Pets · County · California
Veterinarians in San Diego County, CA
The veterinarians 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 65 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #377 of 1,485 scored counties
#23 of 46 scored counties in California
- Listings
- 421
- 112 chain locations (27%)
- Official establishments
- 371
- +11.1% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $1.4B
- On pets · $1,187 a household
- Spending per listing
- $3.3M
- 21% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 3.6
- 9% above the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 3,282,248
- −0.6% since 2020
See the veterinarians around any address in San Diego County
The site report maps the veterinarians 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
Households in San Diego County spend about $1.4B a year on pets, or $1,187 per household, 31% above the U.S. average. Spread across 421 veterinarians, that is $3.3M per clinic, 21% above the U.S. figure of $2.7M. The spending figure covers all pets, not only veterinarians.
There are 421 veterinarians on map listings in San Diego County as of September 2026. 112 of them (27%) are chain locations, against 19% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 3.6, 9% above the U.S. rate of 3.3.
In 2023, official counts showed 371 businesses with payroll in San Diego County classed as veterinary services, up 11.1% from 2019. That is one for every 3,157 households, against one for every 3,767 across the U.S. Since fiscal 2022, 11 SBA-backed loans worth $9.6M have gone to businesses classed as veterinary services in San Diego County.
Population estimates put the population change in San Diego County from 2020 to 2025 at −0.6%, against +3.1% for the U.S. For veterinarians, San Diego County has a Groundwork market score of 65 (upper middle): #377 of 1,485 scored counties and #23 of 46 scored counties in California.
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 pets by the veterinarians 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 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 3.3 |
| Spending per listing | $3.3M | $3.8M | $2.7M |
| Households per official establishment | 3,157 | 3,908 | 3,767 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | +11.1% | +10.3% | +6.8% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | −0.6% | −0.4% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on pets | $1,187 | $1,149 | $909 |
| Median household income | $106,268 | $99,122 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 65 | 68 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 334 → 371+11.1% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 5,075
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $311.5M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 421112 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 511The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 11
- Amount
- $9.6M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as veterinary services 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 veterinarians 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 cardVeterinarians across California
Every California market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in California for veterinarians, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1San Benito County, CA | 92 | 6 | 2.9 | $4.2M | +8.6% | #5 of 1,485 |
| 2Riverside County, CA | 88 | 206 | 2.7 | $4.1M | +5.0% | #21 of 1,485 |
| 3Merced County, CA | 85 | 19 | 2.2 | $3.9M | +5.1% | #42 of 1,485 |
| 4San Joaquin County, CA | 84 | 62 | 2.5 | $4.3M | +5.5% | #49 of 1,485 |
| 5Fresno County, CA | 83 | 76 | 2.3 | $4.1M | +2.6% | #54 of 1,485 |
| 6Madera County, CA | 82 | 9 | 2.0 | $4.8M | +7.4% | #60 of 1,485 |
| 7Tulare County, CA | 81 | 33 | 2.3 | $3.9M | +2.4% | #73 of 1,485 |
| 8San Francisco County, CA | 80 | 54 | 1.5 | $9.3M | −5.6% | #82 of 1,485 |
| 9Santa Clara County, CA | 80 | 178 | 2.7 | $5.5M | −0.9% | #84 of 1,485 |
| 10Kern County, CA | 80 | 68 | 2.4 | $3.8M | +2.3% | #89 of 1,485 |
| 23San Diego County, CA | 65 | 421 | 3.6 | $3.3M | −0.6% | #377 of 1,485 |
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
Pets
- Pet businesses61
- Veterinarians65
- Pet grooming and boarding61
- Pet stores52
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many veterinarians are in San Diego County, CA?
As of September 2026, map listings count 421 veterinarians in San Diego County. 112 of them (27%) are chain locations. The listings count veterinary clinics and animal hospitals. Official counts show 371 businesses with payroll classed as veterinary services in 2023, up 11.1% from 2019.
How much do households in San Diego County, CA spend on pets?
About $1.4B a year, or $1,187 per household. That is 31% above the U.S. average (an index of 131, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 421 veterinarians on map listings, it comes to $3.3M per clinic. That spending covers all pets, which veterinarians 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 veterinarians?
San Diego County has 3.6 veterinarians per 10,000 households, 9% above the U.S. rate of 3.3. Spending per clinic is $3.3M, 21% above the U.S. figure of $2.7M. At the U.S. ratio of veterinarians to household spending, San Diego County would have about 511, against 421 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 3,157 households, against one for every 3,767 across the U.S. The official count rose 11.1% from 2019 to 2023, against +6.8% 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 65 for veterinarians (upper middle), #377 of 1,485 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 veterinarians 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 veterinarians · 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.