Health care · County · California
Dentists and orthodontists in San Diego County, CA
The dentists and orthodontists in San Diego County, CA, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 28 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #1,702 of 1,886 scored counties
#43 of 51 scored counties in California
- Listings
- 2,226
- 179 chain locations (8%)
- Official establishments
- 1,927
- +1.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.8B
- On medical and dental services · $1,502 a household
- Spending per listing
- $790K
- 20% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 19.0
- 45% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 3,282,248
- −0.6% since 2020
See the dentists and orthodontists around any address in San Diego County
The site report maps the dentists and orthodontists on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of San Diego County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
The Groundwork market score for dentists and orthodontists in San Diego County is 28 (lower middle), #1,702 of 1,886 scored counties and #43 of 51 scored counties in California. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
At $1,502 per household (17% above the U.S. average), households in San Diego County spend about $1.8B a year on medical and dental services. That works out to $790K per practice, 20% below the U.S. figure of $984K. The spending figure covers all medical and dental services, not only dentists and orthodontists.
There are 2,226 dentists and orthodontists on map listings in San Diego County as of September 2026. Of those, 179 are chain locations, or 8%, against 12% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 19.0, 45% above the U.S. rate of 13.1.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as offices of dentists in San Diego County was 1,927 in 2023, up 1.0% from 2019. That is one for every 608 households, against one for every 952 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 62 SBA-backed loans worth $58.8M have gone to businesses classed as offices of dentists in San Diego County. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of San Diego County declined 0.6%, against +3.1% for the U.S.
How San Diego County compares
The same measures for California and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all medical and dental services by the dentists and orthodontists counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | San Diego County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 19.0 | 17.9 | 13.1 |
| Spending per listing | $790K | $817K | $984K |
| Households per official establishment | 608 | 595 | 952 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +1.0% | +1.8% | −0.5% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −0.6% | −0.4% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on medical and dental services | $1,502 | $1,464 | $1,288 |
| Median household income | $106,268 | $99,122 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 28 | 22 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 1,908 → 1,927+1.0% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 12,563
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $677.3M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 2,226179 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 1,789The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 62
- Amount
- $58.8M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as offices of dentists in San Diego County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3.
Population and households in San Diego County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 3,282,248−0.6% since 2020
- Households
- 1,171,278
- Median age
- 38.9
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 55%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 4,211 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 781
- Median household income
- $106,268+34.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $141,250
- Median home value
- $854,700
- Jobs located here
- 1,516,991
- Daytime population
- 3,269,716Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in San Diego County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the dentists and orthodontists on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of San Diego County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardDentists and orthodontists across California
Every California market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in California for dentists and orthodontists, numbered among those based in California, with San Diego County marked.
Top counties in California
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Yuba County, CA | 89 | 7 | 2.4 | $5.1M | +8.2% | #9 of 1,886 |
| 2Amador County, CA | 72 | 13 | 8.1 | $1.6M | +3.2% | #220 of 1,886 |
| 3San Benito County, CA | 67 | 24 | 11.7 | $1.3M | +8.6% | #361 of 1,886 |
| 4Imperial County, CA | 63 | 31 | 6.2 | $1.8M | +1.1% | #456 of 1,886 |
| 5Calaveras County, CA | 62 | 16 | 8.7 | $1.5M | +2.8% | #504 of 1,886 |
| 6Lake County, CA | 60 | 22 | 8.2 | $1.4M | −0.6% | #566 of 1,886 |
| 7Inyo County, CA | 56 | 6 | 7.5 | $1.7M | −4.4% | #698 of 1,886 |
| 8Yolo County, CA | 51 | 92 | 12.0 | $1.2M | +3.1% | #900 of 1,886 |
| 9Lassen County, CA | 50 | 6 | 6.5 | $1.8M | −13.1% | #920 of 1,886 |
| 10Colusa County, CA | 50 | 7 | 9.3 | $1.3M | −0.1% | #929 of 1,886 |
| 43San Diego County, CA | 28 | 2,226 | 19.0 | $790K | −0.6% | #1,702 of 1,886 |
Other business types in San Diego County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
- Doctors, dentists and clinics33
- Dentists and orthodontists28
- Primary care and pediatrics50
- Urgent care and walk-in clinics49
- Chiropractors48
- Physical therapy51
- Optometrists and eye care52
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many dentists and orthodontists are in San Diego County, CA?
As of September 2026, map listings count 2,226 dentists and orthodontists in San Diego County. 179 of them (8%) are chain locations. The listings count dental practices, orthodontists included. Official counts show 1,927 businesses with payroll classed as offices of dentists in 2023, up 1.0% from 2019.
How much do households in San Diego County, CA spend on medical and dental services?
About $1.8B a year, or $1,502 per household. That is 17% above the U.S. average (an index of 117, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 2,226 dentists and orthodontists on map listings, it comes to $790K per practice. That spending covers all medical and dental services, which dentists and orthodontists share with other businesses in the trade. It is estimated from the incomes of the 1,171,278 households in San Diego County and national spending patterns by income.
How does San Diego County, CA compare with the U.S. for dentists and orthodontists?
San Diego County has 19.0 dentists and orthodontists per 10,000 households, 45% above the U.S. rate of 13.1. Spending per practice is $790K, 20% below the U.S. figure of $984K. At the U.S. ratio of dentists and orthodontists to household spending, San Diego County would have about 1,789, against 2,226 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 608 households, against one for every 952 across the U.S. The official count rose 1.0% from 2019 to 2023, against −0.5% for the U.S.
How fast is San Diego County, CA growing?
Population estimates put San Diego County at 3,282,248 people in 2025, down 0.6% since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 1,171,278 households. Median household income in San Diego County is $106,268, 32% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 34.6%, before inflation.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. San Diego County scores 28 for dentists and orthodontists (lower middle), #1,702 of 1,886 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in San Diego County. It maps the dentists and orthodontists on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
How the score works · Top markets for dentists and orthodontists · All 56 business types in San Diego County
Screening a site or an acquisition in San Diego County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of San Diego County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.