City Survivability Rankings for Home Improvement Store
StreetSpring's 2026 analysis ranks the top cities for Home Improvement Stores across the US by Survivability Scores. See which cities offer the best chances for a Home Improvement Store to succeed.
Quick Summary
- Survivability Score: the projected chance a business type lasts two or more years at a specific address
- The highest-ranked city for Home Improvement Store is Charlotte: 84.1% at a good address, 76.1% at a typical address
- Dallas is left out of this ranking while a gap in its input data is repaired, and San Antonio is left out because it has too few scored locations to rank fairly
- 7 of 22 analyzed US metros average above 70% for Home Improvement Store survivability at a typical address
- The lowest-ranked city is New York City at 70.2%
- National average chance of lasting two or more years for Home Improvement Store: 67.3%
- Data reflects 2026 StreetSpring survivability analysis across 22 US metro areas · Full methodology →
Table of Contents
- Summary
- Top Cities for Home Improvement Stores
- Key Insights
- What Makes These Cities Stand Out?
- Related Resources
- How current is this ranking?
- Can a Home Improvement Store succeed in cities not ranked in the top 10?
- What tools can help me choose the right city for a Home Improvement Store?
- Which US city has the best survivability for Home Improvement Stores?
Summary
According to StreetSpring's 2026 nationwide analysis, Charlotte ranks as the #1 city for opening a Home Improvement Store in the United States, with an 84.1% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address. Following close behind are Atlanta with 84.1%, and Denver with 84.1%. StreetSpring's 22-city analysis places the national average for Home Improvement Stores at 67.3%, a baseline that Charlotte comfortably exceeds. Still, specific site selection matters: some of the best-performing blocks can be found in cities that might not look ideal on average. These rankings reflect data through early 2026: check StreetSpring for the latest figures before any location decision.
Survivability ranges reflect best and worst storefront conditions within each city. See our full methodology →
Best-to-worst Home Improvement Store survivability within individual metros: Charlotte, Atlanta, Detroit, New York City and Miami. Each box spans the middle of that metro's range; whiskers are its best and worst locations (2026).
All 22 Cities Ranked for Home Improvement Stores
Based on StreetSpring's analysis of 22 major metropolitan areas, these cities offer the strongest prospects for Home Improvement Stores:
| # | Metro | Metro area | Chance of lasting two or more years at a good address |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charlotte | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 84.1% |
| 2 | Atlanta | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 84.1% |
| 3 | Denver | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 84.1% |
| 4 | Orlando | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 83.7% |
| 5 | Houston | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 83.7% |
| 6 | Seattle | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 82.3% |
| 7 | St. Louis | St. Louis, MO-IL | 82.3% |
| 8 | Minneapolis | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 81.8% |
| 9 | Washington DC | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 81.8% |
| 10 | Phoenix | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 81.0% |
| 11 | Baltimore | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 80.5% |
| 12 | Detroit | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 80.0% |
| 13 | Philadelphia | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 79.6% |
| 14 | San Diego | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 79.6% |
| 15 | Portland | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 79.2% |
| 16 | Tampa Bay | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 78.7% |
| 17 | San Francisco | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 77.8% |
| 18 | Boston | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 77.3% |
| 19 | Miami | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 76.5% |
| 20 | Chicago | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 76.0% |
| 21 | Los Angeles | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 75.1% |
| 22 | New York City | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 70.2% |
1. Charlotte Metro: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
- At a good address: 84.1%
- At a typical address: 76.1%
- Best scored location: 85.0%
- Weakest scored location: 49.4%
2. Atlanta Metro: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
- At a good address: 84.1%
- At a typical address: 74.5%
- Best scored location: 85.0%
- Weakest scored location: 49.0%
3. Denver Metro: Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
- At a good address: 84.1%
- At a typical address: 74.1%
- Best scored location: 85.0%
- Weakest scored location: 49.0%
4. Orlando Metro: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
- At a good address: 83.7%
- At a typical address: 74.0%
- Best scored location: 85.0%
- Weakest scored location: 49.0%
5. Houston Metro: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
- At a good address: 83.7%
- At a typical address: 72.9%
- Best scored location: 85.0%
- Weakest scored location: 49.0%
6. Seattle Metro: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
- At a good address: 82.3%
- At a typical address: 70.3%
- Best scored location: 85.0%
- Weakest scored location: 49.0%
7. St. Louis Metro: St. Louis, MO-IL
- At a good address: 82.3%
- At a typical address: 69.7%
- Best scored location: 85.0%
- Weakest scored location: 49.0%
8. Minneapolis Metro: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
- At a good address: 81.8%
- At a typical address: 70.1%
- Best scored location: 85.0%
- Weakest scored location: 49.0%
9. Washington DC Metro: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
- At a good address: 81.8%
- At a typical address: 68.0%
- Best scored location: 85.0%
- Weakest scored location: 49.0%
10. Phoenix Metro: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
- At a good address: 81.0%
- At a typical address: 67.7%
- Best scored location: 85.0%
- Weakest scored location: 49.0%
11. Baltimore Metro: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
- At a good address: 80.5%
- At a typical address: 67.2%
- Best scored location: 85.0%
- Weakest scored location: 49.0%
12. Detroit Metro: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
- At a good address: 80.0%
- At a typical address: 68.1%
- Best scored location: 85.0%
- Weakest scored location: 49.0%
13. Philadelphia Metro: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
- At a good address: 79.6%
- At a typical address: 66.4%
- Best scored location: 85.0%
- Weakest scored location: 49.0%
14. San Diego Metro: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
- At a good address: 79.6%
- At a typical address: 65.7%
- Best scored location: 85.0%
- Weakest scored location: 49.0%
15. Portland Metro: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
- At a good address: 79.2%
- At a typical address: 63.9%
- Best scored location: 85.0%
- Weakest scored location: 49.0%
16. Tampa Bay Metro: Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
- At a good address: 78.7%
- At a typical address: 65.0%
- Best scored location: 85.0%
- Weakest scored location: 49.0%
17. San Francisco Metro: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
- At a good address: 77.8%
- At a typical address: 62.7%
- Best scored location: 85.0%
- Weakest scored location: 49.0%
18. Boston Metro: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
- At a good address: 77.3%
- At a typical address: 63.1%
- Best scored location: 85.0%
- Weakest scored location: 49.0%
19. Miami Metro: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- At a good address: 76.5%
- At a typical address: 62.0%
- Best scored location: 84.5%
- Weakest scored location: 49.0%
20. Chicago Metro: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
- At a good address: 76.0%
- At a typical address: 61.4%
- Best scored location: 85.0%
- Weakest scored location: 49.0%
21. Los Angeles Metro: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
- At a good address: 75.1%
- At a typical address: 61.1%
- Best scored location: 85.0%
- Weakest scored location: 49.0%
22. New York City Metro: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
- At a good address: 70.2%
- At a typical address: 56.8%
- Best scored location: 85.0%
- Weakest scored location: 49.0%
Key Insights
Wide variation between cities: The difference between the #1 city (Charlotte at 84.1%) and the #22 city (New York City at 70.2%) is 13.90 percentage points. For Home Improvement Stores, Charlotte leads Atlanta by less than a point. Either metro works. The specific site decides the outcome.
Challenging markets: 1 city falls below 60% survivability, suggesting more difficult market conditions.
National average: Across all 22 analyzed cities, the average survivability for a Home Improvement Store is 67.3%.
What Makes These Cities Stand Out?
The top-ranked cities share several characteristics that favor Home Improvement Stores:
- Strong survivability signals: Charlotte leads with a 76% average chance of lasting two or more years for Home Improvement Stores: significantly above the national average for this business category.
- Competition density: The top cities show favorable competitor-to-opportunity ratios for Home Improvement Stores, meaning lower saturation and higher odds of capturing an underserved customer base.
- Consumer demand signals: StreetSpring's data captures competitor review velocity, spending patterns, and demographic fit, all pointing toward sustained demand for Home Improvement Stores in these markets.
- Neighborhood diversity: Within each top city, high-survivability zones appear across multiple neighborhood types, from dense urban cores to established suburban strips.
The data behind these rankings comes from our proprietary AI models, trained on millions of real-world business outcomes across the U.S. Our forecasting engine processes data from over 24 metro areas covering 180+ million consumers. StreetSpring's predictions leverage proprietary datasets covering competition, spending, and mobility.
Related Resources
City-specific guides: For detailed neighborhood-level analysis, explore our city guides:
- Business Survivability Rankings: Charlotte
- Business Survivability Rankings: Atlanta
- Business Survivability Rankings: Orlando
- Business Survivability Rankings: Houston
National guides:
How current is this ranking?
Rankings are updated quarterly. The current data reflects StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, with the next full dataset refresh scheduled for Q3 2026. As market conditions shift across major metros, individual city scores can move meaningfully between updates: particularly for Home Improvement Stores, where local competition density and consumer spending patterns respond quickly to new entrants and neighborhood change. For the most current score at any specific address, use StreetSpring's live survivability tool rather than the static ranking above.
Can a Home Improvement Store succeed in cities not ranked in the top 10?
Yes, our top 10 ranking reflects cities with the strongest average conditions, but lower-ranked metros can still contain exceptional individual neighborhoods. Many operators successfully open Home Improvement Stores in cities that don't appear in our top 10. Home Improvement Stores in particular can find strong performance in secondary markets where the right demographic concentration, household income, and limited direct competition within walking distance align, even outside our highest-ranked cities. StreetSpring's neighborhood-level data surfaces these pockets of opportunity in every city we analyze, regardless of where the city as a whole ranks nationally.
What tools can help me choose the right city for a Home Improvement Store?
StreetSpring's Survivability Score tool provides address-level predictions for Home Improvement Stores across all 22 metros we track. For this category specifically, the model reads competition density, the consumer spending index for Home Improvement Stores, and Census neighborhood characteristics such as the housing vacancy rate, and turns them into the projected chance that a Home Improvement Store lasts two or more years at a given address. You can check any specific address before signing a lease and compare multiple neighborhoods side by side to identify the highest-survivability site within your target city.
Try the Survivability Score tool →
Which US city has the best survivability for Home Improvement Stores?
Charlotte ranks as the #1 city in the US for Home Improvement Stores survivability in StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, with an average 76% chance of lasting two or more years. This means that across well-selected neighborhoods in Charlotte, a Home Improvement Store has approximately a 76% chance of still operating after two years, above the national average for this category. Atlanta ranks second, followed by Denver. The full ranking reflects data across 22 major US metro areas: see the complete list above for all scores and neighborhood-level links.
Last reviewed: October 2026 by Robert Koons, Founder & CEO, StreetSpring
Technical note: Aggregated national survivability rankings across all 24 metros are available in machine-readable format for research and integration purposes.
StreetSpring recalculates survivability using the latest competitive, demographic, and walkability data, so the live score may differ from the static ranges shown here.
Methodology: Each metro's figures pool the scored locations in its published neighborhoods. Metros are ranked the way the national data file ranks them, on the chance of lasting two or more years at a good address; the typical-address figure is shown alongside. Coverage includes 22 major US metropolitan areas: Charlotte, Atlanta, Denver, Orlando, Houston, Seattle, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Washington DC, Phoenix, Baltimore, Detroit, Philadelphia, San Diego, Portland, Tampa Bay, San Francisco, Boston, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City. 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.