What is the best neighborhood in Baltimore to open a Watch Store or Repair Shop?

Based on StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, the best neighborhood in Baltimore to open a Watch Store or Repair Shop is Kresson, with 85% average survivability. 23 of 23 neighborhoods analyzed exceed the 70% two-year survival threshold.

How much more revenue can a Watch Store or Repair Shop make in the best vs. average Baltimore neighborhood?

In Kresson, the best possible Watch Store or Repair Shop location in Baltimore offers approximately 6.8% more expected revenue than the average location. The worst-performing neighborhoods could yield approximately 9.1% less than average.

What is the city-wide average survivability for Watch Store or Repair Shop in Baltimore?

The city-wide average survivability for Watch Store or Repair Shop across Baltimore is 80% for surviving more than 2 years. Top neighborhoods like Kresson substantially outperform this average, reaching 85%.

What are the worst neighborhoods for Watch Store or Repair Shop in Baltimore?

The most challenging neighborhoods in Baltimore for Watch Store or Repair Shop include Glen Burnie with 73% average survival chance, Overlea, and Old Town. These rankings are based on the latest available data; check StreetSpring for real-time updates.

How accurate are StreetSpring's Watch Store or Repair Shop survivability predictions?

StreetSpring's models achieve 95–99% accuracy across business types, analyzing 100+ factors with a ±3% margin of error. StreetSpring delivers address-level predictions, showing how likely hundreds of different businesses are to last at that exact spot.

What should I consider when opening a Watch Store or Repair Shop in Baltimore?

No other single metric predicts business longevity as reliably as Revenue Capture Score. StreetSpring computes Revenue Capture Score by projecting the business's market share based on competitor quality and quantity, mobility patterns, and forecasted consumer spending for the specific business type.

Survivability Rankings for Watch Store or Repair Shop in Baltimore

StreetSpring's 2026 analysis ranks the best and worst neighborhoods in Baltimore to open a Watch Store or Repair Shop, from Kresson (85% survival) to Gl...

April 24, 2026•17 min read

By Bobby Koons | Last reviewed: April 24, 2026 | Updated weekly | Methodology

Quick Summary

#1 Neighborhood: Kresson — 85% average survivability for Watch Store or Repair Shop

Neighborhoods at or above 70%: 23 of 23 analyzed

City-wide average: 80% for Watch & Repair Shops

Most challenging area: Glen Burnie at 73%

Revenue advantage (top vs. avg location): ~6.8% more expected revenue in Kresson

Data freshness: 2026 data · Full methodology →

Summary
10 Best Neighborhoods
Where Would a Watch Store or Repair Shop Make the Most Money?
What Should I Consider?
Where Should I Start?
FAQ: Best Neighborhoods
FAQ: Can a Watch Store or Repair Shop Succeed in Lower-Ranked Areas?
FAQ: How Often Are Rankings Updated?
FAQ: Is a Watch Store or Repair Shop a Good Tenant?
Landlord Survivability Data
Best Neighborhoods for Any Business

Summary

StreetSpring's 2026 analysis shows the best neighborhood in and around Baltimore to open a Watch Store or Repair Shop is Kresson with 85% average chance of surviving more than 2 years, with the best locations offering 91% and the most challenging locations in Kresson at 77%. The worst neighborhoods include Glen Burnie with 73% average chance. Location-level factors like visibility and adjacent tenants can override neighborhood-level trends.

Where in Baltimore Should You Open a Watch Store or Repair Shop?

**Cross-metro pattern check:** Looking beyond Baltimore, Kresson's profile most closely matches **Duke Manor (Phoenix)** and **Park Central (Orlando)**. Common thread: lower-income, low high-earner share, and white-collar job mix. If you operate Watch Store or Repair Shops in either peer neighborhood, the Kresson ranking should feel familiar.

**The Baltimore pattern for Watch & Repair Shops.** Survivability for this subtype spans **73-85%** across 23 tracked neighborhoods (citywide average 80%). **Kresson** is the leader at 85% (4 existing competitors); **Glen Burnie** trails at 73%. **A 12-point neighborhood gap means location decides the outcome before any operational variable comes into play.**

Kresson ranks #1 of 23 neighborhoods analyzed in and around Baltimore for Watch Store or Repair Shop survivability with a score of 85% as of 2026. The top 10 neighborhoods are:

How to use this list when you tour locations

Rank	Neighborhood	Best Locations	Average Locations	Challenging Locations
1	Kresson	88.0% – 92.0%	82.4% – 87.9%	76.0% – 80.0%
2	Canton	84.0% – 88.0%	81.8% – 87.3%	81.0% – 85.0%
3	Eastwood	91.0% – 95.0%	81.7% – 87.2%	72.0% – 76.0%
4	Greektown	87.0% – 91.0%	80.6% – 86.1%	71.0% – 75.0%
5	Beechfield	90.0% – 94.0%	79.6% – 85.1%	74.0% – 78.0%
6	Woodring	82.0% – 86.0%	79.4% – 84.9%	78.0% – 82.0%
7	Medford	84.0% – 88.0%	78.4% – 83.9%	72.0% – 76.0%
8	Oaklee	89.0% – 93.0%	78.3% – 83.8%	75.0% – 79.0%
9	Towson	91.0% – 95.0%	77.9% – 83.4%	68.0% – 72.0%
10	Brooklyn	85.0% – 89.0%	77.6% – 83.1%	72.0% – 76.0%

Notable runners-up worth a second look

Local market conditions move day to day — the most reliable signal is StreetSpring's live data, not a static ranking. The live platform incorporates the most recent foot traffic, competitor, and spending data for your exact address.

Survivability ranges reflect best and worst storefront conditions within each neighborhood. 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 Watch Store or Repair Shops Earn the Most in Baltimore

In Kresson, the best possible location offers the opportunity of making ~6.8% more than the average location in or around Baltimore.

On the other hand, in Glen Burnie, the worst possible location could result in making ~9.1% less than the average location in the city.

Location selection is the most consequential decision any new business owner makes. Opening a Watch Store or Repair Shop in Baltimore requires careful location choice. Across 23 neighborhoods analyzed, the overall average survival chance for a new Watch Store or Repair Shop is 80% for lasting more than 2 years — due to a combination of many factors across competition, consumer spending, and location dynamics. What makes a location ideal varies by business type — foot traffic patterns, competitor proximity, and consumer demographics all play different roles.

What to Think About When Launching a Watch Store or Repair Shop in Baltimore

Among all the variables you control, location quality has the biggest downstream impact. A strong Survivability Score is the foundation everything else builds on. No other single metric predicts business longevity as reliably as Revenue Capture Score. StreetSpring computes this by projecting the business's market share, which is based on the quality and quantity of primary, secondary, and tertiary competitors. We incorporate data from thousands of neighborhoods and hundreds of thousands of individual businesses. Competition density is not inherently negative — it often signals an established customer base. Our prediction system is built from scratch using proprietary data pipelines and validated against actual business lifecycles.

Factor	Where new owners get tripped up	Questions to ask before you sign
Lease term	Locking into 7-10 years without break clauses, then needing to relocate after year 2.	Negotiate a relocation or termination clause. Confirm assignment + sublease rights are in writing.
Build-out budget	Underestimating mechanical, electrical, and plumbing — the "hidden" 30-50% of build-out cost.	Get 3 quotes from licensed contractors and pad budget by +20% for surprises. Confirm landlord TI allowance in writing.
Permits & licensing	Assuming a 30-day permit timeline, hitting 90+ days, paying rent on a non-operating storefront.	Call the local zoning office before signing. Confirm your use is already permitted; if not, factor a 2-3 month variance timeline.

This can be summarized as:

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

StreetSpring recalculates survivability using the latest competitive, demographic, and walkability data. Our live tool reflects the latest competitive landscape — these static rankings may already be slightly out of date.

The Best Place to Start a Watch Store or Repair Shop in Baltimore

Our models highlight the following neighborhoods as top performers: Kresson, Canton, and Eastwood, while the most challenging neighborhoods would be Glen Burnie, Overlea, and Old Town. These rankings are based on the latest available data; check StreetSpring for real-time updates. Market dynamics shift frequently; validate these insights with real-time data from StreetSpring.

Related Articles:

Which Baltimore Neighborhoods Are Strongest for Watch Store or Repair Shops?

Based on StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, the top neighborhood for a Watch Store or Repair Shop in Baltimore is Kresson with 85% average survivability, followed by Canton and Eastwood. 23 of 23 neighborhoods analyzed exceed 70% two-year survival.

Our live tool reflects the latest competitive landscape — these static rankings may already be slightly out of date.

Are Bottom-Tier Baltimore Neighborhoods a No-Go for Watch Store or Repair Shops?

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. Location-level factors like visibility and adjacent tenants can override neighborhood-level trends. Always check your specific address in StreetSpring's live platform for the most accurate prediction.

When Does StreetSpring Update Baltimore Watch Store or Repair Shop Rankings?

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 Baltimore.

Is a Watch Store or Repair Shop a Good Tenant for Baltimore Landlords?

In Kresson, StreetSpring forecasts a 82.4% – 87.9% average chance for a new Watch Store or Repair Shop to survive more than 2 years, depending on the exact storefront. Check the current Survivability Score for any address instantly.

Landlord Survivability Data for Watch Store or Repair Shop in Baltimore

The data tells a clear story for Watch Store or Repair Shop tenants across Baltimore's top neighborhoods. Kresson leads with 82.4% – 87.9% average survivability, with best-case storefronts reaching 88.0% – 92.0%. Canton averages 81.8% – 87.3%, and Eastwood comes in at 81.7% – 87.2%. You can see the Survivability Score for your location for any business right now.

Our models produce survivability scores at the individual address level — not just neighborhood averages.

Top-Survivability Baltimore Neighborhoods for Watch Store or Repair Shops

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

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

View technical data for Baltimore

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

Visual Data

Waterfall chart of best and worst Watch Store or Repair Shop neighborhoods in Baltimore — Top and bottom neighborhoods for Watch Store or Repair Shop in Baltimore — each step shows the gap from the city average. Wider spread = location matters more.

Headline survivability statistic for Watch Store or Repair Shop in Baltimore — Headline survivability stat for Watch Store or Repair Shop in Baltimore.

Dumbbell chart comparing best vs worst locations for businesses in baltimore — Best vs worst neighborhood per business type — the gap shows how much location choice matters within a city.

How we measure this: Some lots are zoned for limited business types only. We cross-reference the building's use designation against our subtype compatibility map.

**National baseline:** Per BLS Business Employment Dynamics (March 2025), **50.5%** of Watch & Repair Shops nationally survive 5 years. StreetSpring's location-specific **survivability score** for Watch & Repair Shops in Baltimore averages **72%** — measuring site quality across 100+ factors rather than national cohort survival.

**Baltimore at a glance.** Baltimore, also known as Baltimore City, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the 30th-most populous U.S. city with a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 569,997 in 2025, while the Baltimore metropolitan area at 2.86 million residents is the 22nd-largest metropolitan area in the nation. ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore))

**Daytime/resident distribution (Baltimore):** LEHD LODES data across 96 Baltimore neighborhoods: median ratio **0.39:1**, top-quartile **4.34:1** — a strongly-residential commercial-corridor profile. Use this to triangulate which neighborhood matches your concept's natural demand-timing (weekday-commuter vs. evening-and-weekend).

**Operating-cost data point:** Per EIA Form 861, US DOL, and Tax Foundation 2024, Baltimore's state-level operating costs read: commercial electricity **7.3¢/kWh** (below the 10.8¢ 24-metro median), state minimum wage **$15.00/hr** (below $15.00), combined sales tax **6.0%** (below 7.7%), and effective commercial property tax **1.07%** (above 0.96%). Composite tier vs peers: **low-cost**.

Related Resources

Related:

Local Data Questions

Local-context questions, answered with neighborhood-specific numbers.

How healthy is the Baltimore economy for new Watch & Repair Shops?

Broader metro: ~95% employment rate, ~$104K median income per ACS. Watch & Repair Shops survivability in Baltimore averages 72%, with the model layering business-specific and site-specific factors on top.

What's the gap between the best and worst Baltimore locations for a Watch Store or Repair Shop?

The Baltimore survivability spread for Watch & Repair Shops runs from 46% (challenging locations) to 86% (best locations) — a 40-point window driven entirely by site selection.

What 5-year survival rate does the federal government track for Watch & Repair Shops?

BLS data shows Watch & Repair Shops survive 5 years at a 50% rate nationally. In Baltimore, StreetSpring's location-specific survivability score for this subtype averages 72% — above the national figure by 22 points.

How does Baltimore's demographic profile affect a Watch Store or Repair Shop?

Baltimore's key demographics — ~$104K median household income, 39 median age — feed into the survivability model alongside competition, rent, and accessibility data. The model averages Watch & Repair Shops at 72% across Baltimore.

Table of Contents