Where Dentists Open, and Where There's Still Room: What 118,330 Verified Practices Show
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Where dentists open, and where there's still room: what 118,330 verified practices show
Dentagraphics original research, October 2026
The richest neighborhoods in America are the most crowded with dentists. In suburban and urban ZIP codes, the top tenth by household income has a median of 2,380 residents per general dental practice within 5 miles, while the bottom tenth has 4,828, about twice as many. Areas with many children have 37% more residents per practice than areas with few, older areas are more crowded than younger ones, and population growth since 2020 makes surprisingly little difference. Inside a single large metro, the least crowded tenth of ZIPs has roughly 2 to 5 times as many residents per practice as the most crowded tenth.
These findings come from Dentagraphics' database of 118,330 US dental practices verified by hand. For this study we measured the competition within 5 miles of every populated ZIP code in the country, using the 88,367 active general practices in that database and Census-based population data.
Why this data is different. Most location data counts listings from online directories, which include closed offices, duplicates and dentists who moved. Every practice in this study was verified by hand, and 96.7% of the general practices were rechecked in the last 12 months. Dentagraphics has done this research for 12 years for more than 10,000 paid customers.
Headline findings
| # | Finding | The number |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The US has 3,860 residents per general dental practice | 341,097,894 residents, 88,367 verified general practices |
| 2 | The richest areas are the most crowded | Top income tenth: 2,380 residents per practice. Bottom tenth: 4,828 |
| 3 | Family areas have more room | Most children: 4,319. Fewest: 3,157 (37% more room) |
| 4 | Older areas are more crowded | Oldest tenth: 3,051. Youngest tenth: 3,968 |
| 5 | Growth barely changes the picture | Every growth tenth falls between 3,259 and 3,658 |
| 6 | Big metros hide big gaps | Least vs most crowded tenth of ZIPs: 2.2 to 3.3 times in suburban and urban ZIPs of the five largest metros |
| 7 | 22 million Americans live in a ZIP with no general practice within 5 miles | 22,175,309 residents, 6.5% of the US |
All figures: residents per active general dental practice within 5 miles of a ZIP code's population center, suburban and urban ZIPs (500+ people per square mile) with 1,000+ residents, unless noted.
Finding 1: How crowded is the typical American market?
The typical American lives in a ZIP with 3,699 residents per general practice within 5 miles. Half live in more crowded areas, half in less crowded ones.
| Percentile, weighted by residents | Residents per general practice within 5 miles |
|---|---|
| 10th (most crowded) | 2,205 |
| 25th | 2,760 |
| Median | 3,699 |
| 75th | 5,359 |
| 90th (least crowded) | 10,248 |
By density, using ZIP population density (each group holds about a third of US residents):
| Area type | ZIPs | Residents | No GP within 5 miles | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban (3,000+ per sq mi) | 3,977 | 110.6 million | 0.2% | 2,042 | 2,467 | 3,185 | 4,362 | 5,867 |
| Suburban (500 to 2,999) | 4,818 | 115.6 million | 0.8% | 2,155 | 2,704 | 3,534 | 4,816 | 7,016 |
| Rural (under 500) | 18,380 | 114.9 million | 52.7% | 2,778 | 4,399 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Cities are the most crowded, but not by as much as you might expect: the median urban ZIP has 3,185 residents per practice, the median suburban ZIP 3,534. In rural America, more than half of ZIP codes have no general practice within 5 miles, and 19.2% of rural residents live in one. Among rural ZIPs that do have a practice within 5 miles, the median is 4,232.
Benchmarks for suburban and urban ZIPs combined (8,795 ZIPs): 10th percentile 2,101, 25th 2,587, median 3,391, 75th 4,628, 90th 6,429. A ZIP with more than 4,628 residents per general practice within 5 miles is in the top quarter for room.
Finding 2: The richest areas are the most crowded
We tested a common belief: that dentists cluster where incomes are highest. They do.
| Income tenth | Median household income | Residents per general practice (median) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (lowest) | $10,619 to $46,868 | 4,828 |
| 2 | $46,868 to $57,517 | 4,250 |
| 3 | $57,517 to $65,029 | 3,938 |
| 4 | $65,029 to $72,211 | 3,694 |
| 5 | $72,211 to $80,542 | 3,462 |
| 6 | $80,542 to $89,892 | 3,348 |
| 7 | $89,892 to $99,937 | 3,191 |
| 8 | $99,937 to $113,660 | 2,912 |
| 9 | $113,660 to $136,586 | 2,730 |
| 10 (highest) | $136,586 to $301,548 | 2,380 |
Suburban and urban ZIPs with 1,000+ residents (8,008 ZIPs). Every step up in income comes with more competition.
It isn't just that rich areas are urban. The pattern holds inside each density group:
| Lowest income quarter | 2nd | 3rd | Highest income quarter | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suburban ZIPs | 4,453 | 3,885 | 3,376 | 2,679 |
| Urban ZIPs | 4,389 | 3,500 | 2,937 | 2,456 |
What it means. High income is a reason to look closely at competition, not a reason to stop looking. It also means room can exist where incomes are solid but not top-tier.
Room still exists at the top. Of 801 suburban and urban ZIPs in the top income tenth, 76 have more residents per general practice than the US average, and 38 are in the top quarter for room (over 4,628). Across all suburban and urban ZIPs, 834 combine above-median income with top-quarter room. Finding them is the job.
Finding 3: Family areas have more room
| Share of residents under 18 | Residents per general practice |
|---|---|
| Lowest tenth (under 14.8%) | 3,157 |
| 5th tenth (20.4% to 21.4%) | 3,273 |
| 9th tenth (25.0% to 26.9%) | 3,740 |
| Highest tenth (26.9% or more) | 4,319 |
ZIPs with the most children have 37% more residents per practice than ZIPs with the fewest. For family and pediatric models, that's a meaningful advantage.
Finding 4: Older areas are more crowded
| Share of residents 65+ | Residents per general practice |
|---|---|
| Lowest tenth (under 10.8%) | 3,968 |
| 5th tenth (15.6% to 16.9%) | 3,449 |
| 9th tenth (21.4% to 24.2%) | 3,101 |
| Highest tenth (24.2% or more) | 3,051 |
The youngest suburban and urban ZIPs have 30% more residents per practice than the oldest. Age, children and income overlap, so treat these as patterns, not causes.
Finding 5: Growth barely changes the picture
| Population growth since the 2020 Census | Residents per general practice |
|---|---|
| Shrinking most (down 2.4% or more) | 3,259 |
| Flat (0.0% to 0.9%) | 3,401 |
| Growing 5.5% to 7.8% | 3,658 |
| Growing fastest (7.8% or more) | 3,472 |
Every tenth of ZIPs by growth falls between 3,259 and 3,658 residents per practice. The fastest-growing tenth has only about 7% more room than the fastest-shrinking tenth. Dentists have largely kept pace with growth since 2020. A growing area can still be a good choice, but growth by itself doesn't mean room.
Finding 6: Big metros hide big gaps
Residents per general practice within 5 miles, suburban and urban ZIPs with 1,000+ residents:
| Metro | ZIPs | Most crowded 10% | Median | Least crowded 10% | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 728 | 1,917 | 2,756 | 5,357 | 2.8x |
| Los Angeles | 361 | 1,680 | 2,301 | 4,240 | 2.5x |
| Chicago | 294 | 1,809 | 2,817 | 5,969 | 3.3x |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | 199 | 2,188 | 3,164 | 4,805 | 2.2x |
| Houston | 175 | 2,150 | 3,432 | 6,137 | 2.9x |
Including the metros' outer, lower-density ZIPs, the gaps widen: 5.3x in Dallas-Fort Worth (2,233 to 11,886), 4.6x in Houston (2,236 to 10,287) and 4.1x in Chicago (1,840 to 7,488).
Two sites a few miles apart can face very different competition. Among 33,491 pairs of suburban and urban ZIPs whose centers are within 5 miles of each other, about one in seven (14.5%) differ by 50% or more in residents per practice, and 3.2% differ by twice or more. Because neighboring 5-mile areas overlap, specific addresses can differ even more.
How we did it
| Practices | 88,367 active general dental practices, each verified by hand, from Dentagraphics' database of 118,330 US practices. Pulled October 7, 2026. Specialists excluded. |
| Population | Current-year estimates for 239,780 Census block groups (50 states and DC), based on Census Bureau American Community Survey data cross-referenced against commercial sources. Growth is measured from the 2020 Census. |
| Area | For each of 27,175 populated ZIP codes, a 5-mile circle around the ZIP's population center. Residents counted by block group center; practices counted within 5 miles. |
| Groups | Urban, suburban and rural by ZIP population density (3,000+, 500 to 2,999 and under 500 people per square mile). Income, age, children and growth findings use suburban and urban ZIPs with 1,000+ residents. |
Limits. Five miles is a suburban yardstick; rural patients often drive farther. Neighboring ZIP circles overlap. Figures describe ZIP centers, not specific addresses. Straight-line distance, not drive time. These are associations, not causes.
What to do with this
- Don't pick on income alone. The highest-income areas are where competition is heaviest.
- Look at family areas. They have the most room per practice.
- Don't assume growth means room. Check the competition anyway.
- Compare sites, not metros. The gaps inside one metro are larger than most gaps between metros.
- Get the site checked by someone with no stake. Dentagraphics' Single-Site Study ($695) and Area Analysis ($745) are written by hand by a demographer. We hold no stake in any location.
See how to analyze a dental practice location before you call a broker, dental practice location mistakes that cost startups the most, residents per general dental practice by state and the 25 largest metros ranked.
Frequently asked questions
Are wealthy areas good places to open a dental practice? They can be, but they are the most crowded. In suburban and urban ZIPs, the top income tenth has 2,380 residents per general practice within 5 miles, about half the 4,828 in the bottom tenth. Look for high-income areas that still have room; 76 of the 801 top-income ZIPs are above the US average of 3,860.
What is the average number of people per dental practice in the US? 3,860 residents per active general dental practice, based on 88,367 hand-verified general practices. The typical American lives in a ZIP with 3,699 residents per general practice within 5 miles.
Do fast-growing areas have less dental competition? Only slightly. Since the 2020 Census, the fastest-growing tenth of suburban and urban ZIPs has 3,472 residents per practice, about 7% more than the fastest-shrinking tenth (3,259).
Which areas have the most room for a new dental practice? On the national numbers: suburban areas with many children and incomes below the top brackets. But the variation inside one metro is large, so compare specific sites.
Where does this data come from? Dentagraphics' database of 118,330 US dental practices verified by hand, and Census Bureau American Community Survey based population data. The study was run in October 2026.
Can I cite this study? Yes. Please cite "Dentagraphics national saturation study, October 2026" and link to this page.