Patient search volume is skyrocketing in the Houston metro area, and now is the time for health care providers to take advantage while the demand is high.
HOUSTON’S ROCKET GROWTH
From June 2023 to May 2024, search volume performance in the Houston metro area outpaced the rest of the state by 75%.
Within the Houston metro area, San Jacinto and Liberty counties have seen the strongest search volume growth. Here’s how the top 5 counties grew in search volume YoY compared to the rest of the counties in the Houston metro area:
- San Jacinto: +1,862%
- Liberty: +1,067%
- Waller: +747%
- Brazoria: +223%
- Harris: +110%
Did you know?
Patient demand is especially high in Fort Bend county, providing an exciting opportunity for providers. In fact, Fort Bend has the number one zip code (77494) with unmet demand* in the Houston 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 HOUSTON SPECIALTIES
The top five specialties in the Houston metro area that saw the greatest increase in searches YoY compared to the rest of the state included:
- Primary care: +223%
- Mental health: +165%
- Dermatology: +153%
- Ob-gyn: +119%
- Urgent care: +67%
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 Houston metro area — including how and why they’re so valuable to providers.
YOUNG …
Younger patients are driving the most demand in the Houston metro area, with 37% in their 20s and 32% in their 30s. The Houston market skews slightly younger compared to other cities like New York (where 34% of bookers are in their 20s) and is on par with the national average (37% of bookers are in their 20s). Ob-gyn and mental health specialties, in particular, are seeing significant growth driven by younger patients, with 48% and 41% of patients in their 20s, respectively.
| Provider type | Patients in their 20s | Patients in their 30s | Patients in their 40s |
| Overall | 37% | 32% | 14% |
| Ob-gyn | 48% | 31% | 10% |
| Mental Health | 41% | 31% | 13% |
| Dermatology | 36% | 31% | 13% |
| Primary Care | 36% | 32% | 15% |
| Urgent Care | 38% | 30% | 14% |
INSURED …
Eighty-four percent — an overwhelming majority of Houston 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 optometry appointments, 89% of dermatology appointments, 86% of primary care appointments, and 85% of orthopedic appointments.
AND NEW.
Eighty-four percent of bookings in the Houston 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 five specialties with new patient bookings in the Houston metro area included:
- ENT: 95%
- Orthopedics: 94%
- Dental: 92%
- Ophthalmology: 90%
- Urgent Care: 88%
Houston presents a hot opportunity for healthcare professionals. Reach out to our enterprise sales representatives today to learn more about how you can capitalize on Houston’s high patient demand. You can also request a custom search and booking analysis that shows unmet demand specific to your region and specialty.