Patient search volume is rising in the San Francisco metro area, and now is the time for health care providers to take advantage.
SAN FRANCISCO’S GOLDEN GROWTH
From June 2023 to May 2024, search volume performance in the San Francisco area outpaced the rest of the nation by 22%
Within the San Francisco metro area, San Mateo, San Francisco, and Marin counties have seen the strongest search volume growth (54%, 39%, and 15%, respectively).
Did you know?
San Mateo and San Francisco counties have 58% of the top zip codes with unmet demand* in the San Francisco metro area. The top three zip codes with unmet demand are all in Alameda county (94612, 94536, and 94703).
*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.
THE BAY AREA’S HOTTEST SPECIALTIES
Patients in the San Francisco metro area are overwhelmingly searching for primary care providers. The specialties that saw the greatest increase in searches YoY compared to the rest of the state included:
- Primary Care: +72%
- Mental Health: +31%
- Ophthalmology: +30%
- ENT: +14%
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 Francisco metro area — including how and why they’re so valuable to providers.
YOUNG …
Younger patients are driving the most demand in the San Francisco metro area, with 38% percent in their 20s and 38% in their 30s. This is close to 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 | 38% | 38% | 10% |
| Ob-gyn | 42% | 39% | 7% |
| Mental Health | 34% | 41% | 12% |
| Dermatology | 41% | 38% | 11% |
| Primary Care | 38% | 39% | 10% |
| Urgent Care | 36% | 43% | 8% |
INSURED …
Ninety-one percent — an overwhelming majority of San Francisco metro area bookings on Zocdoc — are made with commercial insurance. Between June 2023 and May 2024 we saw patients with insurance book 94% of ob-gyn appointments, 92% of ophthalmology appointments, and 91% of optometry, primary care, and dermatology appointments.
AND NEW.
Eighty-three percent of bookings in the San Francisco 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 Francisco metro area included:
- Mental Health: 90%
- Dental: 89%
- Urgent Care: 88%
- Dermatology: 86%
- Ophthalmology: 85%
The San Francisco metro area presents a golden opportunity for healthcare professionals. Reach out to our enterprise sales representatives today to learn more about how you can take advantage of San Francisco’s high patient demand. You can also request a custom search and booking analysis that shows unmet demand specific to your region and specialty.