IL · Healthcare shortage profile
Cook County, IL
Home to 5,275,541 residents, with 154 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 154
- Population
- 5,275,541
- Peak shortage score
- 25.0
- MUA Index
- 35.1
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Cook County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 154 active HPSA designations, more than 99% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 154
- Active HPSA designations
- 42
- 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 Cook County, IL on its own pages , computed from the retained designation mirror as of 2026-08-03. Each line carries its own denominator so it can be quoted as it stands.
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48.1% of Cook County's 154 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 74 primary care, 38 mental health, 42 dental (denominator 154).
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Closing Cook County's active designations would take about 264 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 198 primary care, 20 mental health, 47 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, Cook County carries 154 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. Cook County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 102 real counties in IL. 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: 17031. Population: 5,275,541.
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 154 active (designated) HPSAs in Cook County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI-Riverdale | dental | 25.0 |
| Community Health Partnership OF Illinois | dental | 25.0 |
| LI-Washington Park | dental | 23.0 |
| Tca Health, Inc. Nfp | dental | 23.0 |
| Grand Prairie Services | dental | 23.0 |
| Beloved Community Family Wellness Center | dental | 23.0 |
| Family Christian Health Center | dental | 23.0 |
| Asian Human Services Family Health Center | dental | 23.0 |
| Friend Family Health Center, Inc. | dental | 23.0 |
| Christian Community Health Center | dental | 23.0 |
| Family Christian Health Center | mental_health | 22.0 |
| Beloved Community Family Wellness Center | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Erie Family Health Center | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Esperanza Health Centers | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Family Christian Health Center | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Tapestry 360 Health | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Friend Family Health Center, Inc. | primary_care | 21.0 |
| University of Illinois | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Alivio Medical Center, Inc | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Lawndale Christian Health Center | primary_care | 21.0 |
| The Near North Health Service Corporation | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Heartland Alliance Health | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Christian Community Health Center | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Chicago Family Health Center Inc | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Community Health Partnership OF Illinois | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Inner -City Muslim Action Network | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Access Community Health Network | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Pcc Community Wellness Center | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Tca Health, Inc. Nfp | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Howard Brown Health Center | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Grand Prairie Services | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Pillars Community Health | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Haymarket Center | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Primecare Community Health Inc | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Chicago Family Health Center Inc | dental | 21.0 |
| Aunt Martha's Health & Wellness Inc | dental | 21.0 |
| University of Illinois | dental | 21.0 |
| The Near North Health Service Corporation | dental | 21.0 |
| Heartland Alliance Health | dental | 21.0 |
| LI-Chicago 40 Washington Park | primary_care | 20.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Cook County
Dental care carries Cook 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 35.1, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Cook County above 99% of real US counties (154 active designations: 74 primary care, 38 mental health, 42 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.
Cook County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 102 real counties in IL. 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.
Cook 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
74 designations
- Dental
Dental
42 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
38 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 Cook County, IL · 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
Cook County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Cook County's 154 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 IL before you draw conclusions from a single score. IL 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 Cook County's 25.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Macomb County, MI and San Diego County, CA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cook County a Medically Underserved Area?
Yes, Cook County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 35.1. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.
How many healthcare shortage areas does Cook County have?
Cook County, IL has 154 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 74 in primary care, 38 in mental health, and 42 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
What does Cook 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 Cook County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, Cook 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 Cook County's designations unlock?
Cook County's 154 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 Cook County compare to other counties in IL?
Cook County has 154 total HPSA designations with a peak shortage score of 25.0. You can compare shortage levels across all counties in IL on the state overview page, or view national county rankings to see where Cook County stands relative to the rest of the country. Score-nearest counties on this release include Macomb County, MI and San Diego County, CA.
Learn More About Healthcare Shortages
Explore more IL shortage data
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 17031. 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 17031 (Cook County, IL) 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 2026-08-03.