City Survivability Rankings for Chinese Restaurant
StreetSpring's 2026 analysis ranks the top cities for Chinese Restaurants across the US by Survivability Scores. See which cities offer the best chances for a Chinese Restaurant to succeed.
Quick Summary
- The highest-survivability city for Chinese Restaurant is Portland — 89% average survivability
- 24 of 24 analyzed US metros score above 70% for Chinese Restaurant survivability
- The lowest-ranked city is New York City at 84%
- National average survivability score for Chinese Restaurant: 86.5%
- Data reflects 2026 StreetSpring survivability analysis across 24 US metro areas · Full methodology →
Table of Contents
- Summary
- Top Cities for Chinese Restaurants
- Key Insights
- What Makes These Cities Stand Out?
- Best Neighborhoods Across the Spectrum
- Related Resources
- How current is this ranking?
- Can a Chinese Restaurant succeed in cities not ranked in the top 10?
- What tools can help me choose the right city for a Chinese Restaurant?
- Which US city has the best survivability for Chinese Restaurants?
Summary
According to StreetSpring's 2026 nationwide analysis, Portland ranks as the #1 city for opening a Chinese Restaurant in the United States, with an average 89% chance of surviving more than 2 years. Following close behind are San Antonio with 89%, and St Louis with 88%. Nationally, Chinese Restaurants average 86.5% survivability across 24 major markets — with 24 cities offering conditions favorable enough to exceed the 80% threshold. City-wide statistics are directional, not definitive; the best decision comes from analyzing your specific storefront. Pair these survivability scores with StreetSpring's live tool to get a real-time view before making a final decision.
Survivability ranges reflect best and worst storefront conditions within each city. See our full methodology →
Chinese Restaurant city survivability rankings — Portland leads among 24 US metros at 89% in 2026
The 24-City Survivability Index for Chinese Restaurants
Based on StreetSpring's analysis of 24 major metropolitan areas, these cities offer the strongest prospects for Chinese Restaurants:
1. Portland Metro: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
- Best locations: 92.5% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 85.2% – 89.7%
- Challenging locations: 59.0% – 79.8%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in Portland →
What the score range across cities tells you
2. San Antonio Metro: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX
- Best locations: 92.4% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 85.0% – 89.7%
- Challenging locations: 58.0% – 79.5%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in San Antonio →
3. St Louis
- Best locations: 92.2% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 84.5% – 89.3%
- Challenging locations: 57.0% – 78.9%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in St Louis →
4. Charlotte Metro: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
- Best locations: 92.0% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 84.3% – 89.0%
- Challenging locations: 58.0% – 78.9%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in Charlotte →
5. Orlando Metro: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
- Best locations: 92.0% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 84.4% – 89.0%
- Challenging locations: 59.0% – 79.2%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in Orlando →
6. Detroit Metro: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
- Best locations: 91.6% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 83.6% – 88.3%
- Challenging locations: 58.0% – 78.4%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in Detroit →
7. Phoenix Metro: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
- Best locations: 91.6% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 83.6% – 88.3%
- Challenging locations: 58.0% – 78.4%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in Phoenix →
8. Baltimore Metro: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
- Best locations: 91.4% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 83.7% – 88.1%
- Challenging locations: 60.0% – 78.8%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in Baltimore →
9. Atlanta Metro: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
- Best locations: 91.4% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 83.5% – 88.1%
- Challenging locations: 59.0% – 78.5%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in Atlanta →
10. Tampa Bay Metro: Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
- Best locations: 91.4% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 83.3% – 88.1%
- Challenging locations: 57.0% – 77.9%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in Tampa Bay →
11. San Diego Metro: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
- Best locations: 91.3% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 83.3% – 87.8%
- Challenging locations: 59.0% – 78.3%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in San Diego →
12. San Francisco Metro: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
- Best locations: 91.1% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 82.9% – 87.6%
- Challenging locations: 58.0% – 77.8%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in San Francisco →
Where mid-ranked cities still beat top-ranked spots locally
13. Houston Metro: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
- Best locations: 91.1% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 82.8% – 87.6%
- Challenging locations: 57.0% – 77.5%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in Houston →
14. Los Angeles Metro: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
- Best locations: 91.0% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 82.6% – 87.5%
- Challenging locations: 56.0% – 77.1%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in Los Angeles →
15. Minneapolis Metro: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
- Best locations: 91.0% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 82.9% – 87.5%
- Challenging locations: 59.0% – 78.0%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in Minneapolis →
16. Miami Metro: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Best locations: 90.9% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 83.1% – 87.2%
- Challenging locations: 63.0% – 79.0%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in Miami →
17. Chicago Metro: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
- Best locations: 90.8% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 82.3% – 87.1%
- Challenging locations: 57.0% – 77.2%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in Chicago →
18. Dallas Metro: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Best locations: 90.8% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 83.3% – 87.1%
- Challenging locations: 65.0% – 79.5%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in Dallas →
19. Seattle Metro: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
- Best locations: 90.8% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 82.3% – 87.1%
- Challenging locations: 57.0% – 77.1%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in Seattle →
20. Denver Metro: Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
- Best locations: 90.7% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 82.4% – 87.0%
- Challenging locations: 59.0% – 77.6%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in Denver →
21. Washington DC Metro: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
- Best locations: 90.7% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 82.3% – 87.0%
- Challenging locations: 58.0% – 77.3%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in Washington DC →
22. Boston Metro: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
- Best locations: 90.7% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 82.3% – 86.9%
- Challenging locations: 59.0% – 77.6%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in Boston →
23. Philadelphia Metro: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
- Best locations: 90.4% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 81.6% – 86.5%
- Challenging locations: 56.0% – 76.4%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in Philadelphia →
24. New York City Metro: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
- Best locations: 89.9% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 80.7% – 85.7%
- Challenging locations: 55.0% – 75.4%
- Explore Chinese Restaurant neighborhoods in New York City →
Patterns Across the National Picture
| Comparison factor | Top-tier city pattern | Bottom-tier city pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Climate-driven seasonality | Cities where the subtype's peak season aligns with the local climate calendar (e.g., year-round outdoor dining in mild markets). | Cities with extreme seasonality that compresses revenue into 4–6 month windows. |
| BLS QCEW retail employment trend | Cities with positive 3-year retail employment growth — proxy for local demand expansion. | Cities showing flat or declining retail employment over the same window. |
| Anchor-tenant density | Cities with high concentration of universities, hospitals, transit hubs within a 1-mile radius of typical storefronts. | Cities where anchor institutions are isolated in suburbs or single-purpose campuses with no street-level spillover. |
Wide variation between cities: The difference between the #1 city (Portland at 88.8%) and the #24 city (New York City at 84.2%) is 4.6 percentage points. The 0.1-point lead Portland holds over San Antonio reflects real structural differences in how well each metro supports Chinese Restaurants — not just random variation.
Where this ranking confirms the conventional wisdom
Strong performers: 24 cities show Survivability Scores above 80%, indicating highly favorable conditions for Chinese Restaurants.
National average: Across all 24 analyzed cities, the average survivability for a Chinese Restaurant is 86.5%.
Why Top-Ranked Cities Outperform
The top-ranked cities share several characteristics that favor Chinese Restaurants:
- Strong survivability signals: Portland leads with a 89% average survivability score for Chinese Restaurants — significantly above the national average for this business category.
- Competition density: The top cities show favorable competitor-to-opportunity ratios for Chinese Restaurants, meaning lower saturation and higher odds of capturing an underserved customer base.
- Low market saturation: Top cities for Chinese Restaurants have fewer direct competitors per square mile than lower-ranked metros, leaving meaningful whitespace for well-positioned new entrants.
- Supply chain access: Cities at the top of this ranking benefit from mature supplier networks for this category, reducing operating costs and inventory lead times.
Our analysis draws on millions of commercial real estate data points to deliver survivability predictions trusted by professionals nationwide. The training dataset includes millions of transactions and business lifecycle events. These forecasts are generated by our exclusive analytical framework, built from the ground up for commercial real estate.
Standout Neighborhoods From Top to Bottom
National rankings tell only part of the story. Even cities further down the list contain neighborhoods where Chinese Restaurants thrive. A few examples:
New York City — ranked #24 of 24 — among the lower-ranked national markets
- Rockaway-Park (89% survivability)
- Coney-Island (86% survivability)
- Newark (85% survivability)
- Brighton-Beach (85% survivability)
- Far-Rockaway (84% survivability)
See full neighborhood rankings for New York City →
These examples show that a city's national rank for Chinese Restaurants is a starting signal — neighborhood-level data is what drives an actual location decision.
Visual Data
Related Resources
City-specific guides: For detailed neighborhood-level analysis, explore our city guides:
- Survivability Rankings for Chinese Restaurant in Portland
- Business Survivability Rankings: Portland
- Survivability Rankings for Chinese Restaurant in San Antonio
- Business Survivability Rankings: San Antonio
- Survivability Rankings for Chinese Restaurant in St Louis
- Business Survivability Rankings: St Louis
- Survivability Rankings for Chinese Restaurant in Charlotte
- Business Survivability Rankings: Charlotte
- Survivability Rankings for Chinese Restaurant in Orlando
- Business Survivability Rankings: Orlando
National guides:
- National Neighborhood Survivability Rankings for Chinese Restaurants
- Neighborhood Survivability Rankings: Portland
What's the update cadence for 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 Chinese Restaurants, 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.
Are top-10 cities the only viable markets for Chinese Restaurants?
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 Chinese Restaurants in cities that don't appear in our top 10. Chinese Restaurants 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.
Which tools rank cities for a Chinese Restaurant survivability?
StreetSpring's Survivability Score tool provides address-level predictions for Chinese Restaurants across all 24 metros we track. For this category specifically, the tool surfaces competition density, consumer spending index for Chinese Restaurants, and commercial vacancy rates — the factors that most consistently predict whether a Chinese Restaurant will still be operating after two years. 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 →
What is the #1 city for Chinese Restaurants?
Portland ranks as the #1 city in the US for Chinese Restaurants survivability in StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, with an average score of 89%. This means that across well-selected neighborhoods in Portland, a Chinese Restaurant has approximately a 89% chance of still operating after two years — above the national average for this category. San Antonio ranks second, followed by St Louis. The full ranking reflects data across 24 major US metro areas — see the complete list above for all scores and neighborhood-level links.
Reviewed and updated: May 2, 2026 — Bobby 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 foot traffic data, so the live score may differ from the static ranges shown here.
Methodology: City rankings aggregate neighborhood-level Survivability Scores (max, average, and min) across all analyzed neighborhoods in each metro area. Rankings reflect average conditions but do not account for variation within cities. Coverage includes 24 major US metropolitan areas: Portland, San Antonio, St Louis, Charlotte, Orlando, Detroit, Phoenix, Baltimore, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, San Diego, San Francisco, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, Seattle, Denver, Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia, New York City.