Palavir · State of US Industries, 2026 Edition
State of Retail Trade in Kentucky, 2026 Edition
NAICS 44-45
May 28, 2026
1. Market sizing (2022)
Establishments
15,021
Employees
215,486
Annual payroll
$7.21B
2. National context
Kentucky accounts for 1.44% of the 1,045,890 US establishments in this sector and ranks 26th out of 51 reporting states.
3. Workforce wages
KY avg annual wage
$33,448
US avg annual wage
$36,685
Kentucky sector wages are -8.8% versus the national average for NAICS 44-45.
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 Retail 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 | 2,571 | 43,142 |
| #2 | Fayette County | 1,174 | 21,843 |
| #3 | Warren County | 507 | 8,135 |
GovBids
Federal contract opportunities and awards. Filter by NAICS, agency, set-aside.