Healthcare Insights
Top 25 urgent care clinics by patient population
Urgent care clinic use is on the rise. According to all-payer claims data from Definitive Healthcare, urgent care claims jumped 70% from 2017 to 2022. The growing demand for convenient, affordable healthcare services, coupled with increased investment by health systems, health insurance companies, and private equity, has fueled the expansion of urgent care clinics in recent years.
Urgent care centers fill the gap between primary and emergency care, offering timely medical attention for non-emergent conditions like sprains, fevers, and fractures. This can not only reduce the burden on overwhelmed emergency rooms (ERs) but can also provide a more cost-effective alternative for patients with non-life-threatening conditions.
Using data from our ClinicView product, we compiled a list of urgent care clinics with the largest patient populations.
| Rank | Urgent care clinic name | State | Definitive ID | Patient population | Explore dataset |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AFC Urgent Care Katy & Fulshear | TX | 1040355 | 33,201 | Explore |
| 2 | Texas Childrens Urgent Care - Cinco Ranch | TX | 41215 | 33,201 | Explore |
| 3 | AFC Urgent Care Richmond | TX | 1005673 | 28,537 | Explore |
| 4 | CareSpot Avalon Park | FL | 1012641 | 28,398 | Explore |
| 5 | Pediatrix Primary Plus Urgent Care of Texas at Pearland (FKA NightLight Pediatric Urgent Care - Pearland) | TX | 41106 | 26,843 | Explore |
| 6 | CityMD - Baychester Urgent Care | NY | 45052 | 26,588 | Explore |
| 7 | Memorial Hermann - GoHealth Urgent Care in Benders Landing | TX | 966925 | 25,252 | Explore |
| 8 | CareFast Urgent Care at MuraBella | FL | 1051940 | 25,039 | Explore |
| 9 | Essentia Health Walk-In Care - 52nd Avenue | ND | 941191 | 23,686 | Explore |
| 10 | AdventHealth Centra Care Winter Garden (FKA Winter Garden Centra Care) | FL | 42826 | 22,670 | Explore |
| 11 | AFC Urgent Care Spring Hill | TN | 40695 | 21,763 | Explore |
| 12 | Hoag Urgent Care - Orchard Hills | CA | 1009201 | 21,098 | Explore |
| 13 | Health Choice Urgent Care - Hamilton Mill Center | GA | 43270 | 20,655 | Explore |
| 14 | Peachtree Immediate Care - Buford | GA | 43354 | 20,655 | Explore |
| 15 | The Iowa Clinic - Ankeny Urgent Care | IA | 281322 | 20,422 | Explore |
| 16 | UnityPoint Clinic Express - Ankeny | IA | 1036547 | 20,422 | Explore |
| 17 | UnityPoint Clinic Urgent Care - Ankeny Medical Park | IA | 941916 | 20,422 | Explore |
| 18 | CareNow Urgent Care - Magnolia | TX | 966487 | 20,181 | Explore |
| 19 | Community Med Family Urgent Care - Haslet Avondale 287 (FKA WHC Immediate Care) | TX | 981066 | 20,164 | Explore |
| 20 | Peachtree Immediate Care - Holly Springs | GA | 1050980 | 19,523 | Explore |
| 21 | Primary Health Medical Group - South Meridian | ID | 281580 | 19,204 | Explore |
| 22 | Primary Health Medical Group - Kuna | ID | 1036889 | 18,941 | Explore |
| 23 | Collier Urgent Care - Founders Square | FL | 1048994 | 18,805 | Explore |
| 24 | Founders Square Urgent Care | FL | 1045238 | 18,805 | Explore |
| 25 | Rivers Bend Urgent Care | OH | 45862 | 18,574 | Explore |
Fig 1. Data is from the Definitive Healthcare ClinicView product. The number of facilities represents only those urgent care clinics listed as “active” in the Definitive Healthcare database as of February 20, 2024.
Which states have urgent care clinics that serve the largest patient populations?
Three states dominate our list of top 25 urgent care clinics based on patient population: Texas, Florida, and Georgia. Texas led the charge with six out of 25 clinics. Florida is the second most represented state with five clinics, followed by Georgia with four clinics.
Most urgent care clinics on our list are affiliated with larger urgent care networks or hospital systems, such as American Family Care, CareNow (owned by HCA Healthcare), UnityPoint Health, and CityMD Urgent Care (part of Walgreens-backed VillageMD). A few, such as Texas Children's Urgent Care and Pediatrix Primary Plus Urgent Care, have a specific focus on pediatric urgent care.
What are the largest urgent care clinics?
Today, the largest urgent care organizations in the U.S. operate hundreds of clinics across the country. This consolidation reflects a strategic shift within the healthcare landscape, driven by increasing competition, regulatory changes, and consumer demand for cost-efficient, convenient care. Below, we highlight the top five urgent care operators based on number of locations.
- Concentra
- American Family Care
- CareNow (owned by HCA healthcare)
- CityMD Urgent Care (part of Walgreens-backed VillageMD)
- NextCare Urgent Care (owned by FastMed Urgent Care)
Many health systems and health insurance companies have partnered with or acquired urgent care clinics to expand their reach and influence patient care pathways. For example, HCA Healthcare owns CareNow urgent care centers, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina owns FastMed urgent care clinics in their state. Pharmacy giant Walgreens even holds a majority stake in VillageMD, which operates CityMD Urgent Care locations.
As health systems seek to provide more cost-effective, convenient care amid the shift in care to outpatient settings, urgent care clinics are likely to play an increasingly prominent role. By integrating urgent care clinics, healthcare systems can extend their geographic reach and provider networks, capturing a larger market share. Urgent care clinics can also handle a wide range of non-emergency conditions, alleviating pressure on overcrowded ERs and freeing up resources for critical cases. Compared to ER visits, urgent care offers more cost-effective care, too.
Learn more
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