Business Survivability in Lawrence, Boston
StreetSpring's 2026 analysis finds that the best business to open in Lawrence is an Indonesian Restaurant with a ~83% chance of surviving at least 2 years across the neighborhood on average.
Quick Summary
- Best business: an Indonesian Restaurant in Lawrence (~83% average survival rate, ~85% at best locations)
- Neighborhood rank: #63 across all neighborhoods in and around Boston
- Neighborhood average: ~75% two-year survival across all business types
- Rankings updated quarterly with latest market data
- Detailed methodology
Last reviewed: May 10, 2026 by Bobby Koons, Founder & CEO, StreetSpring
In this article:
- Summary
- Is Lawrence a good place to start a business?
- How to find the best location
- Best businesses to open
- How much money could a business make?
- What businesses should open next?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Summary
StreetSpring's 2026 analysis finds that the best business to open in Lawrence is an Indonesian Restaurant with a ~83% chance of surviving at least 2 years across the neighborhood on average, with the best locations offering a ~85% chance; next is a South American Restaurant with a ~83% chance, followed by a Bangladeshi Restaurant with a ~83% chance.
What does the data say about opening in Lawrence?
Lawrence earns the #63 spot in Boston for new business survivability, with an average score of ~75% across all business types analyzed.
- The most promising business types in the best locations score a ~2% higher chance of surviving 2 years than the average.
- Even so, the weakest addresses in Lawrence for those same business types can underperform considerably. StreetSpring's address-level scoring exists precisely to identify which specific storefronts make the difference.
- The 92.1% employment rate in Lawrence supports consumer spending, while a 2.3% vacancy rate reflects available storefronts — both of which shape the survivability landscape for any new business here.
Employment and vacancy figures sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.
Where in Lawrence should you open a business?
StreetSpring narrows the decision down to the exact address — showing which blocks in Lawrence produce the highest survivability scores for your concept. StreetSpring's 2026 analysis identifies this area as the top location for an Indonesian Restaurant in Lawrence:
The locations that show up in our top-10 lists
Based on StreetSpring's 2026 analysis of 100 location-specific factors, this area offers the highest projected survivability for an Indonesian Restaurant in Lawrence. Market dynamics shift in days, not months, so StreetSpring's live tool is the most current source for any specific address. Factors evaluated include competition at every distance band, consumer spending forecasts, mobility patterns, and market share projections.
Check if this location is still available →
Top-ranked business types for Lawrence
#1-5: Highest Survivability in Lawrence
- Opening an Indonesian Restaurant in Lawrence shows ~83% average survivability. Top locations reach ~85%; lower-end sites show ~82%.
- South American Restaurant (Ranked #2): ~83% average in Lawrence. Best-case storefronts: ~85%. Challenging locations: ~81%.
- Bangladeshi Restaurant is ranked #3 for top businesses to open in Lawrence: ~83% chance on average, best at ~85%, challenging at ~81%.
- Chinese Restaurant — ~81%–~84% survivability range, with an average of ~83% across Lawrence.
- Opening a Deli in Lawrence shows ~83% average survivability. Top locations reach ~84%; lower-end sites show ~81%.
#6-10: Strong Performers in Lawrence
- Brunch Restaurant (Ranked #6): ~83% average in Lawrence. Best-case storefronts: ~85%. Challenging locations: ~81%.
- Chicken Shop is ranked #7 for top businesses to open in Lawrence: ~83% chance on average, best at ~85%, challenging at ~82%.
- Pet Grooming Shop — ~81%–~85% survivability range, with an average of ~83% across Lawrence.
- Opening a Kosher Restaurant in Lawrence shows ~83% average survivability. Top locations reach ~85%; lower-end sites show ~81%.
- Japanese / Sushi Restaurant (Ranked #10): ~83% average in Lawrence. Best-case storefronts: ~84%. Challenging locations: ~81%.
Top 3 Compared Nationally
- Bangladeshi Restaurant — See how this compares to other cities →
The revenue potential of a Lawrence location
Best location vs. average location
Based on StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, choosing an address that maximizes your Revenue Capture Score in Lawrence could lead to you making ~2% more than if you selected an average location, and ~4% more than if you selected one of the worst locations.
How StreetSpring calculates location value
- Site selection requires evaluating the specific combination of your business type and the exact address — neighborhood-level data is only the starting point.
- Where you open matters more than anything else.
- The businesses that outperform their category averages most consistently are those that scored highest on survivability before opening.
- StreetSpring's precision goes beyond the neighborhood — it scores survivability at the exact address for every major brick-and-mortar business category.
The biggest opportunity gaps in Lawrence
The top businesses to open next in Lawrence:
- Indonesian Restaurants — ~83% average survival rate, up to ~85% at best locations
- South American Restaurants — ~83% average survival rate
- Bangladeshi Restaurants — ~83% average survival rate
Market conditions are changing daily, and it is best to use StreetSpring's most up-to-date data. We apply advanced machine learning to one of the largest commercial real estate outcome datasets in the country. With Lawrence's 92.1% employment rate factored in, the businesses best positioned to succeed here are those that benefit from a well-employed, spending-capable local consumer base. StreetSpring refreshes survivability scores every week to reflect new competition and updated spending data — see which locations in Lawrence are available right now and how they rank.
See the Survivability Score for your new business
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Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the most common questions about opening a business in Lawrence.
What type of business should you rent your Lawrence storefront to?
If you own commercial space in Lawrence, StreetSpring's 2026 data points to Indonesian Restaurants, South American Restaurants, and Bangladeshi Restaurants as the tenant types with the strongest projected longevity at this location.
- Where you open matters more than anything else.
- StreetSpring's precision goes beyond the neighborhood — it scores survivability at the exact address for every major brick-and-mortar business category. StreetSpring can show you which specific address in your portfolio scores highest for each tenant type.
Related: See How Landlord Representatives in Boston Can Reduce Vacancy & Increase Tenant Longevity
Should you rent your Lawrence storefront to an Indonesian Restaurant?
Yes — our 2026 model places an Indonesian Restaurant at the top of the survivability rankings for Lawrence storefronts, with a best-case score of ~85% and a floor of ~82% at the most challenging addresses.
- StreetSpring's precision goes beyond the neighborhood — it scores survivability at the exact address for every major brick-and-mortar business category.
What should I consider when opening a business in Lawrence?
The Survivability Score for your specific address in Lawrence is the most reliable signal you have before signing a lease — prioritize it above foot traffic estimates and demographic summaries.
- The Revenue Capture Score at a specific address explains more about likely business success than any other available metric.
- StreetSpring's proprietary algorithms power these predictions.
- You can check the Survivability Score for any storefront in Lawrence at no cost using StreetSpring's live tool.
See the best place for your business at StreetSpring.
Using predictive analytics, StreetSpring helps entrepreneurs and landlords make smarter location decisions. Aggregated survivability rankings for Boston are available in machine-readable format for research and integration purposes.
Build-out budget rules-of-thumb for this neighborhood
| Area to check | What can go wrong | How to de-risk it |
|---|---|---|
| Insurance + compliance | General liability quoted at a starter rate, then jumping 2-3x once you add property + workers' comp + business interruption. | Get binding quotes from 2 insurers before signing the lease. Most landlords require minimum coverage levels — read those terms first. |
| Workforce availability | Hiring radius is smaller than you think — many neighborhoods can't staff a full team at standard wages. | Pull BLS wage data for your industry in this metro. Walk through your staffing plan with a local restaurant/retail operator before signing. |
| Foot traffic seasonality | Looking at a peak-summer Tuesday and assuming year-round volume. | Walk the block at 3 different times across 2 different weeks. Ask neighboring tenants for their slow-season % drop. |
Full dataset for Boston: /resources/data/boston-survivability-scores-2026.csv — includes all business subtypes, all neighborhoods, survivability scores, and tier assignments. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Visual Data
Related Resources
Related:
Related:
- Business Survivability in Adair Park, Atlanta
- Business Survivability in Ansley Park, Atlanta
- Business Survivability in Ardmore, Atlanta
Local Data Questions
Further questions, with answers anchored on this neighborhood's actual data.
What survival rates does the federal government track for small businesses?
BLS publishes 5-year cohort survival rates by industry. For sectors StreetSpring covers, the range is 47.8-61.8% — Active Life low, Health & Medical high, Restaurants and Retail in the middle around 47.9-50%. Location-specific factors drive most of the variance around these baselines.
Does Lawrence's education level matter for picking a business type?
Approximately 21% of Lawrence adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 58% across the Boston metro. Lower education attainment shifts demand toward value retail, services, and everyday needs.
Is Lawrence a high-employment or high-unemployment area?
ACS labor-force data shows an employment rate of about 92% in Lawrence, versus 96% across Boston. Below-average employment can constrain discretionary spending — value-oriented and essential services tend to fare better.
How does income in Lawrence compare to the rest of Boston?
ACS data shows median household income in Lawrence at roughly $83K, compared to $135K across the Boston metro. Lower median income tends to favor value-oriented retail, fast-casual food, and necessity-driven services.
Is Lawrence more a residential or work-destination neighborhood?
Lawrence's median commute (~26 min) is below the Boston metro median (32 min). A shorter commute usually means residents work close to home — that boosts mid-day weekday demand for cafes, lunch spots, and convenience services.