Under-served services in Houston, 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 Houston
Harris County has at least two-thirds of the Texas rate for every one of the 41 service types we can judge. No clear gaps at the county level.
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
Towing
Supply index 67 — 33% below the Texas rate. 2 per 100,000 people in Harris County, 3 across Texas, 3.2 nationally.
96 employer businesses on record in the county · about 144 at the state rate · Google Maps: 17 listed in Houston, 17 with 10+ reviews (2026-10-22)
- 02Check this at your address
Pest control
Supply index 72 — 28% below the Texas rate. 3.6 per 100,000 people in Harris County, 5 across Texas, 4.9 nationally.
171 employer businesses on record in the county · about 239 at the state rate · Google Maps: 13 listed in Houston, 13 with 10+ reviews (2026-10-22)
- 03Check this at your address
Lawn care & landscaping
Supply index 76 — 24% below the Texas rate. 14.3 per 100,000 people in Harris County, 18.8 across Texas, 35.4 nationally.
677 employer businesses on record in the county · about 890 at the state rate · Google Maps: 11 listed in Houston, 11 with 10+ reviews (2026-10-22)
- 04Check this at your address
Handyman & specialty trades
Supply index 81 — 19% below the Texas rate. 8.2 per 100,000 people in Harris County, 10.1 across Texas, 12.2 nationally.
386 employer businesses on record in the county · about 475 at the state rate
- 05Check this at your address
Med spas & other health practitioners
Supply index 81 — 19% below the Texas rate. 7.1 per 100,000 people in Harris County, 8.8 across Texas, 10.2 nationally.
337 employer businesses on record in the county · about 418 at the state rate
- 06Check this at your address
Pet grooming & boarding
Supply index 81 — 19% below the Texas rate. 5.1 per 100,000 people in Harris County, 6.4 across Texas, 7.3 nationally.
243 employer businesses on record in the county · about 300 at the state rate
- 07Check this at your address
Tire shops
Supply index 83 — 17% below the Texas rate. 5.3 per 100,000 people in Harris County, 6.4 across Texas, 6.2 nationally.
250 employer businesses on record in the county · about 300 at the state rate
- 08Check this at your address
HVAC & plumbing contractors
Supply index 84 — 16% below the Texas rate. 25.1 per 100,000 people in Harris County, 29.8 across Texas, 33.1 nationally.
1,184 employer businesses on record in the county · about 1,407 at the state rate
- 09Check this at your address
Electricians
Supply index 84 — 16% below the Texas rate. 17.1 per 100,000 people in Harris County, 20.2 across Texas, 24.7 nationally.
807 employer businesses on record in the county · about 955 at the state rate
- 10Check this at your address
Painters
Supply index 86 — about the Texas rate. 4.2 per 100,000 people in Harris County, 4.8 across Texas, 11.5 nationally.
198 employer businesses on record in the county · about 229 at the state rate
Thin on paper, not on the map: food trucks (index 67, but Google Maps lists 19+ in Houston, 19 with 10+ reviews); veterinary clinics (index 76, but Google Maps lists 20+ in Houston, 19 with 10+ reviews); roofers (index 78, but Google Maps lists 19+ in Houston, 19 with 10+ reviews); barber shops (index 79, but Google Maps lists 20+ in Houston, 20 with 10+ reviews); physical therapy (index 81, but Google Maps lists 19+ in Houston, 19 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 Houston
- 01Check this at your address
Laundromats
Supply index 141 — 41% above the Texas rate. 4.2 per 100,000 people in Harris County, 3 across Texas, 3.3 nationally.
197 employer businesses on record in the county · about 139 at the state rate
- 02Check this at your address
Bakeries
Supply index 127 — 27% above the Texas rate. 2.9 per 100,000 people in Harris County, 2.3 across Texas, 2.7 nationally.
139 employer businesses on record in the county · about 110 at the state rate
- 03Check this at your address
Tax preparers & CPAs
Supply index 121 — 21% above the Texas rate. 10.3 per 100,000 people in Harris County, 8.5 across Texas, 8.6 nationally.
487 employer businesses on record in the county · about 402 at the state rate
- 04Check this at your address
Dentists
Supply index 119 — 19% above the Texas rate. 48.2 per 100,000 people in Harris County, 40.5 across Texas, 41.1 nationally.
2,279 employer businesses on record in the county · about 1,914 at the state rate
- 05Check this at your address
Tutoring centers
Supply index 115 — about the Texas rate. 3.5 per 100,000 people in Harris County, 3 across Texas, 3.1 nationally.
165 employer businesses on record in the county · about 143 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 Houston, 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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