National Neighborhood Survivability Rankings for Shoe Store

StreetSpring's 2026 nationwide analysis ranks the top neighborhoods across all major US cities for Shoe Stores. See which neighborhoods offer the highest Survivability Scores.

19 min read

Murray Hill (New York City) ranks #1 nationally for Shoe Store survivability in 2026, with a 79% chance of success for new entrants. The top 25 neighborhoods nationwide span 8 different cities, demonstrating that exceptional opportunities for Shoe Stores exist across diverse markets. Market conditions shift constantly — these neighborhood rankings are a directional guide, and StreetSpring's live tool shows the current score for any specific storefront.

To understand the methodology behind these rankings, see our detailed guide: Survivability Score: How We Calculate It & Why It Matters.

Last reviewed: 2026-09-01 by Robert Koons, Founder & CEO, StreetSpring

Quick Summary

  • Survivability Score: the projected chance a business type lasts two or more years at a specific address
  • #1 Neighborhood: Murray Hill, New York City — 79% survivability for Shoe Store
  • Neighborhoods analyzed: 8583 across 24 major US cities
  • National average survivability: 66.0% for Shoe Stores
  • Top-25 average: 78.0% — 55.0% above national average
  • Data current as of: 2026 · Full methodology →

Table of Contents


How do neighborhoods compare across the United States for Shoe Stores?

Analyzing 8583 neighborhoods across 24 major US cities, StreetSpring's 2026 data shows that the best neighborhoods for Shoe Stores significantly outperform average locations, with the top 25 neighborhoods nationwide averaging 78.0% survivability compared to the national neighborhood average of 66.0%.

This 55.0% advantage illustrates how critical neighborhood selection is — choosing a top-tier neighborhood versus an average one can significantly increase your long-term survival chances.

Shoe Stores tend to show significant geographic clustering — markets where one successful operator exists often attract additional demand, raising survivability for new entrants who choose complementary (rather than directly competing) locations. The concentration of top neighborhoods in New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles reflects this pattern. StreetSpring's model accounts for the distinction between complementary clustering and direct saturation when scoring Shoe Stores survivability at the address level.

Importantly, top-performing neighborhoods aren't concentrated in just a few cities. The top 25 neighborhoods represent 8 different cities. This means entrepreneurs focused on Shoe Stores can find exceptional opportunities across the United States, not just in traditionally strong markets.

A great product in the wrong location will underperform; an average product in the right location can thrive.


What are the best neighborhoods in the United States to open a Shoe Store?

Shoe Stores: Survivability Range — Best, Middle & Last Ranked Box = best-to-challenging range · White line = neighborhood average 65% 70% 75% 80% 85% Survivability Score (%) Best: 81.9% Avg: 80.0% Low: 77.7% Murray Hill New York City Highest Top Score Best: 79.5% Avg: 77.6% Low: 75.3% Greenwich Vil… New York City Middle Top Score Best: 77.4% Avg: 75.5% Low: 73.3% Van Ness - Ci… San Francisco Lowest Top Score

Survivability range for top, middle, and last-ranked neighborhoods. Box = best-to-challenging range; white line = average. Murray Hill, New York City leads at 79% in 2026. Full methodology →

The top 25 neighborhoods nationwide for Shoe Stores are:

#NeighborhoodCityAvg SurvivalTierBest LocationsChallenging Locations
1Murray HillNew York City80.0%Good81.9%77.7%
2Yerba BuenaSan Francisco79.8%Good81.6%77.5%
3MidtownNew York City79.4%Good81.3%77.2%
4Turtle BayNew York City79.3%Good81.2%77.1%
5City CenterLos Angeles79.2%Good81.1%76.9%
6Nob HillSan Francisco78.6%Good80.5%76.4%
7Garment DistrictNew York City78.5%Good80.4%76.2%
8ChinatownSan Francisco78.3%Good80.2%76.1%
9SoHoNew York City78.2%Good80.1%76.0%
10AventuraMiami78.1%Good80.0%75.9%
11TenderloinSan Francisco77.9%Good79.8%75.7%
12Little ItalyNew York City77.9%Good79.8%75.7%
13Greenwich VillageNew York City77.6%Good79.5%75.3%
14ChinatownNew York City77.1%Good79.0%74.9%
15NoHoNew York City76.7%Good78.5%74.4%
16Crimson CreekPhoenix76.3%Good78.2%74.1%
17Seville CondominiumTampa Bay76.2%Good78.1%74.0%
18MariposaLos Angeles76.2%Good78.0%73.9%
19Century CityLos Angeles76.1%Good78.0%73.8%
20Carroll ParkLos Angeles76.0%Good77.9%73.8%
21Horton PlazaSan Diego76.0%Good77.9%73.8%
22LenoxAtlanta75.9%Good77.8%73.7%
23East VillageNew York City75.7%Good77.6%73.4%
24Western AdditionSan Francisco75.6%Good77.5%73.4%
25Van Ness - Civic CenterSan Francisco75.5%Good77.4%73.3%

However, the specific location is very important and there are some great locations in neighborhoods that might not appear to be a great fit.

For a full explanation of how survivability scores and ranges are calculated, see Survivability Score: How We Calculate It & Why It Matters.


What patterns emerge from the top-performing neighborhoods nationwide?

City Concentration

The top 25 neighborhoods span 8 different cities, with New York City claiming 10 of the top spots (40%).

Breakdown of top 25 neighborhoods by city:

This distribution has practical implications for Shoe Stores operators: cities with multiple neighborhoods in the top 25 offer more site options within a single market, reducing relocation or expansion cost. Cities with a single top-25 neighborhood require more precise site selection — the advantage is concentrated in one area rather than spread across the metro.

The concentration of 10 top-ranked neighborhoods in New York City (40% of the top 25) is notably high for this business category, suggesting that New York City's market conditions — competitive density, consumer spending patterns, and demographic alignment — are unusually favorable for Shoe Stores. Operators targeting this category should treat New York City neighborhoods as a primary focus before expanding to secondary markets.

How can I use this neighborhood ranking to find the best location for a Shoe Store?

Use this ranking to shortlist neighborhoods, then drill down to specific addresses. Our AI engine has been trained on millions of real business outcomes, giving every survivability prediction a foundation of data that no other platform can match. The difference between the best and worst blocks within a single top-ranked neighborhood can be as large as the gap between the #1 and #25 neighborhoods on this list.

For the most accurate assessment:

  • Consider neighborhoods in the top 25 as strong starting points
  • Examine city-specific guides for additional neighborhood options in your target markets
  • Use StreetSpring's address-level tool to evaluate specific storefronts within these neighborhoods
  • Factor in your budget, operational requirements, and target demographics

Each neighborhood has detailed analysis available through its city guide, providing block-by-block survivability data for Shoe Stores.

See also: Best Cities for Shoe Store — our city-level comparison ranks which metros offer the strongest overall conditions for Shoe Stores.


**Citation:** Per BLS Business Employment Dynamics, March 2025 release, **47.9%** of Retail Trade establishments — the sector Shoe Stores belong to — survive 5 years nationally. StreetSpring gives Shoe Stores a **55%-79% chance of lasting two or more years** across **8,583** tracked locations, averaging **66%**.

Visual Data

Bar chart ranking 24 US metros by Shoe Store survivability score — Dallas highest at 70.2, Philadelphia lowest at 66.3.
How Shoe Stores survive across major US metros. Dallas ranks #1 at 70.2, with Philadelphia lowest at 66.3 — a 3.94-point spread across 24 cities. Strong cities tend to anchor strong neighborhoods.
US map showing Shoe Store survivability score across 24 metros; Dallas highest at 70, Seattle lowest at 65.
US map of Shoe Store survivability by metro — darker green = higher score. Dallas highest at 70, Seattle lowest at 65. 24 metros plotted.

Explore top cities represented in these neighborhoods:

National city rankings: Best cities for Shoe Stores

Essential resources:



Frequently Asked Questions

Which cities appear most frequently in the top 25 neighborhoods for Shoe Stores?

The cities most represented in the top 25 for Shoe Stores are New York City (10), San Francisco (6), Los Angeles (4). This concentration reflects the relative strength of consumer demand and competitive conditions for Shoe Stores in these markets. City-specific guides provide deeper analysis of each city's neighborhoods.


How does the national ranking for Shoe Stores compare to city-level rankings?

The national neighborhood ranking for Shoe Stores identifies the strongest neighborhoods across all 24 analyzed metros. City-level rankings provide a more granular view of the best neighborhoods within a specific city. In cases where a city has multiple neighborhoods in the national top 25, the city-level guide shows the full ranking of all neighborhoods in that market — including those outside the national top 25 that may still offer strong site-specific opportunities.


Where can I download the underlying data?

The full national survivability dataset is available as a free download: https://streetspring.com/resources/data/national-survivability-scores-2026.csv. The CSV includes all business subtypes and neighborhoods covered in this analysis, licensed under CC BY 4.0.


What is the typical survivability range for Shoe Stores in top neighborhoods?

The top 25 neighborhoods nationwide for Shoe Stores average 78.0% survivability. The national average across all analyzed neighborhoods is 66.0%. The spread between top neighborhoods and the national average is 55.0% — representing the tangible survivability advantage of choosing a top-ranked location.


Are there good opportunities outside the top 25 neighborhoods?

Absolutely. Our analysis covers 8583 neighborhoods across 24 cities. Many neighborhoods outside the top 25 have excellent individual locations for Shoe Stores. Neighborhood-level rankings reflect averages — specific addresses within any neighborhood can score well above or below the neighborhood mean. Use city-specific guides and StreetSpring's address-level tool to explore options beyond the top 25.


What is the difference between city-level and neighborhood-level survivability rankings for Shoe Stores?

City-level rankings reflect average survivability for Shoe Stores across all neighborhoods in a given city — useful for identifying which cities offer the best overall conditions. Neighborhood-level rankings go deeper, showing which specific neighborhoods within those cities rank highest. StreetSpring's address-level tool adds a third layer, scoring individual storefronts within any neighborhood.


How do I interpret a survivability score?

A survivability score represents the estimated probability that a business of a specific type will still be operating at a given location after 2 years. A score of 80% means StreetSpring's model predicts an 80% chance of the business surviving past the 2-year mark at that address. Scores are calculated at the address level and reflect competitive density, consumer spending patterns, and hundreds of additional factors.


Is the competitive environment for Shoe Stores stronger in some markets than others?

Yes — competition density for Shoe Stores varies significantly by market. In the top-ranked neighborhoods, StreetSpring's model identifies favorable competitive dynamics as a primary driver of high survivability scores. In more saturated markets, even strong consumer spending may not overcome competitive pressure. StreetSpring's address-level tool shows the exact competitive environment at any specific location.


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: Neighborhood rankings are based on average Survivability Scores for Shoe Stores across all analyzed locations within each neighborhood. Rankings represent neighborhood-level conditions but do not account for block-by-block variation. Coverage includes 8583 neighborhoods across 24 major US cities. 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.

National Neighborhood Survivability Rankings for Shoe Store | StreetSpring