spending (adjusted): 23.3%
• 5-year change in population: 2.5%

8. Nevada

• Per-capita commercial construction spending: $2,469
• Total commercial construction spending: $7,887,000,000
• 5-year change in commercial construction spending: 85.7%
• 5-year change in commercial construction spending (adjusted): 53.0%
• 5-year change in population: 5.3%

7. Georgia

• Per-capita commercial construction spending: $2,498
• Total commercial construction spending: $27,556,000,000
• 5-year change in commercial construction spending: 192.5%
• 5-year change in commercial construction spending (adjusted): 141.1%
• 5-year change in population: 4.8%

6. Ohio

• Per-capita commercial construction spending: $2,581
• Total commercial construction spending: $30,423,000,000
• 5-year change in commercial construction spending: 214.1%
• 5-year change in commercial construction spending (adjusted): 158.8%
• 5-year change in population: 0.8%

5. Kansas

• Per-capita commercial construction spending: $2,718
• Total commercial construction spending: $7,991,000,000
• 5-year change in commercial construction spending: 132.2%
• 5-year change in commercial construction spending (adjusted): 91.3%
• 5-year change in population: 1.0%

4. Idaho

• Per-capita commercial construction spending: $2,852
• Total commercial construction spending: $5,604,000,000
• 5-year change in commercial construction spending: 248.3%
• 5-year change in commercial construction spending (adjusted): 187.0%
• 5-year change in population: 12.0%

3. Texas

• Per-capita commercial construction spending: $2,941
• Total commercial construction spending: $89,708,000,000
• 5-year change in commercial construction spending: 116.8%
• 5-year change in commercial construction spending (adjusted): 78.6%
• 5-year change in population: 6.3%

2. North Dakota

• Per-capita commercial construction spending: $3,088
• Total commercial construction spending: $2,421,000,000
• 5-year change in commercial construction spending: 98.4%
• 5-year change in commercial construction spending (adjusted): 63.5%
• 5-year change in population: 3.1%

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1. Arizona

• Per-capita commercial construction spending: $5,980
• Total commercial construction spending: $44,440,000,000
• 5-year change in commercial construction spending: 681.7%
• 5-year change in commercial construction spending (adjusted): 544.2%
• 5-year change in population: 3.6%

Methodology

This analysis uses data from two primary sources: the U.S. Census Bureau’s Value of Construction Put in Place Survey and the American Community Survey (ACS) 1-Year Estimates.

To identify the states investing most in commercial construction, researchers at Twisted Nail ranked all 50 states based on per-capita commercial construction spending.

Additional metrics considered in the analysis include total commercial construction spending, five-year changes in commercial construction activity (both nominal and inflation-adjusted), and five-year population growth.

For the purposes of this study, “commercial construction” refers to all private nonresidential construction projects, excluding those in the power, communication, and rail sectors.

The analysis incorporates the most recent data available: national time series data through 2025, national-level sector data from 2019 to 2024, and state-level statistics covering 2018 to 2023.