NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Lexington-Fayette, KY

Metro Market Score 42.8 (Moderate), ranked #68 of 378 metros. 2,014 establishments, 28,113 jobs.

Metro Market Score 42.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

⚡Rising Wages🌱Emerging Market

Employment in Lexington-Fayette's retail trade sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 72.5. Combined with a 42.8 market score, this metro sits in the top quartile for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

18.8

LQ: 0.99

Rank #71 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

61.9

$38,925 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 72.5

Employment growth index

Rank #105 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

72.0

YoY wage change index

2,014 Retail Trade Firms in Lexington-Fayette

2,014

Establishments

+3.0% YoY

28,113

Total Employment

+0.6% YoY

$38,925

Average Annual Wage

+2.0% YoY

0.99

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Kentucky

#2 of 6

retail trade metros in state

Kentucky state rank

#36 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

-6.7

better than median (49.5)

Lexington-Fayette vs Kentucky Statewide

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

Measure	Lexington-Fayette	KY Statewide
Overall Score	42.8 Moderate	46.4 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#68 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 Lexington-Fayette

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 38.0 Finance and Insurance 45.0 Construction 49.6 Other Services 53.3 Information 57.3 Accommodation and Food Services 61.6

Retail Trade in Other Kentucky Metros

Bowling Green 38.3 #38/378 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 Lexington-Fayette's 42.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Rome, GA 42.8 #67/378 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 42.9 #69/378 Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC 42.7 #65/378 Longview, TX 42.7 #66/378 Midland, TX 43.1 #70/378 Decatur, IL 43.1 #71/378 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC 43.1 #72/378 Fargo, ND 42.5 #64/378 Augusta-Richmond County, GA 43.2 #73/378 Pittsburgh, PA 42.5 #63/378

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 Lexington-Fayette's retail trade sector, the wage competitiveness component (61.9) 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