Neighborhood Survivability Rankings: Houston
StreetSpring's 2026 analysis ranks the best and worst neighborhoods in Houston for new businesses by survivability score. See which areas give you the best chance of lasting more than two years.
Last reviewed: October 2026 by Robert Koons, Founder & CEO, StreetSpring
Quick Summary
- Survivability Score: the projected chance a business type lasts two or more years at a specific address
- Top-ranked neighborhood: Midtown: 84.5% at a good address, 81.4% at a typical address
- Most challenging: Medical Center Area: 65.7% average survivability
- 57 neighborhoods ranked across the Houston metro
- 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. Your specific business type and address will differ.
- See our full methodology →
Table of Contents
- Summary
- 10 Best Neighborhoods to Open a Business
- Hardest Places to Open a Business
- Where Would a Business Make the Most Money?
- What Should I Consider When Opening?
- Where to Start & How to Find Data
- Advice for Landlords
- Tools for Tenant-Rep Agents
- Why Do Survival Rates Vary?
- What Is a Survivability Score?
- How Does StreetSpring Compare?
- What Each Neighborhood Specializes In
- Related Resources
Summary
StreetSpring's 2026 file ranks Midtown first in Houston, with the best locations offering a 84.5% chance of lasting more than two years. Across all business types that could open in Midtown, the average location shows a 81.4% chance of lasting more than two years. Market conditions are changing daily and it is best to use StreetSpring's most up-to-date data to make sure that there have not been major changes.
What Are the 10 Best Neighborhoods in or Around Houston to Open a Business?
The top 10 neighborhoods in or around Houston to open a business are:
| # | Neighborhood | At a good address | Typical address | Best locations | Challenging locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Midtown | 84.5% | 81.4% | 84.5% | 62.4% |
| 2 | Neartown/Montrose | 84.4% | 79.8% | 84.5% | 61.0% |
| 3 | Sharpstown | 84.2% | 78.3% | 84.5% | 57.2% |
| 4 | Greater Heights | 84.2% | 77.7% | 84.5% | 49.7% |
| 5 | Gulfgate Riverview/Pine Valley | 84.1% | 78.9% | 84.5% | 57.1% |
| 6 | Gulfton | 84.1% | 77.5% | 84.5% | 56.7% |
| 7 | Greater Eastwood | 84.0% | 74.9% | 84.2% | 51.3% |
| 8 | Spring Branch West | 83.9% | 76.7% | 84.5% | 58.2% |
| 9 | Fourth Ward | 83.8% | 78.9% | 84.5% | 68.9% |
| 10 | Willowbrook | 83.8% | 76.9% | 84.5% | 58.6% |
See the Survivability Score for your new business
What Are the Hardest Places in or Around Houston to Open a Business?
The hardest neighborhoods in or around Houston to open a business are:
| # | Neighborhood | At a good address | Typical address | Best locations | Challenging locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | Westwood | 79.9% | 72.9% | 84.2% | 55.3% |
| 54 | South Main | 79.4% | 71.1% | 84.1% | 54.0% |
| 55 | Greater Inwood | 79.4% | 69.2% | 84.5% | 49.6% |
| 56 | Greater Fondren Southwest | 79.3% | 67.4% | 84.0% | 50.0% |
| 57 | Medical Center Area | 76.3% | 65.7% | 80.1% | 51.6% |
The Full Houston Neighborhood Ranking
All 57 neighborhoods we rank in or around Houston, best to hardest, on the same measure as the tables above: the projected chance a business at a good address in that neighborhood (the mean p90 score of its ranked business types, the file's neighborhood_overall_score) lasts two or more years, averaged across the 129 business types in this ranking.
Show all 57 ranked neighborhoods
| # | Neighborhood | At a good address | Typical address | Best locations | Challenging locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Midtown | 84.5% | 81.4% | 84.5% | 62.4% |
| 2 | Neartown/Montrose | 84.4% | 79.8% | 84.5% | 61.0% |
| 3 | Sharpstown | 84.2% | 78.3% | 84.5% | 57.2% |
| 4 | Greater Heights | 84.2% | 77.7% | 84.5% | 49.7% |
| 5 | Gulfgate Riverview/Pine Valley | 84.1% | 78.9% | 84.5% | 57.1% |
| 6 | Gulfton | 84.1% | 77.5% | 84.5% | 56.7% |
| 7 | Greater Eastwood | 84.0% | 74.9% | 84.2% | 51.3% |
| 8 | Spring Branch West | 83.9% | 76.7% | 84.5% | 58.2% |
| 9 | Fourth Ward | 83.8% | 78.9% | 84.5% | 68.9% |
| 10 | Willowbrook | 83.8% | 76.9% | 84.5% | 58.6% |
| 11 | Greater Uptown | 83.8% | 73.4% | 84.5% | 48.9% |
| 12 | Clear Lake | 83.8% | 72.1% | 84.5% | 48.9% |
| 13 | Binz | 83.7% | 77.9% | 84.1% | 65.8% |
| 14 | Westchase | 83.6% | 77.8% | 84.5% | 56.2% |
| 15 | Park Place | 83.5% | 76.5% | 84.1% | 62.1% |
| 16 | Spring Branch East | 83.4% | 75.5% | 84.5% | 53.4% |
| 17 | Memorial | 83.4% | 70.4% | 84.5% | 48.8% |
| 18 | Lazybrook/Timbergrove | 83.3% | 73.5% | 84.5% | 50.6% |
| 19 | Alief | 83.3% | 73.2% | 84.5% | 50.3% |
| 20 | Lawndale/Wayside | 83.2% | 77.9% | 84.4% | 59.0% |
| 21 | Magnolia Park | 83.2% | 76.1% | 84.2% | 58.6% |
| 22 | Edgebrook Area | 83.2% | 73.5% | 84.2% | 50.4% |
| 23 | Denver Harbor/Port Houston | 83.1% | 75.6% | 84.2% | 54.3% |
| 24 | Northside Village | 83.1% | 75.4% | 84.4% | 52.8% |
| 25 | Carverdale | 83.0% | 75.7% | 84.4% | 51.7% |
| 26 | OST/South Union | 83.0% | 73.2% | 84.4% | 51.7% |
| 27 | Washington Avenue Coalition/Memorial Park | 83.0% | 72.4% | 84.5% | 48.9% |
| 28 | Spring Branch Central | 82.9% | 73.6% | 84.5% | 53.9% |
| 29 | Northside/Northline | 82.9% | 72.9% | 84.5% | 50.4% |
| 30 | Kingwood | 82.9% | 72.0% | 84.5% | 49.1% |
| 31 | Greater Greenspoint | 82.9% | 69.2% | 84.5% | 49.3% |
| 32 | Pleasantville Area | 82.8% | 76.5% | 84.4% | 56.7% |
| 33 | Independence Heights | 82.7% | 74.4% | 84.2% | 55.9% |
| 34 | Second Ward | 82.6% | 75.1% | 84.1% | 53.0% |
| 35 | Langwood | 82.5% | 73.6% | 83.3% | 56.5% |
| 36 | Sunnyside | 82.3% | 70.9% | 84.5% | 49.5% |
| 37 | Hidden Valley | 82.2% | 71.5% | 82.9% | 55.0% |
| 38 | Central Southwest | 82.2% | 69.8% | 84.3% | 48.8% |
| 39 | East Little York/Homestead | 82.1% | 73.0% | 84.3% | 52.9% |
| 40 | Willow Meadows/Willowbend Area | 82.0% | 72.0% | 84.4% | 51.8% |
| 41 | Pecan Park | 82.0% | 70.8% | 84.1% | 50.0% |
| 42 | MacGregor | 81.9% | 67.7% | 84.1% | 49.5% |
| 43 | Eastex/Jensen Area | 81.6% | 72.2% | 84.5% | 50.4% |
| 44 | Meyerland Area | 81.6% | 68.2% | 84.2% | 49.6% |
| 45 | South Acres/Crestmont Park | 81.5% | 71.4% | 84.2% | 49.4% |
| 46 | Braeburn | 81.3% | 68.9% | 83.3% | 50.1% |
| 47 | Braeswood Place | 80.9% | 66.2% | 84.1% | 48.9% |
| 48 | Greater Third Ward | 80.7% | 69.7% | 84.2% | 48.8% |
| 49 | South Park | 80.5% | 72.6% | 83.6% | 54.3% |
| 50 | Spring Branch North | 80.5% | 68.5% | 83.8% | 50.3% |
| 51 | Astrodome Area | 80.4% | 67.9% | 82.9% | 51.5% |
| 52 | Addicks Park Ten | 80.4% | 66.7% | 84.5% | 48.8% |
| 53 | Westwood | 79.9% | 72.9% | 84.2% | 55.3% |
| 54 | South Main | 79.4% | 71.1% | 84.1% | 54.0% |
| 55 | Greater Inwood | 79.4% | 69.2% | 84.5% | 49.6% |
| 56 | Greater Fondren Southwest | 79.3% | 67.4% | 84.0% | 50.0% |
| 57 | Medical Center Area | 76.3% | 65.7% | 80.1% | 51.6% |
However, individual locations vary widely, and even in lower-scoring neighborhoods there are pockets that perform exceptionally well. These city and neighborhood averages are a starting point, but StreetSpring's live platform provides the up-to-date survivability score for your exact block or storefront.
Where in or Around Houston Would a Business Make the Most Money?
StreetSpring provides address-specific survivability predictions for 500+ business types. In Midtown, the top-ranked neighborhood in or around Houston, a new business at a good address has about an 84.5% chance of lasting two or more years. In Medical Center Area, the last-ranked, the same figure is 76.3%. StreetSpring publishes no revenue figure for a neighborhood. The Revenue Capture Score, StreetSpring's estimate of the revenue a business can capture at a specific address, is the most important factor in choosing where to open, and the live tool scores it address by address.
Location is the part of the decision this projection measures, and inside one city it moves the projected chance a long way. Based on StreetSpring's 2026 analysis for Houston, you can check the most up-to-date forecasts with StreetSpring, starting with a free 10-minute trial, to select the location that puts you in the best position to succeed.
See the Survivability Score for your new business
What Should I Consider When Opening a Business in or Around Houston?
When selecting a location it is crucial to select a location with a very high Survivability Score. Consider how differently two businesses perform at the same address: a Home Goods Store will have a different forecasted spend than a Pan-Asian Restaurant, a Liquor Store, a Dentist Office, and others: and all of those would have different projections for each location. StreetSpring uses its own proprietary forecasting tools to make these predictions.
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. Market share is projected by analyzing the full competitive landscape (primary, secondary, and tertiary competitors at multiple distance bands) combined with consumer spending patterns for the specific address. We have been studying the businesses serving more than 180 million+ Americans. A certain density of competitors signals strong demand and can benefit all businesses (this is why car dealerships often cluster together). However, too much high quality primary competition can hurt a business's chances. StreetSpring also calculates the forecasted spend on the specific business type based on proprietary consumer spending projections trained on hundreds of thousands of businesses across the United States.
Revenue Capture Score = Projected Market Share × Forecasted Spend on Specific Business
The 3 neighborhoods in and around Houston that rank highest overall, across every business type StreetSpring ranks, are:
- Midtown
- Neartown/Montrose
- Sharpstown
Some other important factors to consider:
Ownership Rates: Owner-occupied neighborhoods generate more reliable recurring demand for local businesses, which StreetSpring's model captures through the ownership rate input. The top 3 neighborhoods in and around Houston with the highest ownership rates are: Kingwood, Meyerland Area, and Pleasantville Area.
Employment Rates: Employment rate is a key input for businesses sensitive to consumer spending cycles: areas with low unemployment tend to show stronger and more stable demand for discretionary purchases. The top 3 neighborhoods in and around Houston with the highest employment rates are: Meyerland Area, Greater Heights, and Astrodome Area.
Housing Occupancy: The Census counts how many housing units in each neighborhood stand vacant; StreetSpring's model reads that figure alongside competition, consumer spending and other neighborhood characteristics. The top 3 neighborhoods in and around Houston with the highest housing occupancy rates are: Central Southwest, Kingwood, and Addicks Park Ten.
See the Survivability Score for your new business
Where Should I Start, and How Do I Find the Right Data for Houston?
According to StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, Midtown, Neartown/Montrose, and Sharpstown are the strongest starting points in or around Houston, but the best neighborhood for your specific business type may differ from these overall rankings.
- Best businesses by neighborhood: A full breakdown of the top business types to open in each Houston neighborhood (including survivability scores by type) is at Houston Business Survivability Rankings.
- Best neighborhoods for your business type: If you already know your category, that same guide lets you filter by business type to see which neighborhoods score highest for your specific concept.
- Address-level scores: StreetSpring's live tool shows a survivability score for any business type at any exact address in or around Houston: updated regularly.
Get your address-level survivability score →
Market conditions shift, and the best way to verify current odds for a specific address is to run a live survivability check through StreetSpring.
What Should Landlords in or Around Houston Know When Evaluating Tenant Success?
Neighborhood-level rankings are a starting point: survivability at the property level can be meaningfully different from the area average. Landlords who understand which business types thrive at their specific address can negotiate better lease terms and attract higher-quality tenants.
See how landlords can use these forecasts to improve occupancy and NOI: Landlord Representatives Guide
Try StreetSpring to see the Survivability Score for 500+ business types at your storefront's address.
What Tools Can Tenant-Rep Agents Use to Find the Most Promising Locations in Houston?
The conventional approach to tenant representation leaves agents without the one number that matters most: the actual probability of the business surviving at that address, but StreetSpring highlights which addresses offer the best odds for long-term success across every business subtype in and around Houston. For a breakdown of the AI tools agents use to select the strongest sites, see: AI Tools for Tenant Reps
Why Do Business Survival Rates Vary So Much Between Neighborhoods in Houston?
Two storefronts on the same street can have meaningfully different odds of lasting two years: the block level matters as much as the neighborhood. Location uniqueness explains why the same concept can thrive on one block and fail two blocks away: the address-level variables compound in ways that neighborhood averages cannot capture. Our research explains why U.S. business survival rates haven't risen in decades, and how location drives outcomes more than concept: Why Survival Rates Aren't Increasing
What Is a Survivability Score and How Does StreetSpring Calculate It?
Survivability Scores reflect the projected 2-year survival probability for a specific business type at a specific address, accounting for competition, spending, mobility, and dozens of other factors. See how it works → 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.
How Does StreetSpring Compare to Other Site-Selection Tools?
Unlike traditional site-selection platforms, StreetSpring forecasts future business performance rather than describing present conditions, giving you a prediction, not just a snapshot. See how StreetSpring compares →
What Each Neighborhood Specializes In
The strongest neighborhood overall is not the best for every business, and the last-ranked one still has business types that do well there. Here are the top five for three points on the Houston list, at a good address in each:
Midtown: ranked #1 of 57 in Houston, the strongest neighborhood overall
- Mental Health Clinic (90.0% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Acupuncture Clinic (90.0% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Dentist Office (90.0% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Dermatology Clinic (90.0% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Physical Therapy Clinic (90.0% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
Northside/Northline: ranked #29 of 57, the middle of the Houston list
- Mental Health Clinic (89.6% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Acupuncture Clinic (89.6% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Dentist Office (89.6% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Dermatology Clinic (89.6% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Physical Therapy Clinic (89.6% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
Full Northside/Northline business guide
Medical Center Area: ranked #57 of 57, the last in the Houston list
- Mental Health Clinic (87.9% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Chiropractor Office (87.0% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Dentist Office (87.0% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Dermatology Clinic (86.6% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Acupuncture Clinic (86.6% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
Use the overall ranking to find candidate neighborhoods, then check the business type you plan to open.
Related Resources
Rankings based on historical averages shift as new competitors open or close: StreetSpring's live platform always reflects the most current survivability for any given address. See the full rankings and get a live survivability score for any address in Houston.
- Houston Business Survivability Rankings: overall rankings by business type across all Houston neighborhoods
- Business Survivability in Midtown
- Business Survivability in Neartown/Montrose
- Business Survivability in Sharpstown
- StreetSpring Methodology
Every Neighborhood We Rank in Houston
Survivability rankings for each Houston neighborhood we score, one page per neighborhood, with the business-type detail behind each one.
- Central Southwest
- Clear Lake
- Denver Harbor/Port Houston
- Greater Eastwood
- Greater Fondren Southwest
- Greater Greenspoint
- Greater Inwood
- Northside/Northline
- OST/South Union
- Park Place
- Pleasantville Area
- Second Ward
- South Main
- Spring Branch East
- Spring Branch North
- Sunnyside
Cities and Towns We Rank in the Houston Metro
Whole municipalities in the Houston metro, ranked separately from the neighborhoods above, one page per place.
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.