HRSA Official Data
US Healthcare Shortage Area Data
A plain-language explorer for HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas and Medically Underserved Areas, mapped to every U.S. state and county.
User-friendly explorer of HRSA HPSAs & MUAs with county rankings, state dashboards, and shortage-type filters—beyond raw federal data.
Explore Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) by state and county. Data from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
States with Most HPSAs
View all states →| # | State | Total HPSAs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 1,574 |
| 2 | Alaska | 975 |
| 3 | Texas | 912 |
| 4 | Missouri | 883 |
| 5 | Michigan | 777 |
| 6 | Illinois | 687 |
| 7 | Kentucky | 687 |
| 8 | Arizona | 622 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 613 |
| 10 | Florida | 612 |
How widespread is the U.S. provider shortage?
Roughly one in four Americans lives in a county that HRSA has designated as a geographic (whole-community) Health Professional Shortage Area. Closing those designations would take thousands of additional clinicians — the gap is deepest in primary care.
27.1% of U.S. residents (90,189,869 people) live in a county with a geographic HRSA shortage designation. Source: HRSA HPSA designations + U.S. Census county population, 2025.
Clinicians needed to close every designation
HRSA estimates the practitioners required to lift each shortage designation. Summed nationally by care type — primary care is the deepest gap.
- Primary care
Primary care
10,440 clinicians needed
- Dental
Dental
6,750 clinicians needed
- Mental health
Mental health
4,720 clinicians needed
What this shows Across all designated shortage areas, the U.S. needs about 21,910 additional clinicians. Primary care carries the largest shortfall.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA)?
A Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) is a geographic area, population group, or facility designated by the federal government as having a shortage of primary care, mental health, or dental providers. HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration) designates HPSAs based on population-to-provider ratios and other criteria.
What is a Medically Underserved Area (MUA)?
A Medically Underserved Area (MUA) is a county or group of counties, a group of county subdivisions, or a group of urban census tracts in which the population has a shortage of personal health services. MUA designations are based on an Index of Medical Underservice (IMU) that considers physician availability, poverty rates, elderly population, and infant mortality.
Where does PlainHealthAccess data come from?
All data on PlainHealthAccess comes directly from HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HRSA maintains the official HPSA and MUA/MUP designation datasets, which are updated regularly.
How is the HPSA score calculated?
HPSA scores range from 0 to 25 for primary care and mental health, and 0 to 26 for dental health. Higher scores indicate greater need. Scores are calculated based on population-to-provider ratios, distance to the nearest source of care outside the area, percentage of the population below poverty level, and infant mortality rate or water fluoridation status.
Is PlainHealthAccess affiliated with HRSA or the government?
No. PlainHealthAccess is an independent data portal. We make publicly available HRSA data more accessible and searchable. We are not affiliated with HRSA, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or any government agency.
Data source: HRSA Data Warehouse — Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. PlainHealthAccess is not affiliated with HRSA or any government agency.
PlainHealthAccess maps HRSA shortage designations for geographic awareness and does not constitute medical or healthcare policy advice. For assistance finding a provider, contact your state health department or visit HRSA.gov.
Guides & Analysis
Editorial research and plain-language explainers from our team. Every guide is written to help you read the underlying public data correctly.
Research
Original analysis from our editorial team, every statistic derived from our own database. See all research.
Top 10 US States by HRSA Health Professional Shortage Area Count
PlainHealthAccess ranks US states and territories by total HPSA designations across primary care, mental health, and dental discipline tracks — rendered live from the HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce data files.
ResearchTop 10 US States by Population in Health Shortage Area
PlainHealthAccess ranks US states by total population residing in at least one HRSA-designated health professional shortage area — live from federal designation files.
ResearchTop 10 Largest US Counties Designated Medically Underserved
PlainHealthAccess ranks US counties carrying an HRSA Medically Underserved Area designation, sorted by total county population — live from federal MUA files.