Business Survivability in San Rafael Hills, Los Angeles
StreetSpring's 2026 analysis finds that the best business to open in San Rafael Hills is an Asian Fusion Restaurant with a ~86% chance of surviving at least 2 years across the neighborhood on average.
Quick Summary
- Best business: an Asian Fusion Restaurant in San Rafael Hills (~86% average survival rate, ~88% at best locations)
- Neighborhood rank: #111 across all neighborhoods in and around Los Angeles
- Neighborhood average: ~75% two-year survival across all business types
- Rankings updated quarterly with latest market data
- Detailed methodology
Last reviewed: May 1, 2026 by Bobby Koons, Founder & CEO, StreetSpring
In this article:
- Summary
- Is San Rafael Hills 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 San Rafael Hills is an Asian Fusion Restaurant with a ~86% chance of surviving at least 2 years across the neighborhood on average, with the best locations offering a ~88% chance; next is a Pet Boarding Facility with a ~86% chance, followed by a Pet Grooming Shop with a ~84% chance.
Is San Rafael Hills the right neighborhood for a new business?
StreetSpring's analysis places San Rafael Hills at #111 in Los Angeles for new business survival odds, with a neighborhood-wide average of ~75%.
- Strong business types at their best-match addresses in San Rafael Hills consistently score ~2% higher than the overall neighborhood survivability average.
- Even so, the weakest addresses in San Rafael Hills for those same business types can underperform considerably. StreetSpring's address-level scoring exists precisely to identify which specific storefronts make the difference.
- San Rafael Hills's employment rate of 95.3% and commercial vacancy of 9.3% are two of the inputs StreetSpring's model uses to differentiate survivability within this neighborhood.
Employment and vacancy figures sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.
Which blocks in San Rafael Hills offer the strongest survivability?
The right address in San Rafael Hills can mean a 20-point survivability difference from an average one — StreetSpring identifies exactly which addresses are worth pursuing. Below is the best location for an Asian Fusion Restaurant in San Rafael Hills:
Why the right block matters more than the right neighborhood
The highlighted area represents the address in San Rafael Hills that StreetSpring's 2026 analysis ranks highest for an Asian Fusion Restaurant survivability. Market conditions, new competitors, and local spending patterns can change rapidly — always verify with StreetSpring's live tool before signing a lease. StreetSpring's scoring incorporates 100 inputs, including competitive quality and density, projected consumer spending, Revenue Capture Score, and mobility data.
Check if this location is still available →
Which business types have the highest survivability in San Rafael Hills?
#1-5: Highest Survivability in San Rafael Hills
- Asian Fusion Restaurant is ranked #1 for top businesses to open in San Rafael Hills: ~86% chance on average, best at ~88%, challenging at ~84%.
- Pet Boarding Facility — ~84%–~88% survivability range, with an average of ~86% across San Rafael Hills.
- Opening a Pet Grooming Shop in San Rafael Hills shows ~84% average survivability. Top locations reach ~86%; lower-end sites show ~82%.
- Italian Restaurant (Ranked #4): ~84% average in San Rafael Hills. Best-case storefronts: ~85%. Challenging locations: ~83%.
- Kosher Restaurant is ranked #5 for top businesses to open in San Rafael Hills: ~84% chance on average, best at ~86%, challenging at ~82%.
#6-10: Strong Performers in San Rafael Hills
- French Restaurant — ~82%–~85% survivability range, with an average of ~84% across San Rafael Hills.
- Opening an Ukrainian Restaurant in San Rafael Hills shows ~84% average survivability. Top locations reach ~86%; lower-end sites show ~82%.
- Pet Store (Ranked #8): ~84% average in San Rafael Hills. Best-case storefronts: ~86%. Challenging locations: ~82%.
- Indonesian Restaurant is ranked #9 for top businesses to open in San Rafael Hills: ~84% chance on average, best at ~86%, challenging at ~82%.
- Filipino Restaurant — ~82%–~85% survivability range, with an average of ~84% across San Rafael Hills.
Top 3 Compared Nationally
- Asian Fusion Restaurant — See how this compares to other cities →
The revenue potential of a San Rafael Hills location
Best location vs. average location
Based on StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, following the survivability data rather than relying on intuition or foot traffic estimates in San Rafael Hills could lead to you making ~2% more than if you selected an average location, and ~5% more than if you selected one of the worst locations.
How StreetSpring calculates location value
- Site-specific factors can dramatically alter outcomes even within the same neighborhood.
- Location is the single strongest predictor of whether a business thrives or fails.
- Businesses in high-scoring locations consistently outperform those in average or low-scoring sites.
- StreetSpring delivers pinpoint accuracy down to the exact storefront location.
What San Rafael Hills needs more of (per our model)
The top businesses to open next in San Rafael Hills:
- Asian Fusion Restaurants — ~86% average survival rate, up to ~88% at best locations
- Pet Boarding Facilities — ~86% average survival rate
- Pet Grooming Shops — ~84% average survival rate
Market conditions, new competitors, and local spending patterns can change rapidly — always verify with StreetSpring's live tool before signing a lease. Our platform incorporates data from thousands of neighborhoods nationwide. San Rafael Hills sits at 95.3% employment and 9.3% commercial vacancy — conditions that set the ceiling and floor for Revenue Capture potential across all business types here. StreetSpring refreshes survivability scores every week to reflect new competition and updated spending data — see which locations in San Rafael Hills are available right now and how they rank.
See the Survivability Score for your new business
Related Articles:
- See the Los Angeles Business Survivability Rankings
- See the Los Angeles Neighborhood Survivability Rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the most common questions about opening a business in San Rafael Hills.
What type of business should you rent your San Rafael Hills storefront to?
If you own commercial space in San Rafael Hills, StreetSpring's 2026 data points to Asian Fusion Restaurants, Pet Boarding Facilities, and Pet Grooming Shops as the tenant types with the strongest projected longevity at this location.
- Location is the single strongest predictor of whether a business thrives or fails.
- StreetSpring delivers pinpoint accuracy down to the exact storefront location. Run your specific address through StreetSpring to see which tenant categories give you the best odds of stable, long-term occupancy.
Related: See How Landlord Representatives in Los Angeles Can Reduce Vacancy & Increase Tenant Longevity
Should you rent your San Rafael Hills storefront to an Asian Fusion Restaurant?
The data shows an Asian Fusion Restaurant is the safest long-term bet for a San Rafael Hills storefront. Top locations reach ~88% survivability; the least favorable addresses in this neighborhood score around ~84%.
- StreetSpring delivers pinpoint accuracy down to the exact storefront location.
What should I consider when opening a business in San Rafael Hills?
Location decisions in San Rafael Hills should be grounded in Survivability Score data, not intuition. The score directly measures the competitive and spending conditions at your exact address.
- Revenue Capture Score matters more than any other single metric when predicting business outcomes.
- These forecasts are generated using StreetSpring's unique analytical framework.
- StreetSpring is free to use — see the current survivability score for any address in San Rafael Hills right now.
See the best place for your business at StreetSpring.
StreetSpring's models are built from millions of real business outcomes, making predictions grounded in what actually happened. Aggregated survivability rankings for Los Angeles are available in machine-readable format for research and integration purposes.
Permits, licensing, and zoning specifics worth flagging
| Area to check | What can go wrong | How to de-risk it |
|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| Outdoor seating / sidewalk use | Signing assuming you can add patio seating, then learning the city requires a separate sidewalk-cafe permit with long lead times. | Check the city's sidewalk-cafe permit process up front. Confirm landlord allows outdoor build-out in the lease language. |
| 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. |
Full dataset for Los Angeles: /resources/data/los-angeles-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
Neighborhood-Specific Questions
Additional questions with answers drawn directly from local data sources.
Are storefronts and homes filling up or sitting empty in San Rafael Hills?
San Rafael Hills's housing vacancy rate is roughly 9%, compared to 5% across the Los Angeles metro. Elevated vacancy can mean softening demand or short-term opportunity to negotiate rent — verify against commercial-corridor activity before committing.
What does household composition look like in San Rafael Hills?
ACS data puts average household size in San Rafael Hills at 3.1, compared to 2.7 across Los Angeles. Household composition is close to the metro average.
What's the poverty rate in San Rafael Hills, and what does it imply for businesses?
4% of San Rafael Hills households fall below the federal poverty line — below the Los Angeles metro median (11%). Low poverty supports the broadest range of business types, including premium and discretionary categories.
Does San Rafael Hills's education level matter for picking a business type?
Approximately 75% of San Rafael Hills adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 39% across the Los Angeles metro. A highly educated population tends to support specialty retail, premium services, and professional offices.