Starting a dental practice in California: demographics, competition and where to look

California has 13,744 general dental practices for 39,444,919 residents, or 2,870 residents per general practice, more crowded than the US average of 3,858. The most crowded of its larger counties is Orange County, with 1,972 residents per general practice. A county with more room and an income near or above the state median is San Benito County (4,632).

This page puts the verified numbers for California, its largest counties and its metro areas in one place, then walks through how to narrow from a county to a specific site. Every figure comes from Dentagraphics' hand-verified count of active general dental practices and Census Bureau American Community Survey data, cross-referenced against multiple commercial data sources.

What you won't get from an instant report. An automated report can describe one address. It can't tell you where other dentists are already looking, whether the offices nearby actually exist, or whether a busy market is still open. Dentagraphics can: 118,330 practices verified by hand, 12 years of research from more than 10,000 paid customers, and custom reports with handwritten analysis by a demographer.

California at a glance

Source: Dentagraphics, verified practice counts; Census ACS. See the full California dental demographics page.

The largest counties in California

Source: Dentagraphics county pages, verified practice counts; Census ACS. US average: 3,858 residents per general practice. County figures come from each county's own page and may cover a different period than the state figures, so compare counties with each other rather than with the state total.

What the numbers show

The most crowded larger counties. Among counties with at least 50,000 residents, these have the fewest residents per general practice:

A crowded county isn't ruled out, especially if incomes are high, but a new office there has to win patients from established ones. Buying an existing practice is often the safer route in these markets.

A county with room and a solid income. This county of 50,000 or more has at least 20% more residents per general practice than the state as a whole, with median household incomes near or above the state's $100,149:

Growing counties that aren't crowded yet. These counties of 50,000 or more are growing faster than the state (-0.2%) and have at least as many residents per practice as the state average:

A county average still hides a lot. Two sites a few miles apart can face very different competition, so the next step is always the area around a specific site.

Metro areas in California

Source: Dentagraphics metro pages. Some metros cross state lines, so their totals can include residents and practices outside California.

How to narrow from California to a site

1. Shortlist two or three counties from the tables above that fit your practice model: income for fee-for-service, volume for insurance-heavy practices, growth if you're starting from scratch.
2. Compare areas around possible sites, usually within about 5 miles or a 10 to 15 minute drive. Measure every site the same way.
3. Verify the competition. Online maps include closed offices, duplicates and dentists who moved. Dentagraphics checks every practice by hand and rechecks each one every year.
4. Check income, age, insurance mix and growth around each site, not just the county.
5. Get a second opinion before you sign. A custom report from a Dentagraphics demographer is written by hand for your site, practice model and target patients.

See also: residents per general dental practice by state, the 25 largest metros ranked, how to tell if an area has too many dentists and dental practice site selection.

Frequently asked questions

How many dental practices are there in California? Dentagraphics counts 13,744 active general dental practices in California, each verified by hand, plus 8,672 specialty practices.

How many residents are there per dentist in California? There are 2,870 residents per general dental practice in California, compared with a US average of 3,858. That makes California more competitive than the country as a whole.

Which California counties are the most crowded with dentists? Among counties with 50,000 or more residents, Orange County (1,972), Santa Clara County (1,976) and Placer County (2,188) have the fewest residents per general practice.

Where in California is there room for a new dental practice? On county numbers, San Benito County (4,632) combines more residents per practice than the state with solid incomes. Check specific sites there before deciding.

Is California a good state to open a dental practice? It depends on where in the state and on your practice model. The spread between California's crowded and open counties is much larger than the difference between California and the US average, so compare counties and specific sites.

Where can I get numbers for a specific address in California? Most counties above link to their free Dentagraphics market page. Members can look up any address, and our demographers write custom reports by hand, tailored to a practice strategy, market and target patients.

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