In this increasingly mobile age, dentists are always looking for the best places to practice. Among other factors like weather, cost-of-living and proximity to friends and family, the level of competition often comes to mind when conducting research. So, at the beginning of 2023, which areas of the country are the most competitive for dentists and which are the least?
Before we get started, we want to note that each of these metro areas is comprised of dozens of sub-markets and that conditions can vary greatly within a region. But if you're throwing a dart at a map of each of these cities, the bullseye might be a bit larger in some markets than others.
Methodology
As developers of a database of privately-owned dental practices which have been manually-verified by our in-house research team, we are uniquely qualified to answer this question. Note that this article only analyzes the nation's twenty-two metropolitan areas with total populations of between one and two million residents. If you're not familiar with what a metropolitan area is, it includes both a central city like Indianapolis as well as its suburban markets like Carmel. If you're interested in either a smaller or bigger city, check out our lists of the Most and Least Competitive Big Cities and Most and Least Competitive Small Cities.
The Ten Most Competitive Medium-Sized Cities to be a Dentist
The Ten Least Competitive Medium-Sized Cities to be a Dentist
Findings
Though there are some expected results like San Jose being very competitive, there is no obvious relationship between population size or growth and the level of dental competition in these markets. The lack of a single factor that correlates with the level of competition in these markets demonstrates the importance of doing your due diligence.
The Best Medium-sized Cities to be a Dentist
Jacksonville: Greater Jacksonville is home to over 4,000 residents per general dental office, household incomes of about $75,000 a year and added nearly one-fifth of its population between 2010 and 2021. Impressive.
Richmond, Virginia deserves an honorable mention with 3,936 residents per general dental office, a population increase of roughly 10% and household income levels around $80,000.
The Worst Medium-sized Cities to be a Dentist
Buffalo, New York: Of the ten most competitive medium-sized metro areas, Buffalo is one of only two losing residents. Household income levels in the region, however, are significantly lower than in the other shrinking market - Hartford, Connecticut.
