Local operating-model alignment analysis

Best Franchise Opportunities We Assessed in Syracuse, New York

We compared 14 franchise concepts for Syracuse, New York. University and government account demand was a leading positive mechanism. Skilled-trade labor competition was a leading operating constraint.

What “best” means in this ranking“Best” means the strongest modeled local operating alignment among the franchise concepts assessed on this page. It does not estimate earnings or determine which franchise is best for a particular candidate.
Analysis by Thomas Jepsen, MSc Model: 0.9.0
14Concepts evaluated
24Sources used
14Primary sources
26Local metrics

Evaluation set

Why these concepts were evaluated

This is not a ranking of every franchise that may be offered in the city.

14Concepts assessed

Concepts were included when enough operating-model information existed to assign a provisional local-sensitivity profile. Unresolved inputs reduce confidence or remain conditional rather than automatically excluding a concept.

A brand’s participation in our referral network does not add points or change its position.

City-level conclusions

What stood out in our assessment

Highest category average (limited comparison)Restoration

69.7 average across 2 concepts

Largest positive factorProperty replacement-cycle demand

0.7 points average among 7 affected concepts

Largest negative factorLabor and staffing friction

1 point average reduction among 10 affected concepts

Most assumption-sensitive rankWorkout Anytime

Tested rank range spans 10 positions

Executive conclusion

What the ranking means for Syracuse, New York

City Wide, ActionCOACH, and Jan-Pro International produced the highest modeled local-alignment scores in the evaluated set. University and government account demand was the strongest positive scored mechanism among 6 exposed concepts, adding 0.6 points on average. Skilled-trade labor competition was the broadest operating constraint, reducing exposed concepts by 1 point on average. Mister Sparky Electric was especially relationship-sensitive: removing skilled-trade labor competition moved it from #12 to #9 in the full model rerun. These scores describe local operating alignment, not expected returns or overall franchise quality; the offered territory and franchise economics still require separate diligence.

How this differs from a directory: the model does not award points for brand popularity, advertising placement, or referral compensation. It tests how documented local conditions interact with each concept’s operating requirements.

Best franchise opportunities assessed

Top 10 local-alignment scores from 14 concepts assessed

“Best” refers to modeled local operating alignment among the concepts assessed—not expected earnings, franchise-system quality, or candidate fit.

Rankings use full-precision scores.Displayed values use one decimal place. Identical displayed scores can therefore have different ranks, and close results should be treated as effectively similar.
RankFranchiseAlignment and tierLargest advantageLargest constraintEvidence confidence
1City WideFacility managementInvestment: $229,729–$410,730
71.8Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+1.3 ptsTarget-market demand -0.1 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking Moderate evidence confidence
2ActionCOACHBusiness coachingInvestment: $71,668–$303,513
71.3Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.9 ptsReferral ecosystem No material negative local adjustmentModerate evidence confidence
3Jan-Pro InternationalCommercial cleaningInvestment: $130,000–$421,500
70.5Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+1.0 ptsTarget-market demand -0.5 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking Moderate evidence confidence
4Rainbow International RestorationRestorationInvestment: $185,336–$351,900
69.8Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.9 ptsProperty replacement-cycle demand -0.8 ptsLabor and staffing friction Moderate evidence confidence
5Pillar To Post Home InspectorsHome inspectionInvestment: $102,690–$134,290
69.7Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.5 ptsProperty replacement-cycle demand -0.4 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking Moderate evidence confidence
6PuroCleanRestorationInvestment: $54,575–$262,145
69.7Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.9 ptsProperty replacement-cycle demand -0.8 ptsLabor and staffing friction Moderate evidence confidence
7Workout AnytimeFitnessInvestment: $1,060,850–$1,840,550
69.6Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
No material positive local adjustment-0.4 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking Moderate evidence confidence
8FASTSIGNSSigns and graphicsInvestment: $231,226–$386,285
69.6Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.6 ptsTarget-market demand -0.6 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking Moderate evidence confidence
9Tiger AdjustersPublic insurance adjustingInvestment: $43,050–$159,500
69.4Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
No material positive local adjustment-0.4 ptsLabor and staffing friction Moderate evidence confidence
10HomeSmilesProperty maintenance servicesInvestment: $148,110–$201,800
69.3Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.4 ptsTarget-market demand -0.7 ptsLabor and staffing friction Moderate evidence confidence

View all 14 score calculations

Conditions that changed the analysis

What mattered most in Syracuse, New York

01

Large university and public academic-medical institutions create a durable institutional account and professional-referral base

This relationship affected 6 concepts and added 0.6 points on average among those exposed. Local evidence: SUNY Upstate Medical University identifies itself as the region’s largest employer with over 13,000 employees: 13,000 employees minimum. [16] [3] [1] [15]

02

Micron/Bechtel construction ramp is creating a large, directly overlapping regional demand for skilled construction trades

This relationship affected 10 concepts and reduced 1 point on average among those exposed. Local evidence: Syracuse MSA unemployment rate in June 2026: 3.9 percent. [22] [18] [17] [2]

03

skilled-trade-route-service

This operating-model cluster separated from the broader set because its exposure to local support and constraints differed. The strongest positive factor was property replacement-cycle demand, while the main constraint was labor and staffing friction. [22] [5] [6] [18] [10] [8] [9] [17] [1] [7] [11]

Evidence behind the city mechanisms

Large university and public academic-medical institutions create a durable institutional account and professional-referral base2 local facts · 2 modeled effects · 4 sources
  • SUNY Upstate Medical University identifies itself as the region’s largest employer with over 13,000 employees: 13,000 employees minimum [16] [3] [1]
  • Syracuse University enrollment, faculty and staff scale: total enrollment: 22K+; faculty: 2,100+; staff: 5,300+ people reported as rounded counts [15] [3] [1]
University and government account demandTarget-market demand
Institutional professional relationship baseReferral ecosystem
Heavy winter operations and recurring parking controls create seasonal access friction for vehicle- and parking-dependent formats1 modeled effect
Winter parking and access pressureTransportation, routing, and parking
Micron/Bechtel construction ramp is creating a large, directly overlapping regional demand for skilled construction trades1 modeled effect
Skilled-trade labor competitionLabor and staffing friction

Compare all assessed concepts

Local impact by franchise concept

14 concepts shown. Expand a concept to see the score-changing factors and their modeled drivers; the full audit ledger stays collapsed.

#1Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment71.8

City Wide

Facility management · B2B facility management and vendor coordination

Initial investment: $229,729–$410,730

Increase +1.3 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.1 pts Transportation, routing, and parking

Rank sensitivity: Stable

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Target-market demand
  • University and government account demand Evidence+1.3 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #1 → #2
+1.3 pts
Referral ecosystem
  • Institutional professional relationship base Evidence+0.6 pts
+0.6 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.1 pts
-0.1 pts
Net local movement+1.77 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+1.3
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionNot applicable to this operating model
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.1
Real estate and site feasibilityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystem+0.6
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score71.77
Published local-market alignment71.8

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Strong
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Target-market demand +1.3 pts
Tested rank range
#1–#2
#2Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment71.3

ActionCOACH

Business coaching · home-based B2B advisory

Initial investment: $71,668–$303,513

Increase +0.9 pts Referral ecosystemNo material negative local adjustment identified

Rank sensitivity: Moderately sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Referral ecosystem
  • Institutional professional relationship base Evidence+0.9 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #2 → #3
+0.9 pts
Target-market demand
  • University and government account demand Evidence+0.4 pts
+0.4 pts
Net local movement+1.31 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.4
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionNot applicable to this operating model
Transportation, routing, and parkingNot applicable to this operating model
Real estate and site feasibilityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystem+0.9
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score71.31
Published local-market alignment71.3

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Strong
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Referral ecosystem +0.9 pts
Tested rank range
#1–#3
#3Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.5

Jan-Pro International

Commercial cleaning · recurring commercial route service

Initial investment: $130,000–$421,500

Increase +1.0 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.5 pts Transportation, routing, and parking

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Target-market demand
  • University and government account demand Evidence+1.0 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #3 → #7
+1.0 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.5 pts
-0.5 pts
Net local movement+0.49 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
1 image
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+1.0
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionNot applicable to this operating model
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.5
Real estate and site feasibilityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.49
Published local-market alignment70.5

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Strong
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Target-market demand +1.0 pts
Tested rank range
#2–#7
#4Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.8

Rainbow International Restoration

Restoration · emergency property restoration

Initial investment: $185,336–$351,900

Increase +0.9 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -0.8 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Freeze-thaw repair demand Evidence+0.5 pts
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.4 pts
+0.9 pts
Labor and staffing friction
  • Skilled-trade labor competition Evidence-0.8 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #4 → #3
-0.8 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.5 pts
-0.5 pts
Target-market demand
  • University and government account demand Evidence+0.2 pts
+0.2 pts
Net local movement-0.23 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.2
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.9
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.8
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.5
Real estate and site feasibilityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.77
Published local-market alignment69.8

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Strong
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Property replacement-cycle demand +0.9 pts
Tested rank range
#3–#9
#5Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.7

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors

Home inspection · mobile property inspection service

Initial investment: $102,690–$134,290

Increase +0.5 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -0.4 pts Transportation, routing, and parking

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Freeze-thaw repair demand Evidence+0.3 pts
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.2 pts
+0.5 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.4 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #5 → #6
-0.4 pts
Labor and staffing friction
  • Skilled-trade labor competition Evidence-0.3 pts
-0.3 pts
Net local movement-0.26 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 19 — Financial Performance Representation
1 image
Public company data assessed
2 sources
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.5
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.3
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.4
Real estate and site feasibilityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.74
Published local-market alignment69.7

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Strong
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Property replacement-cycle demand +0.5 pts
Tested rank range
#3–#8
#6Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.7

PuroClean

Restoration · emergency property restoration

Initial investment: $54,575–$262,145

Increase +0.9 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -0.8 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Freeze-thaw repair demand Evidence+0.5 pts
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.4 pts
+0.9 pts
Labor and staffing friction
  • Skilled-trade labor competition Evidence-0.8 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #6 → #4
-0.8 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.4 pts
-0.4 pts
Net local movement-0.31 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.9
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.8
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.4
Real estate and site feasibilityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.69
Published local-market alignment69.7

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Strong
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Property replacement-cycle demand +0.9 pts
Tested rank range
#4–#10
#7Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.6

Workout Anytime

Fitness · fixed-location membership fitness

Initial investment: $1,060,850–$1,840,550

No material positive local adjustment identifiedReduction -0.4 pts Transportation, routing, and parking

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.4 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #7 → #8
-0.4 pts
Net local movement-0.36 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionNot applicable to this operating model
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.4
Real estate and site feasibilityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.64
Published local-market alignment69.6

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Strong
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Transportation, routing, and parking -0.4 pts
Tested rank range
#4–#14
#8Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.6

FASTSIGNS

Signs and graphics · B2B production and installation center

Initial investment: $231,226–$386,285

Increase +0.6 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.6 pts Transportation, routing, and parking

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Target-market demand
  • University and government account demand Evidence+0.6 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #8 → #9
+0.6 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.6 pts
-0.6 pts
Labor and staffing friction
  • Skilled-trade labor competition Evidence-0.6 pts
-0.6 pts
Referral ecosystem
  • Institutional professional relationship base Evidence+0.1 pts
+0.1 pts
Net local movement-0.41 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Item 19 — Financial Performance Representation
2 images
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.6
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.6
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.6
Real estate and site feasibilityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystem+0.1
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.59
Published local-market alignment69.6

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Strong
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Target-market demand +0.6 pts
Tested rank range
#5–#9
#9Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.4

Tiger Adjusters

Public insurance adjusting · Home-based, referral-led public insurance adjusting business combining local property inspections with…

Initial investment: $43,050–$159,500

No material positive local adjustment identifiedReduction -0.4 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Labor and staffing friction
  • Skilled-trade labor competition Evidence-0.4 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #9 → #13
-0.4 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.3 pts
-0.3 pts
Net local movement-0.61 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 19 — Financial Performance Representation
1 image
Public company data assessed
1 source
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.4
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.3
Real estate and site feasibilityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.39
Published local-market alignment69.4

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Adequate
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Strong
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Labor and staffing friction -0.4 pts
Tested rank range
#6–#13
#10Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.3

HomeSmiles

Property maintenance services · Home-based mobile property-maintenance franchise using equipped service vans and technician crews to deliver bundled…

Initial investment: $148,110–$201,800

Increase +0.4 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.7 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Moderately sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Labor and staffing friction
  • Skilled-trade labor competition Evidence-0.7 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: rank stays #10
-0.7 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.4 pts
-0.4 pts
Target-market demand
  • University and government account demand Evidence+0.4 pts
+0.4 pts
Net local movement-0.72 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.4
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.7
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.4
Real estate and site feasibilityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.28
Published local-market alignment69.3

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Adequate
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Strong
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Labor and staffing friction -0.7 pts
Tested rank range
#7–#10
#11Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment68.7

Aire Serv

HVAC installation, repair, and maintenance · Manager-led mobile HVAC installation, repair, maintenance, and emergency service business using skilled technicians…

Initial investment: $113,308–$271,708

Increase +1.1 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -1.8 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Labor and staffing friction
  • Skilled-trade labor competition Evidence-1.8 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #11 → #6
-1.8 pts
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Freeze-thaw repair demand Evidence+0.6 pts
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.5 pts
+1.1 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.7 pts
-0.7 pts
Net local movement-1.28 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
1 image
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Item 19 — Financial Performance Representation
1 image
Public company data assessed
1 source
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+1.1
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-1.8
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.7
Real estate and site feasibilityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score68.72
Published local-market alignment68.7

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Adequate
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Strong
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Labor and staffing friction -1.8 pts
Tested rank range
#6–#13
#12Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment68.2

Mister Sparky Electric

Electrical · skilled-trade home service

Increase +0.6 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -1.8 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Labor and staffing friction
  • Skilled-trade labor competition Evidence-1.8 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #12 → #9
-1.8 pts
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.5 pts
  • Freeze-thaw repair demand Evidence+0.2 pts
+0.6 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.6 pts
-0.6 pts
Net local movement-1.78 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.6
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-1.8
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.6
Real estate and site feasibilityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score68.22
Published local-market alignment68.2

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Strong
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Labor and staffing friction -1.8 pts
Tested rank range
#9–#14
#13Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment68.2

ZOOM DRAIN

Drain and sewer service · emergency skilled-trade route service

Initial investment: $266,250–$570,500

Increase +0.5 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -1.6 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Moderately sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Labor and staffing friction
  • Skilled-trade labor competition Evidence-1.6 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #13 → #11
-1.6 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.7 pts
-0.7 pts
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.5 pts
+0.5 pts
Net local movement-1.78 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.5
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-1.6
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.7
Real estate and site feasibilityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score68.22
Published local-market alignment68.2

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Strong
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Labor and staffing friction -1.6 pts
Tested rank range
#11–#13
#14Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment68.1

Mr. Rooter

Plumbing · scheduled and emergency skilled-trade service

Initial investment: $152,900–$298,675

Increase +0.5 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -1.7 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Moderately sensitive

Why it ranks here

Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Labor and staffing friction
  • Skilled-trade labor competition Evidence-1.7 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #14 → #12
-1.7 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.7 pts
-0.7 pts
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.5 pts
+0.5 pts
Net local movement-1.85 pts

Net uses full-precision effects; displayed factor and driver rows are rounded.

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

Item 3 — Litigation
1 image
Item 6 — Other Fees
1 image
Item 7 — Estimated Initial Investment
2 images
Item 12 — Territory
1 image
Item 20 — Outlets and Franchise Information
1 image
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.5
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-1.7
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.7
Real estate and site feasibilityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score68.15
Published local-market alignment68.1

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Adequate
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Strong
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Labor and staffing friction -1.7 pts
Tested rank range
#12–#14

Worked score example

How we calculated City Wide

This example uses the same ledger shown for every concept and must reconcile exactly to the published score.

Full score ledger

Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+1.3
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionNot applicable to this operating model
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.1
Real estate and site feasibilityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystem+0.6
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score71.77
Published local-market alignment71.8

Factor calculations use full precision. Contributions and published scores are displayed to one decimal place; ranking order uses the full-precision score.

Starting pointThe operating-model baseline shown in the first ledger row.
InteractionsAny interaction or gate is included in the relevant contribution or calibration row.
Confidence treatmentEvidence confidence is disclosed separately unless the model definition explicitly applies a calibration adjustment.
RoundingFull-precision contributions are summed before the final displayed score is rounded to one decimal place; whole-number results are shown without a trailing decimal.

Factor impact

Which local conditions changed scores or rankings?

We neutralized one factor at a time, recalculated every score, and then measured both absolute score movement and changes in rank order.

Observed model effectMixed or model dependent

Target-market demand

We tested how much of the city’s theoretical customer and business demand remained usable after operating friction.

Why concepts react differently

We applied a measurable adjustment to 6 of 14 concepts. When we neutralized the factor and recalculated the table, 9 concepts changed position. Jan-Pro International moved from #3 to #7, the largest movement among concepts directly affected by this factor.

Concepts adjusted6 of 14
Average among affected+0.6 pts
Average across all concepts+0.3 pts
Concepts changing rank9

Concepts helped most

City WideFacility management
+1.3 pts
Jan-Pro InternationalCommercial cleaning
+1.0 pts
FASTSIGNSSigns and graphics
+0.6 pts
HomeSmilesProperty maintenance services
+0.4 pts
ActionCOACHBusiness coaching
+0.4 pts
Measured but not differentiating in this concept set
  • Competitive environmentNo material score adjustment
  • Real estate and site feasibilityNo material score adjustment
  • Sales and customer acquisitionNo material score adjustment
  • Territory qualityNo material score adjustment
  • Regulatory and operating frictionNo material score adjustment

Rank stability

Which positions depend most on individual assumptions?

The line shows the best and worst rank reached when one factor was removed from every concept. A narrow range indicates a more stable position.

#1 City WideStable · tested #1–#2
#2 ActionCOACHModerately sensitive · tested #1–#3
#3 Jan-Pro InternationalHighly sensitive · tested #2–#7
#4 Rainbow International RestorationHighly sensitive · tested #3–#9
#5 Pillar To Post Home InspectorsHighly sensitive · tested #3–#8
#6 PuroCleanHighly sensitive · tested #4–#10
#7 Workout AnytimeHighly sensitive · tested #4–#14
#8 FASTSIGNSHighly sensitive · tested #5–#9
#9 Tiger AdjustersHighly sensitive · tested #6–#13
#10 HomeSmilesModerately sensitive · tested #7–#10
#11 Aire ServHighly sensitive · tested #6–#13
#12 Mister Sparky ElectricHighly sensitive · tested #9–#14
#13 ZOOM DRAINModerately sensitive · tested #11–#13
#14 Mr. RooterModerately sensitive · tested #12–#14

Neutralizing a factor removes it from every concept. A concept can move down even when its own score improves because competitors may benefit more.

Original factor comparison

How each factor affected the highest-rated franchise concepts

The graph includes the top 14 concepts by local-alignment score. Only nonzero score contributions are plotted. A factor is removed when every displayed concept received 0.0 points from it. Hover or focus a concept name to highlight all of its remaining data points.

Factor impact among the highest-rated franchise conceptsDiverging dot plot showing nonzero factor score contributions for the top 14 concepts. Zero-point concept-factor pairs are omitted, and factors with no nonzero contributions are excluded.+2.0+1.00.0-1.0-2.0
Target-market demand
#1 City Wide · Target-market demand · +1.3 pts1#2 ActionCOACH · Target-market demand · +0.4 pts2#3 Jan-Pro International · Target-market demand · +1.0 pts3#4 Rainbow International Restoration · Target-market demand · +0.2 pts4#8 FASTSIGNS · Target-market demand · +0.6 pts8#10 HomeSmiles · Target-market demand · +0.4 pts10
Property replacement-cycle demand
#4 Rainbow International Restoration · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.9 pts4#5 Pillar To Post Home Inspectors · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.5 pts5#6 PuroClean · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.9 pts6#11 Aire Serv · Property replacement-cycle demand · +1.1 pts11#12 Mister Sparky Electric · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.6 pts12#13 ZOOM DRAIN · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.5 pts13#14 Mr. Rooter · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.5 pts14
Labor and staffing friction
#4 Rainbow International Restoration · Labor and staffing friction · -0.8 pts4#5 Pillar To Post Home Inspectors · Labor and staffing friction · -0.3 pts5#6 PuroClean · Labor and staffing friction · -0.8 pts6#8 FASTSIGNS · Labor and staffing friction · -0.6 pts8#9 Tiger Adjusters · Labor and staffing friction · -0.4 pts9#10 HomeSmiles · Labor and staffing friction · -0.7 pts10#11 Aire Serv · Labor and staffing friction · -1.8 pts11#12 Mister Sparky Electric · Labor and staffing friction · -1.8 pts12#13 ZOOM DRAIN · Labor and staffing friction · -1.6 pts13#14 Mr. Rooter · Labor and staffing friction · -1.7 pts14
Transportation, routing, and parking
#1 City Wide · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.1 pts1#3 Jan-Pro International · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.5 pts3#4 Rainbow International Restoration · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.5 pts4#5 Pillar To Post Home Inspectors · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.4 pts5#6 PuroClean · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.4 pts6#7 Workout Anytime · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.4 pts7#8 FASTSIGNS · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.6 pts8#9 Tiger Adjusters · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.3 pts9#10 HomeSmiles · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.4 pts10#11 Aire Serv · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.7 pts11#12 Mister Sparky Electric · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.6 pts12#13 ZOOM DRAIN · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.7 pts13#14 Mr. Rooter · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.7 pts14
Referral ecosystem
#1 City Wide · Referral ecosystem · +0.6 pts1#2 ActionCOACH · Referral ecosystem · +0.9 pts2#8 FASTSIGNS · Referral ecosystem · +0.1 pts8
Primary source records by factorTarget-market demand: [4] [24] [15] [16] [14] [17] [1] [3]Property replacement-cycle demand: [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [1]Competitive environment: [24] [4] [3]Labor and staffing friction: [17] [18] [22] [23] [16] [15]Transportation, routing, and parking: [8] [11] [12] [2] [3]Real estate and site feasibility: [13] [14] [21] [19] [1] [3]Sales and customer acquisition: [24] [4] [3]Referral ecosystem: [15] [16] [17] [24] [3]Territory quality: [13] [14] [12] [20] [3]Regulatory and operating friction: [19] [20] [21] [23] [3] [2]
View the chart data as a table
ConceptTarget-market demandProperty replacement-cycle demandLabor and staffing frictionTransportation, routing, and parkingReferral ecosystem
#1 City Wide+1.3 pts——-0.1 pts+0.6 pts
#2 ActionCOACH+0.4 pts———+0.9 pts
#3 Jan-Pro International+1.0 pts——-0.5 pts—
#4 Rainbow International Restoration+0.2 pts+0.9 pts-0.8 pts-0.5 pts—
#5 Pillar To Post Home Inspectors—+0.5 pts-0.3 pts-0.4 pts—
#6 PuroClean—+0.9 pts-0.8 pts-0.4 pts—
#7 Workout Anytime———-0.4 pts—
#8 FASTSIGNS+0.6 pts—-0.6 pts-0.6 pts+0.1 pts
#9 Tiger Adjusters——-0.4 pts-0.3 pts—
#10 HomeSmiles+0.4 pts—-0.7 pts-0.4 pts—
#11 Aire Serv—+1.1 pts-1.8 pts-0.7 pts—
#12 Mister Sparky Electric—+0.6 pts-1.8 pts-0.6 pts—
#13 ZOOM DRAIN—+0.5 pts-1.6 pts-0.7 pts—
#14 Mr. Rooter—+0.5 pts-1.7 pts-0.7 pts—

Interpretation

How to interpret the result

City Wide, ActionCOACH, Jan-Pro International led because their operating requirements captured more of the local support from property replacement-cycle demand while remaining less exposed to labor and staffing friction. The same city condition can help one operating model and constrain another, so score differences should be read through each concept's factor pattern rather than as a universal franchise-quality verdict. The ordering is most assumption-sensitive for Jan-Pro International, Rainbow International Restoration, Pillar To Post Home Inspectors; their ranks move more widely when individual factors are neutralized.

Category comparisons

Best franchise categories we assessed in Syracuse, New York

Category summaries are shown only when at least two concepts qualified. Two-concept comparisons are explicitly labeled as limited.

Limited two-concept comparison

Best Restoration franchise opportunities we assessed in Syracuse, New York

69.7

2 Restoration concepts qualified for comparison, with scores ranging from 69.7 to 69.8. Rainbow International Restoration ranked highest at 69.8. Property replacement-cycle demand added 0.9 points on average among the affected concepts. Labor and staffing friction reduced the exposed concepts by 0.8 points on average.

Interpret cautiously: A 0.1-point spread is too small to support a strong brand-level conclusion from city alignment alone.

Concepts compared
2
Score range
69.7–69.8
Category average
69.7
Rainbow International Restoration69.8
PuroClean69.7

Metric registry

The 26 local metrics behind this analysis

The registry shows each public metric’s raw value, period, geography, source, and its actual role in the compiled analysis.

View all local metrics
MetricRaw valuePeriodGeographyRole in analysisSource
Resident population estimate on July 1, 2025144,896peopleJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 sales/receiptsSyracuse, New YorkContext only [4]
Population change from the April 2020 estimate base to July 2025-2.5percentJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 sales/receiptsSyracuse, New YorkContext only [4]
Estimated households, 2020-202459,816householdsJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 sales/receiptsSyracuse, New YorkContext only [4]
Persons in poverty, 2020-202428.8percent of personsJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 sales/receiptsSyracuse, New YorkContext only [4]
Employer establishments in Onondaga County in 202311,166employer establishments2023 County Business Patterns; 2024 ACS profile valuesOnondaga County, New YorkContext only [24]
Median year structure built in the City of Syracuse housing stock in the 2016 ACS 5-year data used by the 2019 study1,946yearPrimarily ACS 2016 5-year housing data and 2018 economic dataSyracuse, New YorkUsed in scoring [5] [1]
Housing units built in 1939 or earlier in the City of Syracuse, 2016 ACS 5-year data42.8percent of housing unitsPrimarily ACS 2016 5-year housing data and 2018 economic dataSyracuse, New YorkUsed in scoring [5]
Residential properties described by the 2026 City housing strategy as visibly in decline33.3percent approximateHousing conditions based on Syracuse Housing Study field work and current strategy as updated March 2026Syracuse, New YorkUsed in scoring [6]
Records in the City of Syracuse Unfit Properties dataset as updated August 7, 2026298recordsDataset updated August 7, 2026Syracuse, New YorkUsed in scoring [7]
Syracuse annual snowfall in 2025 compared with the 1991-2020 normalobserved 2025 inches: 172.9; normal 1991 2020 inches: 127.8; departure inches: 45.1inchesCalendar year 2025; climate normals 1991-2020Syracuse, New YorkUsed in scoring [8] [1]
Days with minimum temperature at or below 32°F in Syracuse in 2025 compared with normalobserved 2025 days: 137; normal 1991 2020 days: 132.5daysCalendar year 2025; climate normals 1991-2020Syracuse, New YorkUsed in scoring [8] [9]
Seasonal and event-based parking controls used to keep Syracuse streets passable for snowplowsdowntown season: November 1-April 1; enforcement: ticketing and towing may apply; operating reason: clearance for plows and access routesrule summaryCurrent winter-parking rules accessed August 2026; seasonal rules run November 1-April 1 in designated downtown blocksSyracuse, New YorkUsed in scoring [11]
Current Phase Two / Contract 6 scope of the I-81 Viaduct Project in Syracusecontract value usd: 2,100,000,000; elevated highway removed miles: 1.4; i690 lane miles removed and rebuilt: 15; local streets rehabilitated or reconstructed: 25; status: work set to begin / Phase Two activeproject scopePhase Two / Contract 6 status as of July 3, 2026I-81 / I-690 and connected local streets in SyracuseConditional relationship [12] [2] [3]
Contract 6 closes/removes existing I-81/I-690 connecting ramps and stages I-690 reconstruction with city-street detoursexisting i81 i690 link ramps: closed and removed during reconstruction; reconstruction method: staged to maintain traffic flow with detours onto city streetsroute change summaryPhase Two / Contract 6 status as of July 3, 2026I-81 / I-690 Phase Two work zone in SyracuseConditional relationship [12]
Overall Syracuse industrial vacancy rate in Q2 20265.5percentSecond quarter 2026Syracuse, NY industrial marketConditional relationship [13] [1]
Office/service/flex vacancy rate and current demand note in the Syracuse industrial market, Q2 2026office service flex vacancy percent: 4; office service flex inventory sqft: 2,823,606; vacant sqft: 112,828; most sought after quality size range sqft: 10,000-20,000 with dock and/or drive-inmarket metricSecond quarter 2026Syracuse, NY industrial marketConditional relationship [13] [1]
Industrial vacancy by Syracuse submarket in Q2 2026East: 8.4; North: 4.9; South: 1.9; West: 0.5percent vacancySecond quarter 2026Syracuse industrial East/North/South/West submarketsConditional relationship [13]
Syracuse CBD office vacancy and asking rent in Q2 2026cbd vacancy percent: 13.9; cbd asking rent usd psf: 18.87; market vacancy percent: 11.4; market ytd net absorption sqft: 183,104market metricSecond quarter 2026Syracuse Central Business District and overall office marketConditional relationship [14] [1]
Syracuse University enrollment, faculty and staff scaletotal enrollment: 22K+; faculty: 2,100+; staff: 5,300+people reported as rounded countsCurrent institutional facts accessed August 2026Syracuse University, Syracuse, New YorkSupports modeled relationship [15] [3] [1]
SUNY Upstate Medical University identifies itself as the region’s largest employer with over 13,000 employees13,000employees minimumCurrent institutional facts accessed August 2026SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New YorkSupports modeled relationship [16] [3] [1]
Micron/Bechtel construction workforce ramp in Clay with direct skilled-trade relevance to the Syracuse labor shedproject construction jobs expected over: 4,500; skilled trade professionals worked to date over: 180; bechtel job listings july 2026: 88; construction workers expected by june 2027 about: 3,000; peak construction workers up to: 4,200; first fab expected open: 2030; second fab expected open: 2033workers and timingJune 2026 employment; NYS Job Bank postings as of July 27, 2026; Micron/Bechtel developments as of June-July 2026Micron semiconductor complex, Clay, Onondaga CountyUsed in scoring [17] [18] [2]
Syracuse MSA unemployment rate in June 20263.9percentJune 2026 labor force and payroll employment; extracted August 6, 2026Syracuse, NY metropolitan statistical areaUsed in scoring [22]
New York State basic minimum wage applicable to Syracuse in 202616usd per hourRates effective January 1-December 31, 2026Remainder of New York State, including SyracuseContext only [23]
Certificate of Appropriateness is required for exterior work, including signage, on locally designated Protected Sites and properties in Preservation Districtscovered work includes: signage and other exterior alterations; pre application conference: required; public hearing: required; decision window after hearing days: 62; approval default validity: one yearrule summaryCurrent 2026 application and review processLocally designated Protected Sites and Preservation Districts in SyracuseConditional relationship [19] [20] [3]
Locally designated Syracuse Preservation Districts identified by the Landmark Preservation Boardpreservation districts: Berkeley Park, Columbus Circle, Hanover Square, Sedgwick/Highland/James; locally designated protected sites count: 60districts and sitesCurrent preservation designations and review rules accessed August 2026Locally designated preservation geographies in SyracuseConditional relationship [20]
Syracuse Special Assessment Districts are subject to additional charges that supplement enhanced City servicesdistricts: Downtown Business District, Crouse Marshall Business District; charge character: additional charges; property-specific lists provided by Cityrule summaryCurrent special assessment district status accessed August 2026Downtown and Crouse Marshall Special Assessment Districts, SyracuseContext only [21] [3]

How to use the ranking

What the model can and cannot establish

  • Scores measure local operating alignment, not expected financial performance or franchise-system quality.
  • Citywide evidence may not describe the exact site or territory ultimately offered.
  • Conditional effects are shown for diligence but do not change the published score until their applicability is established.

Methodology

How the local-alignment ranking is calculated

01

Measure the city

Collect reusable local metrics with source, period, geography, and confidence fields.

02

Profile each operating model

Map each franchise to controlled operating attributes and local sensitivities.

03

Apply scoreable effects

Score only effects whose applicability is established at the report’s current geographic and operating scope.

04

Preserve conditional effects

Keep location- or territory-dependent issues visible for diligence without automatically changing the score.

05

Test rank sensitivity

Remove one factor at a time from every concept and rerank using full-precision scores.

06

Generate public output

Create the ranking, factor-status ledger, visuals, metric registry, and automated quality report from the same data.

How the common baseline becomes a city-specific score

Every concept starts from the same 70.0 reference point, so differences come only from modeled local interactions. In this city, City Wide reached 71.77 after target-market demand +1.3 pts, referral ecosystem +0.6 pts, and transportation, routing, and parking -0.1 pts. The current model caps total local movement at ±18.0 points. The score is not a percentage, probability, or estimate of investment quality.

Precision and materiality

Calculations use full-precision values. Published scores and factor contributions display one decimal place, while ranks use full precision. Effects smaller than 0.1 points are identified as below the publication threshold rather than presented as a meaningful zero.

Score tiers

Tier 1 · Strongest modeled alignment80.0–100.0
Tier 2 · Favorable modeled alignment72.0–<80.0
Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment64.0–<72.0
Tier 4 · Higher-friction modeled alignment0.0–<64.0

How factor rows are classified

Positive local adjustmentNegative local adjustmentMeasured; no meaningful local adjustmentEffect below the publication thresholdNot applicable to this operating modelDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating conditionNot included in the score
What “best” means here

“Best” means the strongest modeled local operating alignment among the franchise concepts assessed on this page.

Model 0.9.0 · Compiler 0.15.1-franchise-image-filter · Report generated August 19, 2026 (site timezone)

Model governance

How this report is calculated and corrected

Calculation controls

Model designer
Thomas Jepsen

No concept’s final score is manually raised or lowered after calculation. Before this template is activated, the report is reviewed for source scope, classification, arithmetic, unsupported claims, duplication, and readability.

Model history

  1. Model 0.9.0-calibration · August 19, 2026Added compiler-derived decision intelligence and observation usage mapping., Changed factor sensitivity and channel counterfactuals to full model reruns., Added data-dependent city content signals while preserving legacy public report fields., and Added model-owned semantic compatibility gates and backward-compatible channel-level evidence attribution.

Corrections policy

Corrected source, geography, or operating-profile evidence triggers a full compiler rerun so every dependent score and visual is recalculated.

Source registry

Evidence represented in this report

Each source identifies its period, scope, and the claims or metrics it supports. Internal or supplied research is clearly distinguished from publicly accessible evidence.

  1. 1
    Supplied multi-city structural operating research docket (I 102)Internal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.

    Used for: Median year structure built in the City of Syracuse housing stock in the 2016 ACS 5-year data used by the 2019 study, Syracuse annual snowfall in 2025 compared with the 1991-2020 normal, Overall Syracuse industrial vacancy rate in Q2 2026, Office/service/flex vacancy rate and current demand note in the Syracuse industrial market, Q2 2026, and Syracuse CBD office vacancy and asking rent in Q2 2026

    Publisher
    Supplied research material
    Data period
    Research cites sources accessed through February 24, 2026
    Scope
    Syracuse, New York section within a multi-city docket
    Locator
    Syracuse section: macro-physical conditions, housing stock, flex-space, office market, institutions, and Micron discussion
    Source tier
    Tier 5 · supplied bespoke research
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  2. 2
    Forensic Audit of Structural Constraints and Latent Jurisdictional RisksInternal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.

    Used for: Current Phase Two / Contract 6 scope of the I-81 Viaduct Project in Syracuse and Micron/Bechtel construction workforce ramp in Clay with direct skilled-trade relevance to the Syracuse labor shed

    Publisher
    Supplied research material
    Data period
    Research cites sources accessed through February 19, 2026
    Scope
    Syracuse, New York section within a multi-city docket
    Locator
    Syracuse section and works-cited entries 35-40
    Source tier
    Tier 5 · supplied bespoke research
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  3. 3
    Franchise data - remake - aug(9).csvInternal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.

    Used for: Current Phase Two / Contract 6 scope of the I-81 Viaduct Project in Syracuse, Syracuse University enrollment, faculty and staff scale, SUNY Upstate Medical University identifies itself as the region’s largest employer with over 13,000 employees, Certificate of Appropriateness is required for exterior work, including signage, on locally designated Protected Sites and properties in Preservation Districts, and Syracuse Special Assessment Districts are subject to additional charges that supplement enhanced City services

    Publisher
    Supplied research material
    Data period
    Supplied neighborhood-level notes; date not stated
    Scope
    Six Syracuse rows: Eastwood, University Hill, Downtown, Armory Square, Northside, Strathmore
    Locator
    Syracuse rows and Regulatory barrier / Demand generator / Operational friction columns
    Source tier
    Tier 5 · supplied bespoke research
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  4. 4
    U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Syracuse city, New York

    Used for: Resident population estimate on July 1, 2025, Population change from the April 2020 estimate base to July 2025, Estimated households, 2020-2024, and Persons in poverty, 2020-2024

    Publisher
    U.S. Census Bureau
    Data period
    July 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 sales/receipts
    Scope
    Syracuse city, New York
    Locator
    Population, housing, households, economy, income and poverty sections
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  5. 5
    City of Syracuse Commercial Corridor Study: City-Wide Economic Base Analysis

    Used for: Median year structure built in the City of Syracuse housing stock in the 2016 ACS 5-year data used by the 2019 study and Housing units built in 1939 or earlier in the City of Syracuse, 2016 ACS 5-year data

    Publisher
    Syracuse Industrial Development Agency; Camoin 310 & Streetsense
    Published
    July 1, 2019
    Data period
    Primarily ACS 2016 5-year housing data and 2018 economic data
    Scope
    City of Syracuse with Central Core comparison tracts
    Locator
    Key Findings and Housing Characteristics; housing-by-year-built table
    Source tier
    Tier 2 · recognized institutional research
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  6. 6
    Syracuse Housing Strategy Fact Sheet

    Used for: Residential properties described by the 2026 City housing strategy as visibly in decline

    Publisher
    City of Syracuse
    Published
    March 9, 2026
    Data period
    Housing conditions based on Syracuse Housing Study field work and current strategy as updated March 2026
    Scope
    City of Syracuse and identified neighborhood clusters
    Locator
    Challenges, strategic work, and neighborhood considerations
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  7. 7
    Unfit Properties

    Used for: Records in the City of Syracuse Unfit Properties dataset as updated August 7, 2026

    Publisher
    City of Syracuse Open Data Portal
    Data period
    Dataset updated August 7, 2026
    Scope
    City of Syracuse
    Locator
    Dataset record count and code-enforcement description
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  8. 8
    Syracuse NY Climate Summary for the Year of 2025

    Used for: Syracuse annual snowfall in 2025 compared with the 1991-2020 normal and Days with minimum temperature at or below 32°F in Syracuse in 2025 compared with normal

    Publisher
    NOAA National Weather Service, Binghamton NY
    Published
    January 1, 2026
    Data period
    Calendar year 2025; climate normals 1991-2020
    Scope
    Syracuse climate station
    Locator
    Annual temperature and snowfall summary
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  9. 9
    Climate Impact Spotlight: The Central/Finger Lakes Region

    Used for: Days with minimum temperature at or below 32°F in Syracuse in 2025 compared with normal

    Publisher
    New York State Climate Impacts Assessment
    Data period
    Historical climate baseline and projections summarized for Central/Finger Lakes; includes Syracuse-specific below-freezing history
    Scope
    Central/Finger Lakes region with Syracuse-specific climate metrics
    Locator
    Changing climate section and Syracuse-specific below-freezing / lake-effect snowfall discussion
    Source tier
    Tier 2 · recognized institutional research
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  10. 10
    Freeze-Thaw Crack Determination in Cementitious Materials Using 3D X-ray Computed Tomography and Acoustic Emission
    Publisher
    National Institute of Standards and Technology
    Published
    March 8, 2018
    Data period
    Laboratory study of cementitious materials exposed to freeze-thaw damage
    Scope
    General engineering evidence; not Syracuse-specific
    Locator
    Abstract and citation
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government research
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  11. 11
    Parking in Winter

    Used for: Seasonal and event-based parking controls used to keep Syracuse streets passable for snowplows

    Publisher
    City of Syracuse
    Data period
    Current winter-parking rules accessed August 2026; seasonal rules run November 1-April 1 in designated downtown blocks
    Scope
    City of Syracuse with designated downtown and priority-enforcement streets
    Locator
    Snow Priority Parking Enforcement and Downtown Parking Restrictions
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  12. 12
    State DOT Announces Major Milestone as Construction Is Set to Begin on Phase Two of the Interstate 81 Viaduct Project in Syracuse

    Used for: Current Phase Two / Contract 6 scope of the I-81 Viaduct Project in Syracuse and Contract 6 closes/removes existing I-81/I-690 connecting ramps and stages I-690 reconstruction with city-street detours

    Publisher
    New York State Department of Transportation
    Published
    July 3, 2026
    Data period
    Phase Two / Contract 6 status as of July 3, 2026
    Scope
    I-81/I-690 corridor and affected local streets in Syracuse
    Locator
    Contract 6 scope, ramp changes, staged reconstruction and local-street work
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  13. 13
    Syracuse, NY Industrial MarketBeat Q2 2026

    Used for: Overall Syracuse industrial vacancy rate in Q2 2026, Office/service/flex vacancy rate and current demand note in the Syracuse industrial market, Q2 2026, and Industrial vacancy by Syracuse submarket in Q2 2026

    Publisher
    Cushman & Wakefield
    Published
    July 1, 2026
    Data period
    Second quarter 2026
    Scope
    Syracuse, NY industrial market and East/North/South/West submarkets
    Locator
    Market fundamentals, leasing activity, market statistics and submarket table
    Source tier
    Tier 3 · credible industry
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  14. 14
    Syracuse, New York Office MarketBeat Q2 2026

    Used for: Syracuse CBD office vacancy and asking rent in Q2 2026

    Publisher
    Cushman & Wakefield
    Published
    July 1, 2026
    Data period
    Second quarter 2026
    Scope
    Syracuse office market; CBD and non-CBD submarkets
    Locator
    Market fundamentals, supply, pricing, and market statistics
    Source tier
    Tier 3 · credible industry
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  15. 15
    Facts and Figures

    Used for: Syracuse University enrollment, faculty and staff scale

    Publisher
    Syracuse University
    Data period
    Current institutional facts accessed August 2026
    Scope
    Syracuse University main campus in Syracuse, New York
    Locator
    Enrollment and faculty/staff facts
    Source tier
    Tier 2 · recognized institution
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  16. 16
    About Upstate

    Used for: SUNY Upstate Medical University identifies itself as the region’s largest employer with over 13,000 employees

    Publisher
    SUNY Upstate Medical University
    Data period
    Current institutional facts accessed August 2026
    Scope
    SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
    Locator
    Employer scale and academic medical center description
    Source tier
    Tier 2 · recognized institution
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  17. 17
    Central New York Jobs, June 2026

    Used for: Micron/Bechtel construction workforce ramp in Clay with direct skilled-trade relevance to the Syracuse labor shed

    Publisher
    New York State Department of Labor
    Published
    July 1, 2026
    Data period
    June 2026 employment; NYS Job Bank postings as of July 27, 2026; Micron/Bechtel developments as of June-July 2026
    Scope
    Central New York region; Micron project in Clay, Onondaga County
    Locator
    Regional industry mix, advertised openings, and Micron/Bechtel labor-market developments
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  18. 18
    Micron Selects Bechtel as Construction Partner for Historic New York Semiconductor Project

    Used for: Micron/Bechtel construction workforce ramp in Clay with direct skilled-trade relevance to the Syracuse labor shed

    Publisher
    Micron Technology
    Published
    June 10, 2026
    Data period
    Micron Clay project construction phase as of June 10, 2026
    Scope
    Clay, New York / Onondaga County; regional labor market
    Locator
    Construction partner, project phase and construction-workforce expectations
    Source tier
    Tier 4 · primary corporate announcement
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  19. 19
    Certificate of Appropriateness Application Instructions

    Used for: Certificate of Appropriateness is required for exterior work, including signage, on locally designated Protected Sites and properties in Preservation Districts

    Publisher
    City of Syracuse Office of Zoning Administration
    Published
    January 1, 2026
    Data period
    Current 2026 application and review process
    Scope
    Locally designated Protected Sites and Preservation Districts in Syracuse
    Locator
    Overview, signage requirements and application process
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  20. 20
    Historic Properties List & Preservation Review

    Used for: Certificate of Appropriateness is required for exterior work, including signage, on locally designated Protected Sites and properties in Preservation Districts and Locally designated Syracuse Preservation Districts identified by the Landmark Preservation Board

    Publisher
    City of Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board
    Data period
    Current preservation designations and review rules accessed August 2026
    Scope
    City of Syracuse protected sites and preservation districts
    Locator
    Designation types, named districts and review requirements
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  21. 21
    Special Business Districts

    Used for: Syracuse Special Assessment Districts are subject to additional charges that supplement enhanced City services

    Publisher
    City of Syracuse Department of Assessment
    Data period
    Current special assessment district status accessed August 2026
    Scope
    Downtown and Crouse Marshall Special Assessment Districts in Syracuse
    Locator
    Special Assessment District description and property-list links
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  22. 22
    Syracuse, NY Economy at a Glance

    Used for: Syracuse MSA unemployment rate in June 2026

    Publisher
    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
    Data period
    June 2026 labor force and payroll employment; extracted August 6, 2026
    Scope
    Syracuse metropolitan statistical area
    Locator
    Labor force, unemployment and industry employment table
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  23. 23
    New York State Minimum Wage (P700-English)

    Used for: New York State basic minimum wage applicable to Syracuse in 2026

    Publisher
    New York State Department of Labor
    Published
    December 1, 2025
    Data period
    Rates effective January 1-December 31, 2026
    Scope
    Remainder of New York State, including Syracuse
    Locator
    2026 basic and fast-food minimum wage schedule
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026
  24. 24
    Onondaga County, New York - Census Bureau Profile

    Used for: Employer establishments in Onondaga County in 2023

    Publisher
    U.S. Census Bureau
    Data period
    2023 County Business Patterns; 2024 ACS profile values
    Scope
    Onondaga County, New York
    Locator
    Business and Economy and profile sections
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 12, 2026

Before contacting a franchisor

Complete the next layer of due diligence

  • Confirm the exact protected territory and neighboring units.
  • Review the current Franchise Disclosure Document.
  • Validate local staffing, licensing, insurance, and service-base assumptions.
  • Obtain location, vehicle, buildout, or working-capital estimates.
  • Speak with current and former franchisees.
  • Build a candidate-specific financial scenario.

Apply the analysis to your situation

Review how these market findings apply to your budget, role, and proposed territory.

The city score does not include your experience, capital structure, time commitment, financing, or exact territory.

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