Under-served services in Harlingen, TX
Name a city. Neur ranks 41 local service types, from HVAC to pet grooming, by how many businesses the county has per 100,000 residents against the rest of the state, from the Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns, then checks the thinnest 6 on Google Maps. Free, no sign-up.
Most under-served in Harlingen
28 of 41 service types have less than two-thirds of the Texas rate in Cameron County.
Supply index 100 means the county has exactly as many of a service per person as Texas does; 42 means less than half. The thinnest 6 were also searched on Google Maps today, so you can see what is listed in the city itself and how many of those have 10 or more reviews. When Google Maps shows plenty, the row comes off the list.
- 01Check this at your address
Dry cleaners
Supply index 18 — less than half the Texas rate. 0.9 per 100,000 people in Cameron County, 5.2 across Texas, 5 nationally.
4 employer businesses on record in the county · about 22 at the state rate · Google Maps: 5 listed in Harlingen, 4 with 10+ reviews (2026-10-22)
- 02Check this at your address
Painters
Supply index 20 — less than half the Texas rate. 0.9 per 100,000 people in Cameron County, 4.8 across Texas, 11.5 nationally.
4 employer businesses on record in the county · about 20 at the state rate · Google Maps: 10 listed in Harlingen, 3 with 10+ reviews (2026-10-22) — thin there too
- 03Check this at your address
Tutoring centers
Supply index 23 — less than half the Texas rate. 0.7 per 100,000 people in Cameron County, 3 across Texas, 3.1 nationally.
3 employer businesses on record in the county · about 13 at the state rate · Google Maps: 5 listed in Harlingen, 5 with 10+ reviews (2026-10-22) — thin there too
- 04Check this at your address
Lawn care & landscaping
Supply index 34 — less than half the Texas rate. 6.4 per 100,000 people in Cameron County, 18.8 across Texas, 35.4 nationally.
27 employer businesses on record in the county · about 79 at the state rate
- 05Check this at your address
Auto body & collision
Supply index 34 — less than half the Texas rate. 3.1 per 100,000 people in Cameron County, 9 across Texas, 10.5 nationally.
13 employer businesses on record in the county · about 38 at the state rate
- 06Check this at your address
Hair salons
Supply index 35 — less than half the Texas rate. 6.6 per 100,000 people in Cameron County, 19.2 across Texas, 25.1 nationally.
28 employer businesses on record in the county · about 81 at the state rate
- 07Check this at your address
Veterinary clinics
Supply index 35 — less than half the Texas rate. 3.3 per 100,000 people in Cameron County, 9.4 across Texas, 10.3 nationally.
14 employer businesses on record in the county · about 40 at the state rate
- 08Check this at your address
Chiropractors
Supply index 35 — less than half the Texas rate. 3.1 per 100,000 people in Cameron County, 8.8 across Texas, 12.1 nationally.
13 employer businesses on record in the county · about 37 at the state rate
- 09Check this at your address
Martial arts, swim & sports lessons
Supply index 37 — less than half the Texas rate. 2.1 per 100,000 people in Cameron County, 5.8 across Texas, 5.9 nationally.
9 employer businesses on record in the county · about 24 at the state rate
- 10Check this at your address
Pressure washing, pool & window cleaning
Supply index 41 — less than half the Texas rate. 2.1 per 100,000 people in Cameron County, 5.3 across Texas, 5.3 nationally.
9 employer businesses on record in the county · about 22 at the state rate
Thin on paper, not on the map: barber shops (index 0, but Google Maps lists 20+ in Harlingen, 19 with 10+ reviews); locksmiths (index 0, but Google Maps lists 5 in Harlingen, 4 with 10+ reviews); movers (index 27, but Google Maps lists 15 in Harlingen, 7 with 10+ reviews); nail salons (index 30, but Google Maps lists 20+ in Harlingen, 20 with 10+ reviews); self storage (index 33, but Google Maps lists 18+ in Harlingen, 15 with 10+ reviews). The Census count covers employer businesses only, so trades that run without staff barely register. Left off the list.
Most crowded in Harlingen
- 01Check this at your address
Child care centers
Supply index 170 — 70% above the Texas rate. 34.6 per 100,000 people in Cameron County, 20.3 across Texas, 24.2 nationally.
146 employer businesses on record in the county · about 86 at the state rate
- 02Check this at your address
Bakeries
Supply index 143 — 43% above the Texas rate. 3.3 per 100,000 people in Cameron County, 2.3 across Texas, 2.7 nationally.
14 employer businesses on record in the county · about 10 at the state rate
- 03Check this at your address
Laundromats
Supply index 137 — 37% above the Texas rate. 4 per 100,000 people in Cameron County, 3 across Texas, 3.3 nationally.
17 employer businesses on record in the county · about 12 at the state rate
- 04Check this at your address
Tax preparers & CPAs
Supply index 136 — 36% above the Texas rate. 11.6 per 100,000 people in Cameron County, 8.5 across Texas, 8.6 nationally.
49 employer businesses on record in the county · about 36 at the state rate
- 05Check this at your address
Med spas & other health practitioners
Supply index 134 — 34% above the Texas rate. 11.9 per 100,000 people in Cameron County, 8.8 across Texas, 10.2 nationally.
50 employer businesses on record in the county · about 37 at the state rate
Crowded on average can still have an empty neighborhood. The report counts competitors from one address, not the whole county.
All 41 service types, thinnest first show
How this works
Each service type is a NAICS industry code. The Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns (2022 reference year, released 2024) counts the employer businesses in that code for every county, state and the country. Neur divides by population from the ACS 5-year estimates to get businesses per 100,000 residents, then divides the county’s rate by the state’s. That ratio, times 100, is the supply index.
For the thinnest 6 services, one Google Maps search (“pressure washing in Harlingen, TX”) counts what is listed inside the city on the first page of results and how many of those have 10 or more reviews. Results are kept for 30 days, so the date shown is the day of the search.
What this page cannot know. It does not see search demand, prices, quality, or who is busy. Census counts employer businesses only, so one-person operators are missing everywhere equally; a city with many solo pressure washers can still look thin. The county is not the city, and a thin county can be thin because nobody there wants the service. The paid report counts competitors from a specific address, reads what customers complain about near you, and scores the plan.
Writers and chambers: cite these numbers with a link to this page. The saturation check for one business type is at neur.co/tools/saturation.
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