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Fast food in Kentucky

How many fast food exist per person present (residents + daytime workers) across the 5 Kentucky counties we cover, by ZIP code, compared with the U.S. average. Data: Census ZBP 2023 + ACS 2024 + BLS QCEW.

Includes: Fast food · Quick-service restaurants · Takeout & delivery counters · Pizza delivery · Sandwich & burger chains. Counted together because official statistics use one 722513 code.

State verdict (covered counties): In line with the U.S. rate — 102% of the U.S. rate

Counties covered

in Kentucky

Fast food

1,372

establishments (2023)

Per 10,000 present

6.8

residents + 0.5×workers

U.S. average

6.7

per 10,000 present

State index

102%

vs. U.S.

Residents

1,592,309

in covered counties

Workers

831,584

jobs in covered counties

Coverage. This page aggregates only the 5 Kentucky counties BizGapMap covers — not the whole state. Counts and the index reflect those counties. The aggregate index uses only ZIP cells Census published, so it is a lower bound. Density is a supply-side signal: it counts existing fast food and the people present, not foot traffic, income, rent, or whether locals want more.

Counties in Kentucky

City	County	Fast food	Residents	Workers	Per 10k	Index	Verdict
Lexington	Fayette County	314–336	324,356	159,705	7.8	116–118%	Above average
Florence	Boone County	135–141	144,247	80,611	7.3	110–113%	Above average
Bowling Green	Warren County	131–139	147,438	57,508	7.2	108–115%	Above average
Louisville	Jefferson County	692–740	809,701	459,852	6.7	100–102%	Range spans bands
Erlanger	Kenton County	100–106	166,567	73,908	4.9	74–77%	Below average

Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.

Lowest vs. highest measured density

Fewest competitors per capita

116%

110%

108%

100%

74%

Most competitors per capita

74%

100%

108%

110%

116%

Low measured density is not evidence of opportunity. A county with few fast food may simply lack foot traffic, retail space, or demand. Use the ranking to find where to look, then verify locally.

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BizGapMap — free, no-login small-business saturation reports for major U.S. counties. Built entirely from public U.S. Census, BLS, and IRS data (ZBP 2023, ACS 2024 5-year, PEP 2024, LODES, QCEW, IRS SOI). No forecasts, no revenue guesses — withheld cells are marked, and the few derived counts are labelled as estimates.