Business Survivability in Jackson Heights, New York City
StreetSpring's 2026 analysis finds that the best business to open in Jackson Heights is a Thai Restaurant with a ~78% chance of surviving at least 2 years across the neighborhood on average.
Quick Summary
- Survivability Score: the projected chance a business type lasts two or more years at a specific address
- Best business: a Thai Restaurant in Jackson Heights (~78% average survival rate, ~82% at best locations)
- Neighborhood rank: #137 across all neighborhoods in and around New York City
- Neighborhood average: ~78% two-year survival across all business types
- Coverage: This ranking carries one row per business type and neighborhood. Its score is the projected chance of lasting two or more years, averaged across the price points StreetSpring scores separately in the tool (most types have 5). The 10 business types here are base types; the tool offers 500+ business types, counting each type at each of its price points.
- Rankings updated quarterly with latest market data
- Detailed methodology
Last reviewed: September 2026 by Robert Koons, Founder & CEO, StreetSpring
In this article:
- Summary
- Is Jackson Heights a good place to start a business?
- How to find the best location
- Best businesses to open
- How much money could a business make?
- What businesses should open next?
- Frequently Asked Questions
Summary
StreetSpring's 2026 analysis finds that the best business to open in Jackson Heights is a Thai Restaurant with a ~78% chance of surviving at least 2 years across the neighborhood on average, with the best locations offering a ~82% chance; next is an American Restaurant with a 78.47% chance, followed by a Tanning Salon with a 77.93% chance.
Is Jackson Heights a good place to start a business?
In New York City's neighborhood survivability rankings, Jackson Heights comes in at #137, with an average Survivability Score of ~78% across all business types.
- StreetSpring data shows the best-fit business types at prime Jackson Heights addresses outperform the neighborhood average by ~11%.
- However, these same business types at the worst locations in Jackson Heights can sometimes provide a projected Survivability Score considerably below the average. Thus, even the businesses that are most in need in Jackson Heights could have trouble succeeding if the best location is not selected.
- The 91.4% employment rate in Jackson Heights supports consumer spending, while a 7.1% vacancy rate reflects available storefronts — both of which shape the survivability landscape for any new business here.
Employment and vacancy figures sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey.
How can you find the best location to open a business in Jackson Heights?
StreetSpring's address-level analysis reveals which specific storefronts in Jackson Heights offer the strongest survivability odds for your business type. According to StreetSpring's 2026 data, this is the optimal address for a Thai Restaurant in Jackson Heights:
StreetSpring's 2026 model identifies this area as the highest-survivability location for a Thai Restaurant in Jackson Heights. Static rankings can't capture every recent change in competition or consumer spending; StreetSpring's live platform provides the current score for your exact address. The model evaluates hundreds of factors — from primary and secondary competition to forecasted spend, site accessibility, and local market share potential.
Check if this location is still available →
What are the best businesses to open in Jackson Heights?
| # | Business type | Chance of lasting two or more years |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thai Restaurant | 78.53% |
| 2 | American Restaurant | 78.47% |
| 3 | Tanning Salon | 77.93% |
| 4 | Diner | 77.04% |
| 5 | Convenience Store | 76.92% |
| 6 | Hair Salon | 76.89% |
| 7 | Laundromat | 76.86% |
| 8 | Liquor Store | 76.85% |
| 9 | Dessert Shop | 76.10% |
| 10 | Nail Salon | 75.93% |
#1-5: Highest Survivability in Jackson Heights
- Thai Restaurant (Ranked #1): 78.53% average in Jackson Heights. Best-case storefronts: ~82%. Challenging locations: ~75%.
- American Restaurant is ranked #2 for top businesses to open in Jackson Heights: 78.47% chance on average, best at ~81%, challenging at ~75%.
- Tanning Salon — ~76%–~80% survivability range, with an average of 77.93% across Jackson Heights.
- Opening a Diner in Jackson Heights shows 77.04% average survivability. Top locations reach ~80%; lower-end sites show ~72%.
- Convenience Store (Ranked #5): 76.92% average in Jackson Heights. Best-case storefronts: ~80%. Challenging locations: ~72%.
#6-10: Strong Performers in Jackson Heights
- Hair Salon is ranked #6 for top businesses to open in Jackson Heights: 76.89% chance on average, best at ~79%, challenging at ~75%.
- Laundromat — ~74%–~79% survivability range, with an average of 76.86% across Jackson Heights.
- Opening a Liquor Store in Jackson Heights shows 76.85% average survivability. Top locations reach ~80%; lower-end sites show ~73%.
- Dessert Shop (Ranked #9): 76.10% average in Jackson Heights. Best-case storefronts: ~78%. Challenging locations: ~74%.
- Nail Salon is ranked #10 for top businesses to open in Jackson Heights: 75.93% chance on average, best at ~78%, challenging at ~74%.
Top 3 Compared Nationally
- Thai Restaurant — See how this compares to other cities →
- American Restaurant — See how this compares to other cities →
- Tanning Salon — See how this compares to other cities →
How much money could a business in Jackson Heights make?
Best location vs. average location
Based on StreetSpring's 2026 analysis, selecting one of the best locations for your business in Jackson Heights could lead to you making ~11% more than if you selected an average location, and ~20% more than if you selected one of the worst locations.
How StreetSpring calculates location value
- Location fit is business-type-specific: a spot that's ideal for a coffee shop may underperform for a nail salon at the same address.
- Where you open matters more than anything else.
- Survivability Score is not just a survival metric — it's a revenue predictor, and the higher the score, the stronger the long-term financial outlook.
- StreetSpring gives you a precise survivability probability for any specific address and business type combination, not a generalized estimate.
What businesses should open next in Jackson Heights?
The top businesses to open next in Jackson Heights:
- Thai Restaurants — 78.53% average survival rate, ~82% at the best address
- American Restaurants — 78.47% average survival rate
- Tanning Salons — 77.93% average survival rate
Static rankings can't capture every recent change in competition or consumer spending; StreetSpring's live platform provides the current score for your exact address. StreetSpring measures competition through a 30-factor framework layered on top of proprietary consumer spending forecasts and mobility models. 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. The 91.4% employment rate in Jackson Heights is a key signal of consumer health; when combined with the 7.1% vacancy rate, it produces a competitive landscape that favors the business types ranked above. StreetSpring refreshes survivability scores every week to reflect new competition and updated spending data — see which locations in Jackson Heights are available right now and how they rank.
See the Survivability Score for your new business
Related Articles:
- See the New York City Business Survivability Rankings
- See the New York City Neighborhood Survivability Rankings
- Explore Thai Restaurant survivability across New York City neighborhoods
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the most common questions about opening a business in Jackson Heights.
What type of business should you rent your Jackson Heights storefront to?
If you own commercial space in Jackson Heights, StreetSpring's 2026 data points to Thai Restaurants, American Restaurants, and Tanning Salons as the tenant types with the strongest projected longevity at this location.
- Where you open matters more than anything else.
- StreetSpring gives you a precise survivability probability for any specific address and business type combination, not a generalized estimate. StreetSpring's free tool lets you check the survivability score for any business type at any address in Jackson Heights — a powerful filter when evaluating prospective tenants.
Related: See How Landlord Representatives in New York City Can Reduce Vacancy & Increase Tenant Longevity
Should you rent your Jackson Heights storefront to a Thai Restaurant?
Yes — our 2026 model places a Thai Restaurant at the top of the survivability rankings for Jackson Heights storefronts, with a best-case score of ~82% and a floor of ~75% at the most challenging addresses.
- StreetSpring gives you a precise survivability probability for any specific address and business type combination, not a generalized estimate.
What should I consider when opening a business in Jackson Heights?
When selecting a location in Jackson Heights it is crucial to select a location with a very high Survivability Score.
- Revenue Capture Score is the single best indicator of whether a business will thrive at a location.
- StreetSpring uses its own proprietary forecasting tools to identify the Revenue Capture Score for each unique business.
- StreetSpring offers free access to its survivability scores — see how your shortlisted Jackson Heights addresses rank right now.
See the best place for your business at StreetSpring.
StreetSpring's AI platform has analyzed thousands of business openings to identify success patterns. Aggregated survivability rankings for New York City are available in machine-readable format for research and integration purposes.
Full dataset for New York City: /resources/data/new-york-city-survivability-scores-2026.csv — includes all business subtypes, all neighborhoods, survivability scores, and tier assignments. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.