Market rankings · Kentucky
Grocery stores in Kentucky
Every metro area, small-town market and county in Kentucky, ranked by the Groundwork market score for grocery stores, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 1,381
- 505 chain locations (37%)
- Official establishments
- 721
- +0.7% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $10.4B
- On groceries
- Listings per 10k households
- 7.6
- 12% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $7.5M
- 19% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #44 of 51
- Market score 31 · Lower middle
A site report maps the grocery 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 1,381 grocery stores on map listings as of September 2026. Of those, 505 are chain locations, or 37%, against 37% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 7.6, 12% above the U.S. rate of 6.8.
At $5,746 per household (9% below the U.S. average), households in Kentucky spend about $10.4B a year on groceries. That is about $7.5M of household spending for each store on map listings, 19% below the U.S. figure of $9.3M. The spending figure covers all groceries, not only grocery stores.
In 2023, official counts showed 721 businesses with payroll in Kentucky classed as supermarkets and grocery stores, up 0.7% from 2019. That is one for every 2,517 households, against one for every 2,053 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count held level over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 6 SBA-backed loans worth $1.8M have gone to businesses classed as supermarkets and grocery stores in Kentucky.
Among the 50 states and DC, Kentucky ranks #44 for grocery stores, with a Groundwork market score of 31 (lower middle). Of the 9 scored metro areas in or partly in Kentucky, the Cincinnati metro area scores highest (63). Of the 14 scored small-town markets in or partly in Kentucky, the Frankfort area scores highest (87).
Every market in Kentucky for grocery 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 | 63 | 516 | 5.7 | $10.9M | +2.7% | #95 of 387 |
| 1Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 56 | 340 | 6.1 | $9.9M | +2.9% | #154 of 387 |
| Clarksville, TN-KY | 55 | 78 | 6.2 | $9.3M | +8.5% | #170 of 387 |
| 2Lexington-Fayette, KY | 47 | 141 | 6.5 | $9.2M | +3.4% | #219 of 387 |
| 3Elizabethtown, KY | 42 | 36 | 7.1 | $8.2M | +2.4% | #251 of 387 |
| 4Owensboro, KY | 39 | 29 | 6.4 | $9M | +1.3% | #266 of 387 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 37 | 88 | 5.8 | $9.7M | −2.6% | #276 of 387 |
| 5Paducah, KY-IL | 35 | 24 | 5.8 | $10M | −1.2% | #294 of 387 |
| 6Bowling Green, KY | 35 | 74 | 10.1 | $5.6M | +9.5% | #298 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Frankfort, KY | 87 | 8 | 2.5 | $23.7M | +3.1% | #8 of 506 |
| 2Richmond-Berea, KY | 85 | 15 | 3.0 | $18.6M | +7.0% | #14 of 506 |
| 3Campbellsville, KY | 72 | 7 | 4.8 | $11.4M | +3.4% | #59 of 506 |
| 4Danville, KY | 69 | 11 | 5.1 | $10.9M | +3.6% | #77 of 506 |
| 5Murray, KY | 63 | 8 | 5.2 | $10.3M | +4.9% | #123 of 506 |
| 6Madisonville, KY | 47 | 14 | 7.6 | $7.2M | −0.5% | #297 of 506 |
| 7Mayfield, KY | 45 | 11 | 7.8 | $6.9M | +1.4% | #316 of 506 |
| 8Somerset, KY | 40 | 28 | 10.7 | $5M | +3.5% | #359 of 506 |
| 9Mount Sterling, KY | 39 | 17 | 9.4 | $5.8M | +3.1% | #364 of 506 |
| 10Glasgow, KY | 34 | 24 | 10.9 | $4.9M | +2.6% | #405 of 506 |
| 11Henderson, KY | 32 | 22 | 9.4 | $5.9M | −0.9% | #414 of 506 |
| 12Corbin, KY | 23 | 64 | 11.3 | $4.6M | +0.1% | #459 of 506 |
| 13Pikeville, KY | 6 | 41 | 10.5 | $4.9M | −5.4% | #501 of 506 |
| 14Middlesborough, KY | 3 | 15 | 15.1 | $3.2M | −4.8% | #504 of 506 |
| Franklin, KY | Not scored | 4 | 5.0 | $11.2M | +5.9% |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Oldham County, KY | 94 | 7 | 3.0 | $23.3M | +4.9% | #20 of 2,070 |
| 2Scott County, KY | 92 | 6 | 2.6 | $23.8M | +8.2% | #32 of 2,070 |
| 3Madison County, KY | 86 | 5 | 1.3 | $42.6M | +9.4% | #89 of 2,070 |
| 4Jessamine County, KY | 80 | 11 | 5.5 | $10.9M | +7.8% | #202 of 2,070 |
| 5Campbell County, KY | 79 | 11 | 2.8 | $22M | +2.5% | #206 of 2,070 |
| 6Shelby County, KY | 78 | 10 | 5.4 | $11.4M | +6.2% | #235 of 2,070 |
| 7Bullitt County, KY | 77 | 20 | 6.3 | $9.8M | +5.0% | #260 of 2,070 |
| 8Woodford County, KY | 76 | 5 | 4.6 | $13.5M | +3.7% | #266 of 2,070 |
| 9Kenton County, KY | 74 | 41 | 6.1 | $10.2M | +3.9% | #330 of 2,070 |
| 10Nelson County, KY | 71 | 12 | 6.3 | $9.3M | +4.8% | #394 of 2,070 |
| 11Boone County, KY | 70 | 43 | 8.4 | $7.8M | +6.5% | #424 of 2,070 |
| 12Taylor County, KY | 65 | 5 | 4.9 | $11.3M | +2.9% | #537 of 2,070 |
| 13Boyle County, KY | 64 | 6 | 5.0 | $11.2M | +2.9% | #566 of 2,070 |
| 14Spencer County, KY | 63 | 7 | 9.6 | $6.8M | +7.7% | #606 of 2,070 |
| 15Lincoln County, KY | 62 | 5 | 5.2 | $10.4M | +4.6% | #620 of 2,070 |
| 16Boyd County, KY | 60 | 10 | 5.2 | $10.7M | −0.9% | #675 of 2,070 |
| 17Hardin County, KY | 60 | 29 | 6.5 | $9M | +2.4% | #685 of 2,070 |
| 18McCracken County, KY | 59 | 15 | 5.4 | $10.6M | −0.5% | #709 of 2,070 |
| 19Marshall County, KY | 57 | 7 | 5.3 | $10.9M | −0.1% | #765 of 2,070 |
| 20Calloway County, KY | 57 | 8 | 5.2 | $10.3M | +4.9% | #771 of 2,070 |
| 21Daviess County, KY | 56 | 26 | 6.2 | $9.3M | +1.5% | #810 of 2,070 |
| 22Jefferson County, KY | 53 | 223 | 6.7 | $8.8M | +1.6% | #911 of 2,070 |
| 23Warren County, KY | 52 | 53 | 9.5 | $6M | +10.6% | #955 of 2,070 |
| 24Greenup County, KY | 51 | 7 | 4.7 | $11.8M | −1.9% | #960 of 2,070 |
| 25Garrard County, KY | 50 | 5 | 7.5 | $7.5M | +7.3% | #1,030 of 2,070 |
Show all 120 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Fayette County, KY | 49 | 101 | 7.2 | $8.3M | +2.2% | #1,050 of 2,070 |
| 27Logan County, KY | 48 | 7 | 6.4 | $8.7M | +4.2% | #1,086 of 2,070 |
| 28Rowan County, KY | 46 | 6 | 6.3 | $8.6M | −1.0% | #1,142 of 2,070 |
| 29Muhlenberg County, KY | 45 | 8 | 6.6 | $8.3M | −0.9% | #1,175 of 2,070 |
| 30Hopkins County, KY | 44 | 14 | 7.6 | $7.2M | −0.5% | #1,230 of 2,070 |
| 31Laurel County, KY | 43 | 23 | 9.6 | $5.7M | +1.6% | #1,275 of 2,070 |
| 32Breckinridge County, KY | 43 | 8 | 9.9 | $5.5M | +5.2% | #1,277 of 2,070 |
| 33Graves County, KY | 42 | 11 | 7.8 | $6.9M | +1.4% | #1,299 of 2,070 |
| 34Allen County, KY | 40 | 8 | 10.0 | $5.6M | +9.5% | #1,372 of 2,070 |
| 35Clark County, KY | 39 | 14 | 9.3 | $6.2M | +2.3% | #1,404 of 2,070 |
| 36Pulaski County, KY | 39 | 28 | 10.7 | $5M | +3.5% | #1,409 of 2,070 |
| 37Harrison County, KY | 39 | 10 | 13.7 | $4.2M | +4.9% | #1,412 of 2,070 |
| 38Montgomery County, KY | 38 | 8 | 7.3 | $7.6M | +2.5% | #1,420 of 2,070 |
| 39Henderson County, KY | 38 | 15 | 8.1 | $6.9M | −0.9% | #1,428 of 2,070 |
| 40Marion County, KY | 37 | 8 | 10.4 | $5.3M | +2.7% | #1,468 of 2,070 |
| 41Henry County, KY | 35 | 7 | 11.4 | $4.9M | +4.8% | #1,520 of 2,070 |
| 42Grayson County, KY | 34 | 13 | 12.8 | $4.2M | +3.6% | #1,554 of 2,070 |
| 43Bath County, KY | 32 | 5 | 10.6 | $5.2M | +3.6% | #1,602 of 2,070 |
| 44Russell County, KY | 31 | 7 | 9.3 | $5.7M | +3.4% | #1,622 of 2,070 |
| 45Fleming County, KY | 30 | 5 | 8.5 | $6.2M | +4.6% | #1,643 of 2,070 |
| 46Larue County, KY | 30 | 7 | 11.7 | $4.8M | +2.1% | #1,653 of 2,070 |
| 47Christian County, KY | 29 | 22 | 8.6 | $6.3M | −3.6% | #1,670 of 2,070 |
| 48Edmonson County, KY | 29 | 6 | 11.8 | $4.5M | +5.0% | #1,685 of 2,070 |
| 49Washington County, KY | 28 | 6 | 12.4 | $4.5M | +2.7% | #1,708 of 2,070 |
| 50Barren County, KY | 27 | 22 | 12.2 | $4.4M | +2.6% | #1,736 of 2,070 |
| 51Hart County, KY | 25 | 12 | 16.3 | $3.3M | +4.3% | #1,786 of 2,070 |
| 52Morgan County, KY | 24 | 6 | 12.3 | $4.3M | +5.0% | #1,805 of 2,070 |
| 53Adair County, KY | 24 | 9 | 12.6 | $4.2M | +2.9% | #1,807 of 2,070 |
| 54Johnson County, KY | 23 | 12 | 13.3 | $3.9M | −2.6% | #1,830 of 2,070 |
| 55Whitley County, KY | 22 | 14 | 10.3 | $5M | +1.6% | #1,843 of 2,070 |
| 56McCreary County, KY | 21 | 5 | 8.5 | $5.5M | +1.7% | #1,863 of 2,070 |
| 57Ohio County, KY | 21 | 11 | 12.1 | $4.6M | +0.8% | #1,873 of 2,070 |
| 58Jackson County, KY | 19 | 7 | 13.7 | $3.7M | +2.8% | #1,905 of 2,070 |
| 59Butler County, KY | 19 | 7 | 15.3 | $3.5M | +1.6% | #1,907 of 2,070 |
| 60Webster County, KY | 16 | 7 | 14.2 | $3.8M | −0.7% | #1,945 of 2,070 |
| 61Mason County, KY | 15 | 8 | 11.2 | $4.8M | −1.2% | #1,957 of 2,070 |
| 62Estill County, KY | 14 | 6 | 10.0 | $5.2M | −1.4% | #1,969 of 2,070 |
| 63Casey County, KY | 13 | 12 | 18.5 | $2.8M | +1.8% | #1,984 of 2,070 |
| 64Union County, KY | 12 | 5 | 9.6 | $5.7M | −5.9% | #1,986 of 2,070 |
| 65Powell County, KY | 12 | 5 | 10.4 | $4.9M | −2.2% | #1,988 of 2,070 |
| 66Knox County, KY | 12 | 16 | 13.7 | $3.5M | −2.2% | #1,995 of 2,070 |
| 67Lewis County, KY | 11 | 8 | 15.9 | $3.3M | −1.4% | #2,009 of 2,070 |
| 68Pike County, KY | 10 | 24 | 9.9 | $5.2M | −6.4% | #2,015 of 2,070 |
| 69Clay County, KY | 9 | 11 | 15.1 | $3.3M | −4.1% | #2,031 of 2,070 |
| 70Monroe County, KY | 8 | 8 | 17.2 | $3.1M | −1.1% | #2,038 of 2,070 |
| 71Harlan County, KY | 7 | 12 | 11.2 | $4.5M | −7.6% | #2,041 of 2,070 |
| 72Perry County, KY | 7 | 14 | 12.6 | $4.1M | −6.4% | #2,043 of 2,070 |
| 73Floyd County, KY | 6 | 17 | 11.6 | $4.4M | −3.9% | #2,048 of 2,070 |
| 74Bell County, KY | 5 | 15 | 15.1 | $3.2M | −4.8% | #2,053 of 2,070 |
| 75Leslie County, KY | 4 | 5 | 11.8 | $4.2M | −8.0% | #2,055 of 2,070 |
| 76Letcher County, KY | 4 | 14 | 16.5 | $3M | −7.0% | #2,058 of 2,070 |
| 77Martin County, KY | 2 | 7 | 18.2 | $2.8M | −4.9% | #2,068 of 2,070 |
| 78Breathitt County, KY | 0 | 12 | 22.0 | $2.2M | −8.3% | #2,070 of 2,070 |
| Franklin County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 1.8 | $33M | +2.0% | |
| Meade County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 1.8 | $33.3M | +2.2% | |
| Carter County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 3.7 | $14.5M | −1.7% | |
| Grant County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 4.3 | $13.3M | +4.7% | |
| Anderson County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 4.1 | $14.4M | +5.5% | |
| Mercer County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 3.3 | $17.5M | +4.8% | |
| Bourbon County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 4.9 | $11.6M | −0.3% | |
| Simpson County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 5.0 | $11.2M | +5.9% | |
| Wayne County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 5.0 | $10.2M | +0.3% | |
| Rockcastle County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 6.1 | $8.6M | +0.6% | |
| Lawrence County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 4.7 | $11.1M | −3.3% | |
| Pendleton County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 5.5 | $10.2M | +1.1% | |
| Trigg County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 6.6 | $8.4M | +3.1% | |
| Knott County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 7.2 | $7.1M | −5.9% | |
| Caldwell County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 8.0 | $6.9M | −0.3% | |
| Todd County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 8.8 | $6.5M | +5.6% | |
| Green County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 4.5 | $11.7M | +4.6% | |
| Magoffin County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 4.2 | $11.4M | −4.3% | |
| Owen County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 7.1 | $7.9M | +2.6% | |
| Carroll County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 9.6 | $5.8M | +2.9% | |
| Metcalfe County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 4.9 | $10.8M | +2.9% | |
| Clinton County, KY | Not scored | 7 | 18.2 | $2.8M | −1.0% | |
| McLean County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 8.2 | $7M | −0.8% | |
| Hancock County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 5.5 | $10.2M | −0.6% | |
| Crittenden County, KY | Not scored | 5 | 14.1 | $3.8M | −2.2% | |
| Livingston County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 11.1 | $5M | −0.1% | |
| Lyon County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 8.8 | $6.6M | +5.2% | |
| Gallatin County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 12.3 | $4.7M | +1.9% | |
| Trimble County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +2.8% | |
| Bracken County, KY | Not scored | 7 | 20.8 | $2.8M | +1.3% | |
| Nicholas County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 10.8 | $5M | +5.4% | |
| Ballard County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 9.3 | $6.2M | −1.5% | |
| Lee County, KY | Not scored | 5 | 19.3 | $2.5M | −0.9% | |
| Elliott County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 16.4 | $3.1M | −0.9% | |
| Wolfe County, KY | Not scored | 5 | 18.7 | $2.5M | −4.0% | |
| Fulton County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 15.7 | $3.1M | −4.5% | |
| Menifee County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 16.1 | $3.2M | +4.8% | |
| Cumberland County, KY | Not scored | 5 | 19.0 | $2.6M | +2.3% | |
| Carlisle County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −1.2% | |
| Hickman County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 23.1 | $2.4M | −3.4% | |
| Owsley County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 6.4 | $7M | −2.5% | |
| Robertson County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 12.3 | $4.4M | +6.6% |
Markets with fewer than 5 grocery stores on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many grocery stores are in Kentucky?
Map listings as of September 2026 show 1,381 grocery stores in Kentucky. 505 of them (37%) are chain locations. The listings count grocery stores and supermarkets. Official counts show 721 businesses with payroll classed as supermarkets and grocery stores in 2023, up 0.7% from 2019.
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 1,381 grocery stores on map listings, it comes to $7.5M per store. That spending covers all groceries, which grocery stores 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 grocery stores?
Kentucky has 7.6 grocery stores per 10,000 households, 12% above the U.S. rate of 6.8. Spending per store is $7.5M, 19% below the U.S. figure of $9.3M. At the U.S. ratio of grocery stores to household spending, Kentucky would have about 1,122, against 1,381 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 2,517 households, against one for every 2,053 across the U.S. The official count rose 0.7% from 2019 to 2023, against 0.0% for the U.S.
Which market in Kentucky has the highest market score for grocery stores?
Among 9 scored metro areas in or partly in Kentucky, the Cincinnati metro area scores highest, at 63 (upper middle). Among 14 scored small-town markets in or partly in Kentucky, the Frankfort area scores highest, at 87 (high). Among 78 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 31 for grocery stores (lower middle), #44 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 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 stores across the U.S. · All business types in Kentucky
Related business types in Kentucky
- Grocery and convenience stores3,514 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.