The Australian Vet Ratings Study 2026
We analysed 3,939 veterinary practices across every Australian state and 592,042 public Google reviews to answer a simple question: how do Australians really rate their vets, and where is care rated best?
Key findings
- The average Australian vet practice holds 4.67 stars on Google, pet owners rate vets remarkably highly.
- Australian Capital Territory is Australia's best-rated state for vets (4.73★ average).
- Sunshine Coast is the best-rated major city (4.79★ across 73 rated practices).
- 42% of practices have fewer than 100 Google reviews, most clinics' online reputation runs far behind their real-world one.
- Australia has just 33 dedicated emergency veterinary services in our dataset, roughly 1 for every 119 practices.
- Practices that have claimed their Google profile average 4.67★ vs 4.57★ for unclaimed ones, a 0.10-star gap.
- Regional vets hold their own: 4.68★ average outside the major cities vs 4.66★ inside them.
The state league table
Every state and territory, ranked by the average Google rating of its veterinary practices.
| # | State / territory | Average rating | Rated practices |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australian Capital Territory | 4.73★ | 68 |
| 2 | Tasmania | 4.72★ | 59 |
| 3 | Queensland | 4.69★ | 1,136 |
| 4 | Western Australia | 4.68★ | 259 |
| 5 | New South Wales | 4.65★ | 959 |
| 6 | Victoria | 4.63★ | 637 |
| 7 | South Australia | 4.63★ | 238 |
| 8 | Northern Territorysmall sample | 4.52★ | 18 |
Australia's best-rated cities for vet care
Major centres with at least 15 rated practices, ranked by average rating. Click through to see the top practices in each.
| # | City | Average rating | Rated practices | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunshine Coast | 4.79★ | 73 | 11,569 |
| 2 | Geelong | 4.76★ | 46 | 4,964 |
| 3 | Gold Coast | 4.74★ | 87 | 15,634 |
| 4 | Hobart | 4.73★ | 29 | 5,163 |
| 5 | Cairns | 4.72★ | 28 | 4,567 |
| 6 | Canberra | 4.72★ | 57 | 9,973 |
| 7 | Perth | 4.71★ | 176 | 30,306 |
| 8 | Brisbane | 4.7★ | 290 | 60,145 |
| 9 | Newcastle | 4.69★ | 59 | 9,241 |
| 10 | Adelaide | 4.63★ | 133 | 24,746 |
| 11 | Wollongong | 4.63★ | 31 | 4,385 |
| 12 | Melbourne | 4.6★ | 368 | 78,589 |
| 13 | Sydney | 4.6★ | 420 | 89,966 |
| 14 | Townsville | 4.58★ | 30 | 4,222 |
The happiest pet suburbs
Suburbs with at least 3 rated practices and 150+ combined reviews, where every local clinic is rated near-perfect.
| # | Suburb | State | Average rating | Practices | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tewantin | QLD | 4.97★ | 3 | 443 |
| 2 | Slacks Creek | QLD | 4.97★ | 4 | 341 |
| 3 | Balmain | NSW | 4.97★ | 3 | 285 |
| 4 | Proserpine | QLD | 4.93★ | 3 | 648 |
| 5 | Gawler South | SA | 4.93★ | 3 | 532 |
| 6 | Crows Nest | NSW | 4.93★ | 3 | 474 |
| 7 | Hawthorne | QLD | 4.93★ | 3 | 406 |
| 8 | Northcote | VIC | 4.93★ | 3 | 382 |
| 9 | Ocean Grove | VIC | 4.93★ | 3 | 156 |
| 10 | Balgowlah | NSW | 4.9★ | 4 | 599 |
The silent-majority problem
42% of rated practices have fewer than 100 Google reviews, and 27% have fewer than 50. The median Australian practice has 126 reviews. Ratings are high almost everywhere (45% of practices hold 4.8★ or better, only 3% sit below 4.0★), but review volume is thin, which means a handful of unhappy voices can move a clinic's public score far more than it should.
The emergency-care gap
Our dataset contains just 33 dedicated emergency veterinary services nationwide, roughly one for every 119 practices. Even the biggest cities run lean:
Many general practices also provide after-hours care. If you need help now, see our emergency vet directory and our guide on what to do in a pet emergency.
The claim gap: managed profiles rate higher
Among the practices where claim status is known, those that have claimed their Google Business Profile average 4.67★ (1,837 practices) versus 4.57★ for unclaimed profiles (224 practices). Correlation isn't causation, but the pattern is consistent with what practice owners tell us: clinics that actively manage their online presence, respond to feedback and keep details current end up with the reputation they've actually earned.
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Claim your listingMethodology
We analysed the RateMyVet directory of 3,939 Australian veterinary practices, compiled from state veterinary board registers, public business records and openly licensed mapping data (see how RateMyVet works). 3,374 practices with a public Google rating and review count form the rated sample, 592,042 reviews in total. City figures use a radius around each city centre; league tables require minimum sample sizes (15 rated practices per city, 3 per suburb) to avoid tiny-sample noise. Google ratings are aggregate figures attributed to Google. Data snapshot: July 2026.
Use this data
Journalists and researchers are welcome to cite this study with attribution and a link: "Source: RateMyVet Australian Vet Ratings Study 2026, ratemyvet.com.au". We can supply state or city breakdowns on request. Media enquiries: info@x18agency.com.