Top opportunity, October 2026
Foundation repair
Plano, TX
100of 100
- People searching a month
- 1,330
- Companies pay per click
- $68.75
- Search value a month
- $3,510
- Leaders' median reviews
- 86
Find the best business to start in your area.
See what your town is underserved in: services lots of people search for that few companies serve well. 10 local businesses scored in 325 US markets on demand, customer value and competition, with real Google data every month.
- 325US markets
- 3,250business and area pairs
- 38scored 50 or higher
What is your town underserved in?
Type your city, county or state. You get the services with the most demand and the least competition there, from this month's data.
We track 325 US markets: counties whose largest city has 50,000 to 300,000 people.
This month's top 10 opportunities
From 325 markets in 47 states. See the full list by business and by state on best businesses to start.
| # | Business and area | Score | Searches/mo | Per click |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foundation repairPlano, TX | 100 | 1,330 | $68.75 |
| 2 | Foundation repairDes Moines, IA | 100 | 2,100 | $39.86 |
| 3 | Gutter installationDes Moines, IA | 100 | 2,210 | $30.63 |
| 4 | Septic pumpingSan Bernardino, CA | 100 | 1,090 | $47.77 |
| 5 | Septic pumpingGreenville, SC | 93 | 580 | $56.36 |
| 6 | Foundation repairRound Rock, TX | 88 | 570 | $68.80 |
| 7 | Foundation repairFlorissant, MO | 84 | 360 | $67.03 |
| 8 | Foundation repairSugar Land, TX | 83 | 630 | $64.05 |
| 9 | Gutter installationClermont, FL | 68 | 830 | $33.84 |
| 10 | Epoxy garage floorsWest Palm Beach, FL | 68 | 1,300 | $13.05 |
Searches/mo: people in that county searching Google for the service each month. Per click: what local companies pay Google for one of those visitors. Search value/mo: a rough estimate of what that demand is worth to the businesses that win it. Leader reviews: median review count of the top 3 on Google Maps; lower means an easier market to break into.
How the score works
Four questions decide whether a local service business has room to grow in an area. We answer each one with data, for every business in every market.
Do people want it?
How many people in the county search Google for the service each month, across the 5 or 6 ways they phrase it.
Is a customer worth much?
What local companies already pay Google for one click. Businesses only pay that much when a customer is worth it.
How crowded is it?
How many established companies show on Google Maps, and how many reviews the top three have. 500-review leaders mean a long climb.
Can a newcomer get found?
Who holds the top Google results. Directories like Yelp and Angi are beatable. Strong local company websites are not.
Score = demand x customer value / competition, scaled 0 to 100. Points come off when Google's paid "Google Guaranteed" ads crowd the page, when demand is under 150 searches a month, or when there are few local companies in the trade at all. Under 50 searches a month, a pairing is left out.
What this month's data shows
- In 2217 of 2826 pairings, no local company's own website made the top Google results; only directories and national sites. A new business with a decent website can stand out there.
- The median top-3 business on Google Maps had 27 reviews. Many markets are still winnable with steady work.
- 424 pairings had under 50 searches a month: too little demand to build on.
Questions
What is the best business to start right now?
It depends on where you live. In our October 2026 data the strongest single opportunity was foundation repair in Plano, TX, and foundation repair scored well in the most markets. Check your own area: the same business can be a great bet in one county and a crowded fight in the next.
Where does the data come from?
Monthly search counts and cost per click come from Google Ads data. The businesses on Google Maps, their review counts, and the top Google results come from live Google searches in each city, pulled through DataForSEO.
How is the score calculated?
Demand (monthly searches) times customer value (what companies pay Google per click), divided by how crowded the market is: established competitors on Google Maps, how many reviews the leaders have, and who holds the top Google results. Scaled 0 to 100.
Does a high score mean the business will succeed?
No. It shows where demand is strong and competition is beatable. You still need the skills or a team, licenses, startup money and a plan. Use it to pick where to look first.
Can I use this to find a business to buy or invest in?
Yes. A strong score with few established competitors points to markets where an existing local company has room to grow, which is what you want in a business you buy or back.
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