Key facts:
- Analysis reveals Colorado has the highest demand for veterinarians and animal hospitals in America.
- Michigan and West Virginia are in second and third place, respectively.
- Hawaii is the state where vets are least in demand, with around 6,395 monthly Google searches, or just 444 searches per 100,000 residents.
A new study has revealed Colorado as the state where veterinarians are most in demand.
The analysis, undertaken by canine supplementation experts PetLab Co., looked at the number of Google searches for the ten most common search terms relating to animal hospitals and veterinarian care.
They then looked at the number of monthly searches in each state and compared it to population size in order to determine how many searches were made per 100,000 residents.
The results show that Colorado is the state where veterinarians are most in demand, with an average of 75,927 monthly vet-related searches, or the equivalent of 1,300 searches per 100,000 citizens.
Luckily, pet owners in The Centennial State don’t have to look far for vet care. According to a recent employment data report released in April by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 2,340 veterinarians employed in the state. That’s 40 vets for every 100,000 residents and the third-highest number of veterinarians in the nation.
Michigan ranks second as the state where veterinary services are most highly sought after. On average, 130,099 veterinarian-related searches are made per month in Michigan, equating to 1,297 searches per 100,000. According to recent BLS data, Michigan has 19 employed vets per 100,000 citizens.
Ranked third is West Virginia. The state’s 22,713 monthly Google searches means that for every 100,000 people living in The Mountain State, there are around 1,280 monthly vet-related searches.
Despite having a smaller population than the majority of states in the top ten, its residents demonstrate a substantial need for veterinary services. This finding may reflect the state’s rural nature and the critical role that both pets and working animals play in the lives of West Virginians.
North Carolina comes in fourth place, with 133,550 average monthly searches dedicated to veterinarian services, this is the equivalent of 1,248 searches per 100,000 people. The Old North State also had the highest number of searches out of the top ten for the term “vet near me.”
The state’s lush parks, extensive hiking trails, and dog-friendly beaches make it ideal for active pets and their owners. The high rate of veterinary service-related searches could be attributed to this active lifestyle and the integral role pets play in the lives of North Carolinians.
Arizona ranked fifth as the state where veterinarians are most in demand. Arizona sees around 91,063 Google searches for vets each month, which is around 1,237 searches per 100,000 people.
As a state known for its warm climate and outdoor lifestyle, pets are integral members of many Arizonan families. Cities like Sedona, Scottsdale, and Phoenix are well-regarded for their dog-friendly parks, hiking trails, pet-friendly restaurants, and businesses. This increased frequency of dog-friendly destinations could explain Arizona’s high demand for veterinary services.
Following the top five is Washington in sixth as the state where veterinary services are highly sought after, with 93,766 monthly Google searches on average, equating to 1,204 vet-related searches relative to 100,000 residents. Next on the list is Maine, ranking seventh with around 16,575 searches on average (1,197 searches per 100,000 people). Maine also had the highest searches in the top ten states for “emergency vet near me.”
Florida came eighth with 262,373 Google searches per month on average, or 1,180 people per 100,000 searching for vets each month.
Claiming the ninth spot is Utah, with 1,179 searches among 100,000 residents, and rounding out the top ten is South Carolina, with 1,154 searches per 100,000 residents.
States Where Vets are Most in Demand
| Rank | State | Monthly veterinary care related searches | Monthly veterinary care searches per 100,000 people |
| 1 | Colorado | 75,927 | 1,300 |
| 2 | Michigan | 130,098 | 1,297 |
| 3 | West Virginia | 22,713 | 1,280 |
| 4 | North Carolina | 133,550 | 1,248 |
| 5 | Arizona | 91,063 | 1,237 |
| 6 | Washington | 93,766 | 1,204 |
| 7 | Maine | 16,575 | 1,197 |
| 8 | Florida | 262,373 | 1,180 |
| 9 | Utah | 39,856 | 1,179 |
| 10 | South Carolina | 60,936 | 1,154 |
| 11 | Tennessee | 80,470 | 1,141 |
| 12 | Virginia | 97,132 | 1,119 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | 143,537 | 1,107 |
| 14 | Delaware | 10,840 | 1,064 |
| 15 | Indiana | 72,729 | 1,064 |
| 16 | Ohio | 124,048 | 1,055 |
| 17 | Oregon | 44,683 | 1,054 |
| 18. | New Hampshire | 14,588 | 1,046 |
| 19. | Georgia | 112,760 | 1,033 |
| 20. | Missouri | 63,302 | 1,025 |
| 21. | New Mexico | 20,961 | 992 |
| 22. | Illinois | 122,742 | 976 |
| 23. | Arkansas | 28,923 | 950 |
| 24. | Oklahoma | 37,547 | 934 |
| 25. | Alabama | 47,340 | 933 |
| 26. | Nevada | 29,575 | 931 |
| 27. | Wisconsin | 54,724 | 929 |
| 28. | Kentucky | 41,239 | 914 |
| 29. | Idaho | 17,711 | 913 |
| 30. | Maryland | 56,163 | 911 |
| 31. | Texas | 273,304 | 910 |
| 32. | Rhode Island | 9,938 | 909 |
| 33. | Vermont | 5,704 | 882 |
| 34. | Minnesota | 48,870 | 855 |
| 35. | California | 321,492 | 824 |
| 36. | Kansas | 23,378 | 796 |
| 37. | Massachusetts | 53,766 | 770 |
| 38. | New York | 151,148 | 768 |
| 39. | New Jersey | 70,173 | 758 |
| 40. | Connecticut | 26,423 | 729 |
| 41. | Louisiana | 32,476 | 708 |
| 42. | Mississippi | 20,468 | 696 |
| 43. | Iowa | 21,353 | 667 |
| 44. | Nebraska | 12,490 | 635 |
| 45. | Wyoming | 3,634 | 625 |
| 46. | Montana | 6,937 | 618 |
| 47. | North Dakota | 4,032 | 517 |
| 48. | South Dakota | 4,479 | 492 |
| 49. | Alaska | 3,608 | 492 |
| 50. | Hawaii | 6,395 | 444 |
Chris Masanto, co-founder and CEO of PetLab Co. commented:
“This study has unveiled interesting trends about the veterinary demand across different US states. The high number of searches in states like Colorado and Michigan underscores that there is a greater demand for veterinarian services there than in other states.”
“These findings highlight not only the pivotal role of vets but also the reliance on digital means in finding pet care.”
Sources:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Google Keyword Planner, Census.gov.
Methodology:
- The following ten search terms related to veterinarians and animal hospitals were selected: “veterinarian near me”, “vet near me”, “vet emergency near me”, “emergency dog vet near me”, “emergency vet near me”, “dog vet”, “dog vet near me”, “animal vet near me”, “animal hospital near me”, and “animal hospital”.
- Data was gathered using Google Keyword Planner to identify how often these terms were searched monthly in every U.S. state.
- This search data was then standardized for each state’s population size to determine the number of searches per 100,000 residents.
- States were ranked based on these standardized search figures, with the state having the most searches per 100,000 residents ranked highest.
Regarding the Veterinarians and Population Data:
- Data was collected from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to determine the number of employed veterinarians in each state.
- These numbers were then standardized for each state’s population size to show the ratio of veterinarians per 100,000 residents.
- The latest government census data was used for population numbers.
