CA · Healthcare shortage profile
Santa Clara County, CA
Home to 1,936,259 residents, with 39 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 39
- Population
- 1,936,259
- Peak shortage score
- 25.0
- MUA Index
- 54.2
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Santa Clara County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 39 active HPSA designations, more than 98% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 39
- Active HPSA designations
- 13
- Dental shortages
- 25
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 2%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Santa Clara 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.
-
33.3% of Santa Clara County's 39 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 13 primary care, 13 mental health, 13 dental (denominator 39).
-
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.
Santa Clara County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
39 Top 2% higher than 98% of 3,289 real US counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more real US counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source HRSA Data Warehouse, designated HPSAs · 2026
State peer position. Santa Clara County falls in the upper quarter of CA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 13 of 58. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 06085. Population: 1,936,259.
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
All 39 active (designated) HPSAs in Santa Clara County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Gardner Family Health Network, Inc | dental | 25.0 |
| School Health Clinics OF Santa Clara County | dental | 25.0 |
| Indian Health Center OF Santa Clara Valley | mental_health | 23.0 |
| Indian Health Center OF Santa Clara Valley | dental | 23.0 |
| Gardner Family Health Network, Inc | mental_health | 22.0 |
| The Asian Americans For Community Involvement OF Santa Clara County, Inc. | mental_health | 21.0 |
| School Health Clinics OF Santa Clara County | mental_health | 20.0 |
| The Asian Americans For Community Involvement OF Santa Clara County, Inc. | dental | 19.0 |
| County OF Santa Clara | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Peninsula Healthcare Connection, Inc. | dental | 17.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Silver Creek | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Wellness Center | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Main Clinic | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Westwood | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Forest Dental Clinic | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Pediatric Center | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Family Medical Center | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Forest Dental Clinic | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Pediatric Center | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Main Clinic | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Forest Dental Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Silver Creek | dental | 15.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Main Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Wellness Center | dental | 15.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Westwood | dental | 15.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Pediatric Center | dental | 15.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Family Medical Center | dental | 15.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Silver Creek | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Wellness Center | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Westwood | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Family Medical Center | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Peninsula Healthcare Connection, Inc. | mental_health | 13.0 |
| County OF Santa Clara | dental | 13.0 |
| Gardner Family Health Network, Inc | primary_care | 10.0 |
| School Health Clinics OF Santa Clara County | primary_care | 10.0 |
| The Asian Americans For Community Involvement OF Santa Clara County, Inc. | primary_care | 10.0 |
| Indian Health Center OF Santa Clara Valley | primary_care | 9.0 |
| County OF Santa Clara | primary_care | 9.0 |
| Peninsula Healthcare Connection, Inc. | primary_care | 8.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Santa Clara County
Dental care carries Santa Clara 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 16.0 of 25; Mental health reads 23.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 54.2, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Santa Clara County above 98% of real US counties (39 active designations: 13 primary care, 13 mental health, 13 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.
Santa Clara County falls in the upper quarter of CA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 13 of 58. 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.
Santa Clara County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Mental health
Mental health
13 designations
- Dental
Dental
13 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 Santa Clara 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
Santa Clara County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Santa Clara County's 39 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 Santa Clara County's 25.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Allegheny County, PA and Pima County, AZ.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Santa Clara County a Medically Underserved Area?
Yes, Santa Clara County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 54.2. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.
How many healthcare shortage areas does Santa Clara County have?
Santa Clara County, CA has 39 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 13 in primary care, 13 in mental health, and 13 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
What does Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, Santa Clara 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 Santa Clara County's designations unlock?
Santa Clara County's 39 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 Santa Clara County compare to other counties in CA?
Santa Clara County has 39 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 Santa Clara County stands relative to the rest of the country. Score-nearest counties on this release include Allegheny County, PA and Pima County, AZ.
Learn More About Healthcare Shortages
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 06085. 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 06085 (Santa Clara 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.