Methodology
Every subzone on the SiteMetriq SG map has an opportunity score from 20 to 90. This page explains what goes into that score, where the data comes from, and what the score is, and is not, designed to tell you.
Built using
Each dataset refreshed on its own official publication schedule
Score scale
The map describes areas. Decision guidance for a specific address, concept, and quoted rent is produced separately in the address report, with its own verdict scale.
Why trust the score
Most location tools answer: where are the busiest places?
SiteMetriq answers: where does an independent business have the best chance of succeeding?
These are different questions with different answers. A location can be extremely busy and still be a poor opportunity for an independent operator, because rent is too high, competition is too entrenched, or the foot traffic does not match the business concept.
The opportunity score is comparative, not absolute. A score of 75 indicates a stronger opportunity relative to other Singapore subzones, not a guarantee of commercial success. Read it alongside the area characteristics and evidence behind it, not as a standalone probability.
Government datasets tell SiteMetriq about an area. The paid address report adds a second layer: the specific businesses operating at and around a given address at the time the report is generated, plus higher-resolution government data that only becomes meaningful at address level.
None of this layer is part of the free map score, which is based entirely on the government data described above. In the address report it provides:
The report also draws on additional government datasets at address-level resolution:
LTA Bus Passenger Volume
Bus stop tap-out volumes within walking radius of the analysed address
HDB Resale Transactions
Resale price per square metre, rolling 12-month median, as a current wealth signal
MOE School Directory and NEA Hawker Centres
Authoritative locations of demand anchors near the address
URA Master Plan parcel zoning
Whether commercial use appears permitted at the exact address
The address report combines a live business-data layer with the government datasets described on this page. Neither layer alone is sufficient. The combination is what makes an address-level report meaningfully different from the area-level map.
Map search tools are excellent at showing what exists nearby. They are not designed to answer whether a location is a good commercial opportunity, because that question depends on more than visibility.
SiteMetriq combines demand, affordability, accessibility, and commercial saturation into a single score, because no single metric reliably predicts opportunity on its own.
Orchard Road and Raffles Place generate enormous economic activity. They score in the moderate range because they also carry the highest commercial rents in Singapore and the most intense competition from established operators and international chains.
A location with lower operating costs and sufficient demand can represent a much stronger opportunity than the busiest district. That is exactly what the score is designed to capture.
SiteMetriq measures opportunity for independent operators, not absolute economic activity. A score of 45 in Raffles Place does not mean the area is economically weak. It means the conditions for a first-time independent operator are genuinely difficult there.
Each signal is normalised before being combined, so no single raw metric dominates purely because of its scale. The flow from raw government data to a final score:
The score combines five signals. Their relative influence varies by business type. A clinic weights residential density differently than an F&B operator weights transit access.
Composite of resident population, daytime population, household income, and MRT ridership. In commercial cluster zones, MRT tap-out volume is used to estimate worker population where Census data understates the true workforce.
Based on URA median commercial rent PSF for the planning area. Lower PSF relative to the Singapore median increases the opportunity score. Benchmarks updated as URA releases new quarterly transaction data.
A penalty applied to areas with established commercial saturation. High-saturation planning areas including Downtown Core and Orchard receive a saturation penalty that reflects genuine barriers to entry for independent operators.
MRT effective volume calculated as station tap-out with exponential distance decay. Stations within the subzone receive near full weight. Distance beyond 800m receives significantly reduced weight, reflecting observed walking behaviour.
Approved URA residential and commercial pipeline within a 24-month window. A positive pipeline signal adds a small growth bonus. This signal is intentionally minor: the score reflects current conditions, not projected ones.
All map-layer data comes from Singapore government agencies. No proprietary commercial datasets are used in the free map scoring model. Each source is refreshed on its own official publication schedule.
URA
Quarterly
Urban Redevelopment Authority
Commercial rental transactions and lease records across all 55 planning areas. Used to derive median rent PSF benchmarks by district.
Coverage: 55 planning areas
LTA
Monthly
Land Transport Authority
MRT and LRT station level tap-in and tap-out ridership by hour and day of week.
Coverage: 182 stations with ridership data
SingStat
Census 2020
Singapore Department of Statistics
Resident and daytime population by subzone and planning area. Median household income by planning area.
Coverage: 332 subzones, 55 planning areas
HDB
Annual (2025)
Housing and Development Board
Dwelling unit counts and block-level data by planning area. Used as a proxy for residential demand density.
Coverage: 13,289 blocks
URA MP
Monthly (pipeline)
URA Master Plan and Development Pipeline
Land use zoning at parcel level, development status, planning area boundaries, and approved pipeline projects.
Coverage: 113,394 zoning parcels, 13,021 pipeline records
SLA / Google
Current
OneMap (Singapore Land Authority) and Google Geocoding
Address resolution. OneMap is used to assign planning area and subzone during dataset ingestion. Address reports use Google Geocoding as primary with OneMap as fallback.
Coverage: All Singapore addresses
URA publishes commercial rental transactions at planning area granularity, not by subzone. SiteMetriq uses the highest resolution public benchmark available for rent and applies confidence weighting wherever subzone precision is not possible.
Not every subzone is commercially viable. Military installations, offshore industrial islands, nature reserves, and undeveloped future zones are flagged separately and appear greyed on the map.
SiteMetriq distinguishes between hard restricted zones where commercial activity is not permitted, and penalised zones where commercial activity is difficult but possible. Future development zones such as Tengah new town are penalised but not excluded. They represent genuine long-term opportunities that will be rescored as development progresses.
| Category | Examples | Treatment |
|---|---|---|
| Military | Safti, Murai, Lim Chu Kang, Pioneer Sector | Score cap 15 |
| Offshore industrial | Jurong Island, Bukom, Semakau | Score cap 15 |
| Airport and port | Changi Airport, Changi Bay, Brani Terminal | Score cap 20 |
| Nature reserve | Central Water Catchment, Coney Island | Score cap 25 |
| Heavy industrial B2 | Tuas North, Tuas Bay, Joo Koon | Score penalty |
| Future development | Tengah, Marina East, Woodlands Regional Centre | Score penalty, not greyed |
Being transparent about what the score cannot do is as important as explaining what it can.
Subzone-level granularity
The score represents the subzone average, not a specific unit. Two units 50m apart in the same subzone can have very different commercial viability. Address-level analysis in the paid report accounts for this.
Census daytime population
The Census measures resident population by subzone of residence, not workplace. Commercial cluster zones have very low Census daytime figures despite large worker populations. SiteMetriq uses MRT ridership as a proxy in these zones, but this is an estimate, not a direct count.
Rent benchmarks are planning-area level
URA rental data is aggregated at the planning area level. Rent PSF for Tampines represents the average across the entire planning area. Actual rent for a specific unit may vary significantly.
Competition is not directly measured on the free map
The free map uses a saturation signal reflecting broader area patterns, not individual competitor counts. Live competitor analysis is generated per address at report time.
Business type weights are approximations
The differences in relative influence between business types are based on general commercial principles, not empirical studies of Singapore business survival rates by location. Treat type-specific scores as directional, not precise.
Each data source is refreshed on its own official publication schedule. The scoring model re-runs when new data becomes available.
The scoring model has been iteratively calibrated against Singapore's public datasets and observed commercial characteristics across benchmark districts. The underlying signals, rent, transit, demand, and saturation, are grounded in the government sources listed above rather than in subjective judgement.
Where the score surprises people, we investigate. Sometimes the model is right and intuition is wrong: Orchard scoring in the moderate range is the canonical example, and the reasoning is documented above. Sometimes a known data limitation is the cause, such as Census daytime population understating worker density in commercial clusters, and those cases are listed openly in Known Limitations.
The current version reflects the best available calibration against Singapore public data as of 2026. Opportunity scores are designed to support screening and comparison, not to replace due diligence on a specific commercial unit.
The public map is designed to help business owners narrow down promising areas before investing time visiting properties. Exploring 332 subzones visually takes minutes. Visiting ten properties takes weeks.
Once you have shortlisted a location, the address-level report provides substantially more detail: live competitor analysis, exact commercial rent benchmarks, rent feasibility modelling, and unit-specific insights that cannot be shown at subzone level.
The SiteMetriq opportunity score is an analytical tool based on publicly available government data. It is designed to support, not replace, informed decision making. A high score does not guarantee business success. A low score does not mean a location is unviable for every business concept.
Business success depends on factors that SiteMetriq does not and cannot measure: management quality, product quality, marketing, capital adequacy, lease terms, and market timing. SiteMetriq should be used as one input among many, alongside physical site visits, conversations with existing tenants, and professional advice.
SiteMetriq is not a licensed financial adviser, property consultant, or business adviser. Nothing on this platform constitutes professional advice. Always seek qualified professional advice before making significant commercial commitments.