CA · Healthcare shortage profile
Los Angeles County, CA
Home to 10,014,009 residents, with 271 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 271
- Population
- 10,014,009
- Peak shortage score
- 25.0
- MUA Index
- 47.9
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Los Angeles County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 271 active HPSA designations, more than 99% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 271
- Active HPSA designations
- 90
- Dental shortages
- 25
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 1%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Los Angeles County, CA on its own pages , computed from the retained designation mirror as of 2026-08-15. Each line carries its own denominator so it can be quoted as it stands.
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35.4% of Los Angeles County's 271 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 96 primary care, 85 mental health, 90 dental (denominator 271).
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Closing Los Angeles County's active designations would take about 156 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 60 primary care, 2.2 mental health, 94 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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Peak HPSA score 25.0 clears HRSA's 17-point high-priority line.
Scores at or above 17 on the 0–25/26 scales open NHSC placement priority for the matching provider type; eligibility still follows the designated area, not the county boundary alone.
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Los Angeles County carries 271 active designations, above 99% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Los Angeles County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 58 real counties in CA. Ties share a rank.
Computed from current designated HPSA rows for every five-digit county FIPS. See the placement methodology.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 06037. Population: 10,014,009.
Medically Underserved Area
Peak severity scores
Current designated records only. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?
Highest-severity HPSA designations
Showing the 40 most-severe of 271 active (designated) HPSAs in Los Angeles County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Central Neighborhood Health Foundation | dental | 25.0 |
| Bartz-Altadonna Community Health Center | dental | 25.0 |
| DE Novo Health Care, Inc | dental | 25.0 |
| South Central Family Health Center | dental | 25.0 |
| Wilmington Community Clinic | dental | 25.0 |
| University Muslim Medical Association, Inc | dental | 25.0 |
| Harbor Community Clinic | dental | 25.0 |
| Kedren Community Health Center, Inc. | dental | 25.0 |
| Los Angeles Christian Health Centers | dental | 25.0 |
| Pediatric And Family Medical Foundation | dental | 25.0 |
| St. John's Community Health | dental | 25.0 |
| Universal Community Health Center | dental | 25.0 |
| Watts Healthcare Corp | dental | 25.0 |
| Clinica Msr. Oscar A Romero | dental | 25.0 |
| Samuel Dixon Family Health Center, Inc. | dental | 25.0 |
| Community Medicine Inc | dental | 25.0 |
| Yehowa Medical Services | dental | 25.0 |
| Community Medical Wellness Centers, USA | dental | 25.0 |
| Aghaby Comprehensive Community Health Center | dental | 25.0 |
| Northeast Community Clinic | dental | 25.0 |
| St. Anthony Medical Centers, A Nonprofit Corporation | dental | 25.0 |
| The R.o.a.d.s. Foundation, Inc. | dental | 25.0 |
| Benevolence Industries Inc | dental | 25.0 |
| The Clinic, Inc. | dental | 25.0 |
| Behavioral Health Services, Inc. | dental | 25.0 |
| The Children's Clinic, Serving Children And Their Families | dental | 25.0 |
| Serenity Care Health Group | dental | 25.0 |
| Los Angeles Free Clinic., The | dental | 23.0 |
| Gracelight Community Health | dental | 23.0 |
| Apla Health & Wellness | dental | 23.0 |
| Central City Community Health Center, Inc | dental | 23.0 |
| Korean Health, Education, Information And Research Center | dental | 23.0 |
| Valley Community Healthcare | dental | 23.0 |
| Mission City Community Network, Inc | dental | 23.0 |
| Amh Comprehensive Medical Centers | dental | 23.0 |
| Sfv Health Center, Inc | dental | 23.0 |
| Tarzana Treatment Centers, Inc. | dental | 23.0 |
| Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc. | dental | 23.0 |
| Beverlycare | dental | 23.0 |
| Precision Health Center | dental | 23.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Los Angeles County
Dental care carries Los Angeles County's deepest shortage reading, 25.0 on HRSA's 0–26 dental scale, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 21.0 of 25; Mental health reads 22.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 47.9, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Los Angeles County above 99% of real US counties (271 active designations: 96 primary care, 85 mental health, 90 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 25.0. The table on this page lists the highest-severity records first so a reader can see which named facilities, geographies, or population groups drive that burden without treating the county total as a personal appointment forecast.
Los Angeles County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 58 real counties in CA. Heavy-burden counties are where NHSC placement, Community Health Center grant geography, and related federal instruments concentrate; eligibility still follows the designated area and provider type, not the county boundary alone.
Los Angeles County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Primary care
Primary care
96 designations
- Dental
Dental
90 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
85 designations
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Los Angeles County, CA · 2026 HRSA designation data updated quarterly; HPSA scores 0-25 (primary/mental) and 0-26 (dental); higher = greater shortage severity. Coverage tiers from U.S. Census ACS PUMS + KFF state tracker.
Acting on a heavy-burden county
Los Angeles County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Los Angeles County's 271 active designations make providers here eligible for National Health Service Corps loan repayment, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's primary care burden compares with the rest of CA before you draw conclusions from a single score. CA overview
- Check whether an area clears HRSA's 3,500:1 population-to-provider threshold with the provider-to-population ratio behind an HPSA score. HPSA score lookup
HPSA scores describe shortage severity within HRSA's designation criteria, not the availability of any individual provider. For a specific appointment, contact a provider or your insurer; use HRSA's current tools to verify a designation.
Counties With a Similar Dental Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to Los Angeles County's 25.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Alameda County, CA and Oakland County, MI.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Los Angeles County a Medically Underserved Area?
Yes, Los Angeles County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 47.9. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.
How many healthcare shortage areas does Los Angeles County have?
Los Angeles County, CA has 271 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 96 in primary care, 85 in mental health, and 90 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
What does Los Angeles County's HPSA score of 25.0 mean?
25.0 in dental care clears 17, HRSA's high-priority line, which is what makes providers here eligible for NHSC placement and enhanced reimbursement.
What healthcare providers are needed in Los Angeles County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, Los Angeles County needs additional providers in primary care (family physicians, internists, pediatricians), mental health (psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers), and dental care (dentists, dental hygienists). The National Health Service Corps offers loan repayment and scholarship programs for providers who serve in designated shortage areas.
Which federal programs do Los Angeles County's designations unlock?
Los Angeles County's 271 active designations open NHSC placement, Community Health Center grants, the Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, but eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not the county line.
How does Los Angeles County compare to other counties in CA?
Los Angeles County has 271 total HPSA designations with a peak shortage score of 25.0. You can compare shortage levels across all counties in CA on the state overview page, or view national county rankings to see where Los Angeles County stands relative to the rest of the country. Score-nearest counties on this release include Alameda County, CA and Oakland County, MI.
Learn More About Healthcare Shortages
Explore more CA shortage data
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 06037. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_PC.csv (primary care) , BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_MH.csv (mental health) and BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_DH.csv (dental) — download the normalized export on our open data page. PlainHealthAccess is not affiliated with HRSA or any government agency.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the HRSA Data Warehouse. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →
Every figure on PlainHealthAccess is rendered directly from HRSA source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page counts active HPSA rows for FIPS 06037 (Los Angeles County, CA) from the current HRSA release and places that total among all real US counties. Designations describe federal shortage criteria, not appointment availability or care quality for any person. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, review the public data changelog, or report a data issue for this page. Data current as of 2026-08-15.