City Survivability Rankings for Deli
StreetSpring's 2026 analysis ranks the top cities for Delis across the US by Survivability Scores. See which cities offer the best chances for a Deli to succeed.
Quick Summary
- The highest-survivability city for Deli is Portland — 89% average survivability
- 24 of 24 analyzed US metros score above 70% for Deli survivability
- The lowest-ranked city is New York City at 84%
- National average survivability score for Deli: 86.8%
- Data reflects 2026 StreetSpring survivability analysis across 24 US metro areas · Full methodology →
Table of Contents
- Summary
- Top Cities for Delis
- Key Insights
- What Makes These Cities Stand Out?
- Best Neighborhoods Across the Spectrum
- Related Resources
- How current is this ranking?
- Can a Deli succeed in cities not ranked in the top 10?
- What tools can help me choose the right city for a Deli?
- Which US city has the best survivability for Delis?
Summary
According to StreetSpring's 2026 nationwide analysis, Portland ranks as the #1 city for opening a Deli in the United States, with an average 89% chance of surviving more than 2 years. Following close behind are St Louis with 89%, and San Antonio with 89%. Nationally, Delis average 86.8% survivability across 24 major markets — with 24 cities offering conditions favorable enough to exceed the 80% threshold. Market conditions change daily and it is best to use StreetSpring's most current data to ensure there have not been major shifts. Use this data to narrow your shortlist, then visit each top city in person to assess foot traffic and competitive density.
Survivability ranges reflect best and worst storefront conditions within each city. See our full methodology →
Deli city survivability rankings — Portland leads among 24 US metros at 89% in 2026
All 24 Cities Ranked for Delis
Based on StreetSpring's analysis of 24 major metropolitan areas, these cities offer the strongest prospects for Delis:
1. Portland Metro: Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
- Best locations: 92.6% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 85.6% – 90.0%
- Challenging locations: 60.0% – 80.3%
2. St Louis
- Best locations: 92.4% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 85.0% – 89.7%
- Challenging locations: 58.0% – 79.5%
3. 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%
4. Charlotte Metro: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC
- Best locations: 92.1% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 84.2% – 89.1%
- Challenging locations: 56.0% – 78.4%
5. Orlando Metro: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL
- Best locations: 91.9% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 84.5% – 88.9%
- Challenging locations: 60.0% – 79.5%
6. Detroit Metro: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
- Best locations: 91.8% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 84.0% – 88.6%
- Challenging locations: 58.0% – 78.7%
7. Phoenix Metro: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
- Best locations: 91.8% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 84.0% – 88.6%
- Challenging locations: 58.0% – 78.6%
8. Tampa Bay Metro: Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
- Best locations: 91.7% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 83.8% – 88.6%
- Challenging locations: 57.0% – 78.3%
9. Atlanta Metro: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
- Best locations: 91.5% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 83.6% – 88.2%
- Challenging locations: 58.0% – 78.3%
- Explore Deli neighborhoods in Atlanta →
10. Baltimore Metro: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD
- Best locations: 91.5% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 84.0% – 88.2%
- Challenging locations: 62.0% – 79.5%
11. San Diego Metro: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
- Best locations: 91.4% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 83.5% – 88.1%
- Challenging locations: 59.0% – 78.5%
12. Minneapolis Metro: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
- Best locations: 91.3% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 83.0% – 87.9%
- Challenging locations: 56.0% – 77.5%
13. San Francisco Metro: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
- Best locations: 91.3% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 83.2% – 87.8%
- Challenging locations: 58.0% – 78.0%
14. Los Angeles Metro: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
- Best locations: 91.3% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 82.9% – 87.8%
- Challenging locations: 56.0% – 77.4%
15. Houston Metro: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
- Best locations: 91.2% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 83.1% – 87.8%
- Challenging locations: 58.0% – 78.0%
16. Chicago Metro: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
- Best locations: 91.2% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 83.0% – 87.7%
- Challenging locations: 58.0% – 77.9%
17. Seattle Metro: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
- Best locations: 91.2% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 83.1% – 87.6%
- Challenging locations: 59.0% – 78.2%
18. Miami Metro: Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
- Best locations: 91.1% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 83.5% – 87.5%
- Challenging locations: 63.0% – 79.3%
19. Denver Metro: Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
- Best locations: 91.0% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 82.9% – 87.3%
- Challenging locations: 60.0% – 78.2%
20. Washington DC Metro: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
- Best locations: 90.7% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 81.9% – 87.0%
- Challenging locations: 55.0% – 76.4%
21. Boston Metro: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
- Best locations: 90.7% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 82.4% – 86.9%
- Challenging locations: 60.0% – 77.8%
22. Philadelphia Metro: Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
- Best locations: 90.7% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 82.3% – 86.9%
- Challenging locations: 59.0% – 77.5%
23. Dallas Metro: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
- Best locations: 90.6% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 83.0% – 86.7%
- Challenging locations: 66.0% – 79.5%
24. New York City Metro: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
- Best locations: 89.9% – 97.0%
- Average locations: 81.1% – 85.6%
- Challenging locations: 59.0% – 76.6%
Key Insights
Wide variation between cities: The difference between the #1 city (Portland at 89.1%) and the #24 city (New York City at 84.1%) is 5.0 percentage points. This 0.4-point spread between #1 and #2 city suggests meaningful geographic variation in Delis viability — city selection matters significantly for this category.
Strong performers: 24 cities show Survivability Scores above 80%, indicating highly favorable conditions for Delis.
National average: Across all 24 analyzed cities, the average survivability for a Deli is 86.8%.
What Makes These Cities Stand Out?
The top-ranked cities share several characteristics that favor Delis:
- Strong survivability signals: Portland leads with a 89% average survivability score for Delis — significantly above the national average for this business category.
- Competition density: The top cities show favorable competitor-to-opportunity ratios for Delis, meaning lower saturation and higher odds of capturing an underserved customer base.
- Neighborhood diversity: Within each top city, high-survivability zones appear across multiple neighborhood types — from dense urban cores to established suburban strips.
- Foot traffic infrastructure: High-scoring cities combine transit access, walkable commercial corridors, and anchor tenants that drive consistent daily traffic past storefronts.
StreetSpring uses AI to predict business survivability across U.S. neighborhoods — trusted by real estate professionals and entrepreneurs nationwide. Our models draw from one of the most comprehensive commercial real estate datasets ever assembled. StreetSpring uses its own proprietary forecasting tools to make these predictions.
Best Neighborhoods Across the Spectrum
Strong opportunities for Delis aren't limited to the highest-ranked cities. Here are top neighborhoods at different points in the national spectrum:
Portland — ranked #1 nationally — the strongest market for Delis
- Ogden (88% survivability)
- Kenton (87% survivability)
- Multnomah (87% survivability)
- Gresham (86% survivability)
- Woodlawn (85% survivability)
See full neighborhood rankings for Portland →
San Francisco — ranked #13 of 24 — a middle-of-the-pack national market
- Mission-Bay (86% survivability)
- South-Beach (84% survivability)
- Santa-Fe (84% survivability)
- Marina (84% survivability)
- Twin-Peaks (84% survivability)
See full neighborhood rankings for San Francisco →
New York City — ranked #24 of 24 — among the lower-ranked national markets
- Rockaway-Park (89% survivability)
- Coney-Island (86% survivability)
- Brighton-Beach (86% survivability)
- Newark (86% survivability)
- Clinton-Hill (84% survivability)
See full neighborhood rankings for New York City →
These examples show that a city's national rank for Delis is a starting signal — neighborhood-level data is what drives an actual location decision.
Related Resources
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 Delis, 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 Deli 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 Delis in cities that don't appear in our top 10. Delis 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 Deli?
StreetSpring's Survivability Score tool provides address-level predictions for Delis across all 24 metros we track. For this category specifically, the tool surfaces competition density, consumer spending index for Delis, and commercial vacancy rates — the factors that most consistently predict whether a Deli 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 Delis?
Portland ranks as the #1 city in the US for Delis survivability in StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, with an average score of 89%. This means that across well-selected neighborhoods in Portland, a Deli has approximately a 89% chance of still operating after two years — above the national average for this category. St Louis 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: April 2026 by 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, St Louis, San Antonio, Charlotte, Orlando, Detroit, Phoenix, Tampa Bay, Atlanta, Baltimore, San Diego, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Seattle, Miami, Denver, Washington DC, Boston, Philadelphia, Dallas, New York City.