Market rankings · Kentucky
Pet businesses in Kentucky
Markets across Kentucky ranked by the Groundwork market score for pet businesses, with competitor counts and household spending for each.
- Listings
- 2,079
- 311 chain locations (15%)
- Official establishments
- 947
- +13.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.5B
- On pets
- Listings per 10k households
- 11.5
- 11% above the U.S.
- Spending per listing
- $719K
- 18% below the U.S.
- Rank among states
- #35 of 51
- Market score 38 · Lower middle
A site report maps the pet businesses 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
As of September 2026, map listings count 2,079 pet businesses in Kentucky. Chain locations make up 15% of them, against 17% across the U.S. That comes to 11.5 for every 10,000 households, 11% above the U.S. rate of 10.4.
At $824 per household (9% below the U.S. average), households in Kentucky spend about $1.5B a year on pets. That works out to $719K per business, 18% below the U.S. figure of $878K.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Kentucky was 947 in 2023, up 13.0% from 2019. That is one for every 1,916 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 11.4% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 46 SBA-backed loans worth $23.6M have gone to businesses classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in Kentucky.
Among the 50 states and DC, Kentucky ranks #35 for pet businesses, with a Groundwork market score of 38 (lower middle). Of the 9 scored metro areas in or partly in Kentucky, the Clarksville metro area scores highest (64). Of the 15 scored small-town markets in or partly in Kentucky, the Madisonville area scores highest (70).
Every market in Kentucky for pet businesses
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clarksville, TN-KY | 64 | 124 | 9.9 | $834K | +8.5% | #92 of 387 |
| 1Owensboro, KY | 62 | 43 | 9.5 | $874K | +1.3% | #100 of 387 |
| 2Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 59 | 547 | 9.8 | $905K | +2.9% | #122 of 387 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 59 | 992 | 10.9 | $834K | +2.7% | #126 of 387 |
| 3Bowling Green, KY | 53 | 82 | 11.2 | $716K | +9.5% | #177 of 387 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | 47 | 143 | 9.4 | $832K | −2.6% | #217 of 387 |
| 4Elizabethtown, KY | 42 | 69 | 13.6 | $618K | +2.4% | #262 of 387 |
| 5Lexington-Fayette, KY | 32 | 319 | 14.7 | $610K | +3.4% | #327 of 387 |
| 6Paducah, KY-IL | 21 | 64 | 15.3 | $531K | −1.2% | #370 of 387 |
Small-town markets
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Madisonville, KY | 70 | 13 | 7.1 | $1M | −0.5% | #55 of 527 |
| 2Henderson, KY | 67 | 21 | 9.0 | $855K | −0.9% | #80 of 527 |
| 3Frankfort, KY | 66 | 41 | 12.7 | $662K | +3.1% | #88 of 527 |
| 4Franklin, KY | 61 | 10 | 12.5 | $620K | +5.9% | #140 of 527 |
| 5Mount Sterling, KY | 59 | 22 | 12.1 | $610K | +3.1% | #156 of 527 |
| 6Campbellsville, KY | 57 | 14 | 9.5 | $774K | +3.4% | #172 of 527 |
| 7Mayfield, KY | 53 | 19 | 13.4 | $547K | +1.4% | #242 of 527 |
| 8Richmond-Berea, KY | 50 | 68 | 13.7 | $572K | +7.0% | #281 of 527 |
| 9Pikeville, KY | 49 | 33 | 8.5 | $792K | −5.4% | #286 of 527 |
| 10Corbin, KY | 49 | 62 | 11.0 | $622K | +0.1% | #292 of 527 |
| 11Somerset, KY | 48 | 30 | 11.4 | $633K | +3.5% | #303 of 527 |
| 12Danville, KY | 40 | 40 | 18.4 | $410K | +3.6% | #387 of 527 |
| 13Glasgow, KY | 36 | 29 | 13.1 | $549K | +2.6% | #421 of 527 |
| 14Middlesborough, KY | 35 | 8 | 8.0 | $740K | −4.8% | #428 of 527 |
| 15Murray, KY | 34 | 28 | 18.4 | $397K | +4.9% | #440 of 527 |
Counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Kenton County, KY | 78 | 59 | 8.8 | $1.1M | +3.9% | #109 of 2,200 |
| 2Spencer County, KY | 77 | 10 | 13.7 | $760K | +7.7% | #130 of 2,200 |
| 3Anderson County, KY | 76 | 10 | 10.4 | $833K | +5.5% | #149 of 2,200 |
| 4Bullitt County, KY | 70 | 35 | 11.0 | $841K | +5.0% | #289 of 2,200 |
| 5Campbell County, KY | 69 | 47 | 12.0 | $787K | +2.5% | #329 of 2,200 |
| 6Jefferson County, KY | 67 | 285 | 8.6 | $1M | +1.6% | #383 of 2,200 |
| 7Oldham County, KY | 67 | 29 | 12.6 | $971K | +4.9% | #385 of 2,200 |
| 8Daviess County, KY | 67 | 39 | 9.4 | $885K | +1.5% | #389 of 2,200 |
| 9Hopkins County, KY | 66 | 13 | 7.1 | $1M | −0.5% | #422 of 2,200 |
| 10Warren County, KY | 65 | 62 | 11.1 | $740K | +10.6% | #486 of 2,200 |
| 11Henderson County, KY | 61 | 17 | 9.2 | $845K | −0.9% | #614 of 2,200 |
| 12Boone County, KY | 61 | 73 | 14.3 | $734K | +6.5% | #624 of 2,200 |
| 13Muhlenberg County, KY | 60 | 7 | 5.8 | $1.3M | −0.9% | #643 of 2,200 |
| 14Garrard County, KY | 60 | 7 | 10.5 | $731K | +7.3% | #669 of 2,200 |
| 15Boyd County, KY | 58 | 19 | 9.8 | $783K | −0.9% | #730 of 2,200 |
| 16Nelson County, KY | 57 | 22 | 11.5 | $726K | +4.8% | #782 of 2,200 |
| 17Henry County, KY | 56 | 7 | 11.4 | $688K | +4.8% | #835 of 2,200 |
| 18Grant County, KY | 56 | 11 | 11.9 | $675K | +4.7% | #836 of 2,200 |
| 19Washington County, KY | 55 | 5 | 10.3 | $755K | +2.7% | #868 of 2,200 |
| 20Lincoln County, KY | 55 | 11 | 11.3 | $640K | +4.6% | #880 of 2,200 |
| 21Christian County, KY | 52 | 21 | 8.2 | $876K | −3.6% | #984 of 2,200 |
| 22Hart County, KY | 52 | 7 | 9.5 | $747K | +4.3% | #996 of 2,200 |
| 23Hardin County, KY | 52 | 62 | 13.9 | $612K | +2.4% | #1,015 of 2,200 |
| 24Franklin County, KY | 52 | 31 | 13.6 | $607K | +2.0% | #1,016 of 2,200 |
| 25Ohio County, KY | 51 | 10 | 11.0 | $670K | +0.8% | #1,056 of 2,200 |
Show all 120 counties
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26Simpson County, KY | 51 | 10 | 12.5 | $620K | +5.9% | #1,063 of 2,200 |
| 27Breckinridge County, KY | 51 | 11 | 13.6 | $558K | +5.2% | #1,067 of 2,200 |
| 28Taylor County, KY | 50 | 10 | 9.7 | $770K | +2.9% | #1,086 of 2,200 |
| 29Trigg County, KY | 50 | 7 | 11.6 | $670K | +3.1% | #1,104 of 2,200 |
| 30Carroll County, KY | 50 | 5 | 12.0 | $657K | +2.9% | #1,106 of 2,200 |
| 31Fayette County, KY | 49 | 180 | 12.9 | $698K | +2.2% | #1,147 of 2,200 |
| 32Larue County, KY | 48 | 7 | 11.7 | $672K | +2.1% | #1,201 of 2,200 |
| 33Jessamine County, KY | 48 | 30 | 15.1 | $598K | +7.8% | #1,209 of 2,200 |
| 34Madison County, KY | 48 | 52 | 14.0 | $585K | +9.4% | #1,214 of 2,200 |
| 35Graves County, KY | 48 | 19 | 13.4 | $547K | +1.4% | #1,218 of 2,200 |
| 36Wayne County, KY | 47 | 6 | 7.4 | $872K | +0.3% | #1,229 of 2,200 |
| 37Shelby County, KY | 46 | 29 | 15.7 | $596K | +6.2% | #1,291 of 2,200 |
| 38Scott County, KY | 46 | 43 | 19.0 | $510K | +8.2% | #1,298 of 2,200 |
| 39Clark County, KY | 45 | 23 | 15.3 | $530K | +2.3% | #1,344 of 2,200 |
| 40Pulaski County, KY | 44 | 30 | 11.4 | $633K | +3.5% | #1,362 of 2,200 |
| 41Letcher County, KY | 43 | 5 | 5.9 | $1.1M | −7.0% | #1,376 of 2,200 |
| 42Pike County, KY | 42 | 22 | 9.1 | $743K | −6.4% | #1,424 of 2,200 |
| 43Laurel County, KY | 42 | 35 | 14.6 | $510K | +1.6% | #1,447 of 2,200 |
| 44Harrison County, KY | 42 | 13 | 17.8 | $461K | +4.9% | #1,453 of 2,200 |
| 45Montgomery County, KY | 42 | 18 | 16.4 | $456K | +2.5% | #1,454 of 2,200 |
| 46Mercer County, KY | 42 | 21 | 22.9 | $350K | +4.8% | #1,458 of 2,200 |
| 47Harlan County, KY | 41 | 7 | 6.5 | $982K | −7.6% | #1,459 of 2,200 |
| 48Carter County, KY | 41 | 10 | 9.3 | $793K | −1.7% | #1,462 of 2,200 |
| 49Meade County, KY | 41 | 19 | 17.3 | $519K | +2.2% | #1,492 of 2,200 |
| 50Floyd County, KY | 40 | 11 | 7.5 | $891K | −3.9% | #1,509 of 2,200 |
| 51Johnson County, KY | 40 | 7 | 7.7 | $859K | −2.6% | #1,510 of 2,200 |
| 52Grayson County, KY | 40 | 13 | 12.8 | $574K | +3.6% | #1,530 of 2,200 |
| 53Rowan County, KY | 40 | 13 | 13.6 | $542K | −1.0% | #1,535 of 2,200 |
| 54Barren County, KY | 39 | 22 | 12.2 | $596K | +2.6% | #1,565 of 2,200 |
| 55Allen County, KY | 39 | 12 | 14.9 | $502K | +9.5% | #1,577 of 2,200 |
| 56Perry County, KY | 38 | 9 | 8.1 | $849K | −6.4% | #1,586 of 2,200 |
| 57Mason County, KY | 38 | 9 | 12.6 | $583K | −1.2% | #1,604 of 2,200 |
| 58Marion County, KY | 38 | 11 | 14.2 | $522K | +2.7% | #1,617 of 2,200 |
| 59Marshall County, KY | 37 | 19 | 14.4 | $573K | −0.1% | #1,640 of 2,200 |
| 60Todd County, KY | 37 | 8 | 17.5 | $460K | +5.6% | #1,659 of 2,200 |
| 61Greenup County, KY | 35 | 24 | 16.3 | $481K | −1.9% | #1,733 of 2,200 |
| 62Knox County, KY | 34 | 9 | 7.7 | $779K | −2.2% | #1,746 of 2,200 |
| 63Logan County, KY | 34 | 15 | 13.6 | $547K | +4.2% | #1,759 of 2,200 |
| 64Calloway County, KY | 34 | 28 | 18.4 | $397K | +4.9% | #1,773 of 2,200 |
| 65Whitley County, KY | 33 | 15 | 11.1 | $609K | +1.6% | #1,778 of 2,200 |
| 66Fleming County, KY | 32 | 8 | 13.7 | $506K | +4.6% | #1,823 of 2,200 |
| 67Woodford County, KY | 32 | 31 | 28.7 | $334K | +3.7% | #1,835 of 2,200 |
| 68Butler County, KY | 31 | 6 | 13.1 | $547K | +1.6% | #1,844 of 2,200 |
| 69Jackson County, KY | 30 | 6 | 11.7 | $551K | +2.8% | #1,866 of 2,200 |
| 70Boyle County, KY | 30 | 29 | 24.1 | $323K | +2.9% | #1,884 of 2,200 |
| 71Bell County, KY | 29 | 8 | 8.0 | $740K | −4.8% | #1,886 of 2,200 |
| 72McCracken County, KY | 29 | 46 | 16.7 | $503K | −0.5% | #1,900 of 2,200 |
| 73Russell County, KY | 29 | 12 | 15.9 | $456K | +3.4% | #1,908 of 2,200 |
| 74Bourbon County, KY | 26 | 12 | 14.8 | $550K | −0.3% | #1,981 of 2,200 |
| 75Casey County, KY | 24 | 9 | 13.9 | $490K | +1.8% | #2,034 of 2,200 |
| 76Breathitt County, KY | 23 | 5 | 9.2 | $670K | −8.3% | #2,047 of 2,200 |
| 77Metcalfe County, KY | 18 | 7 | 17.1 | $403K | +2.9% | #2,140 of 2,200 |
| 78Caldwell County, KY | 18 | 11 | 21.9 | $347K | −0.3% | #2,141 of 2,200 |
| 79Adair County, KY | 17 | 15 | 21.0 | $337K | +2.9% | #2,150 of 2,200 |
| 80Monroe County, KY | 14 | 7 | 15.1 | $455K | −1.1% | #2,173 of 2,200 |
| 81Rockcastle County, KY | 14 | 13 | 19.9 | $345K | +0.6% | #2,176 of 2,200 |
| 82Union County, KY | 11 | 9 | 17.3 | $426K | −5.9% | #2,186 of 2,200 |
| Clay County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 4.1 | $1.5M | −4.1% | |
| McCreary County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | +1.7% | |
| Lawrence County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 6.3 | $1.1M | −3.3% | |
| Pendleton County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 7.4 | $1.1M | +1.1% | |
| Morgan County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 6.1 | $1.1M | +5.0% | |
| Estill County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 5.0 | $1.3M | −1.4% | |
| Knott County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 5.4 | $1.2M | −5.9% | |
| Powell County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 8.4 | $774K | −2.2% | |
| Lewis County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 8.0 | $875K | −1.4% | |
| Bath County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 6.4 | $1.2M | +3.6% | |
| Webster County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 8.1 | $897K | −0.7% | |
| Edmonson County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 3.9 | $1.8M | +5.0% | |
| Green County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 9.0 | $785K | +4.6% | |
| Magoffin County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 4.2 | $1.4M | −4.3% | |
| Owen County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 9.4 | $811K | +2.6% | |
| Martin County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.6 | $2.6M | −4.9% | |
| Leslie County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 2.4 | $2.7M | −8.0% | |
| Clinton County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 10.4 | $616K | −1.0% | |
| McLean County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 11.0 | $760K | −0.8% | |
| Hancock County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 5.5 | $1.4M | −0.6% | |
| Crittenden County, KY | Not scored | 8 | 22.6 | $312K | −2.2% | |
| Livingston County, KY | Not scored | 6 | 16.7 | $460K | −0.1% | |
| Lyon County, KY | Not scored | 3 | 8.8 | $953K | +5.2% | |
| Gallatin County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 6.1 | $1.3M | +1.9% | |
| Trimble County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 5.9 | $1.4M | +2.8% | |
| Bracken County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 3.0 | $2.9M | +1.3% | |
| Nicholas County, KY | Not scored | 4 | 14.4 | $488K | +5.4% | |
| Ballard County, KY | Not scored | 5 | 15.6 | $527K | −1.5% | |
| Lee County, KY | Not scored | 5 | 19.3 | $309K | −0.9% | |
| Elliott County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −0.9% | |
| Wolfe County, KY | Not scored | 0 | 0.0 | n/a | −4.0% | |
| Fulton County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 7.8 | $775K | −4.5% | |
| Menifee County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 4.0 | $1.7M | +4.8% | |
| Cumberland County, KY | Not scored | 6 | 22.8 | $270K | +2.3% | |
| Carlisle County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 5.4 | $1.5M | −1.2% | |
| Hickman County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 5.8 | $1.4M | −3.4% | |
| Owsley County, KY | Not scored | 1 | 6.4 | $820K | −2.5% | |
| Robertson County, KY | Not scored | 2 | 24.7 | $290K | +6.6% |
Markets with fewer than 5 pet businesses on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.
Questions
How many pet businesses are in Kentucky?
Kentucky has 2,079 pet businesses on map listings as of September 2026. 311 of them (15%) are chain locations. The listings count vets, groomers, boarding and pet stores. Official counts show 947 businesses with payroll classed as pet care, veterinarians and pet stores in 2023, up 13.0% from 2019. Official counts list 1,816 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Kentucky spend on pets?
About $1.5B a year, or $824 per household. That is 9% below the U.S. average (an index of 91, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 2,079 pet businesses on map listings, it comes to $719K per business. 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 pet businesses?
Kentucky has 11.5 pet businesses per 10,000 households, 11% above the U.S. rate of 10.4. Spending per business is $719K, 18% below the U.S. figure of $878K. At the national ratio of pet businesses to household spending, Kentucky would have about 1,703, against 2,079 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,916 households, against one for every 1,852 across the U.S. The official count rose 13.0% from 2019 to 2023, against +11.4% for the U.S.
Which market in Kentucky has the highest market score for pet businesses?
Among 9 scored metro areas in or partly in Kentucky, the Clarksville metro area scores highest, at 64 (upper middle). Among 15 scored small-town markets in or partly in Kentucky, the Madisonville area scores highest, at 70 (upper middle). Among 82 scored counties in Kentucky, Kenton County scores highest, at 78 (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 38 for pet businesses (lower middle), #35 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 pet businesses 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.
Pet businesses in other states
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Top markets for pet businesses across the U.S. · All business types in Kentucky
Related business types in Kentucky
- Veterinarians673 listings
- Pet grooming and boarding702 listings
- Pet stores358 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.