Local operating-model alignment analysis

Best Franchise Opportunities We Assessed in Youngstown, Ohio

We compared 14 franchise concepts for Youngstown, Ohio. Replacement and repair demand was a leading positive mechanism. Winter parking and access pressure was a leading operating constraint.

What “best” means in this ranking“Best” means the strongest modeled local operating alignment among the franchise concepts assessed on this page. It does not estimate earnings or determine which franchise is best for a particular candidate.
Analysis by Thomas Jepsen, MSc Model: 0.9.0
14Concepts evaluated
19Sources used
12Primary sources
25Local 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

70.1 average across 2 concepts

Largest positive factorProperty replacement-cycle demand

0.7 points average among 7 affected concepts

Largest negative factorTransportation, routing, and parking

0.4 points average reduction among 13 affected concepts

Most assumption-sensitive rankFASTSIGNS

Tested rank range spans 8 positions

Executive conclusion

What the ranking means for Youngstown, Ohio

City Wide, Jan-Pro International, and ActionCOACH produced the highest modeled local-alignment scores in the evaluated set. Replacement and repair demand was the strongest positive scored mechanism among 7 exposed concepts, adding 0.7 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
72.1Tier 2 · Favorable modeled alignment
+2.0 ptsTarget-market demand -0.1 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking Moderate evidence confidence
2Jan-Pro InternationalCommercial cleaningInvestment: $130,000–$421,500
71.1Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+1.4 ptsTarget-market demand -0.3 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking Moderate evidence confidence
3ActionCOACHBusiness coachingInvestment: $71,668–$303,513
70.7Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.3 ptsReferral ecosystem No material negative local adjustmentModerate evidence confidence
4FASTSIGNSSigns and graphicsInvestment: $231,226–$386,285
70.4Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.8 ptsTarget-market demand -0.5 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking Moderate evidence confidence
5HomeSmilesProperty maintenance servicesInvestment: $148,110–$201,800
70.4Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.7 ptsTarget-market demand -0.3 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking Moderate evidence confidence
6Rainbow International RestorationRestorationInvestment: $185,336–$351,900
70.2Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.6 ptsProperty replacement-cycle demand -0.4 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking Moderate evidence confidence
7PuroCleanRestorationInvestment: $54,575–$262,145
70.0Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.6 ptsProperty replacement-cycle demand -0.3 ptsLabor and staffing friction Moderate evidence confidence
8Pillar To Post Home InspectorsHome inspectionInvestment: $102,690–$134,290
69.9Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.4 ptsProperty replacement-cycle demand -0.3 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking Moderate evidence confidence
9Tiger AdjustersPublic insurance adjustingInvestment: $43,050–$159,500
69.8Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
No material positive local adjustment-0.2 ptsTransportation, routing, and parking Moderate evidence confidence
10ZOOM DRAINDrain and sewer serviceInvestment: $266,250–$570,500
69.6Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment
+0.9 ptsProperty replacement-cycle demand -0.7 ptsLabor and staffing friction Moderate evidence confidence

View all 14 score calculations

Conditions that changed the analysis

What mattered most in Youngstown, Ohio

01

Predominantly pre-1980 housing stock supports repair and replacement demand while increasing legacy-system service complexity

The same local condition created complementary effects: replacement and repair demand supported exposed concepts while legacy-system service complexity constrained others. [4]

02

Freeze-thaw street impacts and snow-emergency parking bans create recurring winter access friction

This relationship affected 13 concepts and reduced 0.4 points on average among those exposed. Local evidence: Freeze-thaw, salting, and plowing impacts on city streets: The Youngstown Street Department states that freeze-thaw cycles and consistent salting and plowing significantly affect streets and prioritizes main and secondary streets for pothole repairs before local low-volume streets. qualitative finding. [7] [8]

03

Youngstown's population estimate declined 2.0 percent from the April 2020 estimate base to July 2025

Citywide population decline is a meaningful consumer-market constraint but does not imply uniform weak demand across buyer types or corridors. The current city plan reports 40.3 percent of jobs in education and health care services, identifies YSU, Youngstown City Schools, and Mercy Health among major employers, and describes material corridor differences: Belmont is institutionally anchored while parts of the East Side have relatively low traffic and little walkability. Institutional service demand can therefore remain material even as discretionary household demand and some fixed-location trade areas face pressure. [3] [4] [13] [15]

Evidence behind the city mechanisms

Predominantly pre-1980 housing stock supports repair and replacement demand while increasing legacy-system service complexity3 local facts · 2 modeled effects · 1 source
  • Housing units by broad construction era: built before 1950: 43; built 1950 through 1979: 48 percent of housing units [4]
  • Share of occupied housing by tenure built before 1980 in the plan's lead-risk table: owner occupied: 96; renter occupied: 85 percent by tenure [4]
  • Official plan finding on older-stock maintenance and rehabilitation need: The city plan states that older housing requires more continual maintenance, identifies approximately 50 years as a common potential-deficiency threshold, and reports repair costs and household income as barriers to bringing stock up to standard. qualitative finding [4]
Replacement and repair demandProperty replacement-cycle demand
Legacy-system service complexityLabor and staffing friction
High poverty and housing cost burden constrain discretionary household spending for exposed concepts1 modeled effect
Discretionary-spending pressureTarget-market demand
Healthcare is a major component of Youngstown's institutional employment and service base1 modeled effect
Healthcare institutional service demandTarget-market demand
Youngstown State University and public-sector institutions support institutional accounts and a professional relationship base3 local facts · 2 modeled effects · 3 sources
  • Youngstown State University total headcount change in Fall 2025: 2.1 percent year over year [13]
  • Companies assisted by YSU's Export Assistance Network in the past year: 104 companies [14]
  • City-plan description of commercial-corridor differences: south side: Market Street, Glenwood Avenue, Canfield Road, and South Avenue are described as walkable with many commercially zoned properties.; east side: McGuffey Road and Oak Street/MacCartney Road are primarily residential with developable land but relatively low traffic and little walkability.; north side us 422: US 422 is described as dominated by manufacturing and lacking walkability.; north side belmont: Belmont Avenue is described as diversified and anchored by Youngstown State University and Mercy Health St. Elizabeth Hospital. qualitative submarket profile [4]
University and government account demandTarget-market demand
Institutional professional relationship baseReferral ecosystem
Freeze-thaw street impacts and snow-emergency parking bans create recurring winter access friction1 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 2 · Favorable modeled alignment72.1

City Wide

Facility management · B2B facility management and vendor coordination

Initial investment: $229,729–$410,730

Increase +2.0 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.1 pts Transportation, routing, and parking

Rank sensitivity: Stable

Why it ranks here

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

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Target-market demand
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+1.3 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: rank stays #1
  • University and government account demand Evidence+0.7 pts
+2.0 pts
Referral ecosystem
  • Institutional professional relationship base Evidence+0.2 pts
+0.2 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.1 pts
-0.1 pts
Net local movement+2.10 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 mistaken for a score-changing effect.

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+2.0
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionNot included in the score
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.1
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystem+0.2
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score72.10
Published local-market alignment72.1

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
Strong
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Target-market demand +2.0 pts
Tested rank range
#1–#2
#2Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment71.1

Jan-Pro International

Commercial cleaning · recurring commercial route service

Initial investment: $130,000–$421,500

Increase +1.4 pts Target-market 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 factorModeled driversImpact
Target-market demand
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+0.9 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #2 → #3
  • University and government account demand Evidence+0.5 pts
+1.4 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.3 pts
-0.3 pts
Net local movement+1.08 pts

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

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

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

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

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

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+1.4
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionNot included in the score
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.3
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score71.08
Published local-market alignment71.1

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
Strong
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Target-market demand +1.4 pts
Tested rank range
#2–#9
#3Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.7

ActionCOACH

Business coaching · home-based B2B advisory

Initial investment: $71,668–$303,513

Increase +0.3 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 factorModeled driversImpact
Referral ecosystem
  • Institutional professional relationship base Evidence+0.3 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #3 → #5
+0.3 pts
Target-market demand
  • University and government account demand Evidence+0.2 pts
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+0.2 pts
+0.3 pts
Net local movement+0.68 pts

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

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

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

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

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

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.3
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionNot included in the score
Transportation, routing, and parkingNot applicable to this operating model
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystem+0.3
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.68
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
Strong
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Referral ecosystem +0.3 pts
Tested rank range
#1–#5
#4Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.4

FASTSIGNS

Signs and graphics · B2B production and installation center

Initial investment: $231,226–$386,285

Increase +0.8 pts Target-market demandReduction -0.5 pts Transportation, routing, and parking

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

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

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Target-market demand
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+0.5 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #4 → #7
  • University and government account demand Evidence+0.3 pts
+0.8 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.5 pts
-0.5 pts
Referral ecosystem
  • Institutional professional relationship base Evidence+0.1 pts
+0.1 pts
Net local movement+0.40 pts

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

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

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

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

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

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.8
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionNot included in the score
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.5
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystem+0.1
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.40
Published local-market alignment70.4

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
Strong
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Target-market demand +0.8 pts
Tested rank range
#3–#11
#5Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.4

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 +0.7 pts Target-market 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 factorModeled driversImpact
Target-market demand
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+0.5 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #5 → #8
  • University and government account demand Evidence+0.2 pts
+0.7 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.3 pts
-0.3 pts
Net local movement+0.37 pts

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

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

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

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

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

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.7
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionNot included in the score
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.3
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.37
Published local-market alignment70.4

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
Strong
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Adequate
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Target-market demand +0.7 pts
Tested rank range
#3–#8
#6Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.2

Rainbow International Restoration

Restoration · emergency property restoration

Initial investment: $185,336–$351,900

Increase +0.6 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -0.4 pts Transportation, routing, and parking

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

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

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.6 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #6 → #8
+0.6 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.4 pts
-0.4 pts
Labor and staffing friction
  • Legacy-system service complexity Evidence-0.3 pts
-0.3 pts
Target-market demand
  • Healthcare institutional service demand Evidence+0.2 pts
  • University and government account demand Evidence+0.1 pts
+0.3 pts
Net local movement+0.18 pts

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

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

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

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

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

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+0.3
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.6
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.3
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.4
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.18
Published local-market alignment70.2

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
Strong
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Property replacement-cycle demand +0.6 pts
Tested rank range
#4–#8
#7Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment70.0

PuroClean

Restoration · emergency property restoration

Initial investment: $54,575–$262,145

Increase +0.6 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -0.3 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

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

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.6 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #7 → #9
+0.6 pts
Labor and staffing friction
  • Legacy-system service complexity Evidence-0.3 pts
-0.3 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.3 pts
-0.3 pts
Net local movement+0.01 pts

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

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

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

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

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

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.6
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.3
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.3
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score70.01
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
Strong
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Property replacement-cycle demand +0.6 pts
Tested rank range
#3–#9
#8Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.9

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 -0.3 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
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.4 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #8 → #7
+0.4 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.3 pts
-0.3 pts
Labor and staffing friction
  • Legacy-system service complexity Evidence-0.1 pts
-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
2 sources
Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

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

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.4
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.1
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.3
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.93
Published local-market alignment69.9

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
Strong
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Property replacement-cycle demand +0.4 pts
Tested rank range
#4–#12
#9Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.8

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 -0.2 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 factorModeled driversImpact
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.2 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #9 → #12
-0.2 pts
Net local movement-0.19 pts

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

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

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

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

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

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionNot included in the score
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.2
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.81
Published local-market alignment69.8

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

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Strong
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Adequate
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Transportation, routing, and parking -0.2 pts
Tested rank range
#6–#13
#10Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.6

ZOOM DRAIN

Drain and sewer service · emergency skilled-trade route service

Initial investment: $266,250–$570,500

Increase +0.9 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -0.7 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Moderately sensitive

Why it ranks here

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

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.9 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: rank stays #10
+0.9 pts
Labor and staffing friction
  • Legacy-system service complexity Evidence-0.7 pts
-0.7 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.5 pts
-0.5 pts
Net local movement-0.36 pts

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

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

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

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

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

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.9
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.7
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.5
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.64
Published local-market alignment69.6

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

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Strong
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Property replacement-cycle demand +0.9 pts
Tested rank range
#7–#10
#11Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.6

Mr. Rooter

Plumbing · scheduled and emergency skilled-trade service

Initial investment: $152,900–$298,675

Increase +0.8 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -0.7 pts Labor and staffing friction

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

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

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.8 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #11 → #13
+0.8 pts
Labor and staffing friction
  • Legacy-system service complexity Evidence-0.7 pts
-0.7 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.5 pts
-0.5 pts
Net local movement-0.41 pts

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

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

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

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

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

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.8
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.7
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.5
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.59
Published local-market alignment69.6

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

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Strong
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Property replacement-cycle demand +0.8 pts
Tested rank range
#9–#13
#12Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.5

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 -0.8 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
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.8 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #12 → #11
+0.8 pts
Labor and staffing friction
  • Legacy-system service complexity Evidence-0.8 pts
-0.8 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.5 pts
-0.5 pts
Net local movement-0.46 pts

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

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

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

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

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

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.8
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.8
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.5
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.54
Published local-market alignment69.5

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

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Strong
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Adequate
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Property replacement-cycle demand +0.8 pts
Tested rank range
#10–#13
#13Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment69.5

Mister Sparky Electric

Electrical · skilled-trade home service

Increase +0.7 pts Property replacement-cycle demandReduction -0.8 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
  • Legacy-system service complexity Evidence-0.8 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #13 → #11
-0.8 pts
Property replacement-cycle demand
  • Replacement and repair demand Evidence+0.7 pts
+0.7 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.5 pts
-0.5 pts
Net local movement-0.53 pts

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

Full calculation and evidence confidence

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

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

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demandNot applicable to this operating model
Property replacement-cycle demand+0.7
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing friction-0.8
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.5
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score69.47
Published local-market alignment69.5

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

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Strong
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Labor and staffing friction -0.8 pts
Tested rank range
#11–#14
#14Tier 3 · Mixed modeled alignment68.6

Workout Anytime

Fitness · fixed-location membership fitness

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

No material positive local adjustment identifiedReduction -1.2 pts Target-market demand

Rank sensitivity: Highly sensitive

Why it ranks here

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

Local factorModeled driversImpact
Target-market demand
  • Discretionary-spending pressure Evidence-1.2 pts
    Primary modeled driverRelationship test: #14 → #10
-1.2 pts
Transportation, routing, and parking
  • Winter parking and access pressure Evidence-0.3 pts
-0.3 pts
Net local movement-1.45 pts

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

Franchise evidence

Source material assessed

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

Audit layer

Full factor ledger

Full score ledger

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

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand-1.2
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionNot included in the score
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.3
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystemNot included in the score
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score68.55
Published local-market alignment68.6

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

Evidence confidence

City Modifier Evidence
Strong
Factor Research Coverage
Adequate
Franchise-profile completeness
Limited
Source-evidence confidence
Strong
Geographic applicability
Adequate
Overall evidence confidence
Moderate evidence confidence
Largest absolute effect
Target-market demand -1.2 pts
Tested rank range
#7–#14

Worked score example

How we calculated City Wide

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

Full score ledger

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

Neutral model baseline70.0
Target-market demand+2.0
Property replacement-cycle demandNot applicable to this operating model
Competitive environmentNot included in the score
Labor and staffing frictionNot included in the score
Transportation, routing, and parking-0.1
Real estate and site feasibilityNot included in the score
Sales and customer acquisitionNot included in the score
Referral ecosystem+0.2
Territory qualityDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Regulatory and operating frictionDepends on the specific site, territory, or operating condition
Full-precision calculated score72.10
Published local-market alignment72.1

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 7 of 14 concepts. When we neutralized the factor and recalculated the table, 12 concepts changed position. FASTSIGNS moved from #4 to #12, the largest movement among concepts directly affected by this factor.

Concepts adjusted7 of 14
Average among affected+0.6 pts
Average across all concepts+0.3 pts
Concepts changing rank12

What we observed

  • Median Household Income In 2024 Dollars34,408 usd 2024
  • Persons In Poverty37.3 percent of persons
  • Households With Housing Cost Burden Of More Than 30 Percent Of Income31.8 percent of households

Concepts helped most

City WideFacility management
+2.0 pts
Jan-Pro InternationalCommercial cleaning
+1.4 pts
FASTSIGNSSigns and graphics
+0.8 pts
HomeSmilesProperty maintenance services
+0.7 pts
ActionCOACHBusiness coaching
+0.3 pts

Concepts challenged most

Workout AnytimeFitness
-1.2 pts
Measured but not differentiating in this concept set
  • Competitive environmentNo material score adjustment
  • Real estate and site feasibilityNo material score adjustment
  • Sales and customer acquisitionNo material score adjustment
  • Territory qualityNo material score adjustment
  • Regulatory and operating frictionNo material score adjustment

Rank stability

Which positions depend most on individual assumptions?

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

#1 City WideStable · tested #1–#2
#2 Jan-Pro InternationalHighly sensitive · tested #2–#9
#3 ActionCOACHHighly sensitive · tested #1–#5
#4 FASTSIGNSHighly sensitive · tested #3–#11
#5 HomeSmilesHighly sensitive · tested #3–#8
#6 Rainbow International RestorationHighly sensitive · tested #4–#8
#7 PuroCleanHighly sensitive · tested #3–#9
#8 Pillar To Post Home InspectorsHighly sensitive · tested #4–#12
#9 Tiger AdjustersHighly sensitive · tested #6–#13
#10 ZOOM DRAINModerately sensitive · tested #7–#10
#11 Mr. RooterHighly sensitive · tested #9–#13
#12 Aire ServModerately sensitive · tested #10–#13
#13 Mister Sparky ElectricModerately sensitive · tested #11–#14
#14 Workout AnytimeHighly sensitive · tested #7–#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 · +2.0 pts1#2 Jan-Pro International · Target-market demand · +1.4 pts2#3 ActionCOACH · Target-market demand · +0.3 pts3#4 FASTSIGNS · Target-market demand · +0.8 pts4#5 HomeSmiles · Target-market demand · +0.7 pts5#6 Rainbow International Restoration · Target-market demand · +0.3 pts6#14 Workout Anytime · Target-market demand · -1.2 pts14
Property replacement-cycle demand
#6 Rainbow International Restoration · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.6 pts6#7 PuroClean · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.6 pts7#8 Pillar To Post Home Inspectors · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.4 pts8#10 ZOOM DRAIN · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.9 pts10#11 Mr. Rooter · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.8 pts11#12 Aire Serv · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.8 pts12#13 Mister Sparky Electric · Property replacement-cycle demand · +0.7 pts13
Labor and staffing friction
#6 Rainbow International Restoration · Labor and staffing friction · -0.3 pts6#7 PuroClean · Labor and staffing friction · -0.3 pts7#8 Pillar To Post Home Inspectors · Labor and staffing friction · -0.1 pts8#10 ZOOM DRAIN · Labor and staffing friction · -0.7 pts10#11 Mr. Rooter · Labor and staffing friction · -0.7 pts11#12 Aire Serv · Labor and staffing friction · -0.8 pts12#13 Mister Sparky Electric · Labor and staffing friction · -0.8 pts13
Transportation, routing, and parking
#1 City Wide · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.1 pts1#2 Jan-Pro International · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.3 pts2#4 FASTSIGNS · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.5 pts4#5 HomeSmiles · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.3 pts5#6 Rainbow International Restoration · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.4 pts6#7 PuroClean · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.3 pts7#8 Pillar To Post Home Inspectors · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.3 pts8#9 Tiger Adjusters · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.2 pts9#10 ZOOM DRAIN · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.5 pts10#11 Mr. Rooter · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.5 pts11#12 Aire Serv · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.5 pts12#13 Mister Sparky Electric · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.5 pts13#14 Workout Anytime · Transportation, routing, and parking · -0.3 pts14
Referral ecosystem
#1 City Wide · Referral ecosystem · +0.2 pts1#3 ActionCOACH · Referral ecosystem · +0.3 pts3#4 FASTSIGNS · Referral ecosystem · +0.1 pts4
Primary source records by factorTarget-market demand: [3] [4] [13] [15] [1]Property replacement-cycle demand: [4] [1] [2]Competitive environment: [19] [3] [18] [1]Labor and staffing friction: [5] [6] [4] [1] [2]Transportation, routing, and parking: [7] [8] [2]Real estate and site feasibility: [16] [17] [18] [4] [11] [12] [1]Sales and customer acquisition: [19] [3] [18] [1]Referral ecosystem: [4] [14] [13] [15]Territory quality: [4] [3] [9] [1]Regulatory and operating friction: [9] [10] [11] [12] [2] [18]
View the chart data as a table
ConceptTarget-market demandProperty replacement-cycle demandLabor and staffing frictionTransportation, routing, and parkingReferral ecosystem
#1 City Wide+2.0 pts——-0.1 pts+0.2 pts
#2 Jan-Pro International+1.4 pts——-0.3 pts—
#3 ActionCOACH+0.3 pts———+0.3 pts
#4 FASTSIGNS+0.8 pts——-0.5 pts+0.1 pts
#5 HomeSmiles+0.7 pts——-0.3 pts—
#6 Rainbow International Restoration+0.3 pts+0.6 pts-0.3 pts-0.4 pts—
#7 PuroClean—+0.6 pts-0.3 pts-0.3 pts—
#8 Pillar To Post Home Inspectors—+0.4 pts-0.1 pts-0.3 pts—
#9 Tiger Adjusters———-0.2 pts—
#10 ZOOM DRAIN—+0.9 pts-0.7 pts-0.5 pts—
#11 Mr. Rooter—+0.8 pts-0.7 pts-0.5 pts—
#12 Aire Serv—+0.8 pts-0.8 pts-0.5 pts—
#13 Mister Sparky Electric—+0.7 pts-0.8 pts-0.5 pts—
#14 Workout Anytime-1.2 pts——-0.3 pts—

Interpretation

How to interpret the result

City Wide, Jan-Pro International, ActionCOACH led because their operating requirements captured more of the local support from property replacement-cycle 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 Jan-Pro International, ActionCOACH, FASTSIGNS; their ranks move more widely when individual factors are neutralized.

Category comparisons

Best franchise categories we assessed in Youngstown, Ohio

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 Youngstown, Ohio

70.1

2 Restoration concepts qualified for comparison, with scores ranging from 70.0 to 70.2. Rainbow International Restoration ranked highest at 70.2. Property replacement-cycle demand added 0.6 points on average among the affected concepts. Transportation, routing, and parking reduced the exposed concepts by 0.4 points on average.

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

Concepts compared
2
Score range
70.0–70.2
Category average
70.1
Rainbow International Restoration70.2
PuroClean70.0

Metric registry

The 25 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, 202558,832peopleJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 economic receipts and salesYoungstown city, OhioContext only [3]
Population change from April 2020 estimate base to July 2025-2percentJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 economic receipts and salesYoungstown city, OhioConditional relationship [3]
Median household income in 2024 dollars34,408usd 2024July 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 economic receipts and salesYoungstown city, OhioUsed in scoring [3]
Persons in poverty37.3percent of personsJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 economic receipts and salesYoungstown city, OhioUsed in scoring [3]
Households with housing cost burden of more than 30 percent of income31.8percent of householdsPlan period FY2025-FY2029; underlying tables include 2016-2020 CHAS/ACS, 2019-2023 ACS, and 2020 LEHDCity of YoungstownUsed in scoring [4]
Housing units by broad construction erabuilt before 1950: 43; built 1950 through 1979: 48percent of housing unitsPlan period FY2025-FY2029; underlying tables include 2016-2020 CHAS/ACS, 2019-2023 ACS, and 2020 LEHDCity of YoungstownSupports modeled relationship [4]
Share of occupied housing by tenure built before 1980 in the plan's lead-risk tableowner occupied: 96; renter occupied: 85percent by tenurePlan period FY2025-FY2029; underlying tables include 2016-2020 CHAS/ACS, 2019-2023 ACS, and 2020 LEHDCity of YoungstownSupports modeled relationship [4]
Official plan finding on older-stock maintenance and rehabilitation needThe city plan states that older housing requires more continual maintenance, identifies approximately 50 years as a common potential-deficiency threshold, and reports repair costs and household income as barriers to bringing stock up to standard.qualitative findingPlan period FY2025-FY2029; underlying tables include 2016-2020 CHAS/ACS, 2019-2023 ACS, and 2020 LEHDCity of Youngstown housing stockSupports modeled relationship [4]
Health care and social assistance receipts or revenue in 20221,319,173,000usdJuly 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 economic receipts and salesYoungstown city, OhioUsed in scoring [3]
Share of Youngstown jobs in education and health care services40.3percent of jobsPlan period FY2025-FY2029; underlying tables include 2016-2020 CHAS/ACS, 2019-2023 ACS, and 2020 LEHDCity of YoungstownUsed in scoring [4]
Named large institutional employers in the city planYoungstown State University, Youngstown City Schools, Mercy Healthnamed entitiesPlan period FY2025-FY2029; underlying tables include 2016-2020 CHAS/ACS, 2019-2023 ACS, and 2020 LEHDCity of YoungstownUsed in scoring [4] [15]
Youngstown State University total headcount change in Fall 20252.1percent year over yearFall 2025 enrollmentYoungstown State University, Youngstown, OhioSupports modeled relationship [13]
Companies assisted by YSU's Export Assistance Network in the past year104companiesPast year through March 2026YSU-based Export Assistance Network serving 13 Northeast Ohio countiesSupports modeled relationship [14]
Jobs located in Youngstown compared with resident workers in the plan's business-activity tablejobs in city: 21,415; resident workers: 17,833people or jobsPlan period FY2025-FY2029; underlying tables include 2016-2020 CHAS/ACS, 2019-2023 ACS, and 2020 LEHDCity of YoungstownContext only [4]
City-plan description of commercial-corridor differencessouth side: Market Street, Glenwood Avenue, Canfield Road, and South Avenue are described as walkable with many commercially zoned properties.; east side: McGuffey Road and Oak Street/MacCartney Road are primarily residential with developable land but relatively low traffic and little walkability.; north side us 422: US 422 is described as dominated by manufacturing and lacking walkability.; north side belmont: Belmont Avenue is described as diversified and anchored by Youngstown State University and Mercy Health St. Elizabeth Hospital.qualitative submarket profilePlan period FY2025-FY2029; underlying tables include 2016-2020 CHAS/ACS, 2019-2023 ACS, and 2020 LEHDSouth, East, and North Side corridors within YoungstownUsed in scoring [4]
Mean hourly wage for all occupations in the Youngstown-Warren MSA compared with the United Statesyoungstown warren msa: 26.03; united states: 33.54usd per hourMay 2025Youngstown-Warren, OH MSAContext only [5]
Selected major occupational-group mean wages in the Youngstown-Warren MSAfood preparation and serving: 15.22; building and grounds cleaning and maintenance: 17.1; construction and extraction: 29.07; installation maintenance and repair: 27.51; production: 22.52; transportation and material moving: 20.24usd per hourMay 2025Youngstown-Warren, OH MSAContext only [5]
Youngstown-Warren MSA unemployment rate in June 20264.8percentJune 2026 preliminary labor-force and nonfarm employment dataYoungstown-Warren, OH MSAContext only [6]
Freeze-thaw, salting, and plowing impacts on city streetsThe Youngstown Street Department states that freeze-thaw cycles and consistent salting and plowing significantly affect streets and prioritizes main and secondary streets for pothole repairs before local low-volume streets.qualitative findingCurrent street-maintenance and snow-emergency rules accessed August 2026City of Youngstown street networkUsed in scoring [7]
Snow-emergency parking restriction and triggertrigger: snow accumulation totaling or exceeding 4 inches within 24 hours; parking rule: parking ban on streets when a snow emergency is declared; exemption: streets or alleys 25 feet wide or less without driveways; enforcement: vehicles in violation may be towed at the owner's expense; 2026 example effective date: 2026-01-25ruleCurrent street-maintenance and snow-emergency rules accessed August 2026City of Youngstown streetsUsed in scoring [7] [8]
Design-review applicability trigger for certain projectsgeographic or funding gate: Design Review District, Wick Park Historic District, Crandall Park-Fifth Ave Historic District, project receiving a City facade grant or other City funding; project change gate: new construction, addition, demolition, exterior remodeling, signage, lighting, painting, other aesthetic change; application deadline: 10 days before the scheduled Design Review Committee meetingregulatory conditionsCurrent zoning and design-review guidance accessed August 2026Youngstown design-review/historic districts and City-funded aesthetic projectsConditional relationship [9] [10]
Transfer requirements for properties already subject to Chapter 546 notices or compliance ordersA cited property must be brought into compliance before transfer, or the owner must provide the other party with the violation/compliance notices and submit a signed, notarized Property Transfer Affidavit stating that the other party will be responsible for compliance.regulatory conditionsCurrent Chapter 546 enforcement and transfer procedures accessed August 2026Youngstown properties with Chapter 546 notices or compliance ordersContext only [11]
Active 7th Ward Neighborhood Impact Area window and boundariesvalid from: 2026-07-27; valid until: 2026-08-24; north: Cambridge Avenue between South Avenue and Zedaker Street; east: Zedaker Street between Cambridge Avenue and Roxbury Avenue; south: East Judson east of South Avenue; Roxbury Avenue between Garden Road and Zedaker Street; west: South Avenue between Cambridge Avenue and East Judson Avenuetemporary geographic programNeighborhood Impact Area declared July 27 through August 24, 2026Defined portion of Youngstown 7th WardContext only [12] [11] [2]
Current small-bay-size flex units in one Youngstown-addressed listingavailable unit sizes sqft: 3,816, 5,040; loading features: loading dock, drive-in door; zoning as listed: I-2 - Industrial; date on market: 2026-04-30listing snapshotListing on market April 30, 2026; accessed August 20261092-1112 N Meridian Rd, Youngstown, OH 44509; municipal boundary not independently verifiedContext only [16]
Northeast Ohio industrial vacancy and asking rent in Q2 2026vacancy rate: 5.7; asking rent: 4.64Second quarter 2026Northeast Ohio industrial market; broader than Youngstown cityContext only [17]

How to use the ranking

What the model can and cannot establish

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

Methodology

How the local-alignment ranking is calculated

01

Measure the city

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

02

Profile each operating model

Map each franchise to controlled operating attributes and local sensitivities.

03

Apply scoreable effects

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

04

Preserve conditional effects

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

05

Test rank sensitivity

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

06

Generate public output

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

How the common baseline becomes a city-specific score

Every concept starts from the same 70.0 reference point, so differences come only from modeled local interactions. In this city, City Wide reached 72.10 after target-market demand +2.0 pts, referral ecosystem +0.2 pts, and transportation, routing, and parking -0.1 pts. The current model caps total local movement at ±18.0 points. The score is not a percentage, probability, or estimate of investment quality.

Precision and materiality

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

Score tiers

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

How factor rows are classified

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

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

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

Model governance

How this report is calculated and corrected

Calculation controls

Model designer
Thomas Jepsen

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

Model history

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

Corrections policy

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

Source registry

Evidence represented in this report

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

  1. 1
    Supplied multi-city structural research docket (I 132(6).docx)Internal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.
    Publisher
    Supplied research material
    Data period
    Youngstown section cites sources accessed through February 24, 2026
    Scope
    Youngstown, Ohio section within a multi-city research docket
    Locator
    Youngstown section, pages 12-13; cited-source list on page 24
    Source tier
    Tier 5 · supplied bespoke research
    Accessed
    August 15, 2026
  2. 2
    Forensic Audit of Municipal Deal-Killers and Structural ConstraintsInternal or supplied research; not publicly accessible.

    Used for: Active 7th Ward Neighborhood Impact Area window and boundaries

    Publisher
    Supplied research material
    Data period
    Youngstown section cites sources accessed through February 20, 2026
    Scope
    Youngstown, Ohio section within a multi-city research docket
    Locator
    Section 7, pages 21-24
    Source tier
    Tier 5 · supplied bespoke research
    Accessed
    August 15, 2026
  3. 3
    QuickFacts: Youngstown city, Ohio

    Used for: Resident population estimate on July 1, 2025, Population change from April 2020 estimate base to July 2025, Median household income in 2024 dollars, Persons in poverty, and Health care and social assistance receipts or revenue in 2022

    Publisher
    U.S. Census Bureau
    Data period
    July 1, 2025 population estimate; 2020-2024 ACS-derived characteristics; 2022 economic receipts and sales
    Scope
    Youngstown city, Ohio
    Locator
    Population, housing, economy, income and poverty, transportation, and geography tables
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 15, 2026
  4. 4
    2025-2029 Five-Year Consolidated Plan and 2025 Annual Action Plan

    Used for: Households with housing cost burden of more than 30 percent of income, Housing units by broad construction era, Share of occupied housing by tenure built before 1980 in the plan's lead-risk table, Official plan finding on older-stock maintenance and rehabilitation need, and Share of Youngstown jobs in education and health care services

    Publisher
    City of Youngstown, Ohio
    Published
    June 16, 2025
    Data period
    Plan period FY2025-FY2029; underlying tables include 2016-2020 CHAS/ACS, 2019-2023 ACS, and 2020 LEHD
    Scope
    City of Youngstown, Ohio, with explicitly labeled regional references
    Locator
    Executive Summary; Housing Market Analysis pages 57-65; Business Activity pages 76-84; Lead Based Paint Hazards page 117
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 15, 2026
  5. 5
    Occupational Employment and Wages in Youngstown-Warren — May 2025

    Used for: Mean hourly wage for all occupations in the Youngstown-Warren MSA compared with the United States and Selected major occupational-group mean wages in the Youngstown-Warren MSA

    Publisher
    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
    Published
    July 21, 2026
    Data period
    May 2025
    Scope
    Youngstown-Warren, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area
    Locator
    Table A major occupational groups and food preparation detail table
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 15, 2026
  6. 6
    Youngstown-Warren, OH Economy at a Glance

    Used for: Youngstown-Warren MSA unemployment rate in June 2026

    Publisher
    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
    Data period
    June 2026 preliminary labor-force and nonfarm employment data
    Scope
    Youngstown-Warren, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area
    Locator
    Labor Force Data and Nonfarm Wage and Salary Employment tables
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 15, 2026
  7. 7
    Street Department

    Used for: Freeze-thaw, salting, and plowing impacts on city streets and Snow-emergency parking restriction and trigger

    Publisher
    City of Youngstown, Ohio
    Data period
    Current street-maintenance and snow-emergency rules accessed August 2026
    Scope
    City of Youngstown streets
    Locator
    Pothole Notes; Snow Removal; On Street Parking Ban During a Snow Emergency
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 15, 2026
  8. 8
    Declaration of Snow Emergency

    Used for: Snow-emergency parking restriction and trigger

    Publisher
    City of Youngstown Department of Public Works
    Published
    January 23, 2026
    Data period
    Snow emergency effective January 25, 2026 until further notice at time of declaration
    Scope
    City of Youngstown streets
    Locator
    One-page Department of Public Works notice; Section 351.14 threshold, parking restriction, and towing consequence
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 15, 2026
  9. 9
    Zoning

    Used for: Design-review applicability trigger for certain projects

    Publisher
    City of Youngstown, Ohio
    Data period
    Current zoning and design-review guidance accessed August 2026
    Scope
    City of Youngstown with district- and funding-specific design-review triggers
    Locator
    Design Review section: trigger districts, city-funded projects, aesthetic changes, and 10-day application deadline
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 15, 2026
  10. 10
    City of Youngstown Design Review Process Guide

    Used for: Design-review applicability trigger for certain projects

    Publisher
    City of Youngstown, Ohio
    Published
    August 9, 2024
    Data period
    Current design-review procedures and meeting calendars through 2026
    Scope
    Projects subject to Youngstown design review
    Locator
    Design Review Process; Chapter 1101 procedural guidelines; landscaping escrow and violation provisions
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 15, 2026
  11. 11
    Property Code Enforcement & Demolition

    Used for: Transfer requirements for properties already subject to Chapter 546 notices or compliance orders and Active 7th Ward Neighborhood Impact Area window and boundaries

    Publisher
    City of Youngstown, Ohio
    Data period
    Current Chapter 546 enforcement and transfer procedures accessed August 2026
    Scope
    City of Youngstown properties subject to Chapter 546
    Locator
    Property-maintenance appeals and transfer requirements for cited properties
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 15, 2026
  12. 12
    7th Ward Neighborhood Impact Area

    Used for: Active 7th Ward Neighborhood Impact Area window and boundaries

    Publisher
    City of Youngstown, Ohio
    Data period
    Neighborhood Impact Area declared July 27 through August 24, 2026
    Scope
    Defined portion of Youngstown's 7th Ward bounded by Cambridge Avenue, Zedaker Street, East Judson/Roxbury Avenue, and South Avenue
    Locator
    Declaration dates and boundary description
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 15, 2026
  13. 13
    Youngstown State University sees continued enrollment growth for second consecutive year

    Used for: Youngstown State University total headcount change in Fall 2025

    Publisher
    Youngstown State University
    Published
    September 17, 2025
    Data period
    Fall 2025 enrollment
    Scope
    Youngstown State University, Youngstown, Ohio
    Locator
    Fall 2025 headcount and FTE enrollment changes
    Source tier
    Tier 2 · recognized institutional research
    Accessed
    August 15, 2026
  14. 14
    Youngstown State University Export Assistance Network earns national excellence award

    Used for: Companies assisted by YSU's Export Assistance Network in the past year

    Publisher
    Youngstown State University
    Published
    March 30, 2026
    Data period
    Past year through March 2026
    Scope
    YSU-based program serving 13 counties in Northeast Ohio
    Locator
    Program service geography and 104 companies assisted in the past year
    Source tier
    Tier 2 · recognized institutional research
    Accessed
    August 15, 2026
  15. 15
    Mercy Health — St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital

    Used for: Named large institutional employers in the city plan

    Publisher
    Mercy Health
    Data period
    Current hospital location and service profile accessed August 2026
    Scope
    1044 Belmont Avenue, Youngstown, Ohio
    Locator
    Hospital location and 24/7 service profile
    Source tier
    Tier 2 · recognized institutional research
    Accessed
    August 15, 2026
  16. 16
    1092-1112 N Meridian Rd, Youngstown, OH 44509 — Multi Tenant flex space

    Used for: Current small-bay-size flex units in one Youngstown-addressed listing

    Publisher
    LoopNet
    Data period
    Listing on market April 30, 2026; accessed August 2026
    Scope
    Listing address uses Youngstown, Ohio 44509; exact municipal boundary not independently verified for this research pass
    Locator
    Property Overview and Property Facts
    Source tier
    Tier 4 · directional commercial
    Accessed
    August 15, 2026
  17. 17
    Northeast Ohio Industrial Market Report — 2026 Q2

    Used for: Northeast Ohio industrial vacancy and asking rent in Q2 2026

    Publisher
    Colliers
    Published
    June 30, 2026
    Data period
    Second quarter 2026
    Scope
    Northeast Ohio industrial market; broader than Youngstown city
    Locator
    Q2 vacancy, inventory, absorption, supply, and asking-rent summary
    Source tier
    Tier 3 · credible industry
    Accessed
    August 15, 2026
  18. 18
    Business FAQ
    Publisher
    City of Youngstown, Ohio
    Data period
    Current business and site-search guidance accessed August 2026
    Scope
    City of Youngstown business assistance
    Locator
    Vacant-building search, available sites, permitting, and customized real-estate research guidance
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 15, 2026
  19. 19
    County Business Patterns: 2023
    Publisher
    U.S. Census Bureau
    Published
    June 26, 2025
    Data period
    Calendar year 2023
    Scope
    County, metropolitan-area, and ZIP Code establishments by NAICS; not a citywide category-specific competitor census
    Locator
    Dataset description and downloadable county, MSA, and ZIP Code files
    Source tier
    Tier 1 · government
    Accessed
    August 15, 2026

Before contacting a franchisor

Complete the next layer of due diligence

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

Apply the analysis to your situation

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

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

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