Clothing and laundry · County · Kentucky
Clothing and shoe stores in Whitley County, KY
The clothing and shoe stores in Whitley County, KY, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 45 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,216 of 2,087 scored counties
#32 of 75 scored counties in Kentucky
- Listings
- 16
- 7 chain locations (44%)
- Official establishments
- 4
- Businesses with payroll, 2023
- Household spending a year
- $20.4M
- On clothing, shoes and related services · $1,510 a household
- Spending per listing
- $1.3M
- In line with the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 11.8
- 27% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 37,297
- +1.6% since 2020
See the clothing and shoe stores around any address in Whitley County
The site report maps the clothing and shoe stores on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of Whitley County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
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
As of September 2026, map listings count 16 clothing and shoe stores in Whitley County. Chain locations make up 44% of them, against 44% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 11.8, 27% below the U.S. rate of 16.2.
Households in Whitley County spend about $20.4M a year on clothing, shoes and related services, or $1,510 per household, 27% below the U.S. average. That works out to $1.3M per store, in line with the U.S. figure of $1.3M. That spending covers all clothing, shoes and related services, which clothing and shoe stores share with other businesses in the trade.
Official counts show 4 businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores in Whitley County in 2023. That is one for every 3,385 households, against one for every 1,273 across the U.S. Official counts also show 19 one-person businesses without payroll.
Population estimates put the population change in Whitley County from 2020 to 2025 at +1.6%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). Whitley County scores 45 (lower middle) on the Groundwork market score for clothing and shoe stores, ranking #1,216 of 2,087 scored counties and #32 of 75 scored counties in Kentucky.
How Whitley County compares
The same measures for Kentucky and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all clothing, shoes and related services by the clothing and shoe stores counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | Whitley County | Kentucky | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 11.8 | 15.0 | 16.2 |
| Spending per listing | $1.3M | $1.2M | $1.3M |
| Households per official establishment | 3,385 | 1,552 | 1,273 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | −15.5% | −12.2% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +1.6% | +2.2% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on clothing, shoes and related services | $1,510 | $1,761 | $2,055 |
| Median household income | $44,615 | $63,726 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 45 | 42 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 4 → 4
- Employees, 2023
- 50
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $788K
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 19Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 167 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 16The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as clothing and shoe stores in Whitley County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3.
Population and households in Whitley County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 37,297+1.6% since 2020
- Households
- 13,541
- Median age
- 35.4
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 67%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 438 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 84
- Median household income
- $44,615+14.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $63,305
- Median home value
- $131,800
- Jobs located here
- 13,221
- Daytime population
- 37,057Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Whitley County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the clothing and shoe stores on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Whitley County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardClothing and shoe stores across Kentucky
Every Kentucky market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Kentucky for clothing and shoe stores, numbered among those based in Kentucky, with Whitley County marked.
Top counties in Kentucky
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Oldham County, KY | 93 | 13 | 5.6 | $4.4M | +4.9% | #11 of 2,087 |
| 2Scott County, KY | 87 | 16 | 7.1 | $2.8M | +8.2% | #58 of 2,087 |
| 3Jessamine County, KY | 85 | 10 | 5.0 | $3.8M | +7.8% | #70 of 2,087 |
| 4Bullitt County, KY | 85 | 18 | 5.7 | $3.4M | +5.0% | #74 of 2,087 |
| 5Anderson County, KY | 79 | 5 | 5.2 | $3.5M | +5.5% | #167 of 2,087 |
| 6Meade County, KY | 75 | 6 | 5.5 | $3.4M | +2.2% | #228 of 2,087 |
| 7Kenton County, KY | 74 | 59 | 8.8 | $2.3M | +3.9% | #259 of 2,087 |
| 8Allen County, KY | 69 | 5 | 6.2 | $2.6M | +9.5% | #396 of 2,087 |
| 9Clark County, KY | 67 | 13 | 8.6 | $2M | +2.3% | #467 of 2,087 |
| 10Mercer County, KY | 66 | 8 | 8.7 | $2M | +4.8% | #491 of 2,087 |
| 32Whitley County, KY | 45 | 16 | 11.8 | $1.3M | +1.6% | #1,216 of 2,087 |
Other business types in Whitley County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
- Clothing, shoes and laundry45
- Clothing and shoe stores45
- Laundromats
- Dry cleaners
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many clothing and shoe stores are in Whitley County, KY?
Whitley County has 16 clothing and shoe stores on map listings as of September 2026. 7 of them (44%) are chain locations. The listings count clothing, shoe and accessory stores and boutiques. Official counts show 4 businesses with payroll classed as clothing and shoe stores in 2023. Another 19 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Whitley County, KY spend on clothing, shoes and related services?
About $20.4M a year, or $1,510 per household. That is 27% below the U.S. average (an index of 73, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 16 clothing and shoe stores on map listings, it comes to $1.3M per store. The spending figure covers all clothing, shoes and related services, not only clothing and shoe stores. It is estimated from the incomes of the 13,541 households in Whitley County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Whitley County, KY compare with the U.S. for clothing and shoe stores?
Whitley County has 11.8 clothing and shoe stores per 10,000 households, 27% below the U.S. rate of 16.2. Spending per store is $1.3M, in line with the U.S. figure of $1.3M. The count on map listings matches the U.S. ratio of clothing and shoe stores to household spending. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 3,385 households, against one for every 1,273 across the U.S.
How fast is Whitley County, KY growing?
Population estimates put Whitley County at 37,297 people in 2025, up 1.6% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 13,541 households. The median household income in Whitley County is $44,615 a year, 45% below the U.S. median of $80,734. That rose 14.4% from the 2015–2019 survey, before inflation.
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. Whitley County scores 45 for clothing and shoe stores (lower middle), #1,216 of 2,087 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Whitley County. It maps the clothing and shoe stores 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.
How the score works · Top markets for clothing and shoe stores · All 56 business types in Whitley County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Whitley County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Whitley County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
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.