WordStream/LocaliQ 2025 — Attorneys $8.58, Dentists $7.85, Restaurants $2.05 (vendor)

Claim: WordStream/LocaliQ 2025 (Google Search, ~16,446 US campaigns, Apr 2024-Mar 2025; medians):

Highest CPC:

• Attorneys & Legal Services: $8.58
• Dentists & Dental Services: $7.85
• Home & Home Improvement: $7.85
• Education & Instruction: $6.23
• Business Services: $5.58
• Physicians & Surgeons: $5.00

Lowest CPC:

• Arts & Entertainment: $1.60
• Restaurants & Food: $2.05
• Travel: $2.12
• Real Estate: notably low now

Highest cost-per-lead: Attorneys $131.63; Furniture $121.51; Business Services $103.54; Real Estate $100.48.

Overall avg CPC: $5.26 (up 12.88% YoY). LocaliQ attributes part of the rise to smart-bidding campaigns. Legal-to-Restaurant spread: 4.18x ($8.58 vs $2.05).

Source: WordStream/LocaliQ 2025 (vendor — sells PPC management software).

Caveat: Vendor. Data is median of OWN MANAGED accounts (selection bias toward active advertisers). Quarantined as directional.

Confidence: Single-source / Industry-consensus.

Why this matters for Candid: Anchor for the widget's commercial-intensity axis. Legal/Dental/Home are TOP 3 every year — the rank-ordering is stable. Use ranges, not point CPCs.