NAICS 52

Finance and Insurance in Lexington-Fayette, KY

Metro Market Score 45.0 (Moderate), ranked #147 of 331 metros. 1,201 establishments, 7,236 jobs.

Metro Market Score 45.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national finance and insurance average.

📈Rapid Growth

Employment in Lexington-Fayette's finance and insurance sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 80.7. Combined with a 45.0 market score, this metro sits in the upper half for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

52.0

LQ: 0.62

Rank #172 of 331 metros

Wage Competitiveness

68.6

$96,858 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 80.7

Employment growth index

Rank #65 of 331 metros

Wage Pressure

45.2

YoY wage change index

1,201 Finance and Insurance Firms in Lexington-Fayette

1,201

Establishments

+3.4% YoY

7,236

Total Employment

+2.0% YoY

$96,858

Average Annual Wage

+5.9% YoY

0.62

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Kentucky

#1 of 3

finance and insurance metros in state

Kentucky state rank

#3 of 51

for finance and insurance entry risk

vs State Median

-3.6

better than median (48.6)

Lexington-Fayette vs Kentucky Statewide

How this metro's finance and insurance market compares to Kentucky overall. The state ranks #3/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Lexington-Fayette	KY Statewide
Overall Score	45.0 Moderate	40.0 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#147 of 331 metros	#3 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Lexington-Fayette

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 38.0 Retail Trade 42.8 Construction 49.6 Other Services 53.3 Information 57.3 Accommodation and Food Services 61.6

Finance and Insurance in Other Kentucky Metros

Elizabethtown 48.6 #160/331 Louisville-Jefferson County 68.2 #284/331

Finance and Insurance Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Lexington-Fayette's 45.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Walla Walla, WA 45.0 #148/331 Chico, CA 45.3 #149/331 Decatur, AL 44.6 #146/331 Lewiston, ID 44.5 #145/331 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL 45.6 #150/331 Bend, OR 44.4 #144/331 Dover, DE 45.6 #151/331 Kokomo, IN 44.3 #143/331 Tyler, TX 44.2 #142/331 Augusta-Richmond County, GA 44.2 #141/331

Finance and Insurance in States Bordering Kentucky

State-level entry risk for finance and insurance in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

West Virginia 39.8 #2/51 Indiana 45.4 #9/51 Illinois 46.2 #10/51 Ohio 48.2 #14/51 Virginia 50.8 #26/51 Tennessee 53.4 #33/51 Missouri 57.7 #43/51

Browse Finance and Insurance in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for finance and insurance across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Lexington-Fayette's finance and insurance sector, the wage competitiveness component (68.6) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Lexington-Fayette, KY MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment