NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Elizabethtown, KY

Metro Market Score 64.0 (Difficult), ranked #300 of 378 metros. 480 establishments, 6,331 jobs.

Metro Market Score 64.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

Retail Trade employment in Elizabethtown contracted year-over-year, placing the growth trend in the bottom quartile at 4.2. Declining job counts can indicate consolidation, population shifts, or reduced local demand. Due diligence on the local economy is especially important here.

Industry Concentration

70.6

LQ: 1.23

Rank #267 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

16.4

$34,358 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 4.2

Employment growth index

Rank #363 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

67.4

YoY wage change index

480 Retail Trade Firms in Elizabethtown

480

Establishments

-11.3% YoY

6,331

Total Employment

-7.9% YoY

$34,358

Average Annual Wage

+1.1% YoY

1.23

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Kentucky

#6 of 6

retail trade metros in state

Kentucky state rank

#36 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+14.5

worse than median (49.5)

Elizabethtown vs Kentucky Statewide

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

Measure	Elizabethtown	KY Statewide
Overall Score	64.0 Difficult	46.4 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#300 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 Elizabethtown

Information 42.0 Administrative and Support Services 43.1 Finance and Insurance 48.6 Other Services 50.7 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 52.0 Accommodation and Food Services 72.6 Construction 75.7

Retail Trade in Other Kentucky Metros

Bowling Green 38.3 #38/378 Lexington-Fayette 42.8 #68/378 Louisville-Jefferson County 47.4 #103/378 Paducah 49.5 #128/378 Owensboro 56.8 #219/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Elizabethtown's 64.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Elmira, NY 63.9 #299/378 Modesto, CA 64.0 #301/378 Macon-Bibb County, GA 63.9 #298/378 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL 64.1 #302/378 Knoxville, TN 63.7 #297/378 Billings, MT 64.3 #303/378 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA 63.6 #295/378 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR 63.6 #296/378 Kingston, NY 64.4 #304/378 Flagstaff, AZ 64.4 #305/378

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 Elizabethtown's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (95.8) 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 Elizabethtown, KY MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment