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.

•17 min read

Quick Summary

  • Survivability Score: the projected chance a business type lasts two or more years at a specific address
  • The highest-survivability city for Chinese Restaurant is Portland: 82.09% average survivability
  • 24 of 24 analyzed US metros score above 70% for Chinese Restaurant survivability
  • The lowest-ranked city is New York City at 80.02%
  • National average chance of lasting two or more years for Chinese Restaurant: 81.0%
  • Data reflects 2026 StreetSpring survivability analysis across 24 US metro areas · Full methodology →

Table of Contents

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 82.09% chance of surviving more than 2 years. Following close behind are San Antonio with 82.06%, and St Louis with 81.87%. Across 24 metros, Chinese Restaurants average 81.0% survivability, with 24 cities offering conditions conducive to long-term success in this category. Even cities with modest average scores can harbor exceptional individual locations: always check the address-level data. Market conditions shift frequently: use StreetSpring's live tool to confirm the current picture before committing to a location.

Survivability ranges reflect best and worst storefront conditions within each city. See our full methodology →

Chinese Restaurants city survivability range chart: Portland vs Dallas (2026)

Best-to-worst Chinese Restaurant survivability within individual metros: Portland, San Antonio, Tampa Bay, San Diego and Dallas. Each box spans the middle of that metro's range; whiskers are its best and worst locations (2026).

All 24 Cities Ranked for Chinese Restaurants

Based on StreetSpring's analysis of 24 major metropolitan areas, these cities offer the strongest prospects for Chinese Restaurants:

#MetroMetro areaChance of lasting two or more years
1PortlandPortland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA82.09%
2San AntonioSan Antonio-New Braunfels, TX82.06%
3St Louis81.87%
4CharlotteCharlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC81.70%
5OrlandoOrlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL81.69%
6PhoenixPhoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ81.36%
7DetroitDetroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI81.35%
8AtlantaAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA81.25%
9BaltimoreBaltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD81.24%
10Tampa BayTampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL81.23%
11San DiegoSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA81.10%
12San FranciscoSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA80.99%
13HoustonHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX80.98%
14MinneapolisMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI80.93%
15Los AngelesLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA80.92%
16MiamiMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL80.78%
17ChicagoChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN80.76%
18DallasDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX80.74%
19SeattleSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA80.73%
20DenverDenver-Aurora-Centennial, CO80.68%
21Washington DCWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV80.67%
22BostonBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH80.64%
23PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD80.44%
24New York CityNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ80.02%

1. Portland Metro: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

2. San Antonio Metro: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX

3. St Louis

4. Charlotte Metro: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC

5. Orlando Metro: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL

6. Phoenix Metro: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ

7. Detroit Metro: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

8. Atlanta Metro: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

9. Baltimore Metro: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

10. Tampa Bay Metro: Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL

11. San Diego Metro: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA

12. San Francisco Metro: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

13. Houston Metro: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX

14. Minneapolis Metro: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

15. Los Angeles Metro: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

16. Miami Metro: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

17. Chicago Metro: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

18. Dallas Metro: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

19. Seattle Metro: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

20. Denver Metro: Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO

21. Washington DC Metro: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV

22. Boston Metro: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

23. Philadelphia Metro: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD

24. New York City Metro: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ

Key Insights

Cities cluster tightly: The difference between the #1 city (Portland at 82.09%) and the #24 city (New York City at 80.02%) is 2.07 percentage points. For Chinese Restaurants, Portland leads San Antonio by less than a point. Either metro works. The specific site decides the outcome.

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 81.0%.

What Makes These Cities Stand Out?

The top-ranked cities share several characteristics that favor Chinese Restaurants:

  • Strong survivability signals: Portland leads with a 82% average chance of lasting two or more years 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 survivability predictions are built on one of the largest commercial real estate datasets available, covering 24 major metros. Our analysis covers businesses serving the 24 largest metros in America. Our forecasting system combines proprietary data with machine learning models unavailable anywhere else.

Best Neighborhoods Across the Spectrum

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.

City-specific guides: For detailed neighborhood-level analysis, explore our city guides:

National guides:

How current is 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.

Can a Chinese Restaurant succeed in cities not ranked in the top 10?

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.

What tools can help me choose the right city for a Chinese Restaurant?

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 →

Which US city has the best survivability for Chinese Restaurants?

Portland ranks as the #1 city in the US for Chinese Restaurants survivability in StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, with an average 82% chance of lasting two or more years. This means that across well-selected neighborhoods in Portland, a Chinese Restaurant has approximately a 82% 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.

Last reviewed: September 2026 by Robert 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.

View national technical data

StreetSpring recalculates survivability using the latest competitive, demographic, and walkability 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, Phoenix, Detroit, Atlanta, Baltimore, Tampa Bay, San Diego, San Francisco, Houston, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Dallas, Seattle, Denver, Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia, New York City. 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.