Urgent Care Data

UCA leads with data to effectively communicate the story of Urgent Care and its unparalleled impact, value, and contributions to the healthcare landscape.

stethoscope on a chart of various figures
185M+

Patients cared for in an Urgent Care setting each year

15,334

Urgent Care Centers in the U.S.

Urgent Care is Everyday Healthcare

Urgent Care Center Growth

From 2016 to 2024, Urgent Cares have grown from 9,000 to 15,000.

The map represents open centers by state since January 2026.

Infographic Request Form

This dynamic visual resource highlights 2025’s Urgent Care openings, the top states for new Urgent Cares, hospital affiliations, hours of operation and more!

Urgent Care Industry White Paper

Get exclusive access to this comprehensive State of the Union paper for Urgent Care, featuring insights, challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of Urgent Care.

Geographic Distribution of Urgent Care Centers

Classification based on USDA Rural–Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) Codes.

2025 RUCA Codes

Metropolitan (RUCA 1-3)
81%
Micropolitan (RUCA 4-6)
11%
Small Town (RUCA 7-9)
4%

Rural (RUCA 10)

4%

Visits by Patient Age

62.8% of visits are children, teens, and adults under 40

Infant – 10 14.3%
11-20 15.3%
21-30 17.4%
31-40 15.8%
41-50 11.8%
51 – 60 10.1%
61 – 70 8.3%
71-80 5%
81+ 2%

Source: JUCM.com

Access & Proximity

89.4% of the U.S. population
Within a 20-Minute Drive

The vast majority of Americans have an Urgent Care within a short drive, making Urgent Care one of the most geographically accessible points of care in the U.S. healthcare system.

Source: UCA Member Survey

Emergency Department vs. Urgent Care Visit Times

Emergency Department

150 minutes

Median ED Wait Time

Source: Experity Data

Urgent Care

56 minutes

Average UC Visit Time

5,000,000+ UC Visits “After Hours”

Based on survey of 13,000,000 patient encounters after 5 p.m., Jan – March 2024

Source: Patient Arrival Times In Urgent Care

More Than 1/3 of All Emergency Department Presentations Are Inappropriate

In 2019, 34% of ED presentations were inappropriate. A significant share of emergency department visits involve conditions that could be safely and efficiently treated at an Urgent Care, at a fraction of the cost and wait time.

Ownership Mix of Urgent Cares

Source:  Site Data Services

Source:  Site Data Services

View and download data tables with rankings of the top 50 hospital-affiliated operators, the top 50 independent operators, and center counts by state.

Average Daily Visit Volume

2023
33.13 avg. patients/day/center
2024

33.27 avg. patients/day/center

2025
33.96 avg. patients/day/center

Urgent Care in 2026

By Dean Hutchison, National UC Realty

Urgent Care in 2026: Strategic Growth, Portfolio Optimization, and Consolidation

By Dean Hutchison, National UC Realty National UC Realty tracks over 17,000 walk-in facilities nationwide which gives us a unique, ground level view of how the industry in evolving in real time. We are currently watching important operational shifts. Urgent care groups continue to open new clinics—our tracking shows steady announcements of planned locations across […]

1

Metropolitan core — primary commuting flow is within an urban area of 50,000+ people (metro UA)

2

Metropolitan high commuting — 30%+ primary commuting flow to a metro UA

3

Metropolitan low commuting — 10–30% primary commuting flow to a metro UA

4

Micropolitan core  — primary commuting flow within a UA of 10,000–49,999

5

Micropolitan high commuting  — 30%+ flow to a micro UA

6

Micropolitan low commuting  — 10–30% flow to a micro UA

7

Small town core  — primary commuting flow within a UA of 9,999 or fewer (small town UA)

8

Small town high commuting  — 30%+ flow to a small town UA

9

Small town low commuting  — 10–30% primary commuting flow to a small town UA

10

Rural areas  — primary commuting flow to a tract outside
an UA