2026-11-09
The most electrician-heavy metro in the U.S. is Kokomo, Indiana
Among metro areas with at least 250 electricians, the work is most concentrated in small industrial and energy towns, not big cities.
In 30 seconds
- FactElectricians are 4.2 times as common in Kokomo, Indiana as they are nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2025; metros with 250+ electricians).
- FactThey are also highly concentrated in Mount Vernon, Washington (2.9×), Gulfport, Mississippi (2.6×) and Odessa, Texas (2.6×) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
- AnalysisSkilled-trade hubs are often small industrial and energy towns rather than big cities.
What happened
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' OEWS survey lets us compare an occupation's share of local jobs with its share nationally, a measure called the location quotient.
Among metro areas with 250 or more electricians, Kokomo, Indiana ranks first: electricians are 4.2 times as common there as in the U.S. overall. Mount Vernon, Washington (2.9×), Gulfport, Mississippi (2.6×) and Odessa, Texas (2.6×) follow.
Why it matters
When people picture a career, they often picture a big city. For many skilled trades, the places where the work is most central are smaller towns built around manufacturing and energy.
For a young person considering an electrical apprenticeship, that widens the map of where the work is a defining part of local life.
What this does not mean
It does not mean Kokomo has the most electrician jobs. Larger metro areas employ far more electricians in total.
It does not say anything about pay or job openings in these towns. Location quotient measures concentration only.
It does not include very small metro areas: the ranking is limited to metros with 250 or more electricians.
The evidence
Every figure above comes from the page below, with its source one tap away.
Questions to ask
- What industries in these towns employ electricians, and are they growing?
- Where are the nearest apprenticeship programs to the places I'm considering?
- How does local pay compare once cost of living is counted?
What would change our view
The next OEWS release will show whether these concentrations hold.
History
2026-10-25 · Draft generated from content/leads.md (lead found 2026-10-23); figures copied from the lead and checked against data/build/pay/47-2111.json.
2026-11-09 · Figures re-checked against data/build (BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS Employment Projections 2025–35); approved and published.
Sources
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (metropolitan areas), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-11-11.