City Survivability Rankings for Laundromat

StreetSpring's 2026 analysis ranks the top cities for Laundromats across the US by Survivability Scores. See which cities offer the best chances for a Laundromat to succeed.

•16 min read

Quick Summary

  • Survivability Score: the projected chance a business type lasts two or more years at a specific address
  • The highest-ranked city for Laundromat is Chicago: 84.0% at a good address, 71.8% at a typical address
  • Dallas is left out of this ranking while a gap in its input data is repaired, and San Antonio is left out because it has too few scored locations to rank fairly
  • 8 of 22 analyzed US metros average above 70% for Laundromat survivability at a typical address
  • The lowest-ranked city is Tampa Bay at 80.8%
  • National average chance of lasting two or more years for Laundromat: 69.0%
  • Data reflects 2026 StreetSpring survivability analysis across 22 US metro areas · Full methodology →

Table of Contents

Summary

According to StreetSpring's 2026 nationwide analysis, Chicago ranks as the #1 city for opening a Laundromat in the United States, with an 84.0% chance of lasting two or more years at a good address. Following close behind are Philadelphia with 83.5%, and Los Angeles with 83.1%. Our 22-city dataset shows Laundromats achieving 69.0% average survivability nationally: Chicago pulling notably ahead of the pack. Remember that a city's average score smooths over wide variation: your exact neighborhood could significantly outperform the city average. 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 →

Laundromats city survivability range chart: Chicago vs Phoenix (2026)

Best-to-worst Laundromat survivability within individual metros: Chicago, Philadelphia, San Diego, Houston and Phoenix. Each box spans the middle of that metro's range; whiskers are its best and worst locations (2026).

All 22 Cities Ranked for Laundromats

Based on StreetSpring's analysis of 22 major metropolitan areas, these cities offer the strongest prospects for Laundromats:

#MetroMetro areaChance of lasting two or more years at a good address
1ChicagoChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN84.0%
2PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD83.5%
3Los AngelesLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA83.1%
4MiamiMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL83.1%
5Washington DCWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV83.1%
6San FranciscoSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA83.1%
7New York CityNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ83.1%
8BostonBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH83.1%
9HoustonHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX82.7%
10DenverDenver-Aurora-Centennial, CO82.7%
11PhoenixPhoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ82.2%
12CharlotteCharlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC82.2%
13AtlantaAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA82.2%
14San DiegoSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA82.2%
15MinneapolisMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI82.2%
16SeattleSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA82.2%
17St. LouisSt. Louis, MO-IL82.2%
18OrlandoOrlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL81.8%
19BaltimoreBaltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD81.8%
20DetroitDetroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI81.8%
21PortlandPortland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA81.3%
22Tampa BayTampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL80.8%

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • At a good address: 83.1%
  • At a typical address: 65.8%
  • Best scored location: 84.0%
  • Weakest scored location: 48.0%

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

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

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

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

  • At a good address: 82.2%
  • At a typical address: 71.4%
  • Best scored location: 84.0%
  • Weakest scored location: 48.0%

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

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

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

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

17. St. Louis Metro: St. Louis, MO-IL

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

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

  • At a good address: 81.8%
  • At a typical address: 68.4%
  • Best scored location: 84.0%
  • Weakest scored location: 48.0%

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

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

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

Key Insights

Cities cluster tightly: The difference between the #1 city (Chicago at 84.0%) and the #22 city (Tampa Bay at 80.8%) is 3.20 percentage points. Across the top two metros, Laundromats sit 0.5 percentage points apart. City choice moves the outcome very little for this category.

National average: Across all 22 analyzed cities, the average survivability for a Laundromat is 69.0%.

What Makes These Cities Stand Out?

The top-ranked cities share several characteristics that favor Laundromats:

  • Strong survivability signals: Chicago leads with a 72% average chance of lasting two or more years for Laundromats: significantly above the national average for this business category.
  • Competition density: The top cities show favorable competitor-to-opportunity ratios for Laundromats, meaning lower saturation and higher odds of capturing an underserved customer base.
  • Consumer demand signals: StreetSpring's data captures competitor review velocity, spending patterns, and demographic fit, all pointing toward sustained demand for Laundromats in these markets.
  • Low market saturation: Top cities for Laundromats have fewer direct competitors per square mile than lower-ranked metros, leaving meaningful whitespace for well-positioned new entrants.

StreetSpring uses AI to predict business survivability across U.S. neighborhoods, for real estate professionals and entrepreneurs nationwide. Our analysis covers businesses serving the 24 largest metros in America. The prediction engine behind these rankings is entirely proprietary: developed in-house over years of research.

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 Laundromats, 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 Laundromat 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 Laundromats in cities that don't appear in our top 10. Laundromats 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 Laundromat?

StreetSpring's Survivability Score tool provides address-level predictions for Laundromats across all 22 metros we track. For this category specifically, the model reads competition density, the consumer spending index for Laundromats, and Census neighborhood characteristics such as the housing vacancy rate, and turns them into the projected chance that a Laundromat lasts two or more years at a given address. 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 Laundromats?

Chicago ranks as the #1 city in the US for Laundromats survivability in StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, with an average 72% chance of lasting two or more years. This means that across well-selected neighborhoods in Chicago, a Laundromat has approximately a 72% chance of still operating after two years, above the national average for this category. Philadelphia ranks second, followed by Los Angeles. The full ranking reflects data across 22 major US metro areas: see the complete list above for all scores and neighborhood-level links.

Last reviewed: October 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: Each metro's figures pool the scored locations in its published neighborhoods. Metros are ranked the way the national data file ranks them, on the chance of lasting two or more years at a good address; the typical-address figure is shown alongside. Coverage includes 22 major US metropolitan areas: Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Miami, Washington DC, San Francisco, New York City, Boston, Houston, Denver, Phoenix, Charlotte, Atlanta, San Diego, Minneapolis, Seattle, St. Louis, Orlando, Baltimore, Detroit, Portland, Tampa Bay. 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.