Market rankings · Kentucky
Bakeries and dessert shops in Kentucky
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Kentucky, ranked by the Groundwork market score for bakeries and dessert shops, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 1,258
- 431 chain locations (34%)
- Official establishments
- 678
- All snack bars and retail bakeries · +30.9% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $6.3B
- On food away from home
- Listings per 10k households
- 6.9
- 30% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $5M
- 21% above the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #13 of 51
- Market score 62 · Upper middle
A site report maps the bakeries and dessert shops on map listings around any address in Kentucky by name and distance, and the spending within reach.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
Kentucky has 1,258 bakeries and dessert shops on map listings as of September 2026. Of those, 431 are chain locations, or 34%, against 35% across the U.S. That is 6.9 per 10,000 households, 30% below the U.S. rate of 9.8.
Households in Kentucky spend about $6.3B a year on food away from home, or $3,489 per household, 14% below the U.S. average. That works out to $5M per shop, 21% above the U.S. figure of $4.1M. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only bakeries and dessert shops.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as snack bars and retail bakeries in Kentucky was 678 in 2023, up 30.9% from 2019. That is one for every 2,676 households, against one for every 1,369 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 24.6% over the same years. That count covers all snack bars and retail bakeries (coffee shops and cafes included), not only bakeries and dessert shops. Since fiscal 2022, 56 SBA-backed loans worth $21.4M have gone to businesses classed as snack bars and retail bakeries in Kentucky.
Among the 50 states and DC, Kentucky ranks #13 for bakeries and dessert shops, with a Groundwork market score of 62 (upper middle). Of the 9 scored metro areas in or partly in Kentucky, the Louisville/Jefferson County metro area scores highest (64). Of the 12 scored small-town markets in or partly in Kentucky, the Richmond-Berea area scores highest (82).
Every market in Kentucky for bakeries and dessert shops
Download the ranking (CSV)Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in Kentucky, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.
Metro areas
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 64 | 443 | 7.9 | $4.8M | +2.9% | #81 of 387 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 64 | 781 | 8.6 | $4.8M | +2.7% | #82 of 387 |
| 2Elizabethtown, KY | 61 | 38 | 7.5 | $4.7M | +2.4% | #105 of 387 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | 60 | 91 | 7.3 | $4.8M | +8.5% | #116 of 387 |
| 3Bowling Green, KY | 54 | 61 | 8.3 | $4.1M | +9.5% | #167 of 387 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 52 | 102 | 6.7 | $5M | −2.6% | #181 of 387 |
| 4Lexington-Fayette, KY | 52 | 195 | 9.0 | $4.2M | +3.4% | #183 of 387 |
| 5Owensboro, KY | 42 | 41 | 9.1 | $3.9M | +1.3% | #264 of 387 |
| 6Paducah, KY-IL | 29 | 47 | 11.3 | $3.1M | −1.2% | #350 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Richmond-Berea, KY | 82 | 24 | 4.8 | $6.9M | +7.0% | #8 of 507 |
| 2Henderson, KY | 69 | 8 | 3.4 | $9.6M | −0.9% | #60 of 507 |
| 3Somerset, KY | 66 | 15 | 5.7 | $5.4M | +3.5% | #84 of 507 |
| 4Glasgow, KY | 65 | 11 | 5.0 | $6.2M | +2.6% | #94 of 507 |
| 5Corbin, KY | 63 | 26 | 4.6 | $6.4M | +0.1% | #107 of 507 |
| 6Madisonville, KY | 62 | 10 | 5.4 | $5.8M | −0.5% | #117 of 507 |
| 7Campbellsville, KY | 62 | 8 | 5.4 | $5.8M | +3.4% | #118 of 507 |
| 8Danville, KY | 61 | 16 | 7.4 | $4.4M | +3.6% | #139 of 507 |
| 9Frankfort, KY | 58 | 27 | 8.3 | $4.3M | +3.1% | #171 of 507 |
| 10Murray, KY | 56 | 11 | 7.2 | $4.3M | +4.9% | #192 of 507 |
| 11Pikeville, KY | 51 | 20 | 5.1 | $5.6M | −5.4% | #239 of 507 |
| 12Middlesborough, KY | 39 | 6 | 6.0 | $4.3M | −4.8% | #365 of 507 |
| Mount Sterling, KY | Not scored | 2 | 1.1 | $28.8M | +3.1% | |
| Mayfield, KY | Not scored | 1 | 0.7 | $44.4M | +1.4% | |
| Franklin, KY | Not scored | 4 | 5.0 | $6.7M | +5.9% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Oldham County, KY | 88 | 11 | 4.8 | $10.5M | +4.9% | #26 of 1,889 |
| 2Bullitt County, KY | 88 | 14 | 4.4 | $8.8M | +5.0% | #27 of 1,889 |
| 3Nelson County, KY | 78 | 11 | 5.7 | $6.2M | +4.8% | #115 of 1,889 |
| 4Scott County, KY | 76 | 20 | 8.8 | $4.6M | +8.2% | #153 of 1,889 |
| 5Shelby County, KY | 75 | 12 | 6.5 | $6.1M | +6.2% | #169 of 1,889 |
| 6Madison County, KY | 75 | 24 | 6.5 | $5.4M | +9.4% | #172 of 1,889 |
| 7Grant County, KY | 73 | 5 | 5.4 | $6.3M | +4.7% | #201 of 1,889 |
| 8Jessamine County, KY | 71 | 11 | 5.5 | $6.9M | +7.8% | #234 of 1,889 |
| 9Meade County, KY | 71 | 7 | 6.4 | $5.9M | +2.2% | #243 of 1,889 |
| 10Kenton County, KY | 71 | 53 | 7.9 | $5.1M | +3.9% | #250 of 1,889 |
| 11Clark County, KY | 67 | 9 | 6.0 | $5.8M | +2.3% | #333 of 1,889 |
| 12Henderson County, KY | 65 | 7 | 3.8 | $8.7M | −0.9% | #381 of 1,889 |
| 13Pulaski County, KY | 64 | 15 | 5.7 | $5.4M | +3.5% | #421 of 1,889 |
| 14Anderson County, KY | 62 | 8 | 8.3 | $4.4M | +5.5% | #486 of 1,889 |
| 15Whitley County, KY | 61 | 7 | 5.2 | $5.6M | +1.6% | #500 of 1,889 |
| 16Hopkins County, KY | 60 | 10 | 5.4 | $5.8M | −0.5% | #535 of 1,889 |
| 17Hardin County, KY | 60 | 36 | 8.1 | $4.5M | +2.4% | #553 of 1,889 |
| 18Marshall County, KY | 59 | 7 | 5.3 | $6.5M | −0.1% | #565 of 1,889 |
| 19Boone County, KY | 58 | 62 | 12.2 | $3.6M | +6.5% | #636 of 1,889 |
| 20Laurel County, KY | 57 | 15 | 6.3 | $5.1M | +1.6% | #649 of 1,889 |
| 21Campbell County, KY | 56 | 37 | 9.4 | $4.2M | +2.5% | #709 of 1,889 |
| 22Taylor County, KY | 55 | 6 | 5.8 | $5.5M | +2.9% | #726 of 1,889 |
| 23Barren County, KY | 54 | 11 | 6.1 | $5.1M | +2.6% | #777 of 1,889 |
| 24Calloway County, KY | 53 | 11 | 7.2 | $4.3M | +4.9% | #824 of 1,889 |
| 25Warren County, KY | 53 | 49 | 8.8 | $4M | +10.6% | #831 of 1,889 |
Show all 120 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Woodford County, KY | 53 | 16 | 14.8 | $2.7M | +3.7% | #836 of 1,889 |
| 27Jefferson County, KY | 52 | 292 | 8.8 | $4.2M | +1.6% | #859 of 1,889 |
| 28Carter County, KY | 48 | 5 | 4.6 | $6.7M | −1.7% | #978 of 1,889 |
| 29Greenup County, KY | 48 | 8 | 5.4 | $6.1M | −1.9% | #979 of 1,889 |
| 30Franklin County, KY | 48 | 19 | 8.4 | $4.2M | +2.0% | #998 of 1,889 |
| 31Fayette County, KY | 46 | 135 | 9.7 | $3.9M | +2.2% | #1,082 of 1,889 |
| 32Pike County, KY | 43 | 16 | 6.6 | $4.4M | −6.4% | #1,172 of 1,889 |
| 33Daviess County, KY | 43 | 39 | 9.4 | $3.8M | +1.5% | #1,189 of 1,889 |
| 34Adair County, KY | 42 | 5 | 7.0 | $4.3M | +2.9% | #1,212 of 1,889 |
| 35Bell County, KY | 40 | 6 | 6.0 | $4.3M | −4.8% | #1,285 of 1,889 |
| 36Boyle County, KY | 40 | 13 | 10.8 | $3.1M | +2.9% | #1,310 of 1,889 |
| 37Allen County, KY | 38 | 8 | 10.0 | $3.2M | +9.5% | #1,373 of 1,889 |
| 38Wayne County, KY | 35 | 5 | 6.2 | $4.5M | +0.3% | #1,461 of 1,889 |
| 39Christian County, KY | 33 | 21 | 8.2 | $3.8M | −3.6% | #1,530 of 1,889 |
| 40Perry County, KY | 29 | 7 | 6.3 | $4.7M | −6.4% | #1,633 of 1,889 |
| 41McCracken County, KY | 25 | 37 | 13.4 | $2.6M | −0.5% | #1,742 of 1,889 |
| 42Boyd County, KY | 24 | 21 | 10.9 | $3M | −0.9% | #1,757 of 1,889 |
| 43Mason County, KY | 23 | 6 | 8.4 | $3.7M | −1.2% | #1,765 of 1,889 |
| 44Letcher County, KY | 10 | 7 | 8.3 | $3.2M | −7.0% | #1,880 of 1,889 |
| 45Union County, KY | 8 | 6 | 11.5 | $2.7M | −5.9% | #1,882 of 1,889 |
| Graves County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 0.7 | $44.4M | +1.4% | |
| Floyd County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 2.7 | $10.5M | −3.9% | |
| Muhlenberg County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 3.3 | $9.8M | −0.9% | |
| Knox County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 2.6 | $10.1M | −2.2% | |
| Montgomery County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 1.8 | $17.6M | +2.5% | |
| Logan County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 2.7 | $11.7M | +4.2% | |
| Grayson County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 3.0 | $10.6M | +3.6% | |
| Harlan County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 0.9 | $29.7M | −7.6% | |
| Rowan County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 4.2 | $7.6M | −1.0% | |
| Lincoln County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 3.1 | $10M | +4.6% | |
| Ohio County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 3.3 | $9.6M | +0.8% | |
| Mercer County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 2.2 | $15.6M | +4.8% | |
| Johnson County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 3.3 | $8.6M | −2.6% | |
| Breckinridge County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 2.5 | $13M | +5.2% | |
| Bourbon County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 4.9 | $7M | −0.3% | |
| Spencer County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +7.7% | |
| Simpson County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 5.0 | $6.7M | +5.9% | |
| Clay County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.4 | $19.7M | −4.1% | |
| Marion County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 2.6 | $12.3M | +2.7% | |
| Hart County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 2.7 | $11.2M | +4.3% | |
| Harrison County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 5.5 | $6.4M | +4.9% | |
| Russell County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +3.4% | |
| Garrard County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.5 | $21.8M | +7.3% | |
| McCreary County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.7 | $14.5M | +1.7% | |
| Rockcastle County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +0.6% | |
| Lawrence County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 6.3 | $4.7M | −3.3% | |
| Casey County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 6.2 | $4.7M | +1.8% | |
| Henry County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 4.9 | $6.8M | +4.8% | |
| Fleming County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +4.6% | |
| Larue County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 3.3 | $10M | +2.1% | |
| Pendleton County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 3.7 | $9.2M | +1.1% | |
| Trigg County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.7 | $19.9M | +3.1% | |
| Morgan County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 4.1 | $7.2M | +5.0% | |
| Estill County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.4% | |
| Knott County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 5.4 | $5.2M | −5.9% | |
| Breathitt County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 5.5 | $4.8M | −8.3% | |
| Jackson County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.0 | $14.3M | +2.8% | |
| Powell County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 8.4 | $3.4M | −2.2% | |
| Lewis County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 4.0 | $7.5M | −1.4% | |
| Bath County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +3.6% | |
| Webster County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.0 | $15.5M | −0.7% | |
| Caldwell County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 6.0 | $5.4M | −0.3% | |
| Todd County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 6.6 | $5.2M | +5.6% | |
| Butler County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 4.4 | $7M | +1.6% | |
| Edmonson County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 3.9 | $7.7M | +5.0% | |
| Washington County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.1 | $16M | +2.7% | |
| Green County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 4.5 | $6.7M | +4.6% | |
| Magoffin County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.1 | $12.2M | −4.3% | |
| Owen County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.6% | |
| Monroe County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 4.3 | $6.9M | −1.1% | |
| Martin County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 7.8 | $3.8M | −4.9% | |
| Carroll County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 4.8 | $6.9M | +2.9% | |
| Metcalfe County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.9% | |
| Leslie County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −8.0% | |
| Clinton County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.6 | $10.8M | −1.0% | |
| McLean County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 5.5 | $6.4M | −0.8% | |
| Hancock County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.7 | $12M | −0.6% | |
| Crittenden County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.2% | |
| Livingston County, KY | Not scored | 6 | 16.7 | $2M | −0.1% | |
| Lyon County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.9 | $12.1M | +5.2% | |
| Gallatin County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.9% | |
| Trimble County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.8% | |
| Bracken County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.3% | |
| Nicholas County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +5.4% | |
| Ballard County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.5% | |
| Lee County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −0.9% | |
| Elliott County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 4.1 | $7M | −0.9% | |
| Wolfe County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 3.7 | $6.3M | −4.0% | |
| Fulton County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 11.8 | $2.3M | −4.5% | |
| Menifee County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +4.8% | |
| Cumberland County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 3.8 | $7.1M | +2.3% | |
| Carlisle County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.2% | |
| Hickman County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 5.8 | $5.7M | −3.4% | |
| Owsley County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −2.5% | |
| Robertson County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +6.6% |
Markets with fewer than 5 bakeries and dessert shops on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many bakeries and dessert shops are in Kentucky?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 1,258 bakeries and dessert shops in Kentucky. 431 of them (34%) are chain locations. The listings count bakeries, ice cream, donut and dessert shops, candy stores. Official counts show 678 businesses with payroll classed as snack bars and retail bakeries in 2023, up 30.9% from 2019. The official count takes in all snack bars and retail bakeries, not only bakeries and dessert shops: coffee shops and cafes are counted too. Official counts also show 122 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Kentucky spend on food away from home?
About $6.3B a year, or $3,489 per household. That is 14% below the U.S. average (an index of 86, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 1,258 bakeries and dessert shops on map listings, it comes to $5M per shop. That spending covers all food away from home, which bakeries and dessert shops share with other businesses in the trade. It is estimated from the incomes of the 1,814,469 households in Kentucky and national spending patterns by income.
How does Kentucky compare with the U.S. for bakeries and dessert shops?
Kentucky has 6.9 bakeries and dessert shops per 10,000 households, 30% below the U.S. rate of 9.8. Spending per shop is $5M, 21% above the U.S. figure of $4.1M. At the U.S. ratio of bakeries and dessert shops to household spending, Kentucky would have about 1,528, against 1,258 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,676 households, against one for every 1,369 across the U.S. The official count rose 30.9% from 2019 to 2023, against +24.6% for the U.S.
Which market in Kentucky has the highest market score for bakeries and dessert shops?
Among 9 scored metro areas in or partly in Kentucky, the Louisville/Jefferson County metro area scores highest, at 64 (upper middle). Among 12 scored small-town markets in or partly in Kentucky, the Richmond-Berea area scores highest, at 82 (high). Among 45 scored counties in Kentucky, Oldham County scores highest, at 88 (high). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Kentucky scores 62 for bakeries and dessert shops (upper middle), #13 of the 50 states and DC.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Kentucky. It maps the bakeries and dessert shops on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
Bakeries and dessert shops in other states
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Top markets for bakeries and dessert shops across the U.S. · All business types in Kentucky
Related business types in Kentucky
- Restaurants and cafes16,217 listings
- Sit-down restaurants8,953 listings
- Fast food and sandwich shops2,688 listings
- Pizza1,897 listings
- Coffee shops and cafes1,338 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Kentucky?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.