City Survivability Rankings for Thai Restaurant

StreetSpring's 2026 analysis ranks the top cities for Thai Restaurants across the US by Survivability Scores. See which cities offer the best chances for a Thai 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 Thai Restaurant is San Antonio — 81.53% average survivability
  • 24 of 24 analyzed US metros score above 70% for Thai Restaurant survivability
  • The lowest-ranked city is New York City at 79.98%
  • National average chance of lasting two or more years for Thai 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, San Antonio ranks as the #1 city for opening a Thai Restaurant in the United States, with an average 81.53% chance of surviving more than 2 years. Following close behind are Portland with 81.49%, and Orlando with 81.21%. Across 24 metros, Thai Restaurants average 81.0% survivability — with 24 cities offering conditions conducive to long-term success in this category. Remember that a city's average score smooths over wide variation — your exact neighborhood could significantly outperform the city average. 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 →

Thai Restaurants city survivability range chart — San Antonio vs Dallas (2026)

Best-to-worst Thai Restaurant survivability within individual metros — San Antonio, Charlotte, San Francisco, Minneapolis 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 Thai Restaurants

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

#MetroMetro areaChance of lasting 2+ years
1San AntonioSan Antonio-New Braunfels, TX81.53%
2PortlandPortland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA81.49%
3OrlandoOrlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL81.21%
4St Louis81.16%
5CharlotteCharlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC81.03%
6AtlantaAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA80.99%
7PhoenixPhoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ80.95%
8BaltimoreBaltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD80.89%
9DetroitDetroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI80.88%
10San FranciscoSan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA80.72%
11Tampa BayTampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL80.71%
12San DiegoSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA80.70%
13SeattleSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA80.69%
14MiamiMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL80.68%
15MinneapolisMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI80.67%
16Los AngelesLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA80.64%
17HoustonHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX80.59%
18DenverDenver-Aurora-Centennial, CO80.57%
19ChicagoChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN80.56%
20DallasDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX80.51%
21BostonBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH80.45%
22Washington DCWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV80.36%
23PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD80.14%
24New York CityNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ79.98%

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

  • Best locations: 84.0% – 84.0%
  • Average locations: 81.0% – 83.0%
  • Challenging locations: 69.0% – 78.0%

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

  • Best locations: 84.0% – 84.0%
  • Average locations: 81.0% – 83.0%
  • Challenging locations: 69.0% – 78.0%

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

  • Best locations: 84.0% – 84.0%
  • Average locations: 80.0% – 82.0%
  • Challenging locations: 70.0% – 78.0%

4. St Louis

  • Best locations: 84.0% – 84.0%
  • Average locations: 80.0% – 82.0%
  • Challenging locations: 67.0% – 77.0%

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

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

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

  • Best locations: 83.0% – 84.0%
  • Average locations: 80.0% – 82.0%
  • Challenging locations: 69.0% – 78.0%

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

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

  • Best locations: 83.0% – 84.0%
  • Average locations: 80.0% – 82.0%
  • Challenging locations: 68.0% – 77.0%

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

  • Best locations: 83.0% – 84.0%
  • Average locations: 80.0% – 82.0%
  • Challenging locations: 68.0% – 77.0%

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

  • Best locations: 83.0% – 84.0%
  • Average locations: 80.0% – 82.0%
  • Challenging locations: 68.0% – 77.0%

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

  • Best locations: 83.0% – 84.0%
  • Average locations: 80.0% – 82.0%
  • Challenging locations: 68.0% – 77.0%

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

  • Best locations: 83.0% – 84.0%
  • Average locations: 80.0% – 82.0%
  • Challenging locations: 69.0% – 77.0%

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

  • Best locations: 83.0% – 84.0%
  • Average locations: 80.0% – 81.0%
  • Challenging locations: 70.0% – 78.0%

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

  • Best locations: 83.0% – 84.0%
  • Average locations: 80.0% – 82.0%
  • Challenging locations: 69.0% – 78.0%

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

  • Best locations: 83.0% – 84.0%
  • Average locations: 79.0% – 82.0%
  • Challenging locations: 68.0% – 77.0%

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

  • Best locations: 83.0% – 84.0%
  • Average locations: 79.0% – 82.0%
  • Challenging locations: 69.0% – 77.0%

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

  • Best locations: 83.0% – 84.0%
  • Average locations: 79.0% – 81.0%
  • Challenging locations: 69.0% – 77.0%

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

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

  • Best locations: 83.0% – 84.0%
  • Average locations: 80.0% – 81.0%
  • Challenging locations: 72.0% – 78.0%

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

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

  • Best locations: 83.0% – 84.0%
  • Average locations: 79.0% – 81.0%
  • Challenging locations: 69.0% – 77.0%

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

  • Best locations: 83.0% – 84.0%
  • Average locations: 79.0% – 81.0%
  • Challenging locations: 69.0% – 77.0%

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

  • Best locations: 83.0% – 84.0%
  • Average locations: 79.0% – 81.0%
  • Challenging locations: 69.0% – 77.0%

Key Insights

Cities cluster tightly: The difference between the #1 city (San Antonio at 81.53%) and the #24 city (New York City at 79.98%) is 1.55 percentage points. Thai Restaurants score at effectively the same level across the top two metros. Picking the right city is not the lever here.

Strong performers: 24 cities show Survivability Scores above 80%, indicating highly favorable conditions for Thai Restaurants.

National average: Across all 24 analyzed cities, the average survivability for a Thai Restaurant is 81.0%.


What Makes These Cities Stand Out?

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

  • Strong survivability signals: San Antonio leads with a 82% average chance of lasting two or more years for Thai Restaurants — significantly above the national average for this business category.
  • Competition density: The top cities show favorable competitor-to-opportunity ratios for Thai Restaurants, 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 Thai Restaurants in these markets.
  • Low market saturation: Top cities for Thai Restaurants have fewer direct competitors per square mile than lower-ranked metros, leaving meaningful whitespace for well-positioned new entrants.

The predictions here are powered by AI models validated against actual business outcomes nationwide. Our forecasting engine processes data from over 24 metro areas covering 180+ million consumers. StreetSpring generates these results using its proprietary prediction system, tailored to each business and location.


Best Neighborhoods Across the Spectrum

Strong opportunities for Thai Restaurants aren't limited to the highest-ranked cities. Here are top neighborhoods at different points in the national spectrum:

Portlandranked #1 nationally — the strongest market for Thai Restaurants

  • Sumner (62% survivability)
  • Hough (60% survivability)
  • Kenton (60% survivability)
  • Greenway (59% survivability)
  • Ogden (59% survivability)

See full neighborhood rankings for Portland →

Minneapolisranked #13 of 24 — a middle-of-the-pack national market

  • Loring-Park (65% survivability)
  • Elliot-Park (60% survivability)
  • North-Loop (60% survivability)
  • Seward (58% survivability)
  • Whittier (57% survivability)

See full neighborhood rankings for Minneapolis →

New York Cityranked #24 of 24 — among the lower-ranked national markets

  • Garment-District (83% survivability)
  • Midtown (80% survivability)
  • Turtle-Bay (76% survivability)
  • East-New-York (76% survivability)
  • Kingsbridge (76% survivability)

See full neighborhood rankings for New York City →

Don't let a city's national rank deter exploration: every city has neighborhoods that buck the city-wide average.



Visual Data

Bar chart ranking 24 US metros by Thai Restaurant survivability score; San Antonio highest at 81.5, New York City lowest at 80.0.
San Antonio leads US metros for Thai Restaurant survivability at 81.5, 1.55 points above last-place New York City (80.0). 24 metros scored.
US map showing Thai Restaurant survivability score across 24 metros; Charlotte highest at 82, Philadelphia lowest at 80.
US map of Thai Restaurant survivability by metro — darker green = higher score. Charlotte highest at 82, Philadelphia lowest at 80. 24 metros plotted.

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 Thai 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 Thai 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 Thai Restaurants in cities that don't appear in our top 10. Thai 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 Thai Restaurant?

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

San Antonio ranks as the #1 city in the US for Thai 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 San Antonio, a Thai Restaurant has approximately a 82% chance of still operating after two years — above the national average for this category. Portland 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 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.

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: San Antonio, Portland, Orlando, St Louis, Charlotte, Atlanta, Phoenix, Baltimore, Detroit, San Francisco, Tampa Bay, San Diego, Seattle, Miami, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Houston, Denver, Chicago, Dallas, Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York City.