Market rankings · Kentucky
Child care centers and preschools in Kentucky
Markets across Kentucky ranked by the Groundwork market score for child care centers and preschools, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 865
- 89 chain locations (10%)
- Official establishments
- 925
- +3.6% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $734.3M
- On child care and other personal services
- Listings per 10k households
- 4.8
- 17% below the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $849K
- 15% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #27 of 51
- Market score 49 · Lower middle
A site report maps the child care centers and preschools 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
Map listings as of September 2026 show 865 child care centers and preschools in Kentucky. 89 of them (10%) are chain locations, against 12% across the U.S. That comes to 4.8 for every 10,000 households, 17% below the U.S. rate of 5.8.
Households in Kentucky spend about $734.3M a year on child care and other personal services, or $405 per household, 30% below the U.S. average. Spread across 865 child care centers and preschools, that is $849K per center, 15% below the U.S. figure of $1M.
Official counts show 925 businesses with payroll classed as child care services in Kentucky in 2023, up 3.6% from 2019. That is one for every 1,962 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 5.7% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 27 SBA-backed loans worth $13.1M have gone to businesses classed as child care services in Kentucky.
Among the 50 states and DC, Kentucky ranks #27 for child care centers and preschools, with a Groundwork market score of 49 (lower middle). Of the 9 scored metro areas in or partly in Kentucky, the Bowling Green metro area scores highest (57). Of the 12 scored small-town markets in or partly in Kentucky, the Frankfort area scores highest (64).
Every market in Kentucky for child care centers and preschools
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Bowling Green, KY | 57 | 32 | 4.4 | $871K | +9.5% | #149 of 387 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 53 | 49 | 3.2 | $1.2M | −2.6% | #174 of 387 |
| 2Lexington-Fayette, KY | 52 | 107 | 4.9 | $939K | +3.4% | #183 of 387 |
| 3Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 46 | 306 | 5.5 | $820K | +2.9% | #228 of 387 |
| 4Elizabethtown, KY | 40 | 24 | 4.7 | $858K | +2.4% | #263 of 387 |
| 5Owensboro, KY | 40 | 26 | 5.7 | $701K | +1.3% | #269 of 387 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 39 | 546 | 6.0 | $787K | +2.7% | #272 of 387 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | 34 | 78 | 6.2 | $626K | +8.5% | #305 of 387 |
| 6Paducah, KY-IL | 29 | 24 | 5.8 | $683K | −1.2% | #336 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Frankfort, KY | 64 | 16 | 4.9 | $800K | +3.1% | #117 of 454 |
| 2Danville, KY | 60 | 7 | 3.2 | $1.1M | +3.6% | #143 of 454 |
| 3Richmond-Berea, KY | 59 | 26 | 5.2 | $707K | +7.0% | #162 of 454 |
| 4Henderson, KY | 57 | 6 | 2.6 | $1.4M | −0.9% | #170 of 454 |
| 5Corbin, KY | 57 | 13 | 2.3 | $1.3M | +0.1% | #171 of 454 |
| 6Pikeville, KY | 56 | 10 | 2.6 | $1.2M | −5.4% | #178 of 454 |
| 7Glasgow, KY | 56 | 11 | 5.0 | $644K | +2.6% | #184 of 454 |
| 8Mayfield, KY | 54 | 5 | 3.5 | $968K | +1.4% | #197 of 454 |
| 9Madisonville, KY | 48 | 8 | 4.3 | $760K | −0.5% | #244 of 454 |
| 10Murray, KY | 44 | 8 | 5.2 | $629K | +4.9% | #282 of 454 |
| 11Campbellsville, KY | 40 | 11 | 7.5 | $445K | +3.4% | #319 of 454 |
| 12Somerset, KY | 38 | 17 | 6.5 | $509K | +3.5% | #330 of 454 |
| Mount Sterling, KY | Not scored | 3 | 1.7 | $2M | +3.1% | |
| Middlesborough, KY | Not scored | 3 | 3.0 | $890K | −4.8% | |
| Franklin, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.2 | $3M | +5.9% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Oldham County, KY | 82 | 10 | 4.3 | $1.7M | +4.9% | #61 of 1,611 |
| 2Shelby County, KY | 78 | 8 | 4.3 | $1.1M | +6.2% | #123 of 1,611 |
| 3Scott County, KY | 74 | 9 | 4.0 | $1.3M | +8.2% | #175 of 1,611 |
| 4Bullitt County, KY | 71 | 12 | 3.8 | $1.2M | +5.0% | #233 of 1,611 |
| 5Jessamine County, KY | 62 | 8 | 4.0 | $1.1M | +7.8% | #482 of 1,611 |
| 6Warren County, KY | 62 | 27 | 4.9 | $827K | +10.6% | #493 of 1,611 |
| 7Pike County, KY | 59 | 5 | 2.1 | $1.5M | −6.4% | #562 of 1,611 |
| 8Nelson County, KY | 58 | 11 | 5.7 | $690K | +4.8% | #617 of 1,611 |
| 9Hardin County, KY | 57 | 19 | 4.3 | $972K | +2.4% | #629 of 1,611 |
| 10Kenton County, KY | 57 | 36 | 5.3 | $940K | +3.9% | #632 of 1,611 |
| 11Franklin County, KY | 57 | 11 | 4.8 | $816K | +2.0% | #639 of 1,611 |
| 12Henderson County, KY | 56 | 5 | 2.7 | $1.3M | −0.9% | #646 of 1,611 |
| 13Madison County, KY | 56 | 20 | 5.4 | $729K | +9.4% | #672 of 1,611 |
| 14Boone County, KY | 55 | 42 | 8.2 | $693K | +6.5% | #699 of 1,611 |
| 15Fayette County, KY | 54 | 73 | 5.2 | $894K | +2.2% | #720 of 1,611 |
| 16Anderson County, KY | 49 | 5 | 5.2 | $766K | +5.5% | #855 of 1,611 |
| 17Barren County, KY | 49 | 9 | 5.0 | $654K | +2.6% | #862 of 1,611 |
| 18Graves County, KY | 47 | 5 | 3.5 | $968K | +1.4% | #891 of 1,611 |
| 19Campbell County, KY | 47 | 27 | 6.9 | $737K | +2.5% | #902 of 1,611 |
| 20Jefferson County, KY | 46 | 195 | 5.9 | $762K | +1.6% | #926 of 1,611 |
| 21Daviess County, KY | 46 | 25 | 6.0 | $670K | +1.5% | #937 of 1,611 |
| 22Clark County, KY | 46 | 9 | 6.0 | $645K | +2.3% | #941 of 1,611 |
| 23Floyd County, KY | 45 | 5 | 3.4 | $877K | −3.9% | #954 of 1,611 |
| 24Boyle County, KY | 43 | 5 | 4.2 | $883K | +2.9% | #1,001 of 1,611 |
| 25Hopkins County, KY | 43 | 8 | 4.3 | $760K | −0.5% | #1,008 of 1,611 |
Show all 120 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Meade County, KY | 40 | 8 | 7.3 | $609K | +2.2% | #1,114 of 1,611 |
| 27Calloway County, KY | 38 | 8 | 5.2 | $629K | +4.9% | #1,152 of 1,611 |
| 28McCracken County, KY | 36 | 17 | 6.2 | $676K | −0.5% | #1,184 of 1,611 |
| 29Grant County, KY | 35 | 7 | 7.6 | $496K | +4.7% | #1,230 of 1,611 |
| 30Pulaski County, KY | 33 | 17 | 6.5 | $509K | +3.5% | #1,280 of 1,611 |
| 31Casey County, KY | 30 | 5 | 7.7 | $389K | +1.8% | #1,345 of 1,611 |
| 32Perry County, KY | 29 | 7 | 6.3 | $499K | −6.4% | #1,360 of 1,611 |
| 33Taylor County, KY | 28 | 10 | 9.7 | $348K | +2.9% | #1,383 of 1,611 |
| 34Adair County, KY | 24 | 5 | 7.0 | $447K | +2.9% | #1,431 of 1,611 |
| 35Christian County, KY | 22 | 16 | 6.2 | $509K | −3.6% | #1,455 of 1,611 |
| 36Russell County, KY | 20 | 8 | 10.6 | $318K | +3.4% | #1,493 of 1,611 |
| 37Larue County, KY | 19 | 5 | 8.3 | $427K | +2.1% | #1,500 of 1,611 |
| Laurel County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 1.7 | $2M | +1.6% | |
| Boyd County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 2.1 | $1.8M | −0.9% | |
| Whitley County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 2.2 | $1.4M | +1.6% | |
| Greenup County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 2.0 | $1.8M | −1.9% | |
| Marshall County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 2.3 | $1.7M | −0.1% | |
| Muhlenberg County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 2.5 | $1.4M | −0.9% | |
| Knox County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 3.4 | $799K | −2.2% | |
| Montgomery County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 1.8 | $1.9M | +2.5% | |
| Logan County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 0.9 | $3.7M | +4.2% | |
| Woodford County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 3.7 | $1.4M | +3.7% | |
| Grayson County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 3.0 | $1.2M | +3.6% | |
| Carter County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 0.9 | $3.6M | −1.7% | |
| Harlan County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 2.8 | $1M | −7.6% | |
| Rowan County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 2.1 | $1.7M | −1.0% | |
| Lincoln County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 2.1 | $1.6M | +4.6% | |
| Ohio County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 3.3 | $975K | +0.8% | |
| Bell County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 3.0 | $890K | −4.8% | |
| Mercer County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 4.4 | $826K | +4.8% | |
| Johnson County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 2.2 | $1.3M | −2.6% | |
| Allen County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.2 | $2.6M | +9.5% | |
| Breckinridge County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.2 | $2.8M | +5.2% | |
| Letcher County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 2.4 | $1.1M | −7.0% | |
| Bourbon County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 4.9 | $822K | −0.3% | |
| Spencer County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 5.5 | $1M | +7.7% | |
| Simpson County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.2 | $3M | +5.9% | |
| Clay County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 2.7 | $980K | −4.1% | |
| Marion County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 3.9 | $868K | +2.7% | |
| Hart County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 4.1 | $763K | +4.3% | |
| Wayne County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 2.5 | $1.1M | +0.3% | |
| Harrison County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 4.1 | $979K | +4.9% | |
| Garrard County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 4.5 | $750K | +7.3% | |
| Mason County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 4.2 | $827K | −1.2% | |
| McCreary County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 6.8 | $381K | +1.7% | |
| Rockcastle County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 6.1 | $506K | +0.6% | |
| Lawrence County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.6 | $2M | −3.3% | |
| Henry County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 4.9 | $742K | +4.8% | |
| Fleming County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 5.1 | $580K | +4.6% | |
| Pendleton County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 5.5 | $666K | +1.1% | |
| Trigg County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 6.6 | $545K | +3.1% | |
| Morgan County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +5.0% | |
| Estill County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 3.3 | $886K | −1.4% | |
| Knott County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 3.6 | $756K | −5.9% | |
| Breathitt County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.8 | $1.5M | −8.3% | |
| Union County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 1.9 | $1.7M | −5.9% | |
| Jackson County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.8% | |
| Powell County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 8.4 | $333K | −2.2% | |
| Lewis County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 4.0 | $773K | −1.4% | |
| Bath County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.1 | $1.7M | +3.6% | |
| Webster County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.0 | $1.6M | −0.7% | |
| Caldwell County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.0 | $1.7M | −0.3% | |
| Todd County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +5.6% | |
| Butler County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.6% | |
| Edmonson County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 7.8 | $375K | +5.0% | |
| Washington County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 4.1 | $877K | +2.7% | |
| Green County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.3 | $1.4M | +4.6% | |
| Magoffin County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.1 | $1.3M | −4.3% | |
| Owen County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.4 | $1.4M | +2.6% | |
| Monroe County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 4.3 | $701K | −1.1% | |
| Martin County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.9% | |
| Carroll County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.4 | $1.5M | +2.9% | |
| Metcalfe County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 4.9 | $601K | +2.9% | |
| Leslie County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −8.0% | |
| Clinton County, KY | Not scored | 6 | 15.6 | $168K | −1.0% | |
| McLean County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.7 | $1.5M | −0.8% | |
| Hancock County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.7 | $1.2M | −0.6% | |
| Crittenden County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 5.6 | $516K | −2.2% | |
| Livingston County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.8 | $1.2M | −0.1% | |
| Lyon County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +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 | 1 | 3.0 | $1.4M | +1.3% | |
| Nicholas County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +5.4% | |
| Ballard County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 6.2 | $611K | −1.5% | |
| Lee County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 3.9 | $652K | −0.9% | |
| Elliott County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 4.1 | $710K | −0.9% | |
| Wolfe County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 7.5 | $292K | −4.0% | |
| Fulton County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 3.9 | $635K | −4.5% | |
| Menifee County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +4.8% | |
| Cumberland County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 7.6 | $361K | +2.3% | |
| Carlisle County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 5.4 | $717K | −1.2% | |
| Hickman County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 11.6 | $325K | −3.4% | |
| Owsley County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 12.8 | $197K | −2.5% | |
| Robertson County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +6.6% |
Markets with fewer than 5 child care centers and preschools on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many child care centers and preschools are in Kentucky?
There are 865 child care centers and preschools on map listings in Kentucky as of September 2026. 89 of them (10%) are chain locations. The listings count day care centers and preschools. Official counts show 925 businesses with payroll classed as child care services in 2023, up 3.6% from 2019. Official counts list 4,762 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Kentucky spend on child care and other personal services?
About $734.3M a year, or $405 per household. That is 30% below the U.S. average (an index of 70, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 865 child care centers and preschools on map listings, it comes to $849K per center. 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 child care centers and preschools?
Kentucky has 4.8 child care centers and preschools per 10,000 households, 17% below the U.S. rate of 5.8. Spending per center is $849K, 15% below the U.S. figure of $1M. At the national ratio of child care centers and preschools to household spending, Kentucky would have about 733, against 865 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,962 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. The official count rose 3.6% from 2019 to 2023, against +5.7% for the U.S.
Which market in Kentucky has the highest market score for child care centers and preschools?
Among 9 scored metro areas in or partly in Kentucky, the Bowling Green metro area scores highest, at 57 (upper middle). Among 12 scored small-town markets in or partly in Kentucky, the Frankfort area scores highest, at 64 (upper middle). Among 37 scored counties in Kentucky, Oldham County scores highest, at 82 (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 49 for child care centers and preschools (lower middle), #27 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 child care centers and preschools 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.
Child care and preschools in other states
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Top markets for child care centers and preschools across the U.S. · All business types in Kentucky
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.