The 5 best states for construction right now

California has the largest population of any U.S. state and is the third-largest by area, so it makes sense that it would have the highest construction volume. There are a total of 1,302 construction projects currently under construction in California, totaling $524.6 billion collectively.. It’s also home to the most megaprojects in the U.S. with its top 10 consisting of six transport, two energy, and two utility projects. One of those is the $2.1 billion Mid-Coast Trolley project in San Diego, which is one of the five transit projects to watch in 2019. The total also includes the $79 billion California High-Speed Rail Line — the largest construction project in the U.S. —  that was suspended earlier this year by California Gov. Gavin Newson because of cost overruns and schedule delays.

After California, Texas is #2 in population and total construction volume at $425 billion. Texas has the most energy and utility projects in the U.S. at $153 billion. The state’s other largest sectors are mixed-use developments ($68 billion) and infrastructure ($67 billion). ExxonMobil and Qatar Petroleum are currently working on a $10 billion project to add liquefaction and export capabilities to Golden Pass, an existing liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal near Sabine Pass, Texas. This is part of ExxonMobil’s five-year plan to invest $50 billion in the expansion of its U.S. operations.

New York City is the most populated city in the U.S. at over 8.5 billion people. To support that growing number, a number of major construction projects are underway across the state. According to the GlobalData report, there are 894 projects in New York totaling $409 billion. Of those 894 projects, 63% are in the pre-execution and execution stages. One project that’s transforming New York is the $20 billion Hudson Yards megaproject. It has become the largest private real estate development in U.S. history and the largest development in New York City since Rockefeller Center.

Florida is the third most populated state in the U.S. and the fastest-growing state for mixed-use construction properties. Over the past five years, Florida has seen construction growth of 9.9%. According to the report, the growth has been driven by corporate tax cuts and efforts from the state and local governments to raise revenues for public works. There’s still more construction growth on the horizon. Negotiations are taking place with David Beckham to transform the former site of Melreese Country Club into a complex for Club Internacional de Futbol Miami.

California’s Silicon Valley (and now San Francisco) are usually associated with the technology boom, but Washington holds its own in the tech space — and has the construction projects to prove it. The uptick in construction in this state can be attributed to large office expansion and apartment projects from technology giants Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. According to GlobalData, of the projects tracked, 89 are residential, 72 are commercial, and 83 are mixed-use developments. This includes the Alaska Way Viaduct Replacement, a $3.2 billion megaproject to build a 1.7-mile tunnel in Seattle.

SOURCE: https://blog.buildingconnected.com/best-states-for-construction/