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

North Carolina has 2,478 general dental practices for 11,116,436 residents, or 4,486 residents per general practice, less crowded than the US average of 3,858. The most crowded of its larger counties is Wake County, with 3,095 residents per general practice. Counties with more room and incomes near or above the state median include Franklin County (8,093) and Johnston County (6,648).

This page puts the verified numbers for North Carolina, 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.

North Carolina at a glance

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

The largest counties in North Carolina

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.

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 $73,958:

Growing counties that aren't crowded yet. These counties of 50,000 or more are growing faster than the state (6.5%) 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 North Carolina

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

How to narrow from North Carolina 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 North Carolina? Dentagraphics counts 2,478 active general dental practices in North Carolina, each verified by hand, plus 1,372 specialty practices.

How many residents are there per dentist in North Carolina? There are 4,486 residents per general dental practice in North Carolina, compared with a US average of 3,858. That makes North Carolina less competitive than the country as a whole.

Which North Carolina counties are the most crowded with dentists? Among counties with 50,000 or more residents, Wake County (3,095), New Hanover County (3,143) and Mecklenburg County (3,164) have the fewest residents per general practice.

Where in North Carolina is there room for a new dental practice? On county numbers, Franklin County (8,093) and Johnston County (6,648) combine more residents per practice than the state with solid incomes. Check specific sites there before deciding.

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

Where can I get numbers for a specific address in North Carolina? 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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