CA · Healthcare shortage profile
Sutter County, CA
Home to 99,633 residents, with 8 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 8
- Population
- 99,633
- Peak shortage score
- 23.0
- MUA Index
- 56.3
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Sutter County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 8 active HPSA designations, more than 73% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 8
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Mental-health shortages
- 23
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 27%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Sutter 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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37.5% of Sutter County's 8 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 8).
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Closing Sutter County's active designations would take about 5.6 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.7 primary care, 3.9 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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Peak HPSA score 23.0 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.
Sutter County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
8 Top 27% higher than 73% 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. Sutter County falls in the lower half of CA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 45 of 58. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 06101. Population: 99,633.
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 8 active (designated) HPSAs in Sutter County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Ampla Health | mental_health | 23.0 |
| Ampla Health | dental | 23.0 |
| Yuba City Indian Health Station | dental | 20.0 |
| Yuba City Indian Health Station | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Ampla Health | primary_care | 18.0 |
| ME - Mssa 218/Live Oak | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Yuba City Indian Health Station | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Sutter County | mental_health | 14.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Sutter County
Sutter County's shortage runs equally deep in mental health and dental care: both scored 23.0 by HRSA, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 18.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 56.3, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Sutter County above 73% of real US counties (8 active designations: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 2 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 23.0. 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.
Sutter County falls in the lower half of CA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 45 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.
Clinician FTE gap by care type
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Sutter County's active designations: a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Sutter 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
Sutter County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Sutter County's 8 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 Mental Health Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Sutter County's 23.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Yuma County, AZ and Penobscot County, ME.
Showing 6 of 3083 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Nationwide counties with similar HRSA profiles
Two peer sets for Sutter County: active designation volume and primary-care HPSA score, ranked across the national county corpus.
Similar designation volume
Nearest active designation count (8 here).
Similar primary-care score
Nearest active primary-care HPSA score (18.0 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sutter County a Medically Underserved Area?
Yes, Sutter County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 56.3. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.
How many healthcare shortage areas does Sutter County have?
Sutter County, CA has 8 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 3 in primary care, 3 in mental health, and 2 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
What does Sutter County's HPSA score of 23.0 mean?
23.0 in mental health and 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 Sutter County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, Sutter 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 Sutter County's designations unlock?
Sutter County's 8 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 Sutter County compare to other counties in CA?
Sutter County has 8 total HPSA designations with a peak shortage score of 23.0. You can compare shortage levels across all counties in CA on the state overview page, or view national county rankings to see where Sutter County stands relative to the rest of the country. Score-nearest counties on this release include Yuma County, AZ and Penobscot County, ME.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 06101. 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.