Patient search volume is rising in the Chicago metro area, and now is the time for health care providers to strike before the winds change.
CHICAGO’S DEEP GROWTH
From June 2023 to May 2024, search volume performance in the Chicago metro area outpaced the rest of Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin by 142%.
Within the Chicago metro area, Cook, Kendall, and Kane counties have seen the strongest search growth (+59%, +48%, and +30% higher YoY, respectively.)
Did you know?
Patient demand is especially high in Cook county, providing an exciting opportunity for providers. In fact, Cook county has 83% of the top zip codes with unmet demand* in the Chicago metro area.
*Zocdoc uses a proprietary method to calculate unmet demand, comparing the ratio of searches (demand) to near-term bookable providers (supply) in a given geographic area.
HOTTEST GROWING CHICAGO SPECIALTIES
The top 5 specialties in the Chicago metro area that saw the greatest increase in searches YoY compared to the rest of the state included:
- Ob-gyn: +185%
- Primary Care: +133%
- ENT: +106%
- Optometry: +104%
- Dental: +83%
Any time we see trends like this at Zocdoc, we dig in deeper. Get to know your patient base, both current and potential. We’ve got all the insights into the types of Zocdoc patients booking in the Chicago metro area — including how and why they’re so valuable to providers.
YOUNG …
Younger patients are driving the most demand in the Chicago metro area, with 41% percent in their 20s and 34% in their 30s. The market skews younger compared to other cities like New York (where 34% of bookers are in their 20s) and the national average (37% of bookers are in their 20s).
| Provider type | Patients in their 20s | Patients in their 30s | Patients in their 40s |
| Overall | 41% | 34% | 11% |
| Ob-gyn | 49% | 35% | 8% |
| Mental Health | 43% | 34% | 11% |
| Dermatology | 40% | 34% | 12% |
| Primary Care | 42% | 35% | 11% |
| Urgent Care | 44% | 33% | 11% |
INSURED …
Eighty-seven percent — an overwhelming majority of Chicago metro area bookings on Zocdoc — are made with commercial insurance. Between June 2023 and May 2024 we saw patients with insurance book 92% of dental appointments, 91% of ENT appointments, 90% of both optometry and ophthalmology appointments, and 89% of primary care appointments.
AND NEW.
Eighty percent of bookings in the Chicago metro area are new patient bookings. These patients are extremely valuable since the data also shows new patients want to become loyal, long-term patients. Bringing in new patients who return again and again drives the greatest revenue.
The top 5 specialties with new patient bookings in the Chicago metro area included:
- Ophthalmology: 92%
- Orthopedics: 91%
- ENT: 90%
- Dental: 88%
- Dermatology: 85%
The Chicago metro area presents a prime opportunity for healthcare professionals. Reach out to our enterprise sales representatives today to learn more about how you can take advantage of Chicago’s high patient demand. You can also request a custom search and booking analysis that shows unmet demand specific to your region and specialty.