Starting a Dental Practice in New York State: Demographics, Competition and Where to Look
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Starting a dental practice in New York: demographics, competition and where to look
New York has 5,156 general dental practices for 19,838,111 residents, or 3,848 residents per general practice, slightly more crowded than the US average of 3,858. The most crowded of its larger counties is New York County, with 1,993 residents per general practice. Counties with more room and incomes near or above the state median include Rensselaer County (6,715) and Columbia County (4,645).
This page puts the verified numbers for New York, 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.
New York at a glance
| Measure | New York | US comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 19,838,111 | |
| Population growth | -1.8% | |
| General dental practices | 5,156 | |
| Residents per general practice | 3,848 | US average 3,858 |
| Specialty dental practices | 3,249 | |
| Median household income | $85,820 | |
| Median age | 40.6 |
Source: Dentagraphics, verified practice counts; Census ACS. See the full New York dental demographics page.
The largest counties in New York
| County | Residents | Population growth | General practices | Residents per general practice | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kings County | 2,603,074 | -4.9% | 490 | 5,312 | $74,493 |
| Queens County | 2,299,010 | -4.4% | 609 | 3,775 | $77,868 |
| New York County | 1,653,835 | -2.4% | 830 | 1,993 | $101,314 |
| Suffolk County | 1,537,732 | 0.8% | 392 | 3,923 | $119,932 |
| Nassau County | 1,394,846 | -0.1% | 612 | 2,279 | $136,770 |
| Bronx County | 1,370,637 | -6.9% | 134 | 10,229 | $46,898 |
| Westchester County | 1,005,616 | 0.1% | 382 | 2,633 | $111,855 |
| Erie County | 952,902 | -0.1% | 218 | 4,371 | $70,170 |
| Monroe County | 753,561 | -0.8% | 174 | 4,331 | $72,195 |
| Richmond County | 498,248 | 0.5% | 121 | 4,118 | $94,026 |
| Onondaga County | 470,454 | -1.3% | 121 | 3,888 | $72,358 |
| Orange County | 412,681 | 2.8% | 91 | 4,535 | $91,914 |
| Rockland County | 347,658 | 2.8% | 111 | 3,132 | $105,460 |
| Albany County | 320,503 | 1.8% | 82 | 3,909 | $80,395 |
| Dutchess County | 300,787 | 1.6% | 80 | 3,760 | $94,185 |
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:
| County | Residents per general practice | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| New York County | 1,993 | $101,314 |
| Nassau County | 2,279 | $136,770 |
| Westchester County | 2,633 | $111,855 |
| Rockland County | 3,132 | $105,460 |
| Ontario County | 3,551 | $77,770 |
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.
Counties with room and solid incomes. These counties of 50,000 or more have at least 20% more residents per general practice than the state as a whole, with median household incomes near or above the state's $85,820:
| County | Residents per general practice | Median household income | Population growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rensselaer County | 6,715 | $84,295 | 0.0% |
| Columbia County | 4,645 | $85,359 | -1.9% |
Growing counties that aren't crowded yet. These counties of 50,000 or more are growing faster than the state (-1.8%) and have at least as many residents per practice as the state average:
| County | Population growth | Residents per general practice |
|---|---|---|
| Otsego County | 3.7% | 4,669 |
| Schenectady County | 3.0% | 4,936 |
| Orange County | 2.8% | 4,535 |
| Sullivan County | 2.5% | 6,715 |
| Albany County | 1.8% | 3,909 |
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 New York
| Metro area | General practices | Residents per general practice |
|---|---|---|
| New York, Newark, Jersey City | 6,323 | 3,074 |
| Buffalo, Cheektowaga | 260 | 4,430 |
| Rochester | 243 | 4,446 |
| Albany, Schenectady, Troy | 212 | 4,226 |
| Poughkeepsie, Newburgh, Middletown | 171 | 4,082 |
| Syracuse | 146 | 4,490 |
| Utica, Rome | 46 | 6,290 |
| Binghamton | 41 | 5,919 |
| Kingston | 33 | 5,520 |
| Glens Falls | 24 | 5,266 |
| Ithaca | 21 | 4,961 |
| Jamestown, Dunkirk, Fredonia | 20 | 6,323 |
Source: Dentagraphics metro pages. Some metros cross state lines, so their totals can include residents and practices outside New York.
How to narrow from New York to a site
- 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.
- Compare areas around possible sites, usually within about 5 miles or a 10 to 15 minute drive. Measure every site the same way.
- 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.
- Check income, age, insurance mix and growth around each site, not just the county.
- 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 New York? Dentagraphics counts 5,156 active general dental practices in New York, each verified by hand, plus 3,249 specialty practices.
How many residents are there per dentist in New York? There are 3,848 residents per general dental practice in New York, compared with a US average of 3,858. That makes New York more competitive than the country as a whole.
Which New York counties are the most crowded with dentists? Among counties with 50,000 or more residents, New York County (1,993), Nassau County (2,279) and Westchester County (2,633) have the fewest residents per general practice.
Where in New York is there room for a new dental practice? On county numbers, Rensselaer County (6,715) and Columbia County (4,645) combine more residents per practice than the state with solid incomes. Check specific sites there before deciding.
Is New York a good state to open a dental practice? It depends on where in the state and on your practice model. The spread between New York's crowded and open counties is much larger than the difference between New York and the US average, so compare counties and specific sites.
Where can I get numbers for a specific address in New York? 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.