Patient search volume is rising in the San Diego metro area, and now is the time for health care providers to take advantage before the tides turn.
SAN DIEGO’S SUNNY GROWTH
From June 2023 to May 2024, search volume performance in the San Diego metro area outpaced the rest of the nation by 31%.
The top two zip codes with the highest unmet demand* were in San Diego city (92132 and 92134), followed by Oceanside (92054) and Carlsbad (92008), providing an exciting opportunity for providers.
*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.
SAN DIEGO’S WAVE-WORTHY SPECIALTIES
Patients in the San Diego metro area are overwhelmingly searching for dermatology providers. The top specialties that saw the greatest increase in searches YoY compared to the rest of the state included:
- Dermatology: +508%
- Optometry: +377%
- Ob-gyn: +108%
- Ophthalmology: +103%
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 San Diego metro area — including how and why they’re so valuable to providers.
YOUNG …
Younger patients are driving the most demand in the San Diego metro area, with 43% percent in their 20s and 32% in their 30s. This is higher than the national average of 37% for patients in their 20s.
| Provider type | Patients in their 20s | Patients in their 30s | Patients in their 40s |
| Overall | 43% | 32% | 11% |
| Ob-gyn | 52% | 29% | 8% |
| Mental Health | 38% | 34% | 14% |
| Dermatology | 45% | 32% | 10% |
| Primary Care | 48% | 30% | 9% |
| Urgent Care | 53% | 24% | 8% |
INSURED …
Eighty-seven percent — an overwhelming majority of San Diego metro area bookings on Zocdoc — are made with commercial insurance. Between June 2023 and May 2024 we saw patients with insurance book 90% of dental appointments, 89% of both dermatology and mental health appointments, and 87% of optometry appointments.
AND NEW.
Ninety percent of bookings in the San Diego 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 San Diego metro area included:
- ENT: 97%
- Ophthalmology: 97%
- Dental: 92%
- Dermatology: 92%
- Orthopedics: 91%
The San Diego metro area presents a great opportunity for healthcare professionals. Reach out to our enterprise sales representatives today to learn more about how you can take advantage of San Diego’s high patient demand. You can also request a custom search and booking analysis that shows unmet demand specific to your region and specialty.