NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Bowling Green, KY

Metro Market Score 38.3 (Moderate), ranked #38 of 378 metros. 724 establishments, 9,425 jobs.

Metro Market Score 38.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national retail trade average.

📈Rapid Growth⚡Rising Wages

Employment in Bowling Green's retail trade sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 95.2. Combined with a 38.3 market score, this metro sits in the top quartile for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

56.6

LQ: 1.17

Rank #214 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

32.5

$35,943 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 95.2

Employment growth index

Rank #19 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

73.1

YoY wage change index

724 Retail Trade Firms in Bowling Green

724

Establishments

+2.8% YoY

9,425

Total Employment

+5.5% YoY

$35,943

Average Annual Wage

+2.2% YoY

1.17

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Kentucky

#1 of 6

retail trade metros in state

Kentucky state rank

#36 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-11.2

better than median (49.5)

Bowling Green vs Kentucky Statewide

How this metro's retail trade market compares to Kentucky overall. The state ranks #36/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Bowling Green	KY Statewide
Overall Score	38.3 Moderate	46.4 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#38 of 378 metros	#36 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 Bowling Green

Construction 32.6 Administrative and Support Services 44.8

Retail Trade in Other Kentucky Metros

Lexington-Fayette 42.8 #68/378 Louisville-Jefferson County 47.4 #103/378 Paducah 49.5 #128/378 Owensboro 56.8 #219/378 Elizabethtown 64.0 #300/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Bowling Green's 38.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Visalia, CA 38.4 #39/378 Chambersburg, PA 38.4 #40/378 Tallahassee, FL 38.1 #37/378 Sheboygan, WI 38.0 #36/378 Chattanooga, TN 38.0 #35/378 Cleveland, OH 38.7 #41/378 Reading, PA 38.7 #42/378 Napa, CA 38.8 #43/378 Lake Charles, LA 39.0 #44/378 Gainesville, GA 39.0 #45/378

Retail Trade in States Bordering Kentucky

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

Ohio 39.2 #8/51 Indiana 39.8 #10/51 Virginia 41.6 #17/51 Tennessee 42.8 #22/51 Illinois 48.1 #39/51 Missouri 50.6 #42/51 West Virginia 52.8 #47/51

Browse Retail Trade in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for retail trade 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 Bowling Green's retail trade sector, the wage pressure 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 Bowling Green, KY MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment