Veterinary Care Access by State

The "veterinarian shortage" is a widely discussed problem in animal health — but shortage relative to what? Raw counts of vet clinics favor big states by default, since California will always have more veterinary businesses than Wyoming just by having 67 times the population. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) lets us adjust for that: veterinary establishments per capita, by state.

The figures below combine QCEW's Q4 2025 veterinary services (NAICS 541940) data with U.S. Census Bureau state population estimates.

Veterinary Establishments per Capita, by State

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) tracks every business that pays into state unemployment insurance under NAICS code 541940, Veterinary Services. As of Q4 2025, that's 36,631 establishments employing 4,75,572 people nationwide. Adjusted for population, the state-by-state picture looks very different from a simple ranking by raw establishment count.

Important context on this NAICS code: 541940 covers all veterinary services, not just companion-animal (dog/cat) practices — it includes large-animal, equine, and livestock veterinary businesses too. Montana and Wyoming's high per-capita density almost certainly reflects their agricultural economies and livestock veterinary needs as much as, or more than, pet care access specifically. This data measures overall veterinary business density, not a pure "how easy is it to get your dog a vet appointment" metric.

Population-Dense States Rank Lowest Per Capita

New York (7.18 per 100k), Illinois (7.68), New Jersey (8.05), Nevada (8.2), and Washington, DC (8.22) have the lowest veterinary establishment density relative to population, despite several of them having large raw establishment counts. California, for example, has by far the most veterinary establishments in absolute terms (3,717) but ranks below the national median on a per-capita basis (9.44 per 100k) — a reminder that raw counts and access are two different questions.

Where Vet Care Pays Best

Washington, DC has the highest average weekly wage in veterinary services at $1,803, followed by New York ($1,470), Massachusetts ($1,443), and New Jersey ($1,442) — all high cost-of-living metro areas. Mississippi has the lowest average weekly wage at $834.

What This Data Does and Doesn't Show

QCEW only counts UI-covered payroll employment and doesn't distinguish companion-animal clinics from livestock, equine, or exotic-animal practices within the same NAICS code, so this can't be read as a precise "pet owner access" map on its own. It's still the most current, broad-based government measure of veterinary business density available at the state level.

For our related industry page, see pet care industry statistics by state, and for general national pet health statistics, see our pet health statistics page.

The Big Picture

Adjusted for population, rural and agricultural states — led by Montana and Wyoming — show the highest density of veterinary establishments, while some of the most populous states, including New York and Illinois, rank lowest. That's a genuinely different picture than a simple "which state has the most vets" ranking would suggest, though it's worth remembering this data covers all veterinary services, including large-animal and livestock practices, not companion-animal care alone.