City Survivability Rankings for Convenience Store

StreetSpring's 2026 analysis ranks the top cities for Convenience Stores across the US by Survivability Scores. See which cities offer the best chances for a Convenience Store 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 Convenience Store is Dallas: 74.67% average survivability
  • 1 of 24 analyzed US metros score above 70% for Convenience Store survivability
  • The lowest-ranked city is Detroit at 71.48%
  • National average chance of lasting two or more years for Convenience Store: 73.0%
  • Data reflects 2026 StreetSpring survivability analysis across 24 US metro areas · Full methodology →

Table of Contents

Summary

According to StreetSpring's 2026 nationwide analysis, Dallas ranks as the #1 city for opening a Convenience Store in the United States, with an average 74.67% chance of surviving more than 2 years. Following close behind are San Antonio with 74.03%, and Orlando with 74.02%. The 24-city analysis shows Convenience Stores performing at a 73.0% national average, with strong geographic concentration of top scores in a handful of metros. Market conditions change daily and it is best to use StreetSpring's most current data to ensure there have not been major shifts. 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 →

Convenience Stores city survivability range chart: Miami vs Portland (2026)

Best-to-worst Convenience Store survivability within individual metros: Miami, Minneapolis, San Diego, Baltimore and Portland. Each box spans the middle of that metro's range; whiskers are its best and worst locations (2026).

All 24 Cities Ranked for Convenience Stores

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

#MetroMetro areaChance of lasting two or more years
1DallasDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX74.67%
2San AntonioSan Antonio-New Braunfels, TX74.03%
3OrlandoOrlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL74.02%
4HoustonHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX73.87%
5Tampa BayTampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL73.61%
6MiamiMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL73.53%
7CharlotteCharlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC73.16%
8St Louis73.03%
9PhoenixPhoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ72.98%
10Los AngelesLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA72.97%
11Washington DCWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV72.89%
12New York CityNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ72.88%
13PortlandPortland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA72.79%
14BostonBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH72.72%
15San FranciscoSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA72.71%
16AtlantaAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA72.68%
17San DiegoSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA72.62%
18DenverDenver-Aurora-Centennial, CO72.34%
19BaltimoreBaltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD72.18%
20PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD72.08%
21ChicagoChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN72.07%
22MinneapolisMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI71.80%
23SeattleSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA71.77%
24DetroitDetroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI71.48%

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8. St Louis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Key Insights

Cities cluster tightly: The difference between the #1 city (Dallas at 74.67%) and the #24 city (Detroit at 71.48%) is 3.19 percentage points. Convenience Stores show a 0.6-point difference between the top two metros. Treat this ranking as a starting filter, not a decision.

National average: Across all 24 analyzed cities, the average survivability for a Convenience Store is 73.0%.

What Makes These Cities Stand Out?

The top-ranked cities share several characteristics that favor Convenience Stores:

  • Strong survivability signals: Dallas leads with a 75% average chance of lasting two or more years for Convenience Stores: significantly above the national average for this business category.
  • Competition density: The top cities show favorable competitor-to-opportunity ratios for Convenience Stores, meaning lower saturation and higher odds of capturing an underserved customer base.
  • Low market saturation: Top cities for Convenience Stores have fewer direct competitors per square mile than lower-ranked metros, leaving meaningful whitespace for well-positioned new entrants.
  • Consumer demand signals: StreetSpring's data captures competitor review velocity, spending patterns, and demographic fit, all pointing toward sustained demand for Convenience Stores in these markets.

StreetSpring analyzes millions of data points with AI to forecast business survivability across U.S. neighborhoods. StreetSpring measures competition through a 30-factor framework. StreetSpring's predictions leverage proprietary datasets covering competition, spending, and mobility.

Best Neighborhoods Across the Spectrum

National rankings tell only part of the story. Even cities further down the list contain neighborhoods where Convenience Stores thrive. A few examples:

Dallas: ranked #1 nationally: the strongest market for Convenience Stores

  • Downtown (82% survivability)
  • Clearview (80% survivability)
  • Oak-Lawn (80% survivability)
  • South-Poly (79% survivability)
  • East (79% survivability)

See full neighborhood rankings for Dallas →

These examples show that a city's national rank for Convenience Stores 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 Convenience Stores, 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 Convenience Store 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 Convenience Stores in cities that don't appear in our top 10. Convenience Stores 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 Convenience Store?

StreetSpring's Survivability Score tool provides address-level predictions for Convenience Stores across all 24 metros we track. For this category specifically, the tool surfaces competition density, consumer spending index for Convenience Stores, and commercial vacancy rates: the factors that most consistently predict whether a Convenience Store 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 Convenience Stores?

Dallas ranks as the #1 city in the US for Convenience Stores survivability in StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, with an average 75% chance of lasting two or more years. This means that across well-selected neighborhoods in Dallas, a Convenience Store has approximately a 75% chance of still operating after two years, above the national average for this category. San Antonio ranks second, followed by Orlando. 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: Dallas, San Antonio, Orlando, Houston, Tampa Bay, Miami, Charlotte, St Louis, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Washington DC, New York City, Portland, Boston, San Francisco, Atlanta, San Diego, Denver, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle, Detroit. 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.