Palavir · State of US Industries, 2026 Edition
State of Wholesale Trade in Kentucky, 2026 Edition
NAICS 42
May 28, 2026
1. Market sizing (2022)
Establishments
3,947
Employees
73,873
Annual payroll
$5.05B
2. National context
Kentucky accounts for 1.02% of the 388,706 US establishments in this sector and ranks 30th out of 51 reporting states.
3. Workforce wages
KY avg annual wage
$68,360
US avg annual wage
$87,120
Kentucky sector wages are -21.5% versus the national average for NAICS 42.
4. Federal exclusion overlay (state-wide)
OIG LEIE individuals + entities
1,741
SAM debarred/excluded
2,247
Exclusion counts are state-wide across all NAICS, not specific to Wholesale Trade. Sourced from OIG LEIE and SAM exclusion lists, as of 2026-05-27.
5. Top 3 counties by establishment count
| Rank | County | Establishments | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Jefferson County | 956 | 22,389 |
| #2 | Fayette County | 367 | 6,165 |
| #3 | Boone County | 196 | 8,264 |
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