Health care · County · North Carolina
Medical and dental practices in Watauga County, NC
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for medical and dental practices in Watauga County, NC, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 18 out of 100: Low
Ranked #2,320 of 2,394 scored counties
#95 of 96 scored counties in North Carolina
- Listings
- 228
- 24 chain locations (11%)
- Official establishments
- 80
- +9.6% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $21.3M
- On medical and dental services · $1,004 a household
- Spending per listing
- $93K
- 39% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 107.6
- 27% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 54,786
- +0.6% since 2020
See the medical and dental practices around any address in Watauga County
The site report maps the medical and dental practices 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 Watauga 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
Watauga County scores 18 (low) on the Groundwork market score for medical and dental practices, ranking #2,320 of 2,394 scored counties and #95 of 96 scored counties in North Carolina. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
As of September 2026, map listings count 228 medical and dental practices in Watauga County. Of those, 24 are chain locations, or 11%, against 11% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 107.6, 27% above the U.S. rate of 84.5.
Households in Watauga County spend about $21.3M a year on medical and dental services, or $1,004 per household, 22% below the U.S. average. Spread across 228 medical and dental practices, that is $93K per practice, 39% below the U.S. figure of $152K.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as offices of physicians, dentists, chiropractors, optometrists and therapists, and urgent care centers in Watauga County was 80 in 2023, up 9.6% from 2019. That is one for every 265 households, against one for every 270 across the U.S. Between 2020 and 2025, the population of Watauga County grew 0.6%, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%).
How Watauga County compares
The same measures for North Carolina and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all medical and dental services by the medical and dental practices 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 | Watauga County | North Carolina | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 107.6 | 83.3 | 84.5 |
| Spending per listing | $93K | $134K | $152K |
| Households per official establishment | 265 | 345 | 270 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +9.6% | +3.9% | +1.5% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +0.6% | +7.2% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on medical and dental services | $1,004 | $1,116 | $1,288 |
| Median household income | $51,693 | $72,388 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 18 | 48 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 73 → 80+9.6% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 969
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $74.9M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 51Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 22824 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 140The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as offices of physicians, dentists, chiropractors, optometrists and therapists, and urgent care centers in Watauga 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 Watauga County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 54,786+0.6% since 2020
- Households
- 21,198
- Median age
- 35.8
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 62%
- Vehicles per household
- 1.9
- Land area
- 312 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 176
- Median household income
- $51,693+8.8% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $83,665
- Median home value
- $358,900
- Jobs located here
- 24,062
- Daytime population
- 59,737Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Watauga 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 medical and dental practices on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Watauga County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardDoctors, dentists and clinics across North Carolina
Every North Carolina market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in North Carolina for medical and dental practices, numbered among those based in North Carolina, with Watauga County marked.
Top counties in North Carolina
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Currituck County, NC | 86 | 37 | 31.2 | $398K | +16.7% | #29 of 2,394 |
| 2Camden County, NC | 84 | 6 | 15.0 | $789K | +8.8% | #41 of 2,394 |
| 3Franklin County, NC | 82 | 62 | 21.7 | $498K | +18.8% | #73 of 2,394 |
| 4Perquimans County, NC | 77 | 9 | 16.0 | $644K | +3.6% | #137 of 2,394 |
| 5Chatham County, NC | 77 | 138 | 41.8 | $309K | +11.0% | #158 of 2,394 |
| 6Clay County, NC | 75 | 14 | 27.6 | $366K | +9.9% | #206 of 2,394 |
| 7Hoke County, NC | 75 | 61 | 31.7 | $328K | +9.0% | #209 of 2,394 |
| 8Warren County, NC | 71 | 6 | 7.4 | $1.3M | +1.6% | #298 of 2,394 |
| 9Harnett County, NC | 70 | 203 | 40.7 | $263K | +12.3% | #352 of 2,394 |
| 10Yadkin County, NC | 69 | 46 | 30.6 | $334K | +2.9% | #371 of 2,394 |
| 95Watauga County, NC | 18 | 228 | 107.6 | $93K | +0.6% | #2,320 of 2,394 |
Other business types in Watauga 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 clinics18
- Dentists and orthodontists23
- Primary care and pediatrics36
- Urgent care and walk-in clinics
- Chiropractors17
- Physical therapy23
- Optometrists and eye care38
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many medical and dental practices are in Watauga County, NC?
Watauga County has 228 medical and dental practices on map listings as of September 2026. 24 of them (11%) are chain locations. The listings count every outpatient clinic and practice, and urgent care. Official counts show 80 businesses with payroll classed as offices of physicians, dentists, chiropractors, optometrists and therapists, and urgent care centers in 2023, up 9.6% from 2019. Official counts also show 51 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Watauga County, NC spend on medical and dental services?
About $21.3M a year, or $1,004 per household. That is 22% below the U.S. average (an index of 78, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 228 medical and dental practices on map listings, it comes to $93K per practice. It is estimated from the incomes of the 21,198 households in Watauga County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Watauga County, NC compare with the U.S. for medical and dental practices?
Watauga County has 107.6 medical and dental practices per 10,000 households, 27% above the U.S. rate of 84.5. Spending per practice is $93K, 39% below the U.S. figure of $152K. At the national ratio of medical and dental practices to household spending, Watauga County would have about 140, against 228 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 265 households, against one for every 270 across the U.S. The official count rose 9.6% from 2019 to 2023, against +1.5% for the U.S.
How fast is Watauga County, NC growing?
Population estimates put Watauga County at 54,786 people in 2025, up 0.6% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 21,198 households. Median household income in Watauga County is $51,693, 36% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 8.8%, 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. Watauga County scores 18 for medical and dental practices (low), #2,320 of 2,394 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Watauga County. It maps the medical and dental practices 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 medical and dental practices · All 56 business types in Watauga County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Watauga 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 Watauga 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.