NAICS 53

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Louisville-Jefferson County, KY

Metro Market Score 50.6 (Challenging), ranked #220 of 330 metros. 2,205 establishments, 8,555 jobs.

Metro Market Score 50.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

💰High-Cost Market

Despite a mature real estate and rental and leasing presence (concentration: 53.9), Louisville-Jefferson County is still adding jobs in this sector. Growth trend sits at 53.6, and the overall 50.6 market score lands in the lower half. Established markets with growth are worth a closer look.

Industry Concentration

53.9

LQ: 0.81

Rank #178 of 330 metros

Wage Competitiveness

81.2

$67,157 avg wage

Growth Trend

53.6

Employment growth index

Rank #154 of 330 metros

Wage Pressure

14.4

YoY wage change index

2,205 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Firms in Louisville-Jefferson County

2,205

Establishments

+6.0% YoY

8,555

Total Employment

+0.9% YoY

$67,157

Average Annual Wage

+1.6% YoY

0.81

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Kentucky

#2 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

0.0

matches median (50.6)

Louisville-Jefferson County 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	Louisville-Jefferson County	KY Statewide
Overall Score	50.6 Challenging	30.3 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#220 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 Louisville-Jefferson County

Construction 39.1 Other Services 41.6 Retail Trade 47.4 Finance and Insurance 68.2

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing in Other Kentucky Metros

Lexington-Fayette 38.0 #117/330 Elizabethtown 52.0 #231/330

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Louisville-Jefferson County's 50.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Watertown-Fort Drum, NY 50.5 #218/330 Jonesboro, AR 50.5 #219/330 Gainesville, FL 50.8 #221/330 Hinesville, GA 50.9 #222/330 Youngstown-Warren, OH 50.9 #223/330 Anchorage, AK 50.1 #217/330 College Station-Bryan, TX 50.0 #216/330 Williamsport, PA 51.2 #224/330 San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX 49.6 #215/330 Burlington-South Burlington, VT 51.5 #225/330

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 Louisville-Jefferson County's real estate and rental and leasing sector, the wage competitiveness component (81.2) 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 Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment