Target local informational queries? - Local Boost?

Informational queries almost always seem to present non-local organic results. Ie you ask google an informational query about fitness and you get webmd, a big fitness blog, maybe an answers site, etc. All Global/National sites but rarely ever (if ever) something smaller and local until you actually start adding the local modifier.

Is there room in here for a local business to rank (and maybe get a boost) for these queries locally?

Ie: A Chicago roofer with content answering common questions about roofing, ranking for these informational queries locally without a local modifer needed for the local searchers to find them.

I can't remember the last time I did an informational search in my own life, in my own city (Chicago), and was presented with a local authority who had a local business and was answering my informational query. Unless of course I add the local modifier.

Obviously it would be great if a smaller/medium localized business could reliably rank for informational queries their potential local clients are doing, bringing people into the funnel earlier before they are actively looking for a solution and making that transactional query.

Any thoughts on this? How realistic is it to go after local informational queries?