NAICS 44-45

Retail Trade in Owensboro, KY

Metro Market Score 56.8 (Challenging), ranked #219 of 378 metros. 480 establishments, 5,802 jobs.

Metro Market Score 56.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

⚡Rising Wages

Owensboro scores 56.8 on the Metro Market Score for retail trade, placing it in the lower half. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

61.6

LQ: 1.19

Rank #233 of 378 metros

Wage Competitiveness

13.0

$33,860 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 20.9

Employment growth index

Rank #300 of 378 metros

Wage Pressure

72.0

YoY wage change index

480 Retail Trade Firms in Owensboro

480

Establishments

-1.4% YoY

5,802

Total Employment

-2.0% YoY

$33,860

Average Annual Wage

+2.0% YoY

1.19

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Kentucky

#5 of 6

retail trade metros in state

Kentucky state rank

#36 of 51

for retail trade entry risk

vs State Median

+7.3

worse than median (49.5)

Owensboro vs Kentucky Statewide

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

Measure	Owensboro	KY Statewide
Overall Score	56.8 Challenging	46.4 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#219 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 Owensboro

Construction 44.5 Administrative and Support Services 45.2 Healthcare and Social Assistance 59.2

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 Elizabethtown 64.0 #300/378

Retail Trade Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Owensboro's 56.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Salem, OR 56.8 #220/378 Muncie, IN 56.8 #221/378 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA 56.7 #218/378 Akron, OH 56.7 #217/378 Alexandria, LA 56.6 #216/378 Yuba City, CA 56.6 #215/378 Cheyenne, WY 57.1 #222/378 Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL 56.4 #214/378 Bakersfield-Delano, CA 56.4 #213/378 Johnstown, PA 57.2 #223/378

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 Owensboro's retail trade sector, the employment growth component (79.1) 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 Owensboro, KY MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment