Market rankings · Kentucky
Grocery and convenience stores in Kentucky
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Kentucky, ranked by the Groundwork market score for grocery and convenience stores, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 3,514
- 1,354 chain locations (39%)
- Official establishments
- 1,050
- +11.4% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $10.4B
- On groceries
- Listings per 10k households
- 19.4
- 4% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $3M
- 12% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #42 of 51
- Market score 37 · Lower middle
A site report maps the grocery and convenience stores 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 3,514 grocery and convenience stores on map listings as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 39% of them, against 42% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 19.4, 4% above the U.S. rate of 18.7.
Household spending on groceries in Kentucky comes to about $10.4B a year: $5,746 per household, 9% below the U.S. average. Spread across 3,514 grocery and convenience stores, that is $3M per store, 12% below the U.S. figure of $3.4M.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as grocery and convenience stores in Kentucky was 1,050 in 2023, up 11.4% from 2019. That is one for every 1,728 households, against one for every 1,293 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 7.2% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 14 SBA-backed loans worth $3M have gone to businesses classed as grocery and convenience stores in Kentucky.
Among the 50 states and DC, Kentucky ranks #42 for grocery and convenience stores, with a Groundwork market score of 37 (lower middle). Of the 9 scored metro areas in or partly in Kentucky, the Cincinnati metro area scores highest (67). Of the 15 scored small-town markets in or partly in Kentucky, the Frankfort area scores highest (88).
Every market in Kentucky for grocery and convenience stores
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 67 | 1,323 | 14.6 | $4.3M | +2.7% | #72 of 387 |
| 1Lexington-Fayette, KY | 66 | 335 | 15.5 | $3.9M | +3.4% | #85 of 387 |
| 2Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 65 | 891 | 16.0 | $3.8M | +2.9% | #93 of 387 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | 55 | 231 | 18.5 | $3.1M | +8.5% | #171 of 387 |
| 3Elizabethtown, KY | 50 | 97 | 19.2 | $3M | +2.4% | #200 of 387 |
| 4Bowling Green, KY | 47 | 165 | 22.5 | $2.5M | +9.5% | #224 of 387 |
| 5Owensboro, KY | 46 | 84 | 18.6 | $3.1M | +1.3% | #227 of 387 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 34 | 272 | 17.9 | $3.1M | −2.6% | #302 of 387 |
| 6Paducah, KY-IL | 32 | 82 | 19.6 | $2.9M | −1.2% | #313 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Frankfort, KY | 88 | 39 | 12.0 | $4.9M | +3.1% | #3 of 538 |
| 2Richmond-Berea, KY | 84 | 69 | 13.9 | $4M | +7.0% | #11 of 538 |
| 3Franklin, KY | 69 | 13 | 16.2 | $3.5M | +5.9% | #88 of 538 |
| 4Murray, KY | 67 | 25 | 16.4 | $3.3M | +4.9% | #108 of 538 |
| 5Danville, KY | 64 | 40 | 18.4 | $3M | +3.6% | #132 of 538 |
| 6Campbellsville, KY | 62 | 30 | 20.4 | $2.7M | +3.4% | #162 of 538 |
| 7Mayfield, KY | 49 | 30 | 21.2 | $2.5M | +1.4% | #290 of 538 |
| 8Glasgow, KY | 48 | 54 | 24.4 | $2.2M | +2.6% | #306 of 538 |
| 9Henderson, KY | 46 | 51 | 21.8 | $2.6M | −0.9% | #319 of 538 |
| 10Madisonville, KY | 44 | 43 | 23.4 | $2.3M | −0.5% | #339 of 538 |
| 11Somerset, KY | 44 | 61 | 23.3 | $2.3M | +3.5% | #341 of 538 |
| 12Mount Sterling, KY | 40 | 49 | 27.0 | $2M | +3.1% | #385 of 538 |
| 13Corbin, KY | 18 | 164 | 29.0 | $1.8M | +0.1% | #503 of 538 |
| 14Pikeville, KY | 16 | 95 | 24.4 | $2.1M | −5.4% | #509 of 538 |
| 15Middlesborough, KY | 7 | 30 | 30.2 | $1.6M | −4.8% | #535 of 538 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Oldham County, KY | 94 | 25 | 10.9 | $6.5M | +4.9% | #15 of 2,402 |
| 2Scott County, KY | 87 | 36 | 15.9 | $4M | +8.2% | #83 of 2,402 |
| 3Bullitt County, KY | 86 | 44 | 13.9 | $4.4M | +5.0% | #91 of 2,402 |
| 4Spencer County, KY | 85 | 13 | 17.8 | $3.7M | +7.7% | #104 of 2,402 |
| 5Meade County, KY | 84 | 10 | 9.1 | $6.7M | +2.2% | #106 of 2,402 |
| 6Madison County, KY | 84 | 42 | 11.3 | $5.1M | +9.4% | #111 of 2,402 |
| 7Boone County, KY | 84 | 88 | 17.3 | $3.8M | +6.5% | #117 of 2,402 |
| 8Anderson County, KY | 83 | 14 | 14.5 | $4.1M | +5.5% | #134 of 2,402 |
| 9Jessamine County, KY | 83 | 32 | 16.1 | $3.8M | +7.8% | #137 of 2,402 |
| 10Kenton County, KY | 79 | 85 | 12.6 | $4.9M | +3.9% | #196 of 2,402 |
| 11Franklin County, KY | 78 | 25 | 11.0 | $5.3M | +2.0% | #216 of 2,402 |
| 12Campbell County, KY | 76 | 45 | 11.5 | $5.4M | +2.5% | #258 of 2,402 |
| 13Shelby County, KY | 76 | 33 | 17.9 | $3.5M | +6.2% | #278 of 2,402 |
| 14Woodford County, KY | 73 | 21 | 19.4 | $3.2M | +3.7% | #371 of 2,402 |
| 15Mercer County, KY | 69 | 14 | 15.2 | $3.7M | +4.8% | #466 of 2,402 |
| 16Hardin County, KY | 68 | 81 | 18.2 | $3.2M | +2.4% | #510 of 2,402 |
| 17Pendleton County, KY | 67 | 6 | 11.0 | $5.1M | +1.1% | #516 of 2,402 |
| 18Fayette County, KY | 67 | 206 | 14.7 | $4.1M | +2.2% | #520 of 2,402 |
| 19Warren County, KY | 66 | 118 | 21.2 | $2.7M | +10.6% | #574 of 2,402 |
| 20Nelson County, KY | 65 | 46 | 24.0 | $2.4M | +4.8% | #613 of 2,402 |
| 21Daviess County, KY | 64 | 73 | 17.5 | $3.3M | +1.5% | #638 of 2,402 |
| 22Jefferson County, KY | 63 | 537 | 16.2 | $3.7M | +1.6% | #659 of 2,402 |
| 23Marshall County, KY | 63 | 23 | 17.4 | $3.3M | −0.1% | #669 of 2,402 |
| 24Bourbon County, KY | 62 | 10 | 12.3 | $4.6M | −0.3% | #693 of 2,402 |
| 25Simpson County, KY | 62 | 13 | 16.2 | $3.5M | +5.9% | #709 of 2,402 |
Show all 120 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Grant County, KY | 62 | 20 | 21.7 | $2.7M | +4.7% | #737 of 2,402 |
| 27Clark County, KY | 60 | 30 | 19.9 | $2.9M | +2.3% | #806 of 2,402 |
| 28Boyle County, KY | 58 | 23 | 19.1 | $2.9M | +2.9% | #872 of 2,402 |
| 29Calloway County, KY | 57 | 25 | 16.4 | $3.3M | +4.9% | #898 of 2,402 |
| 30Lincoln County, KY | 57 | 17 | 17.5 | $3.1M | +4.6% | #904 of 2,402 |
| 31McCracken County, KY | 56 | 49 | 17.8 | $3.3M | −0.5% | #931 of 2,402 |
| 32Garrard County, KY | 55 | 14 | 20.9 | $2.7M | +7.3% | #990 of 2,402 |
| 33Rowan County, KY | 54 | 17 | 17.7 | $3.1M | −1.0% | #1,024 of 2,402 |
| 34Owen County, KY | 52 | 6 | 14.1 | $3.9M | +2.6% | #1,100 of 2,402 |
| 35Taylor County, KY | 52 | 22 | 21.4 | $2.6M | +2.9% | #1,133 of 2,402 |
| 36Harrison County, KY | 52 | 19 | 26.1 | $2.2M | +4.9% | #1,143 of 2,402 |
| 37Allen County, KY | 52 | 21 | 26.1 | $2.1M | +9.5% | #1,145 of 2,402 |
| 38Muhlenberg County, KY | 49 | 20 | 16.5 | $3.3M | −0.9% | #1,234 of 2,402 |
| 39Green County, KY | 49 | 8 | 18.1 | $2.9M | +4.6% | #1,243 of 2,402 |
| 40Rockcastle County, KY | 49 | 12 | 18.4 | $2.9M | +0.6% | #1,244 of 2,402 |
| 41Caldwell County, KY | 48 | 9 | 17.9 | $3.1M | −0.3% | #1,282 of 2,402 |
| 42Trigg County, KY | 47 | 11 | 18.2 | $3.1M | +3.1% | #1,313 of 2,402 |
| 43Marion County, KY | 47 | 18 | 23.3 | $2.3M | +2.7% | #1,334 of 2,402 |
| 44Breckinridge County, KY | 47 | 22 | 27.3 | $2M | +5.2% | #1,341 of 2,402 |
| 45Greenup County, KY | 45 | 30 | 20.4 | $2.8M | −1.9% | #1,388 of 2,402 |
| 46Henderson County, KY | 45 | 39 | 21.1 | $2.6M | −0.9% | #1,391 of 2,402 |
| 47Graves County, KY | 44 | 30 | 21.2 | $2.5M | +1.4% | #1,435 of 2,402 |
| 48Logan County, KY | 44 | 24 | 21.8 | $2.5M | +4.2% | #1,437 of 2,402 |
| 49Edmonson County, KY | 44 | 11 | 21.6 | $2.5M | +5.0% | #1,438 of 2,402 |
| 50Grayson County, KY | 42 | 29 | 28.6 | $1.9M | +3.6% | #1,537 of 2,402 |
| 51Hopkins County, KY | 41 | 43 | 23.4 | $2.3M | −0.5% | #1,557 of 2,402 |
| 52Larue County, KY | 41 | 16 | 26.7 | $2.1M | +2.1% | #1,561 of 2,402 |
| 53Pulaski County, KY | 40 | 61 | 23.3 | $2.3M | +3.5% | #1,597 of 2,402 |
| 54Barren County, KY | 40 | 45 | 25.0 | $2.2M | +2.6% | #1,604 of 2,402 |
| 55Jackson County, KY | 39 | 12 | 23.4 | $2.2M | +2.8% | #1,643 of 2,402 |
| 56Johnson County, KY | 38 | 19 | 21.0 | $2.4M | −2.6% | #1,665 of 2,402 |
| 57Metcalfe County, KY | 38 | 9 | 22.0 | $2.4M | +2.9% | #1,667 of 2,402 |
| 58Boyd County, KY | 38 | 45 | 23.3 | $2.4M | −0.9% | #1,668 of 2,402 |
| 59Todd County, KY | 38 | 13 | 28.5 | $2M | +5.6% | #1,679 of 2,402 |
| 60Wayne County, KY | 37 | 14 | 17.3 | $2.9M | +0.3% | #1,698 of 2,402 |
| 61Henry County, KY | 37 | 19 | 30.9 | $1.8M | +4.8% | #1,726 of 2,402 |
| 62Christian County, KY | 36 | 58 | 22.5 | $2.4M | −3.6% | #1,740 of 2,402 |
| 63Mason County, KY | 35 | 15 | 21.0 | $2.6M | −1.2% | #1,779 of 2,402 |
| 64Webster County, KY | 35 | 12 | 24.4 | $2.2M | −0.7% | #1,789 of 2,402 |
| 65Bath County, KY | 35 | 13 | 27.7 | $2M | +3.6% | #1,795 of 2,402 |
| 66Carroll County, KY | 33 | 11 | 26.3 | $2.1M | +2.9% | #1,864 of 2,402 |
| 67Montgomery County, KY | 33 | 29 | 26.4 | $2.1M | +2.5% | #1,865 of 2,402 |
| 68Hart County, KY | 33 | 20 | 27.1 | $2M | +4.3% | #1,867 of 2,402 |
| 69Carter County, KY | 31 | 23 | 21.3 | $2.5M | −1.7% | #1,918 of 2,402 |
| 70Adair County, KY | 30 | 19 | 26.6 | $2M | +2.9% | #1,954 of 2,402 |
| 71Ohio County, KY | 30 | 28 | 30.7 | $1.8M | +0.8% | #1,959 of 2,402 |
| 72Laurel County, KY | 29 | 65 | 27.1 | $2M | +1.6% | #1,978 of 2,402 |
| 73Washington County, KY | 29 | 16 | 33.0 | $1.7M | +2.7% | #1,989 of 2,402 |
| 74Butler County, KY | 29 | 15 | 32.8 | $1.6M | +1.6% | #1,990 of 2,402 |
| 75Lawrence County, KY | 27 | 13 | 20.5 | $2.6M | −3.3% | #2,035 of 2,402 |
| 76Morgan County, KY | 27 | 14 | 28.7 | $1.8M | +5.0% | #2,041 of 2,402 |
| 77Fleming County, KY | 26 | 19 | 32.4 | $1.6M | +4.6% | #2,086 of 2,402 |
| 78Russell County, KY | 26 | 26 | 34.4 | $1.5M | +3.4% | #2,092 of 2,402 |
| 79Lewis County, KY | 25 | 15 | 29.9 | $1.8M | −1.4% | #2,108 of 2,402 |
| 80McCreary County, KY | 23 | 15 | 25.6 | $1.8M | +1.7% | #2,152 of 2,402 |
| 81Knott County, KY | 22 | 10 | 18.1 | $2.8M | −5.9% | #2,161 of 2,402 |
| 82Pike County, KY | 22 | 54 | 22.2 | $2.3M | −6.4% | #2,165 of 2,402 |
| 83Estill County, KY | 19 | 15 | 25.1 | $2.1M | −1.4% | #2,228 of 2,402 |
| 84Powell County, KY | 19 | 17 | 35.5 | $1.4M | −2.2% | #2,237 of 2,402 |
| 85Perry County, KY | 18 | 28 | 25.3 | $2.1M | −6.4% | #2,242 of 2,402 |
| 86Monroe County, KY | 18 | 14 | 30.1 | $1.7M | −1.1% | #2,246 of 2,402 |
| 87Whitley County, KY | 15 | 44 | 32.5 | $1.6M | +1.6% | #2,301 of 2,402 |
| 88Magoffin County, KY | 14 | 11 | 23.2 | $2.1M | −4.3% | #2,303 of 2,402 |
| 89Clay County, KY | 13 | 21 | 28.8 | $1.7M | −4.1% | #2,321 of 2,402 |
| 90Casey County, KY | 13 | 30 | 46.3 | $1.1M | +1.8% | #2,328 of 2,402 |
| 91Harlan County, KY | 11 | 26 | 24.2 | $2.1M | −7.6% | #2,343 of 2,402 |
| 92Union County, KY | 11 | 16 | 30.8 | $1.8M | −5.9% | #2,347 of 2,402 |
| 93Knox County, KY | 11 | 34 | 29.0 | $1.7M | −2.2% | #2,349 of 2,402 |
| 94Letcher County, KY | 11 | 26 | 30.7 | $1.6M | −7.0% | #2,350 of 2,402 |
| 95Floyd County, KY | 10 | 41 | 27.9 | $1.8M | −3.9% | #2,358 of 2,402 |
| 96Martin County, KY | 9 | 12 | 31.1 | $1.6M | −4.9% | #2,365 of 2,402 |
| 97Bell County, KY | 8 | 30 | 30.2 | $1.6M | −4.8% | #2,373 of 2,402 |
| 98Leslie County, KY | 4 | 15 | 35.5 | $1.4M | −8.0% | #2,392 of 2,402 |
| 99Breathitt County, KY | 1 | 24 | 43.9 | $1.1M | −8.3% | #2,402 of 2,402 |
| Clinton County, KY | Not scored | 11 | 28.5 | $1.8M | −1.0% | |
| McLean County, KY | Not scored | 11 | 30.2 | $1.9M | −0.8% | |
| Hancock County, KY | Not scored | 7 | 19.2 | $2.9M | −0.6% | |
| Crittenden County, KY | Not scored | 10 | 28.2 | $1.9M | −2.2% | |
| Livingston County, KY | Not scored | 10 | 27.8 | $2M | −0.1% | |
| Lyon County, KY | Not scored | 6 | 17.5 | $3.3M | +5.2% | |
| Gallatin County, KY | Not scored | 12 | 36.8 | $1.6M | +1.9% | |
| Trimble County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 8.9 | $6.5M | +2.8% | |
| Bracken County, KY | Not scored | 11 | 32.7 | $1.8M | +1.3% | |
| Nicholas County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 14.4 | $3.7M | +5.4% | |
| Ballard County, KY | Not scored | 9 | 28.0 | $2.1M | −1.5% | |
| Lee County, KY | Not scored | 7 | 27.0 | $1.8M | −0.9% | |
| Elliott County, KY | Not scored | 9 | 36.9 | $1.4M | −0.9% | |
| Wolfe County, KY | Not scored | 11 | 41.2 | $1.1M | −4.0% | |
| Fulton County, KY | Not scored | 11 | 43.1 | $1.1M | −4.5% | |
| Menifee County, KY | Not scored | 7 | 28.2 | $1.8M | +4.8% | |
| Cumberland County, KY | Not scored | 9 | 34.2 | $1.5M | +2.3% | |
| Carlisle County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 10.7 | $5.3M | −1.2% | |
| Hickman County, KY | Not scored | 5 | 28.9 | $1.9M | −3.4% | |
| Owsley County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 6.4 | $7M | −2.5% | |
| Robertson County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 24.7 | $2.2M | +6.6% |
Markets with fewer than 5 grocery and convenience stores on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many grocery and convenience stores are in Kentucky?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 3,514 grocery and convenience stores in Kentucky. 1,354 of them (39%) are chain locations. The listings count grocery, convenience and specialty food stores. Official counts show 1,050 businesses with payroll classed as grocery and convenience stores in 2023, up 11.4% from 2019. Official counts list 880 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Kentucky spend on groceries?
About $10.4B a year, or $5,746 per household. That is 9% below the U.S. average (an index of 91, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 3,514 grocery and convenience stores on map listings, it comes to $3M per store. 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 grocery and convenience stores?
Kentucky has 19.4 grocery and convenience stores per 10,000 households, 4% above the U.S. rate of 18.7. Spending per store is $3M, 12% below the U.S. figure of $3.4M. At the U.S. ratio of grocery and convenience stores to household spending, Kentucky would have about 3,077, against 3,514 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,728 households, against one for every 1,293 across the U.S. The official count rose 11.4% from 2019 to 2023, against +7.2% for the U.S.
Which market in Kentucky has the highest market score for grocery and convenience stores?
Among 9 scored metro areas in or partly in Kentucky, the Cincinnati metro area scores highest, at 67 (upper middle). Among 15 scored small-town markets in or partly in Kentucky, the Frankfort area scores highest, at 88 (high). Among 99 scored counties in Kentucky, Oldham County scores highest, at 94 (very 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 37 for grocery and convenience stores (lower middle), #42 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 grocery and convenience 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.
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Top markets for grocery and convenience stores across the U.S. · All business types in Kentucky
Related business types in Kentucky
- Grocery stores1,381 listings
- Convenience stores1,539 listings
Screening a site or an acquisition in Kentucky?
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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.