In Time for Thanksgiving: Yelp Reveals the Most Clogged Cities in the US

As the holiday hosting season approaches, nothing can derail your get-together with loved ones faster than an embarrassing plumbing emergency. From clogged sinks to overflowing toilets, “Brown Friday”—the day following Thanksgiving—is consistently among the plumbing industry's busiest times of the year.

Yelp data revealed that searches for “emergency plumbing” surged 65% during the 2023 Brown Friday time period, when comparing searches from the two weeks before Thanksgiving Day to those on Thanksgiving Day and the two weeks after in 2023. Searches for “24-hour plumbers” were higher on Thanksgiving Day than any other day in November 2023.* 

With Brown Friday quickly approaching, Yelp is unveiling the top cities facing plumbing predicaments during this time period.

Los Angeles “Clogged Capital” of the US

After analyzing millions of data points on Yelp for plumbing-related searches—including clogged toilets, drains, and more—Los Angeles topped the list as the clogged capital of the US. The city saw a 73% increase in plumbing searches during the Brown Friday time frame, significantly outpacing any other city on the list. Searches rose sharply in Los Angeles, particularly for services like “plumbing repair” (up 400%), “affordable plumbing” (up 300%), “drain cleaning services” (up 175%), and “emergency plumbing” (up 100%). 

Cities from coast to coast experienced the Brown Friday rush. Rounding out the top five cities were Miami (up 37%); Nashville, TN (up 26%); Sacramento, CA (up 24%); and Baltimore (up 23%).**

Some cities had more urgent plumbing needs than others, as Yelp regional data shows notable upticks in searches for 24-hour plumbing services. While New York City didn’t break the top clogged cities list, in the city that never sleeps, the plumbing issues don’t end either. During the Brown Friday time period, New York City searches specifically for “24 hour plumber” rose by 64%.

“Whether you’re hosting a Thanksgiving feast or game day watch party, plumbing-related emergencies can flush the fun out of any get together fast,” said Tara Lewis, Yelp's Trend Expert and VP of Community Expansion. "To keep your celebrations on track through Brown Friday and beyond, Yelp can connect homeowners with trusted services professionals who are responsive, reliable, and ready to tackle any plumbing or home issues during the holidays and beyond.”

Methodology

*Yelp identified trends within searches by measuring the frequency of the phrases mentioned per million searches on Yelp, comparing searches in the two weeks prior to Thanksgiving Day to searches made on Thanksgiving Day and two weeks following in 2023.

**We analyzed searches tied to keywords that describe common plumbing issues searched during the Brown Friday time period, comparing searches in the two weeks prior to Thanksgiving Day to searches made on Thanksgiving Day and two weeks following in 2023.