Local operating-model alignment analysis

Best Franchise Opportunities We Assessed in Rockford, Illinois

We compared 14 franchise concepts for Rockford, Illinois. Healthcare institutional service 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
View the ranking Read the methodology
14Concepts evaluated
25Sources used
15Primary sources
27Local 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

68.9 average across 2 concepts

Largest positive factorProperty replacement-cycle demand

0.5 points average among 7 affected concepts

Largest negative factorLabor and staffing friction

1.1 points average reduction among 10 affected concepts

Most assumption-sensitive rankPillar To Post Home Inspectors

Tested rank range spans 7 positions

Executive conclusion

What the ranking means for Rockford, Illinois

City Wide, ActionCOACH, and Jan-Pro International 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 0.4 points on average. One important asymmetry was that the same local condition supported replacement and repair demand while also creating legacy-system service complexity. 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
70.7Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.9 ptsTarget-market demand -0.2 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking Moderate evidence confidence
2ActionCOACHBusiness coachingInvestment: $71,668–$303,513
70.1Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.1 ptsTarget-market demand No material negative local adjustmentModerate evidence confidence
3Jan-Pro InternationalCommercial cleaningInvestment: $130,000–$421,500
70.0Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.6 ptsTarget-market demand -0.7 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking Moderate evidence confidence
4Workout AnytimeFitnessInvestment: $1,060,850–$1,840,550
69.7Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
No material positive local adjustment-0.3 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking Moderate evidence confidence
5Tiger AdjustersPublic insurance adjustingInvestment: $43,050–$159,500
69.3Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
No material positive local adjustment-0.4 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking Moderate evidence confidence
6Pillar To Post Home InspectorsHome inspectionInvestment: $102,690–$134,290
69.2Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.4 ptsProperty replacement-cycle demand -0.8 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking Moderate evidence confidence
7FASTSIGNSSigns and graphicsInvestment: $231,226–$386,285
69.2Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.3 ptsTarget-market demand -0.7 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking Moderate evidence confidence
8HomeSmilesProperty maintenance servicesInvestment: $148,110–$201,800
69.1Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.3 ptsTarget-market demand -0.6 ptsLabor and staffing friction Moderate evidence confidence
9Rainbow International RestorationRestorationInvestment: $185,336–$351,900
69.0Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.6 ptsProperty replacement-cycle demand -0.9 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking Moderate evidence confidence
10PuroCleanRestorationInvestment: $54,575–$262,145
68.8Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.7 ptsProperty replacement-cycle demand -0.9 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking Moderate evidence confidence

View all 14 score calculations

Conditions that changed the analysis

What mattered most in Rockford, Illinois

01

Large local healthcare activity creates an institutional service-account base

This relationship affected 6 concepts and added 0.4 points on average among those exposed. Local evidence: Health care and social assistance receipts/revenue in 2022: 2,821,039,000 usd. [5] [21] [22] [20]

02

Older housing and rehabilitation needs support replacement demand while increasing service complexity

The same local condition created complementary effects: replacement and repair demand supported exposed concepts while legacy-system service complexity constrained others. [5] [17] [16]

03

Skilled-trade hiring pressure is stronger than broad labor scarcity evidence

This relationship affected 10 concepts and reduced 0.9 points on average among those exposed. Local evidence: Construction and extraction mean hourly wage compared with the U.S. average in May 2025: rockford mean hourly usd: 37.3; us mean hourly usd: 31.42; rockford employment share percent: 3.4; us employment share percent: 4.1 usd per hour and percent. [6]

Evidence behind the city mechanisms

Large local healthcare activity creates an institutional service-account base1 modeled effect
Healthcare institutional service demandTarget-market demand
Older housing and rehabilitation needs support replacement demand while increasing service complexity2 local facts · 2 modeled effects · 3 sources
  • Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2020-2024: 129,000 usd [5]
  • Rockford housing strategy explicitly prioritizes preserving existing housing stock, rehabilitating vacant properties, and funding roof and window replacement: preservation and rehabilitation priority policy finding [16] [17]
Replacement and repair demandProperty replacement-cycle demand
Legacy-system service complexityLabor and staffing friction
Frequent freezing conditions create recurring winter route friction and property weathering exposure1 local fact · 2 modeled effects · 1 source
  • Rockford climate normals show prolonged annual freezing exposure: mean days lows at or below 32F: 135.8; mean days highs at or below 32F: 50; normal annual snowfall inches: 37.1 days and inches [9]
Freeze-thaw repair demandProperty replacement-cycle demand
Winter route frictionTransportation, routing, and parking
Skilled-trade hiring pressure is stronger than broad labor scarcity evidence1 modeled effect
Skilled-trade labor competitionLabor and staffing friction
Odd/even winter parking rules constrain curb access during plowing events1 modeled effect
Winter parking and access 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 alignment70.7

City Wide

Facility management · B2B facility management and vendor coordination

Initial investment: $229,729–$410,730

Increase +0.9 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.2 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
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+0.9 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #1 → #2
+0.9 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.1 pts
  • Winter route friction Evidence-0.1 pts
-0.2 pts
Net local movement+0.71 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 baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.9
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-0.2
Real estate and site feasibilityMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.71
Published local-market alignment70.7

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
Adequate
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Target-market demand +0.9 pts
Tested rank range
#1–#2
#2Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.1

ActionCOACH

Business coaching · home-based B2B advisory

Initial investment: $71,668–$303,513

Increase +0.1 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 factorModeled driversImpact
Target-market demand
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+0.1 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #2 → #1
+0.1 pts
Net local movement+0.10 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 baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.1
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 feasibilityMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.10
Published local-market alignment70.1

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
Adequate
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Target-market demand +0.1 pts
Tested rank range
#1–#3
#3Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.0

Jan-Pro International

Commercial cleaning · recurring commercial route service

Initial investment: $130,000–$421,500

Increase +0.6 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.7 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 factorModeled driversImpact
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.4 pts
  • Winter route friction Evidence-0.3 pts
-0.7 pts
Target-market demand
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+0.6 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #3 → #4
+0.6 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
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 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 frictionNot applicable to this operating model
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.7
Real estate and site feasibilityMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.97
Published local-market alignment70.0

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
Adequate
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Transportation, routing, and parking -0.7 pts
Tested rank range
#2–#4
#4Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.7

Workout Anytime

Fitness · fixed-location membership fitness

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

No material positive local adjustment identifiedReduction -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 factorModeled driversImpact
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.3 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: rank stays #4
-0.3 pts
Net local movement-0.32 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 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-0.3
Real estate and site feasibilityMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.68
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
Adequate
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Transportation, routing, and parking -0.3 pts
Tested rank range
#3–#8
#5Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.3

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 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-0.2 pts
  • Winter route friction Evidence-0.2 pts
-0.4 pts
Labor and staffing friction
  • Skilled-trade labor competition Evidence-0.3 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #5 → #9
-0.3 pts
Net local movement-0.74 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
YouTube video 1
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 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-0.3
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.4
Real estate and site feasibilityMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.26
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
Adequate
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Transportation, routing, and parking -0.4 pts
Tested rank range
#5–#10
#6Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.2

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors

Home inspection · mobile property inspection service

Initial investment: $102,690–$134,290

Increase +0.4 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -0.8 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: rank stays #6
  • Winter route friction Evidence-0.4 pts
-0.8 pts
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Freeze-thaw repair demand Evidence+0.2 pts
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.2 pts
+0.4 pts
Labor and staffing friction
  • Skilled-trade labor competition Evidence-0.3 pts
  • Legacy-system service complexity Evidence-0.1 pts
-0.3 pts
Net local movement-0.76 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
YouTube video 1YouTube video 2
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 baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.4
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.3
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.8
Real estate and site feasibilityMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.24
Published local-market alignment69.2

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
Adequate
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Transportation, routing, and parking -0.8 pts
Tested rank range
#4–#11
#7Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.2

FASTSIGNS

Signs and graphics · B2B production and installation center

Initial investment: $231,226–$386,285

Increase +0.3 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.7 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 factorModeled driversImpact
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.6 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #7 → #5
  • Winter route friction Evidence-0.1 pts
-0.7 pts
Labor and staffing friction
  • Skilled-trade labor competition Evidence-0.5 pts
-0.5 pts
Target-market demand
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+0.3 pts
+0.3 pts
Net local movement-0.83 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 sources
YouTube video 1YouTube video 2YouTube video 3
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 baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.3
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.5
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.7
Real estate and site feasibilityMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.17
Published local-market alignment69.2

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
Adequate
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Transportation, routing, and parking -0.7 pts
Tested rank range
#6–#9
#8Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.1

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 +0.3 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.6 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-0.6 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #8 → #4
-0.6 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.4 pts
  • Winter route friction Evidence-0.2 pts
-0.6 pts
Target-market demand
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+0.3 pts
+0.3 pts
Net local movement-0.90 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 baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.3
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 feasibilityMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.10
Published local-market alignment69.1

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
Adequate
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Labor and staffing friction -0.6 pts
Tested rank range
#6–#10
#9Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.0

Rainbow International Restoration

Restoration · emergency property restoration

Initial investment: $185,336–$351,900

Increase +0.6 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -0.9 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-0.5 pts
  • Winter route friction Evidence-0.5 pts
-0.9 pts
Labor and staffing friction
  • Skilled-trade labor competition Evidence-0.7 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #9 → #5
  • Legacy-system service complexity Evidence-0.1 pts
-0.8 pts
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Freeze-thaw repair demand Evidence+0.4 pts
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.2 pts
+0.6 pts
Target-market demand
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+0.1 pts
+0.1 pts
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 baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.1
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.6
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.8
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.9
Real estate and site feasibilityMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.01
Published local-market alignment69.0

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
Adequate
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Transportation, routing, and parking -0.9 pts
Tested rank range
#4–#9
#10Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment68.8

PuroClean

Restoration · emergency property restoration

Initial investment: $54,575–$262,145

Increase +0.7 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -0.9 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 route friction Evidence-0.6 pts
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.4 pts
-0.9 pts
Labor and staffing friction
  • Skilled-trade labor competition Evidence-0.7 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #10 → #8
  • Legacy-system service complexity Evidence-0.1 pts
-0.9 pts
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Freeze-thaw repair demand Evidence+0.4 pts
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.3 pts
+0.7 pts
Net local movement-1.16 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 baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.7
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.9
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.9
Real estate and site feasibilityMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score68.84
Published local-market alignment68.8

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
Adequate
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Transportation, routing, and parking -0.9 pts
Tested rank range
#5–#10
#11Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment67.8

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 +0.8 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -1.9 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-1.6 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: rank stays #11
  • Legacy-system service complexity Evidence-0.3 pts
-1.9 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.6 pts
  • Winter route friction Evidence-0.5 pts
-1.1 pts
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Freeze-thaw repair demand Evidence+0.5 pts
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.3 pts
+0.8 pts
Net local movement-2.22 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
YouTube video 1
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 baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.8
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-1.9
Transportation, routing, and parking-1.1
Real estate and site feasibilityMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score67.78
Published local-market alignment67.8

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
Adequate
Source-evidence confidence
Adequate
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Labor and staffing friction -1.9 pts
Tested rank range
#7–#11
#12Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment67.3

Mister Sparky Electric

Electrical · skilled-trade home service

Increase +0.4 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -2.0 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: rank stays #12
  • Legacy-system service complexity Evidence-0.4 pts
-2.0 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter route friction Evidence-0.6 pts
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.5 pts
-1.1 pts
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.3 pts
  • Freeze-thaw repair demand Evidence+0.1 pts
+0.4 pts
Net local movement-2.66 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 baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.4
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-2.0
Transportation, routing, and parking-1.1
Real estate and site feasibilityMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score67.34
Published local-market alignment67.3

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
Adequate
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Labor and staffing friction -2.0 pts
Tested rank range
#12–#14
#13Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment67.2

ZOOM DRAIN

Drain and sewer service · emergency skilled-trade route service

Initial investment: $266,250–$570,500

Increase +0.3 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -1.8 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-1.5 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #13 → #14
  • Legacy-system service complexity Evidence-0.3 pts
-1.8 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter route friction Evidence-0.7 pts
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.6 pts
-1.4 pts
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.3 pts
+0.3 pts
Net local movement-2.78 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 confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.3
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-1.8
Transportation, routing, and parking-1.4
Real estate and site feasibilityMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score67.22
Published local-market alignment67.2

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
Adequate
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Labor and staffing friction -1.8 pts
Tested rank range
#12–#14
#14Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment67.2

Mr. Rooter

Plumbing · scheduled and emergency skilled-trade service

Initial investment: $152,900–$298,675

Increase +0.3 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -1.8 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Stable

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-1.5 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #14 → #13
  • Legacy-system service complexity Evidence-0.3 pts
-1.8 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter route friction Evidence-0.7 pts
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.6 pts
-1.3 pts
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.3 pts
+0.3 pts
Net local movement-2.79 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 baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.3
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-1.8
Transportation, routing, and parking-1.3
Real estate and site feasibilityMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score67.21
Published local-market alignment67.2

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
Adequate
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Labor and staffing friction -1.8 pts
Tested rank range
#13–#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 confused with missing, conditional, or non-applicable evidence.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.9
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-0.2
Real estate and site feasibilityMeasured; no meaningful local adjustment
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityNot included in the score
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.71
Published local-market alignment70.7

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, 8 concepts changed position. Rainbow International Restoration moved from #9 to #7, the largest movement among concepts directly affected by this factor.

Concepts adjusted6 of 14
Average among affected+0.4 pts
Average across all concepts+0.2 pts
Concepts changing rank8

What we observed

  • Health Care And Social Assistance Receipts/revenue In 20222,821,039,000 usd
  • Multiple Major Health Systems Maintain Active Rockford Hospital Operations In 2026UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital, Mercyhealth Javon Bea Hospital–Riverside, OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center named institutions

Concepts helped most

City WideFacility management
+0.9 pts
Jan-Pro InternationalCommercial cleaning
+0.6 pts
FASTSIGNSSigns and graphics
+0.3 pts
HomeSmilesProperty maintenance services
+0.3 pts
Rainbow International RestorationRestoration
+0.1 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
  • Referral ecosystemNo 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 InternationalModerately sensitive · tested #2–#4
#4 Workout AnytimeHighly sensitive · tested #3–#8
#5 Tiger AdjustersHighly sensitive · tested #5–#10
#6 Pillar To Post Home InspectorsHighly sensitive · tested #4–#11
#7 FASTSIGNSModerately sensitive · tested #6–#9
#8 HomeSmilesHighly sensitive · tested #6–#10
#9 Rainbow International RestorationHighly sensitive · tested #4–#9
#10 PuroCleanHighly sensitive · tested #5–#10
#11 Aire ServHighly sensitive · tested #7–#11
#12 Mister Sparky ElectricModerately sensitive · tested #12–#14
#13 ZOOM DRAINModerately sensitive · tested #12–#14
#14 Mr. RooterStable · tested #13–#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 · +0.9 pts1#2 ActionCOACH · Target-market demand · +0.1 pts2#3 Jan-Pro International · Target-market demand · +0.6 pts3#7 FASTSIGNS · Target-market demand · +0.3 pts7#8 HomeSmiles · Target-market demand · +0.3 pts8#9 Rainbow International Restoration · Target-market demand · +0.1 pts9
Property replacement-cycle demand
#6 Pillar To Post Home Inspectors · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.4 pts6#9 Rainbow International Restoration · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.6 pts9#10 PuroClean · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.7 pts10#11 Aire Serv · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.8 pts11#12 Mister Sparky Electric · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.4 pts12#13 ZOOM DRAIN · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.3 pts13#14 Mr. Rooter · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.3 pts14
Labor and staffing friction
#5 Tiger Adjusters · Labor and staffing friction · -0.3 pts5#6 Pillar To Post Home Inspectors · Labor and staffing friction · -0.3 pts6#7 FASTSIGNS · Labor and staffing friction · -0.5 pts7#8 HomeSmiles · Labor and staffing friction · -0.6 pts8#9 Rainbow International Restoration · Labor and staffing friction · -0.8 pts9#10 PuroClean · Labor and staffing friction · -0.9 pts10#11 Aire Serv · Labor and staffing friction · -1.9 pts11#12 Mister Sparky Electric · Labor and staffing friction · -2.0 pts12#13 ZOOM DRAIN · Labor and staffing friction · -1.8 pts13#14 Mr. Rooter · Labor and staffing friction · -1.8 pts14
Transportation, routing, and parking
#1 City Wide · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.2 pts1#3 Jan-Pro International · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.7 pts3#4 Workout Anytime · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.3 pts4#5 Tiger Adjusters · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.4 pts5#6 Pillar To Post Home Inspectors · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.8 pts6#7 FASTSIGNS · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.7 pts7#8 HomeSmiles · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.6 pts8#9 Rainbow International Restoration · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.9 pts9#10 PuroClean · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.9 pts10#11 Aire Serv · Transportation, routing, and parking · -1.1 pts11#12 Mister Sparky Electric · Transportation, routing, and parking · -1.1 pts12#13 ZOOM DRAIN · Transportation, routing, and parking · -1.4 pts13#14 Mr. Rooter · Transportation, routing, and parking · -1.3 pts14
Primary source records by factorTarget-market demand: [5] [7] [18] [20] [21] [22] [19] [2]Property replacement-cycle demand: [2] [5] [16] [17] [9]Competitive environment: [5] [8] [4]Labor and staffing friction: [6] [7] [8] [3] [2] [20]Transportation, routing, and parking: [10] [11] [9] [25] [5] [4]Real estate and site feasibility: [23] [2] [14] [15] [16]Sales and customer acquisition: [12] [13] [24] [8] [5]Referral ecosystem: [5] [20] [21] [22] [24] [4]Territory quality: [5] [10] [25] [4]Regulatory and operating friction: [14] [15] [12] [13] [3] [4]
View the chart data as a table
ConceptTarget-market demandProperty replacement-cycle demandLabor and staffing frictionTransportation, routing, and parking
#1 City Wide+0.9 pts——-0.2 pts
#2 ActionCOACH+0.1 pts———
#3 Jan-Pro International+0.6 pts——-0.7 pts
#4 Workout Anytime———-0.3 pts
#5 Tiger Adjusters——-0.3 pts-0.4 pts
#6 Pillar To Post Home Inspectors—+0.4 pts-0.3 pts-0.8 pts
#7 FASTSIGNS+0.3 pts—-0.5 pts-0.7 pts
#8 HomeSmiles+0.3 pts—-0.6 pts-0.6 pts
#9 Rainbow International Restoration+0.1 pts+0.6 pts-0.8 pts-0.9 pts
#10 PuroClean—+0.7 pts-0.9 pts-0.9 pts
#11 Aire Serv—+0.8 pts-1.9 pts-1.1 pts
#12 Mister Sparky Electric—+0.4 pts-2.0 pts-1.1 pts
#13 ZOOM DRAIN—+0.3 pts-1.8 pts-1.4 pts
#14 Mr. Rooter—+0.3 pts-1.8 pts-1.3 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 Workout Anytime, Tiger Adjusters, Pillar To Post Home Inspectors; their ranks move more widely when individual factors are neutralized.

Category comparisons

Best franchise categories we assessed in Rockford, Illinois

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 Rockford, Illinois

68.9

2 Restoration concepts qualified for comparison, with scores ranging from 68.8 to 69.0. Rainbow International Restoration ranked highest at 69.0. Property replacement-cycle demand added 0.7 points on average among the affected concepts. Transportation, routing, and parking reduced the exposed concepts by 0.9 points on average.

Interpret cautiously: A 0.2-point spread is too small to support a strong brand-level conclusion from city alignment alone.

Concepts compared
2
Score range
68.8–69.0
Category average
68.9
Rainbow International Restoration69.0
PuroClean68.8

Metric registry

The 27 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, 2025147,384peopleJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS characteristics; 2022 Economic Census-derived receipts and salesRockford, IllinoisContext only [5]
Population change from the April 2020 estimate base to July 2025-1.1percentJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS characteristics; 2022 Economic Census-derived receipts and salesRockford, IllinoisContext only [5]
Households, 2020-202461,324householdsJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS characteristics; 2022 Economic Census-derived receipts and salesRockford, IllinoisContext only [5]
Owner-occupied housing unit rate, 2020-202454.9percentJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS characteristics; 2022 Economic Census-derived receipts and salesRockford, IllinoisContext only [5]
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2020-2024129,000usdJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS characteristics; 2022 Economic Census-derived receipts and salesRockford, IllinoisSupports modeled relationship [5]
Median household income in 2024 dollars, 2020-202454,752usd per householdJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS characteristics; 2022 Economic Census-derived receipts and salesRockford, IllinoisContext only [5]
Persons in poverty21.3percentJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS characteristics; 2022 Economic Census-derived receipts and salesRockford, IllinoisContext only [5]
Health care and social assistance receipts/revenue in 20222,821,039,000usdJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS characteristics; 2022 Economic Census-derived receipts and salesRockford, IllinoisUsed in scoring [5]
Transportation and warehousing receipts/revenue in 20222,686,230,000usdJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS characteristics; 2022 Economic Census-derived receipts and salesRockford, IllinoisContext only [5]
Mean travel time to work, 2020-202421.9minutesJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS characteristics; 2022 Economic Census-derived receipts and salesRockford, IllinoisContext only [5]
Rockford MSA unemployment rate in June 20265.1percentJune 2026 compared with June 2025Rockford, Illinois MSAContext only [7]
Total nonfarm jobs change from June 2025 to June 2026june 2026 jobs: 142,700; june 2025 jobs: 145,000; change jobs: -2,300; change percent: -1.6jobs and percentJune 2026 compared with June 2025Rockford, Illinois MSAContext only [7]
Production occupations in May 2025jobs: 16,500; share of local employment percent: 12; national share percent: 5.5jobs and percentMay 2025Rockford, Illinois MSAContext only [6]
Construction and extraction mean hourly wage compared with the U.S. average in May 2025rockford mean hourly usd: 37.3; us mean hourly usd: 31.42; rockford employment share percent: 3.4; us employment share percent: 4.1usd per hour and percentMay 2025Rockford, Illinois MSAUsed in scoring [6]
Installation, maintenance and repair employment share and mean wage in May 2025rockford employment share percent: 4.3; us employment share percent: 3.9; rockford mean hourly usd: 30.3; us mean hourly usd: 30.44usd per hour and percentMay 2025Rockford, Illinois MSAUsed in scoring [6]
Regional businesses reported labor shortages, especially in construction and skilled trades tied to current projectsreported shortagequalitative findingQ1 2026 survey with regional economic context and Q2 2025 QWI sector estimatesGreater Rockford regionUsed in scoring [8]
Multiple major health systems maintain active Rockford hospital operations in 2026UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital, Mercyhealth Javon Bea Hospital–Riverside, OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Centernamed institutionsCurrent hiring page accessed 2026-08-18Rockford, IllinoisUsed in scoring [20] [21] [22]
Chicago Rockford International Airport cargo scale and campus employmentairport campus jobs: 8,000; faa landed weight rank 2025: 12; landed weight 2025 pounds: 3,400,000,000jobs rank and pounds2025 cargo activity and 2026 airport-campus profileChicago Rockford International AirportContext only [18]
Rockford climate normals show prolonged annual freezing exposuremean days lows at or below 32F: 135.8; mean days highs at or below 32F: 50; normal annual snowfall inches: 37.1days and inches1991-2020 climate normalsRockford, IllinoisUsed in scoring [9]
Odd/even winter parking restrictions and residential plowing operationstypical activation snow inches: 2; wrong side ticket usd: 60; residential plowing duration hours min: 12; residential plowing duration hours max: 14threshold fee and hoursCurrent winter operations and parking rules accessed 2026-08-18Rockford, IllinoisUsed in scoring [10] [11]
Rockford housing strategy explicitly prioritizes preserving existing housing stock, rehabilitating vacant properties, and funding roof and window replacementpreservation and rehabilitation prioritypolicy findingHousing strategy through 2035Rockford, IllinoisSupports modeled relationship [16] [17]
Commercial and multifamily new construction and alteration/remodel permit rate in 20261.1percent of calculated or reported construction valueFees effective for 2026Rockford, IllinoisContext only [14]
Commercial and industrial zoning application fees in 2026 are fixed by application type and acreage, with additional technology fees and per-acre adderscommercial map amendment base usd range: 850, 1,079; industrial map amendment base usd range: 1,005, 1,175usd before applicable addersFees effective for 2026Rockford, IllinoisContext only [15]
Temporary advertising banners and inflatable signs are limited to commercial and industrial districts for no more than seven consecutive calendar days in a six-month period; many mobile or easily moved advertising signs are prohibitedmaximum consecutive days: 7; period months: 6; maximum simultaneous temporary signs: 2days months and countCurrent Article 51 guidance accessed 2026-08-18Rockford, IllinoisConditional relationship [12] [13]
Current public listing aggregation exposed multiple Rockford-area flex/industrial spaces in small and midsize service formats rather than zero available inventoryexample visible sizes sqft: 1,075, 1,770, 2,500, 5,000, 5,800square feet examplesListings visible in search results accessed 2026-08-18; individual listing updates varyRockford and nearby Winnebago CountyContext only [23]
Rockford maintains an active public bid portal for consultants, service providers, contractors, vendors, and suppliersactive public bid portalqualitative findingOpen procurement listings accessed 2026-08-18City of Rockford procurementContext only [24]
May 2026 public-works updates documented lane closures and roadway reconstruction on 11th Street and Auburn Street and active work on Mason Avenuemultiple active corridor projects in may 2026qualitative findingConstruction status in May 202611th Street, Auburn Street, and Mason Avenue, RockfordContext only [25]

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 that apply without an unresolved site, territory, customer, or project gate.

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 70.71 after target-market demand +0.9 pts and transportation, routing, and parking -0.2 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 local metrics it supports. Internal or supplied research is not presented as independently accessible evidence.

  1. 1
    Franchise-to-city operating-fit scoring modelInternal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.
    Publisher
    Internal model definition
    Data period
    Current controlling model supplied through File Library on 2026-08-18
    Scope
    Model-wide
    Locator
    model_version, factors, operating_attribute_taxonomy, and city_modifier_taxonomy
    Source tier
    Tier 5 · supplied bespoke research
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  2. 2
    Utility Delta Audit: Structural Inefficiencies and Asymmetric Opportunities in U.S. MarketsInternal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.
    Publisher
    Supplied research material
    Data period
    Rockford section supplied 2026-08-18; cited underlying periods vary
    Scope
    Rockford, Illinois section within a multi-city docket
    Locator
    Rockford section: physical environment, housing stock, commuter pattern, industrial space, downtown, and labor discussion
    Source tier
    Tier 5 · supplied bespoke research
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  3. 3
    Municipal Hostility Index: Forensic Capitalization of Structural Constraints and Economic Choke PointsInternal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.
    Publisher
    Supplied research material
    Data period
    Rockford section supplied 2026-08-18; cited underlying periods vary
    Scope
    Rockford, Illinois section within a multi-city docket
    Locator
    Rockford section: Mercyhealth wage claim and municipal permit-fee claims
    Source tier
    Tier 5 · supplied bespoke research
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  4. 4
    Franchise data - remake - 162(3).csvInternal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.
    Publisher
    Supplied research material
    Data period
    Neighborhood notes supplied 2026-08-18
    Scope
    Six Rockford neighborhood records
    Locator
    Edgebrook, Midtown, Southeast, Coronado Haskell, Auburn Street, and North End records
    Source tier
    Tier 5 · supplied bespoke research
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  5. 5
    QuickFacts: Rockford city, Illinois

    Used for: Resident population estimate on July 1, 2025, Population change from the April 2020 estimate base to July 2025, Households, 2020-2024, Owner-occupied housing unit rate, 2020-2024, and Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2020-2024

    Publisher
    U.S. Census Bureau
    Data period
    July 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS characteristics; 2022 Economic Census-derived receipts and sales
    Scope
    Rockford city, Illinois
    Locator
    Population, housing, economy, transportation, income and poverty table
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  6. 6
    Occupational Employment and Wages in Rockford — May 2025

    Used for: Production occupations in May 2025, Construction and extraction mean hourly wage compared with the U.S. average in May 2025, and Installation, maintenance and repair employment share and mean wage in May 2025

    Publisher
    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
    Published
    July 24, 2026
    Data period
    May 2025
    Scope
    Rockford, Illinois metropolitan statistical area
    Locator
    Major occupational groups and production-occupation detail
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  7. 7
    Five Illinois Metro Areas Add Jobs Over the Year in June

    Used for: Rockford MSA unemployment rate in June 2026 and Total nonfarm jobs change from June 2025 to June 2026

    Publisher
    Illinois Department of Employment Security
    Published
    July 23, 2026
    Data period
    June 2026 compared with June 2025
    Scope
    Rockford, Illinois metropolitan statistical area
    Locator
    Metro unemployment and total nonfarm jobs table
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  8. 8
    2026 Q1 Business Sentiment Survey

    Used for: Regional businesses reported labor shortages, especially in construction and skilled trades tied to current projects

    Publisher
    Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce
    Data period
    Q1 2026 survey with regional economic context and Q2 2025 QWI sector estimates
    Scope
    Greater Rockford region
    Locator
    Regional labor-shortage discussion and industry-concentration context
    Source tier
    Tier 2 · recognized institutional research
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  9. 9
    Rockford 1991-2020 Climate Normals

    Used for: Rockford climate normals show prolonged annual freezing exposure

    Publisher
    National Weather Service Chicago
    Data period
    1991-2020 climate normals
    Scope
    Rockford, Illinois climate station
    Locator
    Monthly/annual temperature, snowfall, and mean number of days thresholds
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  10. 10
    Snow & Ice

    Used for: Odd/even winter parking restrictions and residential plowing operations

    Publisher
    City of Rockford
    Data period
    Current winter operations and parking rules accessed 2026-08-18
    Scope
    City of Rockford streets
    Locator
    Odd/even parking restrictions, ticket amount, residential plowing trigger and route duration
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  11. 11
    City Updates Winter Weather Terminology

    Used for: Odd/even winter parking restrictions and residential plowing operations

    Publisher
    City of Rockford
    Published
    February 9, 2026
    Data period
    2026 winter season
    Scope
    City of Rockford
    Locator
    Odd/even parking terminology and Snow Emergency distinction
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  12. 12
    Signs & Banners

    Used for: Temporary advertising banners and inflatable signs are limited to commercial and industrial districts for no more than seven consecutive calendar days in a six-month period; many mobile or easily moved advertising signs are prohibited

    Publisher
    City of Rockford
    Data period
    Current Article 51 guidance accessed 2026-08-18
    Scope
    City of Rockford
    Locator
    Permits, prohibited sign types, temporary advertising banners
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  13. 13
    2026 Temporary Sign Permit Application

    Used for: Temporary advertising banners and inflatable signs are limited to commercial and industrial districts for no more than seven consecutive calendar days in a six-month period; many mobile or easily moved advertising signs are prohibited

    Publisher
    City of Rockford
    Data period
    2026 application form and current temporary-sign requirements
    Scope
    Commercial and industrial zoning districts in Rockford
    Locator
    Temporary-sign duration, quantity, area, height, anchoring, and permit requirements
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  14. 14
    2026 Fee Schedule

    Used for: Commercial and multifamily new construction and alteration/remodel permit rate in 2026

    Publisher
    City of Rockford
    Data period
    Fees effective for 2026
    Scope
    City of Rockford
    Locator
    Commercial/multifamily building permits, site/use review, temporary sign fee, and technology fee
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  15. 15
    2026 Zoning Application Fee Schedule

    Used for: Commercial and industrial zoning application fees in 2026 are fixed by application type and acreage, with additional technology fees and per-acre adders

    Publisher
    City of Rockford
    Data period
    Fees effective for 2026
    Scope
    City of Rockford
    Locator
    Commercial and industrial map amendments, special uses, variations, and technology fees
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  16. 16
    City Announces Housing Strategy Framework

    Used for: Rockford housing strategy explicitly prioritizes preserving existing housing stock, rehabilitating vacant properties, and funding roof and window replacement

    Publisher
    City of Rockford
    Published
    February 3, 2025
    Data period
    Housing strategy through 2035
    Scope
    City of Rockford
    Locator
    Housing preservation, rehabilitation, vacant-property, and development actions
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  17. 17
    City of Rockford Comprehensive Plan

    Used for: Rockford housing strategy explicitly prioritizes preserving existing housing stock, rehabilitating vacant properties, and funding roof and window replacement

    Publisher
    City of Rockford
    Published
    October 30, 2023
    Data period
    Long-range plan adopted October 30, 2023
    Scope
    City of Rockford municipal boundary and planning area
    Locator
    Housing, economic development, transportation, land use, and older-building rehabilitation policies
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  18. 18
    RFD Celebrates 80 Years of Connecting the Rockford Region to the World

    Used for: Chicago Rockford International Airport cargo scale and campus employment

    Publisher
    Chicago Rockford International Airport
    Published
    July 21, 2026
    Data period
    2025 cargo activity and 2026 airport-campus profile
    Scope
    Chicago Rockford International Airport and Rockford region
    Locator
    Cargo rank, landed weight, tenant operations, airport-campus employment
    Source tier
    Tier 2 · recognized institutional research
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  19. 19
    State of the City 2026
    Publisher
    City of Rockford
    Published
    April 16, 2026
    Data period
    2026 city program and capital-project status
    Scope
    City of Rockford and selected countywide metrics
    Locator
    Economic development, housing framework, capital improvements, visitor spending
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  20. 20
    Hot jobs at UW Health in northern Illinois

    Used for: Multiple major health systems maintain active Rockford hospital operations in 2026

    Publisher
    UW Health
    Data period
    Current hiring page accessed 2026-08-18
    Scope
    Northern Illinois, including UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital in Rockford
    Locator
    Named Rockford hospital and current clinical/technical hiring
    Source tier
    Tier 3 · credible industry
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  21. 21
    Mercyhealth to hold Project SEARCH graduation Friday

    Used for: Multiple major health systems maintain active Rockford hospital operations in 2026

    Publisher
    Mercyhealth
    Published
    May 6, 2026
    Data period
    May 2026
    Scope
    Mercyhealth Javon Bea Hospital–Riverside, Rockford
    Locator
    Hospital location and workforce partnership
    Source tier
    Tier 3 · credible industry
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  22. 22
    OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center announces Vice President of Outpatient and Ancillary Services

    Used for: Multiple major health systems maintain active Rockford hospital operations in 2026

    Publisher
    OSF HealthCare
    Published
    February 9, 2026
    Data period
    February 2026
    Scope
    OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center, Rockford
    Locator
    Current Rockford outpatient, support, radiology, laboratory, and hospital operations
    Source tier
    Tier 3 · credible industry
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  23. 23
    Rockford, IL Flex Space for Lease

    Used for: Current public listing aggregation exposed multiple Rockford-area flex/industrial spaces in small and midsize service formats rather than zero available inventory

    Publisher
    Realmo
    Data period
    Listings visible in search results accessed 2026-08-18; individual listing updates vary
    Scope
    Rockford and nearby Winnebago County
    Locator
    Visible flex/industrial listings including service-sized units
    Source tier
    Tier 4 · practitioner/directional
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  24. 24
    Open Bids/RFPs

    Used for: Rockford maintains an active public bid portal for consultants, service providers, contractors, vendors, and suppliers

    Publisher
    City of Rockford
    Data period
    Open procurement listings accessed 2026-08-18
    Scope
    City of Rockford procurement
    Locator
    Current bid and contract opportunities for consultants, service providers, contractors, vendors, and suppliers
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 18, 2026
  25. 25
    Public Works Update 5.14.26

    Used for: May 2026 public-works updates documented lane closures and roadway reconstruction on 11th Street and Auburn Street and active work on Mason Avenue

    Publisher
    City of Rockford
    Published
    May 7, 2026
    Data period
    Construction status in May 2026
    Scope
    Specific Rockford road corridors and project areas
    Locator
    11th Street, Auburn Street, Mason Avenue and related construction status
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 18, 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.

Request a private franchise review
View methodologyView source registry
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.

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