Starbucks Market? A New Way to Read Housing Trends

Dennis Lee
Sep 17
2 min read

Updated: Sep 18

What if your morning latte could also predict your next big housing investment? ☕🏠

Starbucks isn’t just a coffee shop chain — its presence (or absence) across ZIP codes reveals surprising insights into market maturity, demographic shifts, and growth potential.

Over the past few months, we’ve been asked a recurring question:

“What are markets with a lot of Starbucks really like?”

To answer, we grouped ZIP codes by Starbucks density — No Starbucks (0), Few (1–4), Many (5+) — and compared their housing, demographics, and market performance. The results show Starbucks is more than coffee: it’s a signal of market maturity, growth potential, and risk-return dynamics.

We grouped ZIP codes into three categories based on the number of Starbucks:

No Starbucks (0 stores)
Few Starbucks (1–4 stores)
Many Starbucks (5+ stores)

From there, clear differences emerge in housing, demographics, and growth potential.

Key Takeaway:

Starbucks Many (5+ stores) → Mature, urban markets. Smaller units, renter-heavy, younger, more educated and higher-income demographics, higher housing values and rents. Represent long-term stability and steady growth.
Starbucks No (0 stores) → Undervalued, suburban markets. Larger homes, owner-heavy, older/middle-aged, lower-income demographics, lower housing values and rents but with faster past 3yr appreciation and higher growth potential — short-term upside but less sustainable long term.
Starbucks Few (1–4 stores) → Transitional markets. Mixed housing and demographics, sitting between suburban and urban traits.

👉 In short:

More Starbucks = long-term maturity, No Starbucks = short-term growth, Few Starbucks = transitional opportunity.

Housing & Living

Starbucks Many → Smaller units (studios, 1–2 beds), renter-heavy, high-density urban living.
Starbucks Few → Mixed housing stock, transitional between urban and suburban.
Starbucks No → Larger homes (3+ beds), more owners, suburban family-oriented markets.

Demographics

Starbucks Many → Younger (25–34), highly educated, higher-income households.
Starbucks Few → Balanced mix, demographics shifting toward younger, higher-income profiles.
Starbucks No → Older populations (65+), more middle-aged families, lower education and income levels.

Housing Values & Rent

Starbucks Many → Higher home values ($718k), higher rents ($2,219), higher household income (~$117k).
Starbucks Few → Mid-range values and rents, transitional between low and high.
Starbucks No → Lower values (~$367k), lower rents ($1,706), lower income (~$89k).
Growth twist → Despite lower base values, “No Starbucks” areas posted faster 3-year price growth (3.2% vs. 1.7%), showing catch-up dynamics.

Market Scores Summary

Starbucks Many (5+ stores) → Current Score is highest → mature, established markets.
Starbucks No (0 stores) → Growth and Forecast Scores are higher → stronger past 3yr growth and higher future growth potential, i.e., “catch-up markets.”
Few (1–4 stores) → sit in between, transitional profile.