NAICS 51

Information in Lexington-Fayette, KY

Metro Market Score 57.3 (Challenging), ranked #223 of 294 metros. 713 establishments, 2,770 jobs.

Metro Market Score 57.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

Market conditions for information in Lexington-Fayette are tougher than average. The 57.3 market score reflects a combination of high labor costs, slowing employment, and moderate competition. Rank: #223 of 294 metros.

Industry Concentration

58.2

LQ: 0.52

Rank #171 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

65.3

$87,888 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 26.9

Employment growth index

Rank #216 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

22.4

YoY wage change index

713 Information Firms in Lexington-Fayette

713

Establishments

+11.2% YoY

2,770

Total Employment

-6.0% YoY

$87,888

Average Annual Wage

+5.6% YoY

0.52

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Kentucky

#2 of 2

information metros in state

Kentucky state rank

#6 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (57.3)

Lexington-Fayette vs Kentucky Statewide

How this metro's information market compares to Kentucky overall. The state ranks #6/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Lexington-Fayette	KY Statewide
Overall Score	57.3 Challenging	32.6 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#223 of 294 metros	#6 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 Finance and Insurance 45.0 Construction 49.6 Other Services 53.3 Accommodation and Food Services 61.6

Information in Other Kentucky Metros

Elizabethtown 42.0 #128/294

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Lexington-Fayette's 57.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Youngstown-Warren, OH 57.3 #224/294 Burlington-South Burlington, VT 57.2 #222/294 Charlottesville, VA 57.1 #221/294 Syracuse, NY 57.8 #225/294 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC 56.8 #220/294 St. Cloud, MN 57.9 #226/294 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI 56.6 #219/294 Springfield, MA 58.5 #227/294 Dubuque, IA 58.5 #228/294 Champaign-Urbana, IL 58.6 #229/294

Information in States Bordering Kentucky

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

Virginia 36.2 #9/51 Missouri 36.8 #10/51 West Virginia 37.3 #11/51 Indiana 40.2 #19/51 Ohio 44.4 #26/51 Tennessee 48.1 #37/51 Illinois 48.5 #38/51

Browse Information in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for information 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 information sector, the employment growth component (73.1) 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