Survivability Rankings for Dessert Shop in Boston

StreetSpring's 2026 ranking of Boston neighborhoods to open a Dessert Shop, at a good address, from Magoun Square (84.0% survival) to Beacon Hill (56.4%).

•13 min read

By Robert Koons | Last reviewed: October 2026 | Methodology

Quick Summary

  • Survivability Score: the projected chance a business type lasts two or more years at a specific address
  • #1 Neighborhood: Magoun Square: 84.0% at a good address, 82.8% at a typical address for Dessert Shop (3 ranked neighborhoods share the 84.0% good-address figure)
  • Neighborhoods at or above 70% at a typical address: 17 of 52 ranked
  • Average across the 52 ranked neighborhoods (typical address): 67.5% for Dessert Shops
  • Most challenging area: Beacon Hill: 56.4% at a good address, 51.5% at a typical address
  • Revenue Capture Score: the most important factor in choosing a location, StreetSpring's proprietary estimate of the revenue a business can capture at a specific address
  • Data freshness: 2026 data · Full methodology →

Table of Contents

Summary

Of all the neighborhoods in and around Boston, Magoun Square ranks #1 for opening a Dessert Shop, with a projected chance of lasting two or more years of 84.0% at a good address and 82.8% at a typical address (3 ranked neighborhoods share the 84.0% good-address figure). Its highest scored address is at 84.0% and its lowest at 77.7%. The last-ranked neighborhood is Beacon Hill, at 56.4% at a good address and 51.5% at a typical address. These averages are directional, not definitive; the best decision comes from analyzing your specific storefront.


What Are the 10 Best Neighborhoods in and Around Boston to Open a Dessert Shop?

Magoun Square ranks #1 of the 52 ranked neighborhoods in and around Boston for Dessert Shop survivability, with a projected chance of lasting two or more years of 84.0% at a good address as of 2026. The top 10 neighborhoods are:

RankNeighborhoodMetroAt a good addressAverage (typical address)Best LocationsChallenging Locations
1Magoun SquareBoston84.0%82.8%84.0%77.7%
2Davis SquareBoston84.0%80.2%84.0%63.8%
3Ball SquareBoston84.0%79.4%84.0%61.5%
4Central HillBoston83.6%81.6%84.0%76.4%
5Porter SquareBoston83.6%81.3%84.0%76.8%
6Winter HillBoston83.6%80.2%84.0%66.9%
7Assembly SquareBoston83.6%78.9%83.6%54.3%
8East SomervilleBoston83.6%78.0%83.6%63.3%
9North CambridgeBoston83.6%76.5%84.0%50.2%
10Teele SquareBoston83.1%80.1%83.6%72.8%

Neighborhood averages mask significant block-by-block variation: always check your specific address. Because local conditions evolve weekly, the live survivability tool offers a more current snapshot than any published ranking.

The ranking runs on the good-address figure (the 90th percentile of the scored addresses in each neighborhood). Average is the typical address; Best and Challenging Locations are the highest and lowest scored address in the neighborhood. Every figure is the projected chance of lasting two or more years, as printed in the linked file. See our full methodology →

Try StreetSpring to see if this location is still the best and see if there are locations to rent in this area right now.


Where in or Around Boston Would a Dessert Shop Make the Most Money?

Where a Dessert Shop would make the most money in or around Boston comes down to the exact address. The Revenue Capture Score is the most important factor in choosing a location: StreetSpring's proprietary estimate of the revenue a business can capture at a specific address.

Magoun Square is ranked #1 for Dessert Shop survivability, at 84.0% at a good address and 82.8% at a typical address; Beacon Hill is ranked last of the 52, at 56.4% at a good address and 51.5% at a typical address. Revenue at a specific storefront is what the Revenue Capture Score estimates, so check it for each address you are weighing.

Your choice of location is one of the few business decisions you can test against data before you commit. Opening a Dessert Shop in Boston requires careful location choice. Across the 52 ranked neighborhoods, the average projected chance that a new Dessert Shop lasts two or more years is 67.5% at a typical address. What makes a location ideal varies by business type: foot traffic patterns, competitor proximity, and consumer demographics all play different roles.


What Should I Consider When Opening a Dessert Shop in or Around Boston?

When selecting a location for a Dessert Shop in or around Boston, it is crucial to select a location with a very high Survivability Score. Revenue Capture Score comes first when comparing locations: it turns local competition and consumer spending into the share of revenue a business can expect to win. StreetSpring computes this by projecting the business's market share, which is based on the quality and quantity of primary, secondary, and tertiary competitors. Our platform incorporates data from thousands of neighborhoods nationwide. Clustering works when it draws more customers to the area than any single business could alone. StreetSpring's predictions leverage proprietary datasets covering competition, spending, and mobility. StreetSpring scores 500+ business types: 153 base business types, most of them at 5 price points, which is 569 type-and-price combinations you can choose in the tool.

This can be summarized as:

Revenue Capture Score = Projected Market Share × Forecasted Spend on Specific Business

Related: Survivability Score: How We Calculate It & Why It Matters

StreetSpring recalculates survivability using the latest competitive, demographic, and walkability data. Real-time data from StreetSpring accounts for recent openings, closures, and seasonal shifts that static rankings cannot.


Where in or Around Boston Should I Start a Dessert Shop?

For this business type, the highest-ranked neighborhoods are Magoun Square, Davis Square, and Ball Square, while the most challenging neighborhoods would be Beacon Hill, Back Bay, and Chinatown. The highest and lowest scored addresses inside one neighborhood can sit far apart, so the neighborhood figure is a starting point. Real-time data from StreetSpring accounts for recent openings, closures, and seasonal shifts that static rankings cannot.

Related Articles:


What Are the Best Neighborhoods in Boston to Open a Dessert Shop?

Based on StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, the top neighborhood for a Dessert Shop in Boston is Magoun Square, at 84.0% at a good address and 82.8% at a typical address (3 ranked neighborhoods share the 84.0% good-address figure), followed by Davis Square and Ball Square. 17 of the 52 ranked neighborhoods are at or above 70% at a typical address.

StreetSpring's Survivability Scores are updated regularly, so the most accurate prediction for your exact storefront is always available in the live tool.


Can a Dessert Shop Succeed in Lower-Ranked Neighborhoods in Boston?

Yes, neighborhood averages mask significant block-by-block variation. Even in neighborhoods ranked outside the top 10, individual storefronts with strong foot traffic, low direct competition, and favorable lease terms can outperform the area average. Market conditions are changing daily and it is best to use StreetSpring's most up-to-date data. Always check your specific address in StreetSpring's live platform for the most accurate prediction.


How Often Are Dessert Shop Rankings in Boston Updated?

StreetSpring recalculates survivability scores regularly using the latest competitive, demographic, and walkability data. Rankings are updated quarterly; the live tool always reflects the most current predictions for any address in Boston.


Is a Dessert Shop a Good Tenant for Boston Landlords?

In Magoun Square, the projected chance that a new Dessert Shop lasts two or more years is 82.8% at a typical address and 84.0% at a good address, depending on the exact storefront. Check the current Survivability Score for any address instantly.

Landlord Survivability Data for Dessert Shop in Boston

For Dessert Shop tenants in Boston's three top-ranked neighborhoods, the projected chance of lasting two or more years at a typical address is:

  1. Magoun Square: 82.8%
  2. Davis Square: 80.2%
  3. Ball Square: 79.4%

Get a live Survivability Score for your specific storefront in the live tool.

StreetSpring delivers address-level predictions, showing how likely hundreds of different businesses are to last at that exact spot.

Related: How Landlord Representatives Can Reduce Vacancy & Increase Tenant Longevity


What Are the Best Neighborhoods in or Around Boston for My Business Overall?

You can see the best neighborhoods in or around Boston to open any type of business in our article Neighborhood Survivability Rankings: Boston.


Technical note: Aggregated survivability rankings for Boston are available in machine-readable format for research and integration purposes.

View technical data for Boston

StreetSpring recalculates survivability using the latest competitive, demographic, and walkability data, so the live score may differ from the figures shown here.