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Access to care

Doctor shortage areas

30.6 million people (9.0% of Americans) live in a federal primary care shortage area, 64.1 million in a mental health shortage area and 10.7 million in a dental shortage area. Removing every primary care shortage would take about 13,076 more primary care practitioners.

The federal government (HRSA) designates Health Professional Shortage Areas where there are too few clinicians for the population, usually fewer than one primary care physician per 3,500 people. Designations decide where National Health Service Corps clinicians can serve and where Medicare pays a 10% bonus.

At a glance

Live in a primary care shortage area (9.0% of residents)
30.6 million
Live in a dental shortage area (3.2% of residents)
10.7 million
Live in a mental health shortage area (19.0% of residents)
64.1 million

Map: share of residents in a shortage area

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How many clinicians are needed

Designations and practitioners needed, by type
ShortageGeographic areasPopulation groupsFacilitiesPractitioners needed
Primary care1,0841,8794,89713,076
Dental care4641,9194,8349,128
Mental health8886764,9775,694

Geographic areas are whole counties or parts of them. Population groups are, for example, low-income or Medicaid-eligible residents of an area. Facilities include community health centers, rural health clinics, tribal health facilities and prisons. “Practitioners needed” is HRSA’s count of full-time clinicians it would take to end each shortage.

By state: primary care

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Areas with the greatest need

HRSA scores each shortage from 0 to 25 or 26: higher means greater need, based on the ratio of people to clinicians, poverty, travel time to care and health measures.

Primary care
AreaScorePeoplePractitioners needed
LI-Leflore County, Mississippi
Population group · Rural		 2315,6154.6
LI - Bolivar County, Mississippi
Population group · Rural		 2315,5883.7
LI- Coahoma County, Mississippi
Population group · Rural		 2311,7703.2
LI - Vieques Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Rural		 236,9761.3
Quitman County, Mississippi
Geographic area · Rural		 235,5421.4
LI - Maricao Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Rural		 235,4731.8
LI -Tunica County, Mississippi
Population group · Rural		 235,2771.8
Jim Hogg County, Texas
Geographic area · Rural		 234,5431.5
Tensas Parish, Louisiana
Geographic area · Rural		 233,8211.1
Sioux County, North Dakota
Geographic area · Rural		 233,7201.2
LI-West Detroit RSA, Michigan
Population group · Non-Rural		 2257,28517.4
LI - North St. Louis City, Missouri
Population group · Non-Rural		 2241,13613.7
LI-Dougherty County, Georgia
Population group · Partially Rural		 2239,28512.5
Copiah County, Mississippi
Geographic area · Rural		 2227,5366.9
LI - Washington County, Mississippi
Population group · Rural		 2223,2415.8
Dental care
AreaScorePeoplePractitioners needed
LI - Mayagüez Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Non-Rural		 2656,3989.2
LI - San Sebastián Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Non-Rural		 2629,1775.2
LI - Moca Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Non-Rural		 2627,7814.8
LI - Corozal Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Non-Rural		 2625,5345.1
LI - Utuado Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Partially Rural		 2623,6133.9
LI - Lares Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Partially Rural		 2620,7834.2
LI - Loíza Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Partially Rural		 2619,9124.4
LI - Lajas Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Non-Rural		 2619,3844.2
LI - Orocovis Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Partially Rural		 2617,7853.3
LI - Comerío Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Non-Rural		 2616,2502.9
LI - Peñuelas Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Non-Rural		 2616,2303.8
LI - Adjuntas Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Rural		 2615,3282.8
LI - Guayanilla Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Non-Rural		 2615,2153.8
LI - Guánica Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Non-Rural		 2614,0043.5
LI - Ciales Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Non-Rural		 2613,9032.5
Mental health
AreaScorePeoplePractitioners needed
LI-Peñuelas Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Non-Rural		 2317,0091.1
LI - Guayanilla Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Non-Rural		 2315,5221.0
LI - Guánica Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Non-Rural		 2314,4271.0
LI-Jayuya Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Rural		 2312,4570.8
LI - Cabo Rojo Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Partially Rural		 2238,6292.4
LI - Juana Díaz Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Non-Rural		 2235,9132.4
Morehouse Parish, Louisiana
Geographic area · Rural		 2224,0161.6
Southern Plains Behavioral Health Services - MHCA 10, South Dakota
Geographic area · Rural		 2220,3611.4
LI - Añasco Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Partially Rural		 2220,1151.3
LI - Arroyo Municipio, Puerto Rico
Population group · Non-Rural		 2215,0951.0
Three Rivers Mental Health Center - MHCA 8, South Dakota
Geographic area · Rural		 2214,3921.0
Bienville Parish, Louisiana
Geographic area · Rural		 2212,4570.8
Claiborne Parish, Louisiana
Geographic area · Rural		 2212,0610.6
LI - Caddo Parish, Louisiana
Population group · Partially Rural		 2199,3196.0
North-Central Montana, Montana
Geographic area · Rural		 2160,5334.0

Source: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Health Professional Shortage Areas, designated status, last updated November 5, 2026. Residents in shortage areas: geographic designations only, with U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 populations of the counties, county subdivisions and census tracts designated. Population-group and facility designations also exist in many of the same places.

About this page

Health professional shortage areas (HPSAs) are places the federal government designates as having too few primary care, dental or mental health clinicians. This page maps the share of each county’s residents who live in a geographic shortage area. It also lists the areas with the highest shortage scores, and shows how many practitioners it would take to end the shortages.

How health professional shortage areas are designated

HRSA, a federal agency, reviews requests from states. It compares the number of clinicians with the population, and it also weighs poverty, travel time and health needs. As a result, each area gets a score. Higher scores mean greater need. Designations can cover a whole county, part of a county, a population group such as low-income residents, or a facility such as a community health center.

Why shortage areas matter

Designations decide where loan repayment and some Medicare bonus payments are available. For example, the National Health Service Corps places clinicians in high-scoring areas. Therefore, they matter for patients looking for care and for clinicians weighing a first job.

About the data

Designations come from HRSA’s shortage area data (opens in a new tab), and populations from the Census Bureau. However, the map shows geographic designations only. Population and facility designations are listed but not mapped.

Related: doctor shortage areas explained, your first job after residency, doctors per capita.

Questions about health professional shortage areas

How do I know if I live in a shortage area? Select your state on the map, then your county. The panel shows the share of residents who live in a designated area. You can also check an address with HRSA’s official tool.

What does a shortage score mean? Scores run from 0 to 25 for primary care and mental health, and to 26 for dental care. Higher scores mean greater need. As a result, clinicians in high-scoring areas get priority for some loan repayment programs.