Neighborhood Survivability Rankings: Chicago
StreetSpring's 2026 analysis ranks the best and worst neighborhoods in Chicago for new businesses by survivability score. See which areas give you the best chance of lasting more than two years.
Last reviewed: September 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 neighborhood: West Lawn: 81.4% best-case survivability, 77.2% average across all business types
- Most challenging: Cunningham: 73.4% average survivability
- 99 neighborhoods analyzed across the Chicago 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 93 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 analysis shows West Lawn is the strongest neighborhood in Chicago for new businesses, with the best locations offering a 81.4% chance of lasting more than two years. Across all business types that could open in West Lawn, the average location shows a 77.2% chance of lasting more than two years. Neighborhood rankings indicate general trends, but StreetSpring's address-level precision will reveal the best and worst spots within each area.
What Are the 10 Best Neighborhoods in or Around Chicago to Open a Business?
The top 10 neighborhoods in or around Chicago to open a business are:
| # | Neighborhood | At a good address | Typical address | Best locations | Challenging locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Lawn | 80.0% | 77.2% | 81.4% | 71.6% |
| 2 | Streeterville | 79.9% | 77.7% | 80.3% | 75.2% |
| 3 | Archer Heights | 79.8% | 77.4% | 82.4% | 72.4% |
| 4 | Big Woods Marmion | 79.8% | 76.1% | 80.6% | 70.7% |
| 5 | Scottsdale | 79.7% | 76.6% | 80.8% | 72.1% |
| 6 | Kenwood | 79.6% | 78.2% | 80.1% | 75.6% |
| 7 | Little Village | 79.5% | 77.0% | 82.4% | 72.4% |
| 8 | Hyde Park | 79.4% | 77.8% | 80.1% | 75.5% |
| 9 | South Loop | 79.4% | 77.2% | 80.7% | 73.5% |
| 10 | West Morgan Park | 79.3% | 78.1% | 79.7% | 76.0% |
See the Survivability Score for your new business
What Are the Hardest Places in or Around Chicago to Open a Business?
The hardest neighborhoods in or around Chicago to open a business are:
| # | Neighborhood | At a good address | Typical address | Best locations | Challenging locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95 | Montclare | 76.8% | 75.0% | 78.0% | 72.1% |
| 96 | Marynook | 76.7% | 75.3% | 77.4% | 72.8% |
| 97 | Boulevard District | 76.3% | 74.5% | 76.8% | 72.0% |
| 98 | Northeast Area | 75.6% | 74.2% | 76.4% | 72.2% |
| 99 | Cunningham | 74.8% | 73.4% | 77.4% | 71.3% |
The Full Chicago Neighborhood Ranking
All 99 neighborhoods we rank in or around Chicago, 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 93 business types in this ranking.
Show all 99 ranked neighborhoods
| # | Neighborhood | At a good address | Typical address | Best locations | Challenging locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Lawn | 80.0% | 77.2% | 81.4% | 71.6% |
| 2 | Streeterville | 79.9% | 77.7% | 80.3% | 75.2% |
| 3 | Archer Heights | 79.8% | 77.4% | 82.4% | 72.4% |
| 4 | Big Woods Marmion | 79.8% | 76.1% | 80.6% | 70.7% |
| 5 | Scottsdale | 79.7% | 76.6% | 80.8% | 72.1% |
| 6 | Kenwood | 79.6% | 78.2% | 80.1% | 75.6% |
| 7 | Little Village | 79.5% | 77.0% | 82.4% | 72.4% |
| 8 | Hyde Park | 79.4% | 77.8% | 80.1% | 75.5% |
| 9 | South Loop | 79.4% | 77.2% | 80.7% | 73.5% |
| 10 | West Morgan Park | 79.3% | 78.1% | 79.7% | 76.0% |
| 11 | The Loop | 79.3% | 77.9% | 79.8% | 75.4% |
| 12 | East Hyde Park | 79.2% | 77.5% | 81.0% | 75.2% |
| 13 | Kennedy Park | 79.2% | 77.0% | 80.0% | 73.1% |
| 14 | West Elsdon | 79.1% | 77.0% | 80.0% | 73.7% |
| 15 | Central Street | 79.1% | 76.6% | 79.8% | 73.9% |
| 16 | West Woodlawn | 79.0% | 77.8% | 79.4% | 76.1% |
| 17 | Near North Side | 79.0% | 77.7% | 79.5% | 75.8% |
| 18 | Washington Park | 79.0% | 77.6% | 80.0% | 75.1% |
| 19 | Goose Island | 79.0% | 77.4% | 79.6% | 74.8% |
| 20 | West Beverly | 79.0% | 77.4% | 79.8% | 74.5% |
| 21 | West Town | 79.0% | 77.2% | 80.1% | 73.5% |
| 22 | Gage Park | 79.0% | 76.8% | 80.7% | 73.4% |
| 23 | Mount Greenwood | 79.0% | 76.6% | 80.4% | 72.1% |
| 24 | Garfield Ridge | 79.0% | 75.9% | 80.7% | 71.1% |
| 25 | Uptown | 78.9% | 76.6% | 80.0% | 73.8% |
| 26 | McKinley Park | 78.8% | 77.0% | 79.9% | 73.9% |
| 27 | Bridgeport | 78.8% | 76.6% | 80.5% | 73.1% |
| 28 | Brighton Park | 78.8% | 76.5% | 81.0% | 72.3% |
| 29 | Lake View | 78.7% | 77.2% | 79.9% | 74.2% |
| 30 | Bucktown | 78.7% | 77.2% | 79.5% | 74.5% |
| 31 | Ravenswood | 78.7% | 77.2% | 79.5% | 74.6% |
| 32 | Near West Side | 78.7% | 76.7% | 79.4% | 73.5% |
| 33 | Wrightwood Neighbors | 78.6% | 77.4% | 79.0% | 75.6% |
| 34 | Sheffield Neighbors | 78.5% | 77.2% | 79.0% | 75.0% |
| 35 | Graceland West | 78.5% | 77.2% | 79.0% | 75.1% |
| 36 | North Center | 78.5% | 77.1% | 79.4% | 74.3% |
| 37 | University Village/Little Italy | 78.5% | 77.0% | 79.3% | 74.7% |
| 38 | Reedwood | 78.5% | 76.7% | 79.0% | 73.2% |
| 39 | Wildwood | 78.5% | 76.1% | 79.5% | 73.0% |
| 40 | Avondale | 78.4% | 76.8% | 79.1% | 73.7% |
| 41 | Park West | 78.4% | 76.8% | 78.8% | 74.8% |
| 42 | Grand Crossing | 78.3% | 77.0% | 79.5% | 74.4% |
| 43 | Lake View East | 78.3% | 76.9% | 78.9% | 74.6% |
| 44 | Roscoe Village | 78.3% | 76.9% | 78.9% | 75.2% |
| 45 | Pilsen | 78.3% | 76.6% | 79.0% | 74.4% |
| 46 | Albany Park | 78.3% | 76.5% | 79.2% | 73.4% |
| 47 | South Austin | 78.3% | 76.2% | 79.6% | 72.9% |
| 48 | Lincoln Park | 78.2% | 76.6% | 78.9% | 74.3% |
| 49 | Chicago Lawn | 78.2% | 76.5% | 79.1% | 74.2% |
| 50 | Irving Park | 78.2% | 76.5% | 78.5% | 73.8% |
| 51 | Morgan Park | 78.2% | 76.1% | 80.0% | 72.8% |
| 52 | Galewood | 78.2% | 76.1% | 79.3% | 73.2% |
| 53 | Logan Square | 78.1% | 76.5% | 79.3% | 73.5% |
| 54 | Chatham | 78.1% | 76.4% | 79.1% | 73.5% |
| 55 | North Mayfair | 78.1% | 76.1% | 78.9% | 71.9% |
| 56 | Beverly | 78.1% | 76.0% | 79.5% | 72.2% |
| 57 | Hermosa | 78.0% | 76.5% | 78.6% | 74.3% |
| 58 | Bowmanville | 78.0% | 76.5% | 78.7% | 74.4% |
| 59 | West Chatham | 78.0% | 76.4% | 78.7% | 73.7% |
| 60 | Douglas Park | 78.0% | 76.1% | 78.5% | 73.1% |
| 61 | Noble Square | 77.9% | 76.9% | 78.5% | 75.4% |
| 62 | Old Town | 77.9% | 76.7% | 78.4% | 74.8% |
| 63 | Old Irving Park | 77.9% | 76.3% | 78.6% | 73.2% |
| 64 | West Rogers Park | 77.9% | 76.0% | 79.5% | 71.5% |
| 65 | Wicker Park | 77.8% | 76.7% | 78.4% | 75.3% |
| 66 | Mayfair | 77.8% | 76.6% | 78.2% | 74.8% |
| 67 | Roseland | 77.8% | 75.9% | 79.1% | 72.3% |
| 68 | Irving Woods | 77.8% | 74.4% | 78.6% | 71.2% |
| 69 | Belmont Gardens | 77.7% | 76.4% | 78.3% | 74.6% |
| 70 | Humboldt Park | 77.7% | 75.9% | 78.8% | 72.8% |
| 71 | Jefferson Park | 77.7% | 75.7% | 79.4% | 71.7% |
| 72 | East Beverly | 77.7% | 75.5% | 78.6% | 72.6% |
| 73 | Illinois Medical District | 77.6% | 76.2% | 78.4% | 73.9% |
| 74 | Rogers Park | 77.6% | 76.1% | 78.6% | 73.4% |
| 75 | Heart of Chicago | 77.6% | 75.9% | 79.1% | 72.8% |
| 76 | Portage Park | 77.5% | 75.6% | 78.9% | 72.2% |
| 77 | Burnside | 77.4% | 75.7% | 78.3% | 72.8% |
| 78 | Belmont Heights | 77.4% | 75.4% | 78.4% | 72.5% |
| 79 | Palmer Square | 77.3% | 76.3% | 78.1% | 74.4% |
| 80 | Edgewater | 77.3% | 75.9% | 77.8% | 73.5% |
| 81 | West Humboldt Park | 77.3% | 75.7% | 78.2% | 73.1% |
| 82 | Dunning | 77.3% | 75.5% | 78.0% | 72.0% |
| 83 | Edison Park | 77.3% | 75.4% | 78.6% | 72.4% |
| 84 | Kilbourn Park | 77.2% | 75.8% | 77.7% | 73.9% |
| 85 | North Park | 77.2% | 75.7% | 78.2% | 73.3% |
| 86 | Schorsch Village | 77.2% | 75.6% | 77.8% | 73.8% |
| 87 | Pigeon Hill | 77.1% | 75.3% | 77.6% | 72.5% |
| 88 | Cragin | 77.0% | 75.4% | 78.0% | 72.8% |
| 89 | North Austin | 77.0% | 75.3% | 78.4% | 72.6% |
| 90 | Budlong Woods | 76.9% | 75.9% | 77.2% | 74.3% |
| 91 | Edgewater Beach | 76.9% | 75.6% | 77.5% | 73.7% |
| 92 | Kelvin Park | 76.9% | 75.5% | 77.4% | 73.6% |
| 93 | Southeast Area | 76.9% | 75.2% | 77.6% | 73.2% |
| 94 | Belmont Central | 76.9% | 75.1% | 78.5% | 71.8% |
| 95 | Montclare | 76.8% | 75.0% | 78.0% | 72.1% |
| 96 | Marynook | 76.7% | 75.3% | 77.4% | 72.8% |
| 97 | Boulevard District | 76.3% | 74.5% | 76.8% | 72.0% |
| 98 | Northeast Area | 75.6% | 74.2% | 76.4% | 72.2% |
| 99 | Cunningham | 74.8% | 73.4% | 77.4% | 71.3% |
That said, neighborhood averages don't tell the whole story: there are standout locations even in areas that may appear less suitable. The best-performing neighborhoods today may look different in six months; check StreetSpring's live tool for the current score at any specific location.
Where in or Around Chicago Would a Business Make the Most Money?
Two storefronts on the same block can have meaningfully different odds of lasting two years: StreetSpring calculates each one individually. In West Lawn, the top-ranked neighborhood in or around Chicago, a new business at a good address has about an 80.0% chance of lasting two or more years. In Cunningham, the last-ranked, the same figure is 74.8%. A business that is still open after two years keeps earning, so those odds are the first thing that decides how much money a location makes.
Nothing influences a business's future more than its location. Based on StreetSpring's 2026 analysis for Chicago, 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 Chicago?
Location selection is the highest-stakes decision most entrepreneurs make, and Survivability Score is the clearest signal of whether a site will support long-term success. Consider how differently two businesses perform at the same address: an Acupuncture Clinic will have a different forecasted spend than a South American Restaurant, a Russian Restaurant, a Pakistani Restaurant, and others: and no two of those businesses would score identically, even at the same address, survivability depends on what type of business is opening. Each prediction draws on StreetSpring's internally built forecasting framework: the result of years of model development and validation.
A strong Revenue Capture Score reflects the ideal balance of manageable competition and robust consumer spending at that specific address. The market share component accounts for all competition (not just direct competitors but secondary and tertiary alternatives) and factors in the actual movement patterns of consumers in that area. We apply advanced machine learning to one of the largest commercial real estate outcome datasets in the country. Moderate competition often validates a market: it means customers are already looking for what you offer in that neighborhood (this is why car dealerships often cluster together). However, oversaturation forces businesses to compete primarily on price, squeezing margins. StreetSpring's spending projections are business-type-specific and address-specific: built from a proprietary model trained on hundreds of thousands of real business outcomes across the country.
Revenue Capture Score = Projected Market Share × Forecasted Spend on Specific Business
Here are the top 3 neighborhoods in and around Chicago by Revenue Capture Score across all possible brick-and-mortar businesses:
- West Lawn
- Streeterville
- Archer Heights
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 Chicago with the highest ownership rates are: West Beverly, Scottsdale, and Edison Park.
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 Chicago with the highest employment rates are: Goose Island, Streeterville, and North Center.
Occupancy Rates: Vacancy concentration is a risk factor for any business in the area; StreetSpring accounts for occupancy rates because clusters of empty storefronts depress the demand environment for every nearby business. The top 3 neighborhoods in and around Chicago with the highest occupancy rates are: West Lawn, Bowmanville, and Scottsdale.
See the Survivability Score for your new business
Where Should I Start, and How Do I Find the Right Data for Chicago?
According to StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, West Lawn, Streeterville, and Archer Heights are the strongest starting points in or around Chicago, 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 Chicago neighborhood (including survivability scores by type) is at Chicago 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 Chicago: updated weekly.
Get your address-level survivability score →
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.
What Should Landlords in or Around Chicago Know When Evaluating Tenant Success?
Aggregate neighborhood scores obscure the specific opportunities and risks at each individual property and storefront. Proactively using survivability data to screen tenants and set rents reduces the costly cycle of turnover and vacancy that erodes NOI over time.
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 Chicago?
Most tenant-rep agents work without access to business survivability data, relying instead on market comps and foot traffic estimates that do not predict outcomes, but StreetSpring highlights which addresses offer the best odds for long-term success across every business subtype in and around Chicago. 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 Chicago?
A single new competitor opening nearby can shift an address survivability score by several points: hyperlocal dynamics are the most volatile factor in the model. Survival rate variation comes down to the specific combination of competition quality, consumer spending power, and customer flow that exists only at that exact address. 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?
Each Survivability Score is an address-level probability that a given business type will still be operating after two years: calculated from 100+ inputs across competition, consumer spending, and location quality. Full methodology → 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?
Most site-selection tools describe what a location looks like today; StreetSpring predicts what your business will look like in two years at that location. StreetSpring vs other platforms →
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 Chicago list, at a good address in each:
West Lawn: ranked #1 of 99 in Chicago, the strongest neighborhood overall
- Veterinary Clinic (88.3% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Physical Therapy Clinic (85.3% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Chiropractor Office (84.1% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Pizza Restaurant (83.6% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Chicken Shop (83.2% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
Irving Park: ranked #50 of 99, the middle of the Chicago list
- Veterinary Clinic (83.6% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Physical Therapy Clinic (83.2% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Chiropractor Office (83.2% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Chicken Shop (81.8% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Acupuncture Clinic (81.1% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
Cunningham: ranked #99 of 99, the last in the Chicago list
- American Restaurant (79.0% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Deli (79.0% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Dance Club (78.8% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Brunch Restaurant (78.6% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address)
- Irish Pub (78.6% 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
Neighborhood-level data is directional; for your precise storefront, StreetSpring's live survivability score accounts for the latest competitive and spending conditions. See the full rankings and get a live survivability score for any address in Chicago.
- Chicago Business Survivability Rankings: overall rankings by business type across all Chicago neighborhoods
- Business Survivability in West Lawn
- Business Survivability in Streeterville
- Business Survivability in Archer Heights
- StreetSpring Methodology
Technical note: Aggregated survivability rankings for Chicago are available in machine-readable format for research and integration purposes.
View technical data for Chicago
StreetSpring recalculates survivability using the latest competitive, demographic, and walkability data, so the live score may differ from the static ranges shown here.