The Most Oversaturated Business Markets in America
Market saturation matters when deciding what business to start. An industry with 60+ firms per 100,000 people means fierce local competition. We calculated saturation for every industry using Census business counts and population data.
Most Crowded Industries (firms per 100K people)
- 1. Full-Service Restaurants: 66.1 firms per 100K people (219,017 total)
- 2. Religious Organizations: 55.7 firms per 100K people (184,723 total)
- 3. Limited-Service Restaurants: 48.0 firms per 100K people (159,039 total)
- 4. Offices of Lawyers: 47.9 firms per 100K people (158,695 total)
- 5. Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers: 43.2 firms per 100K people (143,248 total)
- 6. Offices of Physicians (except Mental Health Specialists): 41.5 firms per 100K people (137,659 total)
- 7. Residential Remodelers: 38.4 firms per 100K people (127,394 total)
- 8. Offices of Dentists: 37.0 firms per 100K people (122,711 total)
- 9. Insurance Agencies and Brokerages: 37.0 firms per 100K people (122,552 total)
- 10. Landscaping Services: 34.1 firms per 100K people (113,083 total)
- 11. Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors: 31.6 firms per 100K people (104,776 total)
- 12. Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services: 27.2 firms per 100K people (90,035 total)
Less Saturated Alternatives
If you're looking for industries with less competition, focus on those with under 5 firms per 100K people. These tend to be specialized services, B2B businesses, or industries requiring significant licensing or capital.