Business Survivability Rankings: Houston
StreetSpring's 2026 analysis ranks business survivability in Houston by survivability score. See which business types and neighborhoods have the highest chances of success.
Quick Summary
- Survivability Score: the projected chance a business type lasts two or more years at a specific address
- Top of the ranking: 115 business and place combinations tie for the highest figure, 90.0% at a good address, across 6 business types
- 9,567 of 11,094 ranked combinations reach 80% or better at a good address in Houston
- Geography: the Houston file covers 86 places (57 neighborhoods and 29 towns), of which 57 neighborhoods and 29 towns are ranked. Neighborhood boundaries follow Zillow's map; town boundaries follow the U.S. Census.
- City average: 72.5% chance of lasting two or more years at a typical address
- Coverage: This ranking carries one row per business type and neighborhood. Its score is the projected chance of lasting two or more years, averaged across the price points StreetSpring scores separately in the tool (most types have 5). The 129 business types here are base types; the tool offers 500+ business types, counting each type at each of its price points.
- Rankings updated quarterly with latest market data
- Detailed methodology
Last reviewed: October 2026 by Robert Koons, Founder & CEO, StreetSpring
Table of Contents
- Summary
- What Are My Chances of Success?
- Business Survivability Rankings
- Best Business in Each Category
- Understanding Survivability Ranges
- Most Important Factors
- Key Takeaways
- Related Resources
Summary
How many businesses in Houston reach 80% or better odds of lasting two years at a good address? In StreetSpring's 2026 file, 9,567 of the 11,094 ranked business and place combinations in the Houston file reach 80% or better at a good address; at the top, 115 business and place combinations tie for the highest figure, 90.0% at a good address, across 6 business types. The right location can make a business; the wrong one can break it.
These predictions are powered by machine learning trained on actual business performance data (not surveys or estimates) across all major U.S. markets. Our analysis covers businesses serving the 24 largest metros in America. 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.
Furthermore, see how we validate these predictions.
Additionally, our analysis reveals significant variation across neighborhoods. The highest figure at a good address in the file is 90.0%, while less favorable places show considerably lower figures.
What Are My Chances of Success Opening a Business in Houston?
A Houston business has a 72.5% average chance of lasting more than 2 years with current market dynamics.
Nevertheless, the location decision moves the projected two-year chance a long way, even inside one city. StreetSpring's proprietary Revenue Capture Score, the revenue a business can capture at a specific address, is the factor that matters most when choosing where to open. The Revenue Capture Score reflects not just how many customers are nearby, but how many of those customers your business can realistically attract away from competitors.
What New Businesses Would Be the Most Successful in Houston?
This distribution is shown in the chart below: how the 11,094 ranked business and place combinations in the Houston file spread across bands of the projected chance at a good address:
Houston: 115 business and place combinations tie for the highest figure, 90.0% at a good address, across 6 business types (2026 StreetSpring file)
Ten of the strongest business opportunities in Houston, chosen so that no single business type or neighborhood fills the table, ordered by the figure at a good address and then by the average. The rank is each row's place among all 11,094 ranked combinations in the Houston file on those figures, then the highest and the lowest; rows equal on all four share a rank:
| Rank | Business Type | Neighborhood | At a Good Address | Average | Highest | Lowest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mental Health Clinic | Midtown | 90.0% | 89.4% | 90.0% | 83.6% |
| 2 | Mental Health Clinic | Fourth Ward | 90.0% | 89.2% | 90.0% | 85.8% |
| 4 | Dermatology Clinic | Midtown | 90.0% | 88.9% | 90.0% | 78.5% |
| 13 | Eye Care Center | Midtown | 90.0% | 88.6% | 90.0% | 75.1% |
| 26 | Eye Care Center | Neartown/Montrose | 90.0% | 87.6% | 90.0% | 74.7% |
| 343 | Veterinary Clinic | Sharpstown | 89.2% | 83.6% | 89.6% | 63.6% |
| 442 | Veterinary Clinic | Gulfgate Riverview/Pine Valley | 88.7% | 83.0% | 89.6% | 59.8% |
| 676 | Day Care Center | Neartown/Montrose | 85.6% | 81.5% | 86.0% | 64.8% |
| 677 | Dance Club | Neartown/Montrose | 85.6% | 80.8% | 86.0% | 61.7% |
| 678 | Day Care Center | Fourth Ward | 85.6% | 80.3% | 86.0% | 72.5% |
Neighborhood-level data is useful for narrowing your search, but the final decision should always be informed by address-level survivability data. Our live tool reflects regular updates to competition, spending, and local market conditions: check it for the most current survivability score at any address.
Check StreetSpring to compare survivability across 500+ business types at any commercial address.
Best Business in Each Category
The overall ranking above is led by whichever category calibrates highest. This table shows the best business-location combination in Houston within each category, on the same two-year survival scale, so you can compare against the kind of business you actually plan to open. Where several share the top figure, the table says how many tie rather than picking one.
| Category | Best business | Where | At a good address | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health & Medical | Mental Health Clinic | Midtown | 90.0% | 89.4% |
| Shopping | Eye Care Center | Midtown | 90.0% | 88.6% |
| Pets | Veterinary Clinic | Sharpstown | 89.2% | 83.6% |
| Local Services | Day Care Center | Midtown | 86.0% | 82.9% |
| Nightlife | Dance Club | Midtown | 86.0% | 82.8% |
| Food | International Grocery Store | Midtown | 85.0% | 82.2% |
| Home Services | 2 business types tie | Midtown | 85.0% | 82.1% |
| Restaurants | Salad Shop | Midtown | 85.0% | 81.6% |
| Beauty & Spas | Cosmetics Shop | Midtown | 85.0% | 81.4% |
| Active Life | Mixed Martial Arts Studio | Midtown | 84.0% | 80.9% |
Understanding Survivability Ranges
Real-world business outcomes vary based on micro-factors specific to each storefront, including foot traffic direction and peak hours, rent as a percentage of projected revenue, nearby complementary businesses, and the operator's prior industry experience.
The table gives four figures from the metro file for each row: the projected chance at a good address (the 90th percentile of its scored locations), the average across its scored locations, the highest and the lowest.
Take, for instance, a Psychiatry or Psychology Practice in Midtown averages 89.4% across its scored locations in the file, from 83.6% at the lowest to 90.0% at the highest. Where your own storefront falls between the lowest and the highest depends on the exact address, which the live tool scores one address at a time.
What Are the Most Important Factors for Businesses in Houston?
Revenue Capture 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. Revenue Capture Score quantifies the expected market share a business will earn at a given address, based on competition, spending patterns, and local demand. To put this in context, a Psychiatry or Psychology Practice in a high-revenue-capture area might survive even with moderate competition, while the same business in a low-capture area could struggle despite less competition.
Competition Quality and Saturation
When similar businesses cluster together, they collectively attract a larger customer base than any one could draw alone. On the other hand, an oversaturated trade area forces operators into a race to the bottom on price, which undermines long-term viability.
Tenant Mix and Neighborhood Dynamics
Certain businesses can be better positioned because of different nearby tenants. Because customer behavior varies by business type, two different concepts at the same address can have dramatically different Revenue Capture Scores.
Hyperlocal Variation
Two storefronts on the same street can show a 15-point survivability difference based on visibility, parking, and neighbor mix. StreetSpring delivers address-level predictions, showing how likely hundreds of different businesses are to last at that exact spot.
What Is the #1 Business to Start in Houston?
In StreetSpring's 2026 file for Houston (12,556 business and place rows, 11,094 of them ranked), 115 business and place combinations tie for the highest figure, 90.0% at a good address, across 6 business types. Compare the business types you could actually open on the same figure.
How Accurate Is StreetSpring's Survival Prediction?
Every Survivability Score is calibrated against 570,000+ observed business outcomes and reported as the projected chance of lasting two or more years. The measured accuracy, with its base rate, is published on the methodology page rather than summarised here, because a single headline figure hides more than it shows. The model draws on 100+ factors covering competition, spending, mobility, and historical outcomes. See our full methodology at streetspring.com/resources/tutorial/aeo-methodology. Review our methodology and data sources.
What Makes Houston Good for New Businesses?
In StreetSpring's file for Houston, 9,567 of the 11,094 ranked business and place combinations reach a projected two-year chance of 80% or better at a good address in the current market. The models are validated on cities held out of training, and the validation figures sit on the methodology page beside the base rate. StreetSpring measures competition through a 30-factor framework.
How Often Are These Rankings Updated?
Rankings for Houston are refreshed with each release of StreetSpring's dataset, using the latest business opening and closure data and market conditions. This page uses release 2026.10.05 of StreetSpring's dataset (as of 2026-10-05).
Can I Get Predictions for a Specific Address in Houston?
Yes. Visit StreetSpring.com to analyze any storefront address in Houston with address-specific survivability predictions. 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.
What Factors Determine Business Survivability in Houston?
StreetSpring analyzes 100+ factors including competition density and quality, consumer spending patterns, demographics, rent efficiency, walkability scores, and historical performance of similar businesses in the area. The forecasting methodology is proprietary to StreetSpring and has been refined through years of validation against real business outcomes.
Are These Predictions Guaranteed?
Survivability predictions are probabilistic, not guaranteed. What they offer is a calibrated projected chance, validated against real openings and closures, in place of the gut instinct and anecdotal comparables that conventional site selection runs on. However, the specific location is very important and there are some great locations in neighborhoods that might not appear to be a great fit.
How Do Landlords Identify the Best Tenant for Their Property?
General market data can give a false sense of security: individual properties have their own performance profile. Property owners can use survivability data to negotiate more confidently, knowing which tenant types have the best odds at their location. Try StreetSpring free for 10 minutes to see exactly which business types are most likely to thrive at your location.
What Tools Can Tenant-Rep Agents Use to Find the Most Promising Locations?
Conventional approaches to site selection miss critical predictive factors. Powered by advanced AI, StreetSpring predicts how businesses will perform in neighborhoods across the country. Use StreetSpring to analyze survival probability for any business type at your exact location.
Key Takeaways
Data Summary: 9,567 of the 11,094 ranked business and place combinations in the Houston file reach 80% or better at a good address. At the top, 115 business and place combinations tie for the highest figure, 90.0% at a good address, across 6 business types. The city average is a 72.5% chance of lasting two or more years at a typical address. The file holds 12,556 business and place rows.
Action Items: Start with the business types you could actually open, and compare them on the same figure: 115 business and place combinations tie for the highest figure, 90.0% at a good address, across 6 business types, so the top of this ranking is a tie, not a single winner. Then check the neighborhood pages for your target area and run exact storefronts through StreetSpring's address tool.
Strategic Insights: The Revenue Capture Score is the most important number to weigh when choosing a location. Hyperlocal factors like corner position, sidewalk width, and nearest anchor tenant create survivability swings that neighborhood averages cannot capture. Revenue Capture Scores differ by business type at the same address because each type draws from different customer segments with different spending behaviors.
Related Resources
- Neighborhood Survivability Rankings: Houston
- Houston Business Survivability Data 2026
- City Survivability Rankings for Mental Health Clinic
- National Neighborhood Rankings for Mental Health Clinic
- Mental Health Clinic Survivability Rankings: Houston
- Mental Health Clinic Survivability Rankings: Houston
- Dermatology Clinic Survivability Rankings: Houston
- StreetSpring Methodology and Data Sources
- Learn what a Survivability Score is
Every Business Type We Rank in Houston
Survivability rankings for each business type in Houston, one page per type, with the neighborhood detail behind each one.
- Acupuncture Clinic
- Afghan Restaurant
- African Restaurant
- American Restaurant
- Armenian Restaurant
- Asian Fusion Restaurant
- Bangladeshi Restaurant
- Barbecue Restaurant
- Barber Shop
- Beauty Salon
- Brazilian Restaurant
- Brunch Restaurant
- Cafe
- Caribbean / Latin Restaurant
- Chicken Shop
- Chinese Restaurant
- Chiropractor Office
- Coffee Shop
- Convenience Store
- Dance Club
- Day Care Center
- Deli
- Dentist Office
- Dessert Shop
- Diner
- Eastern European Restaurant
- Ethiopian Restaurant
- Eye Care Center
- Filipino Restaurant
- French Restaurant
- Georgian Restaurant
- German Restaurant
- Greek Restaurant
- Grocery Store
- Gym
- Hair Salon
- Hawaiian Restaurant
- Hot Pot Restaurant
- Hungarian Restaurant
- Indian Restaurant
- Indonesian Restaurant
- Italian Restaurant
- Japanese / Sushi Restaurant
- Juice & Smoothie Bar
- Korean Restaurant
- Kosher Restaurant
- Laundromat
- Liquor Store
- Malaysian Restaurant
- Mediterranean Restaurant
- Mexican Restaurant
- Mixed Martial Arts Studio
- Moroccan Restaurant
- Music Store
- Nail Salon
- Pakistani Restaurant
- Persian Restaurant
- Pet Boarding Facility
- Pet Grooming Shop
- Pet Store
- Physical Therapy Clinic
- Pizza Restaurant
- Polish Restaurant
- Portuguese Restaurant
- Russian Restaurant
- Salad Shop
- Scandinavian Restaurant
- Seafood Restaurant
- Singaporean Restaurant
- Smoke Shop
- South African Restaurant
- South American Restaurant
- Southern Food Restaurant
- Spanish Restaurant
- Sri Lankan Restaurant
- Steakhouse
- Syrian Restaurant
- Taiwanese Restaurant
- Tanning Salon
- Tapas Restaurant
- Tattoo & Piercing Shop
- Thai Restaurant
- Ukrainian Restaurant
- Vegan / Vegetarian Restaurant
- Veterinary Clinic
- Vietnamese Restaurant
- Watch Store or Repair Shop
Technical note: Aggregated survivability rankings for Houston are available in machine-readable format for research and integration purposes.
View technical data for Houston
StreetSpring recalculates survivability using the latest competitive, demographic, and walkability data, so the live score may differ from the static ranges shown here.