CallataGuides

Lexington, KY business phone guide

Population, businesses by sector and industry, area codes and local numbers for the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area.

Population
533,0002024 est.
Establishments
13,490CBP 2023
Counties
6
Area codes
2

Lexington, KY at a glance

The Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area covers 6 counties in Kentucky and had 533,000 residents in July 2024, up 3.2% since April 2020. The U.S. population grew 2.6% over the same period. Fayette County, KY is the most populous, with 329,000 people. By population it ranks 109th of the 925 metro and micropolitan areas and 103rd by business establishments.

Counties in the Lexington, KY area
CountyPopulation (2024)
Fayette County, KY329,437
Scott County, KY61,700
Jessamine County, KY56,495
Clark County, KY37,673
Woodford County, KY27,728
Bourbon County, KY20,333

Source: Census Vintage 2024 metropolitan and micropolitan area estimates.

Establishments and employment in Lexington, KY

County Business Patterns counted 13,490 establishments in the area in 2023, employing 240,076 people in mid-March with $13.2 billion in annual payroll. That is an average of 17.8 employees per establishment. 51.2% of establishments with employees had fewer than five people. By establishment count, the largest sectors are health care and social assistance (1,848), retail trade (1,729), and professional, scientific, and technical services (1,637).

Lexington, KY establishments by sector, 2023
Sector (NAICS)EstablishmentsEmployeesAnnual payroll
Health Care and Social Assistance (62)1,84845,150$2,868,737,000
Retail Trade (44)1,72928,554$1,026,958,000
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)1,63715,987$1,220,432,000
Other Services (except Public Administration) (81)1,30410,288$391,469,000
Accommodation and Food Services (72)1,25128,573$631,115,000
Construction (23)1,12815,160$1,129,275,000
Finance and Insurance (52)8385,952$522,559,000
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing (53)8013,485$188,569,000
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services (56)69215,960$608,926,000
Wholesale Trade (42)5059,438$714,458,000
Manufacturing (31)42328,802$1,984,870,000
Transportation and Warehousing (48)34312,437$606,313,000
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)2834,461$136,688,000
Information (51)2673,529$211,912,000
Educational Services (61)1884,704$142,024,000
Management of Companies and Enterprises (55)955,408$665,077,000
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (11)89806$43,244,000
Utilities (22)371,142$123,190,000
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction (21)20228 (high noise)$15,746,000

Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023, two-digit NAICS sectors. Manufacturing, retail and transportation span several two-digit codes; CBP reports them under 31, 44 and 48.

Lexington, KY compared with the U.S.

Lexington, KY has 25.3 business establishments per 1,000 residents, 2.9% above the U.S. figure of 24.6. Establishments average 17.8 employees against 16.7 nationally, and payroll per employee is $55,116 (19.4% below the U.S. $68,342). 51.2% of establishments with employees have fewer than five people (U.S.: 55.5%), while 6.0% have 50 or more. Most establishments are far smaller than the average suggests, so it pays to price a phone plan at the headcount you actually have rather than the average.

Lexington, KY: establishments by employment size, 2023
Employment sizeEstablishmentsShareU.S. share
1–4 employees6,90451.2%55.5%
5–9 employees2,40417.8%17.5%
10–19 employees1,90814.1%12.5%
20–49 employees1,46910.9%9.1%
50 or more employees8056.0%5.4%

Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.

Small-business industries in Lexington, KY

Of the 141 industries these guides cover, 134 have a published Census count in Lexington, KY. The largest are limited-service restaurants (453), full-service restaurants (400), and physician practices (350). Relative to population, agencies providing services for the elderly and persons with disabilities are the most over-represented: 25.9 per 100,000 residents against 11.8 nationally.

Largest covered industries in Lexington, KY, 2023
IndustryEstablishmentsEmployeesEmployees per establishment
Limited-service restaurants45310,79023.8
Full-service restaurants40010,99527.5
Physician practices3505,30515.2
Offices of real estate agents and brokers2964381.5
Law offices2851,9006.7
Dental offices2341,6787.2
Insurance agencies and brokerages2191,0844.9
Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors1842,28712.4
Residential remodelers1837484.1
Landscaping services1741,4708.4
Management consulting firms1611,2277.6
Agencies providing services for the elderly and persons with disabilities1382,25416.3
Engineering services firms1373,60626.3
Physical, occupational and speech therapy clinics1271,2339.7
Beauty salons1277355.8
Child day care services1272,17717.1
Electrical contractors1261,45811.6
Veterinary clinics1161,46112.6
Janitorial services1161,70814.7
Hotels and motels1072,34821.9
General automotive repair shops1045114.9
Offices of certified public accountants936677.2
Residential property managers911,06611.7
Pharmacies and drug stores881,30314.8
Supermarkets and grocery stores88——

Selected small-business industries (six-digit NAICS) covered by these guides. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.

Phone numbers in the Lexington, KY area

The area's named cities and towns have 255 NANPA-assigned exchanges across 2 area codes; 859 has the most (91%). Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, so a business serving several parts of the area can hold a number in each.

Area codes in the Lexington, KY area
Area codeExchanges in named placesShareTime zone
85923291%Eastern
502239.0%Eastern

Exchanges in rate centers matched to Census places in the area. Source: NANPA.

Local numbers by city

Pages for 8 cities and towns in the area list their area codes, prefixes and carriers.

Cities and towns in the Lexington, KY area
PlacePopulation (2024)Area codesExchanges
Lexington-Fayette, KY329,437859164
Georgetown, KY40,51850218
Nicholasville, KY33,45885910
Winchester, KY19,41385929
Versailles, KY10,6568599
Paris, KY10,18585910
Wilmore, KY6,2688594
Midway, KY1,7808594

Phone costs for a typical Lexington, KY business

The comparison below uses 18 users, the rounded average establishment size in Lexington, KY. At list prices checked September 28, 2026, that is $449.10 a month on Ooma Office Pro and $540.00 on RingCentral RingEX Core. Callata comes to $359.00 a month for 18 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.

Monthly list price for an 18-person team
Provider (plan)Pricing basisPer monthPer year
Callata (Callata Office)$99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user$359.00$4,308.00
Quo (Starter)$19.00 per user$342.00$4,104.00
Nextiva (Core)$23.00 per user$414.00$4,968.00
Ooma (Office Pro)$24.95 per user$449.10$5,389.20
Dialpad (Standard)$27.00 per user$486.00$5,832.00
RingCentral (RingEX Core)$30.00 per user$540.00$6,480.00

Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.

Callata in Lexington, KY

For $99 a month, Callata puts a team of up to 5 on one plan ($20 for each person after that): up to 3 local numbers, unlimited inbound calls, a pooled allowance of 1,500 outbound US and Canada minutes per user, browser and cell calling, voicemail transcription with urgency triage, recorded calls with AI summaries and business-hours routing, with E911 on every number.

Porting a number you already use in Lexington, KY is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.

AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.

Frequently asked questions

What area codes serve Lexington, KY?

859 and 502, by NANPA-assigned exchanges in the area's named places.

How many businesses are in the Lexington, KY area?

13,490 establishments in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns.

How much does a business phone system cost in Lexington, KY?

Callata is $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user; for an 18-person team that is $359.00 a month. The same team on Ooma Office Pro lists at $449.10 a month (checked September 28, 2026).