NAICS 53

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Lexington-Fayette, KY

Metro Market Score 38.0 (Moderate), ranked #117 of 330 metros. 991 establishments, 3,828 jobs.

Metro Market Score 38.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national real estate and rental and leasing average.

Employment in Lexington-Fayette's real estate and rental and leasing sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 70.3. Combined with a 38.0 market score, this metro sits in the upper half for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

61.5

LQ: 0.86

Rank #203 of 330 metros

Wage Competitiveness

43.3

$53,275 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 70.3

Employment growth index

Rank #99 of 330 metros

Wage Pressure

14.6

YoY wage change index

991 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Firms in Lexington-Fayette

991

Establishments

+2.4% YoY

3,828

Total Employment

+3.0% YoY

$53,275

Average Annual Wage

+1.7% YoY

0.86

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Kentucky

#1 of 3

real estate and rental and leasing metros in state

Kentucky state rank

#11 of 51

for real estate and rental and leasing entry risk

vs State Median

-12.5

better than median (50.6)

Lexington-Fayette vs Kentucky Statewide

How this metro's real estate and rental and leasing market compares to Kentucky overall. The state ranks #11/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Lexington-Fayette	KY Statewide
Overall Score	38.0 Moderate	30.3 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#117 of 330 metros	#11 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

Retail Trade 42.8 Finance and Insurance 45.0 Construction 49.6 Other Services 53.3 Information 57.3 Accommodation and Food Services 61.6

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Other Kentucky Metros

Louisville-Jefferson County 50.6 #220/330 Elizabethtown 52.0 #231/330

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Lexington-Fayette's 38.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Salinas, CA 37.9 #116/330 Lawrence, KS 38.3 #118/330 Merced, CA 38.3 #119/330 Madison, WI 37.8 #115/330 Bend, OR 37.8 #114/330 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 38.4 #120/330 Traverse City, MI 38.5 #121/330 State College, PA 38.5 #122/330 Rockford, IL 38.5 #123/330 Mansfield, OH 38.5 #124/330

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in States Bordering Kentucky

State-level entry risk for real estate and rental and leasing in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Indiana 30.2 #10/51 Ohio 33.2 #14/51 Virginia 35.6 #17/51 Tennessee 37.2 #18/51 Missouri 39.2 #25/51 West Virginia 40.6 #27/51 Illinois 44.3 #33/51

Browse Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for real estate and rental and leasing 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 real estate and rental and leasing sector, the industry concentration component (61.5) 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