70.9 average across 2 concepts
Local operating-model alignment analysis
Best Franchise Opportunities We Assessed in Scranton, Pennsylvania
We compared 14 franchise concepts for Scranton, Pennsylvania. Healthcare institutional service demand was a leading positive mechanism. Winter route friction 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.
14Concepts evaluated
32Sources used
20Primary sources
47Local 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
0.4 points average among 13 affected concepts
0.3 points average reduction among 11 affected concepts
Tested rank range spans 10 positions
Executive conclusion
What the ranking means for Scranton, Pennsylvania
City Wide, HomeSmiles, and Rainbow International Restoration produced the highest modeled local-alignment scores in the evaluated set. Healthcare institutional service demand was the strongest positive scored mechanism among 6 exposed concepts, adding 0.6 points on average. One important asymmetry was that the same local condition supported freeze-thaw repair demand while also creating winter route friction. City Wide was especially relationship-sensitive: removing healthcare institutional service demand moved it from #1 to #4 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.
| Rank | Franchise | Alignment and tier | Largest advantage | Largest constraint | Evidence confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | City WideFacility managementInvestment: $229,729–$410,730 | 72.0Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment | +1.4 ptsTarget-market demand | No material negative local adjustment | Moderate evidence confidence |
| 2 | HomeSmilesProperty maintenance servicesInvestment: $148,110–$201,800 | 71.1Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment | +0.8 ptsTarget-market demand | -0.2 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking | Moderate evidence confidence |
| 3 | Rainbow International RestorationRestorationInvestment: $185,336–$351,900 | 71.0Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment | +0.7 ptsProperty replacement-cycle demand | -0.3 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking | Moderate evidence confidence |
| 4 | Jan-Pro InternationalCommercial cleaningInvestment: $130,000–$421,500 | 71.0Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment | +1.0 ptsTarget-market demand | -0.2 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking | Moderate evidence confidence |
| 5 | PuroCleanRestorationInvestment: $54,575–$262,145 | 70.7Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment | +0.7 ptsProperty replacement-cycle demand | -0.4 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking | Moderate evidence confidence |
| 6 | FASTSIGNSSigns and graphicsInvestment: $231,226–$386,285 | 70.7Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment | +0.5 ptsTarget-market demand | -0.1 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking | Moderate evidence confidence |
| 7 | ActionCOACHBusiness coachingInvestment: $71,668–$303,513 | 70.7Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment | +0.5 ptsReferral ecosystem | No material negative local adjustment | Moderate evidence confidence |
| 8 | Aire ServHVAC installation, repair, and maintenanceInvestment: $113,308–$271,708 | 70.7Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment | +0.9 ptsProperty replacement-cycle demand | -0.4 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking | Moderate evidence confidence |
| 9 | Pillar To Post Home InspectorsHome inspectionInvestment: $102,690–$134,290 | 70.4Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment | +0.4 ptsProperty replacement-cycle demand | -0.3 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking | Moderate evidence confidence |
| 10 | ZOOM DRAINDrain and sewer serviceInvestment: $266,250–$570,500 | 70.3Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment | +0.4 ptsReferral ecosystem | -0.6 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking | Moderate evidence confidence |
Conditions that changed the analysis
What mattered most in Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton’s hospital anchor and current capacity expansion support institutional service demand
This relationship affected 6 concepts and added 0.6 points on average among those exposed. Local evidence: Health care and social assistance receipts/revenue, 2022: 1,601,834,000 usd. [4] [6]
Recurring winter freezing and snow create weather-related repair demand and route variability
The same local condition created complementary effects: freeze-thaw repair demand supported exposed concepts while winter route friction constrained others. [27] [26]
recurring-commercial-service
This operating-model cluster separated from the broader set because its exposure to local support and constraints differed. The strongest positive factor was target-market demand, while the main constraint was transportation, routing, and parking. [6] [7] [4] [17] [18] [19] [27] [26] [20] [21] [2] [16]
Evidence behind the city mechanisms
Recent housing additions modestly expand the addressable residential service base1 modeled effect
Household service demandTarget-market demand
Recurring winter freezing and snow create weather-related repair demand and route variability2 local facts · 2 modeled effects · 2 sources
- New Year’s Day average low at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport: 21.8 degrees fahrenheit [27] [26]
- Share of New Year’s Days with at least one inch of snow on the ground in 1901-2023 record: 38 percent of new years days [27] [26]
Freeze-thaw repair demandProperty replacement-cycle demand
Winter route frictionTransportation, routing, and parking
Scranton’s hospital anchor and current capacity expansion support institutional service demand1 modeled effect
Healthcare institutional service demandTarget-market demand
A large regional chamber network plus major education and healthcare institutions supports professional relationship density1 modeled effect
Professional and institutional relationship densityReferral ecosystem
Active I-81/I-84 reconstruction creates a route-specific multi-year work-zone constraint1 modeled effect
Temporary route disruptionTransportation, routing, and parking
Residential-district commercial-vehicle storage rules can constrain home-based fleet staging1 modeled effect
Route and curb productivity pressureTransportation, routing, and parking
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 alignment72.0
City Wide
Initial investment: $229,729–$410,730
Increase +1.4 pts Target-market demandNo 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 factor | Modeled drivers | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Target-market demand |
| +1.4 pts |
| Referral ecosystem |
| +0.6 pts |
| Net local movement | +1.99 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 confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.
| Neutral model baseline | 70.0 |
|---|---|
| Target-market demand | +1.4 |
| Property replacement-cycle demand | Not applicable to this operating model |
| Competitive environment | Not included in the score |
| Labor and staffing friction | Measured; no meaningful local adjustment |
| Transportation, routing, and parking | Effect below the publication threshold |
| Real estate and site feasibility | Not included in the score |
| Sales and customer acquisition | Not included in the score |
| Referral ecosystem | +0.6 |
| Territory quality | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Regulatory and operating friction | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Full-precision calculated score | 71.99 |
| Published local-market alignment | 72.0 |
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
- Limited
- Overall evidence confidence
- Moderate evidence confidence
- Largest absolute effect
- Target-market demand +1.4 pts
- Tested rank range
- #1–#3
#2Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment71.1
HomeSmiles
Initial investment: $148,110–$201,800
Increase +0.8 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.2 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 factor | Modeled drivers | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Target-market demand | +0.8 pts | |
| Referral ecosystem |
| +0.5 pts |
| Transportation, routing, and parking |
| -0.2 pts |
| Net local movement | +1.09 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 confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.
| Neutral model baseline | 70.0 |
|---|---|
| Target-market demand | +0.8 |
| Property replacement-cycle demand | Not applicable to this operating model |
| Competitive environment | Not included in the score |
| Labor and staffing friction | Measured; no meaningful local adjustment |
| Transportation, routing, and parking | -0.2 |
| Real estate and site feasibility | Not included in the score |
| Sales and customer acquisition | Not included in the score |
| Referral ecosystem | +0.5 |
| Territory quality | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Regulatory and operating friction | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Full-precision calculated score | 71.09 |
| Published local-market alignment | 71.1 |
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
- Adequate
- Source-evidence confidence
- Strong
- Geographic applicability
- Limited
- Overall evidence confidence
- Moderate evidence confidence
- Largest absolute effect
- Target-market demand +0.8 pts
- Tested rank range
- #2–#6
#3Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment71.0
Rainbow International Restoration
Initial investment: $185,336–$351,900
Increase +0.7 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -0.3 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 factor | Modeled drivers | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Property replacement-cycle demand | +0.7 pts | |
| Referral ecosystem |
| +0.4 pts |
| Transportation, routing, and parking |
| -0.3 pts |
| Target-market demand |
| +0.2 pts |
| Transportation, routing, and parking | Route and curb productivity pressure EvidenceConditional — applicability must be confirmed | Not scored |
| Net local movement | +0.99 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 confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.
| Neutral model baseline | 70.0 |
|---|---|
| Target-market demand | +0.2 |
| Property replacement-cycle demand | +0.7 |
| Competitive environment | Not included in the score |
| Labor and staffing friction | Measured; no meaningful local adjustment |
| Transportation, routing, and parking | -0.3 |
| Real estate and site feasibility | Not included in the score |
| Sales and customer acquisition | Not included in the score |
| Referral ecosystem | +0.4 |
| Territory quality | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Regulatory and operating friction | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Full-precision calculated score | 70.99 |
| Published local-market alignment | 71.0 |
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
- Limited
- Overall evidence confidence
- Moderate evidence confidence
- Largest absolute effect
- Property replacement-cycle demand +0.7 pts
- Tested rank range
- #1–#6
#4Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment71.0
Jan-Pro International
Initial investment: $130,000–$421,500
Increase +1.0 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.2 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 factor | Modeled drivers | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Target-market demand |
| +1.0 pts |
| Transportation, routing, and parking |
| -0.2 pts |
| Referral ecosystem |
| +0.2 pts |
| Net local movement | +0.97 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 confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.
| Neutral model baseline | 70.0 |
|---|---|
| Target-market demand | +1.0 |
| Property replacement-cycle demand | Not applicable to this operating model |
| Competitive environment | Not included in the score |
| Labor and staffing friction | Measured; no meaningful local adjustment |
| Transportation, routing, and parking | -0.2 |
| Real estate and site feasibility | Not included in the score |
| Sales and customer acquisition | Not included in the score |
| Referral ecosystem | +0.2 |
| Territory quality | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Regulatory and operating friction | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Full-precision calculated score | 70.97 |
| Published local-market alignment | 71.0 |
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
- Limited
- Overall evidence confidence
- Moderate evidence confidence
- Largest absolute effect
- Target-market demand +1.0 pts
- Tested rank range
- #2–#12
#5Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.7
PuroClean
Initial investment: $54,575–$262,145
Increase +0.7 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 factor | Modeled drivers | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Property replacement-cycle demand | +0.7 pts | |
| Referral ecosystem |
| +0.4 pts |
| Transportation, routing, and parking |
| -0.4 pts |
| Transportation, routing, and parking | Route and curb productivity pressure EvidenceConditional — applicability must be confirmed | Not scored |
| Net local movement | +0.73 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 confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.
| Neutral model baseline | 70.0 |
|---|---|
| Target-market demand | Not applicable to this operating model |
| Property replacement-cycle demand | +0.7 |
| Competitive environment | Not included in the score |
| Labor and staffing friction | Measured; no meaningful local adjustment |
| Transportation, routing, and parking | -0.4 |
| Real estate and site feasibility | Not included in the score |
| Sales and customer acquisition | Not included in the score |
| Referral ecosystem | +0.4 |
| Territory quality | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Regulatory and operating friction | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Full-precision calculated score | 70.73 |
| Published local-market alignment | 70.7 |
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
- Limited
- Overall evidence confidence
- Moderate evidence confidence
- Largest absolute effect
- Property replacement-cycle demand +0.7 pts
- Tested rank range
- #2–#8
#6Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.7
FASTSIGNS
Initial investment: $231,226–$386,285
Increase +0.5 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.1 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 factor | Modeled drivers | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Target-market demand |
| +0.5 pts |
| Referral ecosystem |
| +0.3 pts |
| Transportation, routing, and parking |
| -0.1 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
Item 19 — Financial Performance Representation
2 images
Public company data assessed
3 sourcesFull calculation and evidence confidence
Audit layer
Full factor ledger
Full score ledger
Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.
| Neutral model baseline | 70.0 |
|---|---|
| Target-market demand | +0.5 |
| Property replacement-cycle demand | Not applicable to this operating model |
| Competitive environment | Not included in the score |
| Labor and staffing friction | Measured; no meaningful local adjustment |
| Transportation, routing, and parking | -0.1 |
| Real estate and site feasibility | Not included in the score |
| Sales and customer acquisition | Not included in the score |
| Referral ecosystem | +0.3 |
| Territory quality | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Regulatory and operating friction | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Full-precision calculated score | 70.72 |
| Published local-market alignment | 70.7 |
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
- Limited
- Overall evidence confidence
- Moderate evidence confidence
- Largest absolute effect
- Target-market demand +0.5 pts
- Tested rank range
- #4–#8
#7Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.7
ActionCOACH
Initial investment: $71,668–$303,513
Increase +0.5 pts Referral ecosystemNo material negative local adjustment identified
Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive
Why it ranks here
Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.
| Local factor | Modeled drivers | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Referral ecosystem |
| +0.5 pts |
| Target-market demand |
| +0.2 pts |
| Net local movement | +0.70 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 confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.
| Neutral model baseline | 70.0 |
|---|---|
| Target-market demand | +0.2 |
| Property replacement-cycle demand | Not applicable to this operating model |
| Competitive environment | Not included in the score |
| Labor and staffing friction | Measured; no meaningful local adjustment |
| Transportation, routing, and parking | Not applicable to this operating model |
| Real estate and site feasibility | Not included in the score |
| Sales and customer acquisition | Not included in the score |
| Referral ecosystem | +0.5 |
| Territory quality | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Regulatory and operating friction | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Full-precision calculated score | 70.70 |
| Published local-market alignment | 70.7 |
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
- Limited
- Overall evidence confidence
- Moderate evidence confidence
- Largest absolute effect
- Referral ecosystem +0.5 pts
- Tested rank range
- #4–#10
#8Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.7
Aire Serv
Initial investment: $113,308–$271,708
Increase +0.9 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 factor | Modeled drivers | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Property replacement-cycle demand | +0.9 pts | |
| Transportation, routing, and parking |
| -0.4 pts |
| Target-market demand |
| +0.2 pts |
| Transportation, routing, and parking | Route and curb productivity pressure EvidenceConditional — applicability must be confirmed | Not scored |
| Net local movement | +0.69 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 sourceFull calculation and evidence confidence
Audit layer
Full factor ledger
Full score ledger
Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.
| Neutral model baseline | 70.0 |
|---|---|
| Target-market demand | +0.2 |
| Property replacement-cycle demand | +0.9 |
| Competitive environment | Not included in the score |
| Labor and staffing friction | Measured; no meaningful local adjustment |
| Transportation, routing, and parking | -0.4 |
| Real estate and site feasibility | Not included in the score |
| Sales and customer acquisition | Not included in the score |
| Referral ecosystem | Not included in the score |
| Territory quality | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Regulatory and operating friction | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Full-precision calculated score | 70.69 |
| Published local-market alignment | 70.7 |
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
- Limited
- Overall evidence confidence
- Moderate evidence confidence
- Largest absolute effect
- Property replacement-cycle demand +0.9 pts
- Tested rank range
- #3–#12
#9Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.4
Pillar To Post Home Inspectors
Initial investment: $102,690–$134,290
Increase +0.4 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -0.3 pts Transportation, routing, and parking
Rank sensitivity: Moderately sensitive
Why it ranks here
Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.
| Local factor | Modeled drivers | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Property replacement-cycle demand | +0.4 pts | |
| Target-market demand |
| +0.3 pts |
| Transportation, routing, and parking |
| -0.3 pts |
| Transportation, routing, and parking | Temporary route disruption EvidenceConditional — applicability must be confirmed | Not scored |
| Net local movement | +0.38 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 sourcesFull calculation and evidence confidence
Audit layer
Full factor ledger
Full score ledger
Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.
| Neutral model baseline | 70.0 |
|---|---|
| Target-market demand | +0.3 |
| Property replacement-cycle demand | +0.4 |
| Competitive environment | Not included in the score |
| Labor and staffing friction | Measured; no meaningful local adjustment |
| Transportation, routing, and parking | -0.3 |
| Real estate and site feasibility | Not included in the score |
| Sales and customer acquisition | Not included in the score |
| Referral ecosystem | Not included in the score |
| Territory quality | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Regulatory and operating friction | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Full-precision calculated score | 70.38 |
| Published local-market alignment | 70.4 |
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
- Limited
- Source-evidence confidence
- Strong
- Geographic applicability
- Limited
- Overall evidence confidence
- Moderate evidence confidence
- Largest absolute effect
- Property replacement-cycle demand +0.4 pts
- Tested rank range
- #7–#10
#10Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.3
ZOOM DRAIN
Initial investment: $266,250–$570,500
Increase +0.4 pts Referral ecosystemReduction -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 factor | Modeled drivers | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation, routing, and parking |
| -0.6 pts |
| Referral ecosystem |
| +0.4 pts |
| Property replacement-cycle demand |
| +0.3 pts |
| Target-market demand |
| +0.2 pts |
| Net local movement | +0.25 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 confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.
| Neutral model baseline | 70.0 |
|---|---|
| Target-market demand | +0.2 |
| Property replacement-cycle demand | +0.3 |
| Competitive environment | Not included in the score |
| Labor and staffing friction | Measured; no meaningful local adjustment |
| Transportation, routing, and parking | -0.6 |
| Real estate and site feasibility | Not included in the score |
| Sales and customer acquisition | Not included in the score |
| Referral ecosystem | +0.4 |
| Territory quality | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Regulatory and operating friction | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Full-precision calculated score | 70.25 |
| Published local-market alignment | 70.3 |
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
- Limited
- Overall evidence confidence
- Moderate evidence confidence
- Largest absolute effect
- Transportation, routing, and parking -0.6 pts
- Tested rank range
- #7–#14
#11Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.2
Mister Sparky Electric
Increase +0.4 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 factor | Modeled drivers | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation, routing, and parking |
| -0.4 pts |
| Property replacement-cycle demand | +0.4 pts | |
| Target-market demand |
| +0.2 pts |
| Transportation, routing, and parking | Route and curb productivity pressure EvidenceConditional — applicability must be confirmed | Not scored |
| Net local movement | +0.17 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 confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.
| Neutral model baseline | 70.0 |
|---|---|
| Target-market demand | +0.2 |
| Property replacement-cycle demand | +0.4 |
| Competitive environment | Not included in the score |
| Labor and staffing friction | Measured; no meaningful local adjustment |
| Transportation, routing, and parking | -0.4 |
| Real estate and site feasibility | Not included in the score |
| Sales and customer acquisition | Not included in the score |
| Referral ecosystem | Not included in the score |
| Territory quality | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Regulatory and operating friction | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Full-precision calculated score | 70.17 |
| Published local-market alignment | 70.2 |
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
- Limited
- Overall evidence confidence
- Moderate evidence confidence
- Largest absolute effect
- Transportation, routing, and parking -0.4 pts
- Tested rank range
- #9–#13
#12Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.2
Workout Anytime
Initial investment: $1,060,850–$1,840,550
Increase +0.2 pts Target-market demandNo material negative local adjustment identified
Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive
Why it ranks here
Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.
| Local factor | Modeled drivers | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Target-market demand |
| +0.2 pts |
| Net local movement | +0.15 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 confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.
| Neutral model baseline | 70.0 |
|---|---|
| Target-market demand | +0.2 |
| Property replacement-cycle demand | Not applicable to this operating model |
| Competitive environment | Not included in the score |
| Labor and staffing friction | Measured; no meaningful local adjustment |
| Transportation, routing, and parking | Not applicable to this operating model |
| Real estate and site feasibility | Not included in the score |
| Sales and customer acquisition | Not included in the score |
| Referral ecosystem | Not included in the score |
| Territory quality | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Regulatory and operating friction | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Full-precision calculated score | 70.15 |
| Published local-market alignment | 70.2 |
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
- Limited
- Overall evidence confidence
- Moderate evidence confidence
- Largest absolute effect
- Target-market demand +0.2 pts
- Tested rank range
- #7–#13
#13Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.0
Mr. Rooter
Initial investment: $152,900–$298,675
Increase +0.3 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -0.5 pts Transportation, routing, and parking
Rank sensitivity: Moderately sensitive
Why it ranks here
Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.
| Local factor | Modeled drivers | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation, routing, and parking |
| -0.5 pts |
| Property replacement-cycle demand |
| +0.3 pts |
| Target-market demand |
| +0.2 pts |
| Net local movement | -0.03 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 confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.
| Neutral model baseline | 70.0 |
|---|---|
| Target-market demand | +0.2 |
| Property replacement-cycle demand | +0.3 |
| Competitive environment | Not included in the score |
| Labor and staffing friction | Measured; no meaningful local adjustment |
| Transportation, routing, and parking | -0.5 |
| Real estate and site feasibility | Not included in the score |
| Sales and customer acquisition | Not included in the score |
| Referral ecosystem | Not included in the score |
| Territory quality | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Regulatory and operating friction | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Full-precision calculated score | 69.97 |
| Published local-market alignment | 70.0 |
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
- Limited
- Overall evidence confidence
- Moderate evidence confidence
- Largest absolute effect
- Transportation, routing, and parking -0.5 pts
- Tested rank range
- #12–#14
#14Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.9
Tiger Adjusters
Initial investment: $43,050–$159,500
Increase +0.1 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.1 pts Transportation, routing, and parking
Rank sensitivity: Moderately sensitive
Why it ranks here
Score-changing local factors only. Evidence links open the underlying city finding.
| Local factor | Modeled drivers | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation, routing, and parking |
| -0.1 pts |
| Target-market demand |
| +0.1 pts |
| Net local movement | -0.07 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 sourceFull calculation and evidence confidence
Audit layer
Full factor ledger
Full score ledger
Every factor is classified so a displayed zero is not confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.
| Neutral model baseline | 70.0 |
|---|---|
| Target-market demand | +0.1 |
| Property replacement-cycle demand | Not applicable to this operating model |
| Competitive environment | Not included in the score |
| Labor and staffing friction | Measured; no meaningful local adjustment |
| Transportation, routing, and parking | -0.1 |
| Real estate and site feasibility | Not included in the score |
| Sales and customer acquisition | Not included in the score |
| Referral ecosystem | Not included in the score |
| Territory quality | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Regulatory and operating friction | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Full-precision calculated score | 69.93 |
| Published local-market alignment | 69.9 |
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
- Limited
- Overall evidence confidence
- Moderate evidence confidence
- Largest absolute effect
- Transportation, routing, and parking -0.1 pts
- Tested rank range
- #11–#14
No franchise concepts match the selected filters.
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 confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.
| Neutral model baseline | 70.0 |
|---|---|
| Target-market demand | +1.4 |
| Property replacement-cycle demand | Not applicable to this operating model |
| Competitive environment | Not included in the score |
| Labor and staffing friction | Measured; no meaningful local adjustment |
| Transportation, routing, and parking | Effect below the publication threshold |
| Real estate and site feasibility | Not included in the score |
| Sales and customer acquisition | Not included in the score |
| Referral ecosystem | +0.6 |
| Territory quality | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Regulatory and operating friction | Depends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition |
| Full-precision calculated score | 71.99 |
| Published local-market alignment | 72.0 |
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 13 of 14 concepts. When we neutralized the factor and recalculated the table, 12 concepts changed position. Jan-Pro International moved from #4 to #12, the largest movement among concepts directly affected by this factor.
Concepts adjusted13 of 14
Average among affected+0.4 pts
Average across all concepts+0.4 pts
Concepts changing rank12
What we observed
- Estimated Households, 2020 202430,247 households
- Health Care And Social Assistance Receipts/revenue, 20221,601,834,000 usd
- Education And Health Services Employment In June 2026, Preliminary56,400 jobs
Concepts helped most
City WideFacility management
+1.4 pts
Jan-Pro InternationalCommercial cleaning
+1.0 pts
HomeSmilesProperty maintenance services
+0.8 pts
FASTSIGNSSigns and graphics
+0.5 pts
Pillar To Post Home InspectorsHome inspection
+0.3 pts
Observed model effectMixed or model dependent
Property replacement-cycle demand
We compared the age and condition of relevant property systems with the services each concept is actually equipped to provide.
Why concepts react differently
We applied a measurable adjustment to 7 of 14 concepts. When we neutralized the factor and recalculated the table, 11 concepts changed position. PuroClean moved from #5 to #10, the largest movement among concepts directly affected by this factor.
Concepts adjusted7 of 14
Average among affected+0.5 pts
Average across all concepts+0.3 pts
Concepts changing rank11
What we observed
- Owner Occupied Housing Unit Rate, 2020 202449.9 percent
- Share Of Housing Stock Reported As Built In 1939 Or Earlier51.1 percent
Concepts helped most
Aire ServHVAC installation, repair, and maintenance
+0.9 pts
PuroCleanRestoration
+0.7 pts
Rainbow International RestorationRestoration
+0.7 pts
Mister Sparky ElectricElectrical
+0.4 pts
Pillar To Post Home InspectorsHome inspection
+0.4 pts
Observed model effectMixed or model dependent
Transportation, routing, and parking
We recalculated route-dependent models after accounting for travel corridors, parking, and the number of productive stops they require.
Why concepts react differently
We applied a measurable adjustment to 11 of 14 concepts. When we neutralized the factor and recalculated the table, 9 concepts changed position. ZOOM DRAIN moved from #10 to #7, the largest movement among concepts directly affected by this factor.
Concepts adjusted11 of 14
Average among affected-0.3 pts
Average across all concepts-0.3 pts
Concepts changing rank9
What we observed
- I 81/i 84 Pavement Replacement And Restoration Is In Construction In Scranton/dunmorework start: 2026-04-01; proposed end: Fall 2031; i81 project length miles: 2; i81 limits: President Biden Expressway Exit 185 to Drinker Street Exit 186; lane restrictions documented: yes project attributes
- Residential District Commercial Vehicle Parking Is Limited By Count, Use, And Gross Vehicle Weightmaximum commercial nature vehicles over 8 hours in 48 hours: 2; outside enclosed building max gvw lbs: 8,000; resident home to work use required: yes rule summary
- Downtown Streetscape Plan Includes Converting Several One Way Streets To Two Way, Removing Selected Traffic Signals, And Road Diets On Named Segmentsyes documented design change
Concepts challenged most
ZOOM DRAINDrain and sewer service
-0.6 pts
Mr. RooterPlumbing
-0.5 pts
Mister Sparky ElectricElectrical
-0.4 pts
PuroCleanRestoration
-0.4 pts
Aire ServHVAC installation, repair, and maintenance
-0.4 pts
Observed model effectMixed or model dependent
Referral ecosystem
We tested whether the local professional and institutional referral ecosystem materially separated the assessed concepts.
Why concepts react differently
We applied a measurable adjustment to 8 of 14 concepts. When we neutralized the factor and recalculated the table, 11 concepts changed position. ActionCOACH moved from #7 to #11, the largest movement among concepts directly affected by this factor.
Concepts adjusted8 of 14
Average among affected+0.4 pts
Average across all concepts+0.2 pts
Concepts changing rank11
What we observed
- Covered Establishments In Lackawanna County In Q4 20255,635 establishments
- University Of Scranton Total Student Population In Fall 20254,619 students
- Approximate Greater Scranton Chamber Membership1,400 member companies approximate
Concepts helped most
City WideFacility management
+0.6 pts
ActionCOACHBusiness coaching
+0.5 pts
HomeSmilesProperty maintenance services
+0.5 pts
PuroCleanRestoration
+0.4 pts
Rainbow International RestorationRestoration
+0.4 pts
Measured but not differentiating in this concept set
- Competitive environmentNo material score adjustment
- Labor and staffing frictionNo 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 WideModerately sensitive · tested #1–#3
#2 HomeSmilesHighly sensitive · tested #2–#6
#3 Rainbow International RestorationHighly sensitive · tested #1–#6
#4 Jan-Pro InternationalHighly sensitive · tested #2–#12
#5 PuroCleanHighly sensitive · tested #2–#8
#6 FASTSIGNSHighly sensitive · tested #4–#8
#7 ActionCOACHHighly sensitive · tested #4–#10
#8 Aire ServHighly sensitive · tested #3–#12
#9 Pillar To Post Home InspectorsModerately sensitive · tested #7–#10
#10 ZOOM DRAINHighly sensitive · tested #7–#14
#11 Mister Sparky ElectricHighly sensitive · tested #9–#13
#12 Workout AnytimeHighly sensitive · tested #7–#13
#13 Mr. RooterModerately sensitive · tested #12–#14
#14 Tiger AdjustersModerately sensitive · tested #11–#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.
Primary source records by factorTarget-market demand: [4] [15] [6] [16] [17] [18] [19] [2] [3]Property replacement-cycle demand: [4] [28] [14] [13] [26] [27] [2]Competitive environment: [31] [20] [7] [3]Labor and staffing friction: [5] [6] [7] [17] [1] [2]Transportation, routing, and parking: [22] [23] [24] [25] [11] [26] [27] [1] [3]Real estate and site feasibility: [29] [30] [9] [11] [2]Sales and customer acquisition: [31] [20] [21] [32] [3]Referral ecosystem: [20] [21] [16] [17] [18] [7] [32]Territory quality: [12] [10] [11] [24] [25] [22] [3]Regulatory and operating friction: [8] [9] [10] [12] [13] [1] [3]
View the chart data as a table
| Concept | Target-market demand | Property replacement-cycle demand | Transportation, routing, and parking | Referral ecosystem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 City Wide | +1.4 pts | — | — | +0.6 pts |
| #2 HomeSmiles | +0.8 pts | — | -0.2 pts | +0.5 pts |
| #3 Rainbow International Restoration | +0.2 pts | +0.7 pts | -0.3 pts | +0.4 pts |
| #4 Jan-Pro International | +1.0 pts | — | -0.2 pts | +0.2 pts |
| #5 PuroClean | — | +0.7 pts | -0.4 pts | +0.4 pts |
| #6 FASTSIGNS | +0.5 pts | — | -0.1 pts | +0.3 pts |
| #7 ActionCOACH | +0.2 pts | — | — | +0.5 pts |
| #8 Aire Serv | +0.2 pts | +0.9 pts | -0.4 pts | — |
| #9 Pillar To Post Home Inspectors | +0.3 pts | +0.4 pts | -0.3 pts | — |
| #10 ZOOM DRAIN | +0.2 pts | +0.3 pts | -0.6 pts | +0.4 pts |
| #11 Mister Sparky Electric | +0.2 pts | +0.4 pts | -0.4 pts | — |
| #12 Workout Anytime | +0.2 pts | — | — | — |
| #13 Mr. Rooter | +0.2 pts | +0.3 pts | -0.5 pts | — |
| #14 Tiger Adjusters | +0.1 pts | — | -0.1 pts | — |
Interpretation
How to interpret the result
City Wide, HomeSmiles, Rainbow International Restoration led because their operating requirements captured more of the local support from target-market demand while remaining less exposed to transportation, routing, and parking. 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 HomeSmiles, Rainbow International Restoration, Jan-Pro International; their ranks move more widely when individual factors are neutralized.
Local evidence assessed for modeling
Category comparisons
Best franchise categories we assessed in Scranton, Pennsylvania
Category summaries are shown only when at least two concepts qualified. Two-concept comparisons are explicitly labeled as limited.
Limited two-concept comparison
70.9Best Restoration franchise opportunities we assessed in Scranton, Pennsylvania
2 Restoration concepts qualified for comparison, with scores ranging from 70.7 to 71.0. Rainbow International Restoration ranked highest at 71.0. Property replacement-cycle demand added 0.7 points on average among the affected concepts. Transportation, routing, and parking reduced the exposed concepts by 0.4 points on average.
Interpret cautiously: A 0.3-point spread is too small to support a strong brand-level conclusion from city alignment alone.
- Concepts compared
- 2
- Score range
- 70.7–71.0
- Category average
- 70.9
Rainbow International Restoration71.0
PuroClean70.7
Metric registry
The 47 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
| Metric | Raw value | Period | Geography | Role in analysis | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resident population estimate on July 1, 2025 | 75,514people | 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 economic receipts/sales | Scranton, Pennsylvania | Context only | [4] |
| Population change from April 2020 estimate base to July 2025 | -1.1percent | 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 economic receipts/sales | Scranton, Pennsylvania | Context only | [4] |
| Estimated households, 2020-2024 | 30,247households | 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 economic receipts/sales | Scranton, Pennsylvania | Used in scoring | [4] |
| Owner-occupied housing unit rate, 2020-2024 | 49.9percent | 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 economic receipts/sales | Scranton, Pennsylvania | Used in scoring | [4] |
| Median household income in 2024 dollars, 2020-2024 | 50,739usd per household | 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 economic receipts/sales | Scranton, Pennsylvania | Context only | [4] |
| Persons in poverty, 2020-2024 | 23percent | 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 economic receipts/sales | Scranton, Pennsylvania | Context only | [4] |
| Health care and social assistance receipts/revenue, 2022 | 1,601,834,000usd | 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 economic receipts/sales | Scranton, Pennsylvania | Used in scoring | [4] |
| Transportation and warehousing receipts/revenue, 2022 | 268,649,000usd | 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 economic receipts/sales | Scranton, Pennsylvania | Context only | [4] |
| Housing units reported built during the current city administration through April 2026 | 1,067housing units | Housing units reported built during the current administration through April 2026 | Scranton, Pennsylvania | Used in scoring | [15] |
| Additional housing units reported as coming online soon in April 2026 | 51housing units | Housing units reported built during the current administration through April 2026 | Scranton, Pennsylvania | Used in scoring | [15] |
| Share of housing stock reported as built in 1939 or earlier | 51.1percent | Current page citing recent demographic/housing data accessed August 12, 2026 | Scranton, Pennsylvania | Used in scoring | [28] [14] [2] |
| Mean hourly wage across all occupations in May 2025 | 27.31usd per hour | May 2025 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA | Context only | [5] |
| U.S. mean hourly wage across all occupations in May 2025 | 33.54usd per hour | May 2025 | United States | Context only | [5] |
| Food preparation and serving related mean hourly wage in May 2025 | 15.71usd per hour | May 2025 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA | Context only | [5] |
| Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance mean hourly wage in May 2025 | 18.15usd per hour | May 2025 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA | Context only | [5] |
| Installation, maintenance, and repair mean hourly wage in May 2025 | 29.3usd per hour | May 2025 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA | Context only | [5] |
| Transportation and material moving mean hourly wage in May 2025 | 22.09usd per hour | May 2025 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA | Context only | [5] |
| Transportation and material moving share of metropolitan employment in May 2025 | 15.4percent of employment | May 2025 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA | Context only | [5] |
| Transportation and material moving location quotient in May 2025 | 1.75location quotient | May 2025 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA | Context only | [5] |
| Unemployment rate in June 2026, preliminary | 4.7percent | January-June 2026, preliminary June values | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA | Context only | [6] |
| Total nonfarm employment in June 2026, preliminary | 269,300jobs | January-June 2026, preliminary June values | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA | Context only | [6] |
| Twelve-month change in total nonfarm employment in June 2026, preliminary | 0.3percent | January-June 2026, preliminary June values | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA | Context only | [6] |
| Education and health services employment in June 2026, preliminary | 56,400jobs | January-June 2026, preliminary June values | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA | Used in scoring | [6] |
| Covered establishments in Lackawanna County in Q4 2025 | 5,635establishments | Fourth quarter and December 2025 | Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania | Used in scoring | [7] |
| Covered employment in Lackawanna County in December 2025 | 99,643jobs | Fourth quarter and December 2025 | Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania | Context only | [7] |
| Average weekly wage in Lackawanna County in Q4 2025 | 1,102usd per week | Fourth quarter and December 2025 | Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania | Context only | [7] |
| Lackawanna County covered employment change, December 2024 to December 2025 | -0.2percent | Fourth quarter and December 2025 | Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania | Context only | [7] |
| University of Scranton total student population in Fall 2025 | 4,619students | Fall 2025 enrollment | University of Scranton, Scranton, Pennsylvania | Used in scoring | [16] |
| Geisinger Community Medical Center is the only Level II trauma center and electronic ICU in Lackawanna County | yesdocumented facility role | Current facility description accessed August 12, 2026 | Geisinger Community Medical Center, Scranton, Pennsylvania | Used in scoring | [17] |
| New medical-surgical inpatient unit opened February 2025 | beds added: 22; reported inpatient capacity increase percent: 8facility capacity change | February 2025 inpatient expansion | Geisinger Community Medical Center, Scranton, Pennsylvania | Used in scoring | [18] |
| Level II NICU renovation underway in 2026 | unit area sqft: 7,100; specialty care beds: 7; investment usd: 7,700,000; expected opening: Q4 2026project attributes | Construction underway beginning May 2026; expected opening in Q4 2026 | Geisinger Community Medical Center, Scranton, Pennsylvania | Used in scoring | [19] |
| Approximate Greater Scranton Chamber membership | 1,400member companies approximate | Current membership count accessed August 12, 2026 | Greater Scranton region | Used in scoring | [20] |
| Greater Scranton Chamber operates recurring professional networking programs and describes itself as a major regional business connector | yesdocumented networking infrastructure | Current networking program accessed August 12, 2026 | Greater Scranton region | Used in scoring | [21] |
| Commercial and industrial new stand-alone construction inspection fee | base usd: 41.25; gfa rate usd per sqft: 0.1485fee formula | Current fee schedule accessed August 12, 2026; page states fees as of January 1, 2023 | Scranton, Pennsylvania | Context only | [8] [1] |
| Signs and structural buildings permit fee | base usd: 13.75; rate usd per sqft: 1.1fee formula | Current fee schedule accessed August 12, 2026; page states fees as of January 1, 2023 | Scranton, Pennsylvania | Conditional relationship | [8] |
| Sign-area rules vary by zoning district | residential or institutional nonresidential use wall roof: 10% of building face up to 60 sq ft; commercial other than D or industrial wall roof: 10% of building side on up to 3 sides; D district wall roof: 10% of building side on up to 3 sidesrule summary | Current zoning code accessed August 12, 2026 | City of Scranton | Conditional relationship | [10] |
| Exterior modifications require HARB review when a property is within the Historic District or is National Register listed | yesconditional requirement | Current process accessed August 12, 2026 | Scranton Historic District and National Register-listed properties | Conditional relationship | [12] [13] [3] |
| Plans submitted on or after January 1, 2026 use the 2021 ICC series as modified by Pennsylvania UCC rules | yeseffective code framework | Building-code framework effective January 1, 2026 | Scranton, Pennsylvania | Context only | [9] |
| Residential-district commercial-vehicle parking is limited by count, use, and gross vehicle weight | maximum commercial nature vehicles over 8 hours in 48 hours: 2; outside enclosed building max gvw lbs: 8,000; resident home to work use required: yesrule summary | Current zoning code accessed August 12, 2026 | City of Scranton | Conditional relationship | [11] [3] |
| I-81/I-84 pavement replacement and restoration is in construction in Scranton/Dunmore | work start: 2026-04-01; proposed end: Fall 2031; i81 project length miles: 2; i81 limits: President Biden Expressway Exit 185 to Drinker Street Exit 186; lane restrictions documented: yesproject attributes | Construction began April 1, 2026; proposed end Fall 2031; project page updated March 11, 2026 | Interstates 81 and 84, Scranton and Dunmore | Conditional relationship | [22] [23] [1] |
| Multiple downtown and gateway streetscape contracts were active in 2026, with some work funded by other sources continuing through spring 2027 | yesdocumented project status | Current plan and project status accessed August 12, 2026 | Downtown Scranton and West Side Gateway | Conditional relationship | [24] [25] [3] |
| Downtown streetscape plan includes converting several one-way streets to two-way, removing selected traffic signals, and road diets on named segments | yesdocumented design change | Current plan and project status accessed August 12, 2026 | Downtown Scranton | Conditional relationship | [24] |
| New Year’s Day average low at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport | 21.8degrees fahrenheit | Records 1901-2023 from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, Avoca, Pennsylvania | Supports modeled relationship | [27] [26] |
| Share of New Year’s Days with at least one inch of snow on the ground in 1901-2023 record | 38percent of new years days | Records 1901-2023 from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport | Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, Avoca, Pennsylvania | Supports modeled relationship | [27] [26] |
| Northeastern Pennsylvania office vacancy held in the low-8% range during 2025 | 8percent approximate | Q4 2025 | Northeastern Pennsylvania office market | Context only | [29] |
| Northeastern Pennsylvania average office asking rent in Q4 2025 | 30.59usd per sqft full service | Q4 2025 | Northeastern Pennsylvania office market | Context only | [29] |
| Northeast U.S. industrial and logistics vacancy in Q4 2025 | 8.2percent | Q4 2025 | Northeast United States | Context only | [30] |
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
Measure the city
Collect reusable local metrics with source, period, geography, and confidence fields.
Profile each operating model
Map each franchise to controlled operating attributes and local sensitivities.
Apply scoreable effects
Score only effects that apply without an unresolved site, territory, customer, or project gate.
Preserve conditional effects
Keep location- or territory-dependent issues visible for diligence without automatically changing the score.
Test rank sensitivity
Remove one factor at a time from every concept and rerank using full-precision scores.
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 71.99 after target-market demand +1.4 pts and referral ecosystem +0.6 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 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
- 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 local metrics it supports. Internal or supplied research is not presented as independently accessible evidence.
- 1Forensic Audit Report: Municipal "Deal-Killer" Constraints and Structural Capital ToxicityInternal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.
Used for: Commercial and industrial new stand-alone construction inspection fee and I-81/I-84 pavement replacement and restoration is in construction in Scranton/Dunmore
- 2Utility Delta Audit: Structural Inefficiencies and CapEx Traps in Key U.S. MarketsInternal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.
Used for: Share of housing stock reported as built in 1939 or earlier
- 3Franchise data - remake - augInternal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.
Used for: Exterior modifications require HARB review when a property is within the Historic District or is National Register listed, Residential-district commercial-vehicle parking is limited by count, use, and gross vehicle weight, and Multiple downtown and gateway streetscape contracts were active in 2026, with some work funded by other sources continuing through spring 2027
- 4QuickFacts: Scranton city, Pennsylvania
Used for: Resident population estimate on July 1, 2025, Population change from April 2020 estimate base to July 2025, Estimated households, 2020-2024, Owner-occupied housing unit rate, 2020-2024, and Median household income in 2024 dollars, 2020-2024
- 5Occupational Employment and Wages in Scranton--Wilkes-Barre — May 2025
Used for: Mean hourly wage across all occupations in May 2025, U.S. mean hourly wage across all occupations in May 2025, Food preparation and serving related mean hourly wage in May 2025, Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance mean hourly wage in May 2025, and Installation, maintenance, and repair mean hourly wage in May 2025
- 6Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA: labor force and nonfarm employment
Used for: Unemployment rate in June 2026, preliminary, Total nonfarm employment in June 2026, preliminary, Twelve-month change in total nonfarm employment in June 2026, preliminary, and Education and health services employment in June 2026, preliminary
- 7County Employment and Wages in Pennsylvania — Fourth Quarter 2025
Used for: Covered establishments in Lackawanna County in Q4 2025, Covered employment in Lackawanna County in December 2025, Average weekly wage in Lackawanna County in Q4 2025, and Lackawanna County covered employment change, December 2024 to December 2025
- 8Building Permits and Contractor Information
Used for: Commercial and industrial new stand-alone construction inspection fee and Signs and structural buildings permit fee
- 9Code Enforcement
Used for: Plans submitted on or after January 1, 2026 use the 2021 ICC series as modified by Pennsylvania UCC rules
- 10Scranton Zoning Code Article VIII: Signs, § 445-49
Used for: Sign-area rules vary by zoning district
- 11Scranton Zoning Code Article VII: Off-Street Parking and Loading, § 445-44
Used for: Residential-district commercial-vehicle parking is limited by count, use, and gross vehicle weight
- 12Historical Architecture Review Board
Used for: Exterior modifications require HARB review when a property is within the Historic District or is National Register listed
- 13Historic Preservation
Used for: Exterior modifications require HARB review when a property is within the Historic District or is National Register listed
- 14Comprehensive Plan
Used for: Share of housing stock reported as built in 1939 or earlier
- 15Scranton’s ‘Then and Now’ Story Takes Center Stage at 2026 State of the City Address
Used for: Housing units reported built during the current city administration through April 2026 and Additional housing units reported as coming online soon in April 2026
- 16Facts About Us
Used for: University of Scranton total student population in Fall 2025
- 17About Geisinger Community Medical Center
Used for: Geisinger Community Medical Center is the only Level II trauma center and electronic ICU in Lackawanna County
- 18Geisinger Community Medical Center expands inpatient care
Used for: New medical-surgical inpatient unit opened February 2025
- 19Geisinger Community Medical Center begins renovation to add neonatal intensive care unit
Used for: Level II NICU renovation underway in 2026
- 20Join The Chamber
Used for: Approximate Greater Scranton Chamber membership
- 21Networking Events
Used for: Greater Scranton Chamber operates recurring professional networking programs and describes itself as a major regional business connector
- 22Interstate 81 and Interstate 84 Pavement Replacement and Restoration Project
Used for: I-81/I-84 pavement replacement and restoration is in construction in Scranton/Dunmore
- 23Lane Restrictions on Interstate 81 Northbound and Southbound in Lackawanna County
Used for: I-81/I-84 pavement replacement and restoration is in construction in Scranton/Dunmore
- 24Downtown Scranton Streetscapes Project
Used for: Multiple downtown and gateway streetscape contracts were active in 2026, with some work funded by other sources continuing through spring 2027 and Downtown streetscape plan includes converting several one-way streets to two-way, removing selected traffic signals, and road diets on named segments
- 25City of Scranton Council Responses | April 7, 2026
Used for: Multiple downtown and gateway streetscape contracts were active in 2026, with some work funded by other sources continuing through spring 2027
- 26Local Climate Data/Records: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA
Used for: New Year’s Day average low at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport and Share of New Year’s Days with at least one inch of snow on the ground in 1901-2023 record
- 27New Year’s Day Weather in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
Used for: New Year’s Day average low at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport and Share of New Year’s Days with at least one inch of snow on the ground in 1901-2023 record
- 28Scranton City, Scranton, PA Demographics: Population, Income, and More
Used for: Share of housing stock reported as built in 1939 or earlier
- 29Northeastern PA Office Report | Q4 2025
Used for: Northeastern Pennsylvania office vacancy held in the low-8% range during 2025 and Northeastern Pennsylvania average office asking rent in Q4 2025
- 30Northeast U.S. Logistics Figures Q4 2025
Used for: Northeast U.S. industrial and logistics vacancy in Q4 2025
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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.
Disclaimer and broker disclosure: This analysis is informational and does not constitute financial, legal, accounting, or investment advice. Market-alignment scores do not predict financial performance or business success. Offers are made only through the delivery of a Franchise Disclosure Document. We may receive referral compensation from participating franchisors; compensation is not an input to the scoring model.