Year-end top 10 lists are everywhere, and let’s be honest: We all click on them! From the most popular songs to trending slang words (we’re looking at you “6-7”!), countdowns give us a snapshot of what captured the most attention over the past year.
As 2025 comes to a close, we wanted to see which Industry Profiles were our most popular. From shifting economic conditions to evolving business models, certain sectors garnered more attention as lenders and advisors sought deeper insights into the challenges and opportunities their clients were facing. And while view counts don’t tell the full story behind each click, they do highlight where curiosity, concern, and opportunity intersected over the past year.
So, without further ado, here are the Top 10 Most Viewed Vertical IQ Industry Profiles for 2025, based on total visits.
10. Childcare Centers
The 63,023 childcare centers in the U.S. provide care for infants and children, and offer services out of dedicated facilities (private centers) or residences (home-based centers). Most childcare centers are small, independent operations; 79% have a single location, and 78% employ less than 20 workers.
A few key trends
- Steady growth for key demographic: The population of children age 5 and under is projected to grow at a steady rate for the next decade and should drive increased demand for childcare services. High quality, affordable childcare is critical for dual-income families and single parents.
- Corporate childcare increasing: Recognizing the benefits of on-site daycare, more employers are opening childcare facilities. On-premises care has been shown to reduce worker absenteeism and tardiness and increase productivity, according to the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
9. Commercial Building Contractors
The nation’s 40,344 commercial building contractors construct and renovate offices, retail centers, warehouses, and institutional facilities. Activity in this industry is closely tied to economic conditions, financing availability, and commercial real estate demand.
A few key trends
- Nonresidential building slowing down: After rising 20% in 2023 and 6% in 2024, spending on nonresidential building construction is expected to moderate to 1.5% growth in 2025 and 3.9% in 2026, according to the American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) Consensus Construction Forecast.
- Office occupancy slow to recover: Tenant demand for office space is gradually recovering, but the office vacancy rate remains historically high. By mid-2025, the overall U.S. office vacancy rate was 19%, according to CBRE.
8. Law Firms
Law firms provide legal advisory and advocacy services to businesses and individuals across a wide range of practice areas (though civil law accounts for 90% of the legal industry’s revenue). The 156,580 law firms in the U.S. continue to evolve as clients demand greater cost transparency and efficiency.
A few key trends
- Alternative fee arrangements (AFAs): Driven by client demands for cost containment, firms are offering alternatives to the traditional billable hour model including fixed fees for all or parts of an engagement, caps on hours charged, contingency fees, and billing rates tied to achievement of specific outcomes.
- Fewer equity partners: Many law firms are reducing the number of equity partners to boost profits. Some are lengthening the traditional 7-10 year time period before associates are eligible to become partners.
7. Coffee Shops and Snack Bars
There are nearly 60,000 coffee shops and snack bars in the U.S., serving beverages and light food items in highly competitive, location-driven markets. Many operators balance thin margins with strong brand loyalty and repeat business.
A few key trends
- Coffee reigns in consumption: Coffee consumption in the U.S. is at a two-decade high. Two-thirds of Americans drank coffee in the past day — higher than past-day consumption of tea, juice, soda, and bottled water — and an increase of nearly 7% compared to 2020, according to the National Coffee Association’s Spring 2025 National Coffee Data Trends report.
- Growing demand for healthier snacks: Companies are working to meet growing consumer demand for healthier snack options like high in protein, plant-based, or gluten-free. Healthy snacking is projected to grow to reach an anticipated $152 billion by 2029, according to Meticulous Research.
6. Restaurants
This category includes limited-service and casual dining establishments that focus on speed, convenience, and value. The 436,000 operators in the U.S. continue to adapt to changing consumer preferences and operating models.
A few key trends
- Rebounding restaurant sales: As the economy recovered from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, pent-up demand for eating out drove a rapid rebound in restaurant industry sales. According to the latest estimate from the National Restaurant Association, total sales by traditional U.S. restaurants are forecast to top $1.1 trillion by the end of 2025, a 4.1% year-over-year increase.
- Increasing culinary diversity: Demographic shifts in the U.S. are driving culinary diversity and growth potential in the restaurant industry. As the nation’s Hispanic, Asian, and Hawaiian populations have grown, sales at related restaurant concepts are accelerating.
5. Landscaping Services
The 114,800 landscaping firms in the U.S. provide lawn care, maintenance, and outdoor design services to residential and commercial customers. Demand is influenced by real estate activity, weather patterns, and seasonal trends.
A few key trends
- Environmentalism changing demand: Water shortages are just one environmental factor behind the changing demand for landscaping services. The environmental movement has made many customers conscious of the impact of chemicals, fertilizers, and gas-fed equipment on their lawns.
- Leveraging AI: Some software firms offer AI-enabled field services management platforms that can help improve the efficiency of landscaping firms. Such systems can optimize routes to minimize travel time, reduce fuel consumption, and improve on-time service delivery.
4. Lessors of Residential Buildings
Lessors of residential buildings lease apartments, single-family homes, and multifamily properties. Performance of the 54,300 U.S. firms in this industry is closely tied to housing market trends and local economic conditions.
A few key trends
- Lack of single-family affordability may boost multifamily: The multifamily rental market may see stronger demand from would-be homeowners putting their plans on hold. High inflation, high interest rates, and a shortage of affordable single-family homes are keeping some prospective buyers on the sidelines.
- Rent growth moderates: Steady increases in rents in recent years have allowed residential lessors to grow sales, although increases vary considerably by region. However, multifamily rent growth moderated in 2024 after about 500,000 new units came online, according to FMI. Another 500,000 are expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
3. Auto Repair Shops
There are 79,429 auto repair shops in the U.S. that service and maintain vehicles outside of dealership networks. An aging vehicle fleet continues to support demand for independent repair services.
A few key trends
- Auto parts costs rising on U.S. tariffs: Steep U.S. automotive tariffs are driving up the cost of auto parts and consequently the cost of repairs. With nearly all cars reliant on foreign-made components, repair shops are absorbing 25% tariff hikes on those products.
- Average vehicle age climbs higher: According to S&P Global, the last two years have seen a steady increase in vehicle age, with Americans keeping their cars for 12.8 years on average while pickup trucks last 14 years. Reasons for longer auto life include saving money in the face of higher new car prices, as well as engineering advances that can keep a well-maintained car on the road longer.
2. HVAC & Plumbing Contractors
The 107,000 HVAC and plumbing contractors in the U.S. install, repair, and maintain essential building systems. Demand is supported by construction activity, infrastructure needs, and replacement of aging systems.
A few key trends
- Increasing sophistication of HVAC systems: Demand for improved efficiency in the non-residential market has led to increasingly complex HVAC systems. Automated monitoring and control systems give contractors remote access, allowing companies to improve system efficiency, and diagnose and solve problems faster.
- Water conservation: The green trend has affected the plumbing market, with customers seeking ways to use less water. Environmentally friendly fixtures, such as low-flow toilets, faucets, and showerheads, reduce everyday water use and lower bills.
1. Dental Practices
Once again, dental practices topped the list as the most viewed Industry Profile in 2025. The U.S. has nearly 120,500 dental offices that provide preventive, restorative, and specialty oral healthcare services and often operate as small, owner-managed businesses.
A few key trends
- Steady demand growth: Demand for dental services follows population growth, and the U.S. population is projected to grow by 6.8% (22 million people) from 2020 to 2030. More importantly, the population of Americans over 65 is expected to grow by 31%, and older patients tend to need more restorative treatments, such as implants, bridges, and dentures.
- Expansion of dental insurance: About 88% of the U.S. population has access to dental benefits, according to the National Association of Dental plans. About 53% of people aged 65 to 80 have dental insurance, according to research done at the University of Michigan.
Here’s to a successful and opportunity-filled 2026!
All industry-specific content referenced in this post is found in Vertical IQ’s Industry Profiles, which provide actionable, convenient, focused intelligence on every industry that comprises the U.S. economy (and Canada). Armed with our Industry Intelligence including risks, trends, financial benchmarks, operational drivers, and more, you can have smarter, more relevant conversations with your customers and prospects in 2026.
Image: Arthur Chauvineau, unsplash