CT · Healthcare shortage profile
Western Connecticut County, CT
Peak severity leads this reading: Western Connecticut County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 620,666.
- Active HPSAs
- 16
- Population
- 620,666
- Peak shortage score
- 25.0
- MUA Index
- -
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Western Connecticut County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 16 active HPSA designations, more than 92% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 16
- Active HPSA designations
- 5
- Dental shortages
- 25
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 8%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Western Connecticut County, CT 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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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.
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Closing Western Connecticut County's active designations would take about 28 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 8.5 primary care, 12 mental health, 6.9 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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37.5% of Western Connecticut County's 16 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 6 primary care, 5 mental health, 5 dental (denominator 16).
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Western Connecticut County carries 16 active designations, above 92% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Western Connecticut County sits among the top three county rank positions in CT, at rank 3 of 17. 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: 09190. Population: 620,666.
Peak severity scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Western Connecticut County in the current HRSA release, federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?
Highest-severity HPSA designations
All 16 active (designated) HPSAs in Western Connecticut County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Norwalk Community Health Center, Inc. | dental | 25.0 |
| Family Centers Inc | dental | 25.0 |
| Connecticut Institute For Communities, Inc | dental | 23.0 |
| Connecticut Institute For Communities, Inc | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Family Centers Inc | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Norwalk Community Health Center, Inc. | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Norwalk Community Health Center, Inc. | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Connecticut Institute For Communities, Inc | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Catchments Areas 1 and 2 / Stamford and Norwalk | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Family Centers Inc | primary_care | 15.0 |
| LI-Stamford SA | dental | 15.0 |
| LI - Central Norwalk | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Region 5 | mental_health | 14.0 |
| LI - Norwalk | dental | 14.0 |
| LI - Stamford | primary_care | 12.0 |
| LI - Danbury / Bethel | primary_care | 10.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Western Connecticut County
Peak severity leads this reading: Western Connecticut County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Western Connecticut 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 18.0 of 25; Mental health reads 21.0 of 25. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Western Connecticut County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Volume places Western Connecticut County above 92% of real US counties (16 active designations: 6 primary care, 5 mental health, 5 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.
Western Connecticut County sits among the top three county rank positions in CT, at rank 3 of 17. 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.
Western Connecticut 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
6 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
5 designations
- Dental
Dental
5 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Western Connecticut County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Western Connecticut County's active designations: about 28 FTE, 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 Western Connecticut County, CT · 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
Western Connecticut County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Western Connecticut County's 16 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 CT before you draw conclusions from a single score. CT 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 Western Connecticut County's 25.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Wayne County, MI and Travis County, TX.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Western Connecticut County's dental score of 25.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 25.0 (severity lead on this page is “NORWALK COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, INC.”).
Wayne County, MI
25.0 dental score · 1,793,561 pop.
Travis County, TX
25.0 dental score · 1,290,188 pop.
Wake County, NC
25.0 dental score · 1,129,410 pop.
Capitol County, CT
25.0 dental score · 977,165 pop.
Macomb County, MI
25.0 dental score · 881,217 pop.
San Diego County, CA
25.0 dental score · 3,298,634 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Western Connecticut County's peak score of 25.0?
- "NORWALK COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, INC." leads the active set (score 25.0; dental; 19,002 people in the service area; designated 03/11/2005). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 16 active rows: 6 primary care, 5 mental health, 5 dental.
- Why is Western Connecticut County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Western Connecticut County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- Which other active designations sit under Western Connecticut County's severity reading?
- After "NORWALK COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, INC.", the next active names on this release are "NORWALK COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, INC.", "FAMILY CENTERS INC", "CONNECTICUT INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNITIES, INC" and "CONNECTICUT INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNITIES, INC". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~28 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Western Connecticut County's high-severity geography?
- Western Connecticut County's 16 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not merely the county line around "NORWALK COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER, INC.".
- How does Western Connecticut County's peak severity sit inside CT?
- Western Connecticut County holds 16 active HPSA rows with peak 25.0. Western Connecticut County sits among the top three county rank positions in CT, at rank 3 of 17. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Wayne County, MI and Travis County, TX.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 09190. 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.
HRSA Data Warehouse HPSA + MUA/P records for FIPS 09190 (Western Connecticut County, CT), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 16; peak score 25.0; signature peak score 25.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.