City Survivability Rankings for Day Care Center

StreetSpring's 2026 analysis ranks the top cities for Day Care Centers across the US by Survivability Scores. See which cities offer the best chances for a Day Care Center 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 Day Care Center is Miami: 77.00% average survivability
  • 11 of 24 analyzed US metros score above 70% for Day Care Center survivability
  • The lowest-ranked city is Minneapolis at 74.90%
  • National average chance of lasting two or more years for Day Care Center: 76.0%
  • Data reflects 2026 StreetSpring survivability analysis across 24 US metro areas · Full methodology →

Table of Contents

Summary

According to StreetSpring's 2026 nationwide analysis, Miami ranks as the #1 city for opening a Day Care Center in the United States, with an average 77.00% chance of surviving more than 2 years. Following close behind are Phoenix with 76.46%, and San Antonio with 76.44%. StreetSpring's 24-city analysis places the national average for Day Care Centers at 76.0%, a baseline that Miami comfortably exceeds. Remember that a city's average score smooths over wide variation: your exact neighborhood could significantly outperform the city average. These rankings reflect data through early 2026: check StreetSpring for the latest figures before any location decision.

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

Day Care Centers city survivability range chart: Miami vs Dallas (2026)

Best-to-worst Day Care Center survivability within individual metros: Miami, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Portland 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 Day Care Centers

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

#MetroMetro areaChance of lasting two or more years
1MiamiMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL77.00%
2PhoenixPhoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ76.46%
3San AntonioSan Antonio-New Braunfels, TX76.44%
4Tampa BayTampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL76.25%
5OrlandoOrlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL76.23%
6HoustonHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX76.20%
7PortlandPortland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA76.01%
8CharlotteCharlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC75.93%
9St Louis75.82%
10New York CityNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ75.78%
11BaltimoreBaltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD75.69%
12DallasDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX75.64%
13AtlantaAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA75.60%
14Los AngelesLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA75.56%
15Washington DCWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV75.53%
16San FranciscoSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA75.36%
17DetroitDetroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI75.33%
18San DiegoSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA75.30%
19PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD75.29%
20ChicagoChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN75.15%
21BostonBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH75.12%
22DenverDenver-Aurora-Centennial, CO75.02%
23SeattleSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA74.92%
24MinneapolisMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI74.90%

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9. St Louis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Key Insights

Cities cluster tightly: The difference between the #1 city (Miami at 77.00%) and the #24 city (Minneapolis at 74.90%) is 2.10 percentage points. At 0.5 points apart, Miami and Phoenix are effectively tied for Day Care Centers. The survivability difference that matters shows up block by block.

National average: Across all 24 analyzed cities, the average survivability for a Day Care Center is 76.0%.

What Makes These Cities Stand Out?

The top-ranked cities share several characteristics that favor Day Care Centers:

  • Strong survivability signals: Miami leads with a 77% average chance of lasting two or more years for Day Care Centers: significantly above the national average for this business category.
  • Competition density: The top cities show favorable competitor-to-opportunity ratios for Day Care Centers, meaning lower saturation and higher odds of capturing an underserved customer base.
  • Geographic distribution: The top cities span multiple U.S. regions, giving franchise operators or multi-location owners diverse market options without concentrating risk.
  • Consumer demand signals: StreetSpring's data captures competitor review velocity, spending patterns, and demographic fit, all pointing toward sustained demand for Day Care Centers in these markets.

StreetSpring uses AI to predict business survivability across U.S. neighborhoods, trusted by real estate professionals and entrepreneurs nationwide. The training dataset includes millions of transactions and business lifecycle events. The prediction engine behind these rankings is entirely proprietary: developed in-house over years of research.

Best Neighborhoods Across the Spectrum

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

Miami: ranked #1 nationally: the strongest market for Day Care Centers

  • Harbor-Drive (90% survivability)
  • Beach (89% survivability)
  • Riviera-Isles (88% survivability)
  • Galt-Mile (87% survivability)
  • Las-Olas-Isles (87% survivability)

See full neighborhood rankings for Miami →

Atlanta: ranked #13 of 24: a middle-of-the-pack national market

  • Joyland (86% survivability)
  • High-Point (81% survivability)
  • Benton-Woods (81% survivability)
  • Blandtown (81% survivability)
  • Home-Park (80% survivability)

See full neighborhood rankings for Atlanta →

City-level scores aggregate hundreds of neighborhoods. The right neighborhood matters more than the city's headline rank.

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 Day Care Centers, 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 Day Care Center 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 Day Care Centers in cities that don't appear in our top 10. Day Care Centers 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 Day Care Center?

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

Miami ranks as the #1 city in the US for Day Care Centers survivability in StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, with an average 77% chance of lasting two or more years. This means that across well-selected neighborhoods in Miami, a Day Care Center has approximately a 77% chance of still operating after two years, above the national average for this category. Phoenix ranks second, followed by San Antonio. 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: Miami, Phoenix, San Antonio, Tampa Bay, Orlando, Houston, Portland, Charlotte, St Louis, New York City, Baltimore, Dallas, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Washington DC, San Francisco, Detroit, San Diego, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, Denver, Seattle, Minneapolis. 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.