CallataGuidesBusiness phone system for optometry practices in Gulfport, MS
Optometry practices in the Gulfport-Biloxi, MS metro area: 15 establishments in 2023, the local area codes, and what phone service costs a 7-person team.
- Establishments
- 15CBP 2023
- Per 100k residents
- 3.5U.S. 6.6
- Rank
- 205th of 734areas by count
How many optometry practices are in Gulfport, MS?
County Business Patterns counts 15 optometry practices (NAICS 621320, Offices of Optometrists) in the Gulfport-Biloxi, MS metro area for 2023. That ranks 205th of the 734 metro and micropolitan areas where Census published a count for this industry.
With 427,000 residents in the Census 2024 estimate, that is 3.5 optometry practices per 100,000 people, 46.9% below the national rate of 6.6.
| Measure | Gulfport, MS | Mississippi | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments | 15 | 199 | 22,501 |
| Mid-March employees | 92 (high noise) | 1,419 | 147,931 |
| Annual payroll | $4,116,000 (moderate noise) | $59,109,000 | $7,235,361,000 |
| Employees per establishment | — | 7.1 | 6.6 |
| Payroll per employee | — | $41,655 | $48,910 |
| Establishments per 100,000 residents | 3.5 | 6.8 | 6.6 |
Census County Business Patterns 2023 (mid-March employment; annual payroll). Employees and payroll flagged high-noise are shown but not used in the text. Residents: Census Vintage 2024 estimates.
Establishment size: optometry practices in Gulfport, MS
Of the optometry practices in Gulfport, MS that had employees in March 2023, 46.7% had fewer than five (the U.S. share is 47.9%). 80.0% had fewer than ten. Small teams usually share the phone: the person who answers is often also serving a customer or doing the job, which is when calls get missed.
| Employment size | Establishments | Share | U.S. share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–4 employees | 7 | 46.7% | 47.9% |
| 5–9 employees | 5 | 33.3% | 32.2% |
| 10–19 employees | 3 | 20.0% | 15.5% |
| 20–49 employees | not published | — | 4.0% |
| 50 or more employees | 0 | 0.0% | 0.4% |
Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.
Why the phone matters for optometry practices in Gulfport, MS
Eye-care offices combine exam scheduling with eyewear and contact-lens orders, so callers want both appointments and order status. Calls about broken glasses or eye irritation also need to reach someone quickly. That holds for optometry practices in Gulfport, MS as much as anywhere.
A few of the calls that come in to optometry practices in Gulfport, MS:
- Someone calls about sudden eye irritation and asks whether to come in.
- The office calls patients when an order arrives.
- A patient calls to reorder contact lenses.
When nobody can pick up
After-hours messages are typically order questions or appointment requests that can be returned the next business day.
Business-hours routing in Callata sends calls to voicemail, a teammate's cell or an AI agent once the day ends, and voicemails arrive transcribed with an urgency flag.
Callata vs. per-seat pricing for optometry practices in Gulfport, MS
Census did not publish a reliable employee count for optometry practices in Gulfport, MS, so this comparison uses the U.S. average of 7 people per establishment. Priced per seat, 7 users would run $210.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core and $174.65 on Ooma Office Pro (month-to-month list prices, checked September 28, 2026). On Callata the same 7 people cost $139.00 a month, less than either per-seat plan.
The annual difference against RingCentral's monthly list price comes to $852. Some vendors discount annual contracts; the table shows month-to-month prices.
| Provider (plan) | Pricing basis | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Callata (Callata Office) | $99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user | $139.00 | $1,668.00 |
| Quo (Starter) | $19.00 per user | $133.00 | $1,596.00 |
| Nextiva (Core) | $23.00 per user | $161.00 | $1,932.00 |
| Ooma (Office Pro) | $24.95 per user | $174.65 | $2,095.80 |
| Dialpad (Standard) | $27.00 per user | $189.00 | $2,268.00 |
| RingCentral (RingEX Core) | $30.00 per user | $210.00 | $2,520.00 |
Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.
Local area codes for optometry practices in Gulfport, MS
NANPA records place the exchanges of the area's named cities and towns in 2 area codes. 228 has the most, with 247 of 260 exchanges (95%). Callata's plan includes up to 3 local numbers; you can pick them in the area codes your patients recognize, subject to carrier inventory, or port the number you already have for free.
| Area code | Exchanges | Time zone | In service since | Overlay with |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 228 | 247 | Central | 1997 | none |
| 601 | 13 | Central | 1947 | 769 |
Exchanges are NANPA-assigned central office codes (NPA-NXX) in the rate centers matched to the area's named places. Source: NANPA utilized code and NPA reports.
How Callata works for optometry practices
Callata is a business phone system priced at $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user. Callata Office includes up to 3 local business numbers, unlimited inbound calling, 1,500 pooled outbound US and Canada minutes per user each month, a browser softphone that can also ring your cell, voicemail with transcription, call recording with AI summaries, business-hours routing and E911 on every number.
If you already have a number in Gulfport, MS, porting it to Callata is free. Texting from a local number requires a one-time carrier registration (10DLC, $49), and the numbers available in any area code depend on carrier inventory when you choose them.
Optional AI agents (receptionist, sales, support or scheduler) can answer calls after hours or when nobody picks up, take messages, text, email and transfer to your team. They are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute, identify themselves as AI, and may only place outbound calls to people who consented, between 8am and 9pm.
Practices that handle protected health information should review their own privacy obligations before recording calls, enabling AI summaries or texting appointment details, and keep clinical conversations out of text messages unless their policies allow it.
Frequently asked questions
How many optometry practices are there in Gulfport, MS?
Census County Business Patterns counted 15 optometry practices in the Gulfport-Biloxi, MS metro area in 2023.
What does a business phone system cost for a 7-person optometry practice?
At month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026, 7 users cost $210.00 a month on RingCentral RingEX Core and $174.65 on Ooma Office Pro. On Callata, $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user, the same team pays $139.00.
What area code should an optometry practice in Gulfport, MS use?
Area code 228 has the most assigned exchanges among the area's named places, followed by 601. If you already have a local number, you can port it to Callata for free.
Can an AI receptionist answer calls for an optometry practice?
Yes. Callata's optional AI agents can answer when the team is busy or closed, take a message, text, email or transfer the call. They disclose that they are AI and are billed from prepaid AI minutes at $0.25 per minute. Practices that handle protected health information should review their own privacy obligations before recording calls, enabling AI summaries or texting appointment details, and keep clinical conversations out of text messages unless their policies allow it.