MD · Healthcare shortage profile
Kent County, MD
Peak severity leads this reading: Kent County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 19,198.
- Active HPSAs
- 2
- Population
- 19,198
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- 61.9
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Kent County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 2 active HPSA designations, more than 10% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 2
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Primary-care shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 90%
- US counties by volume
Few Census ZCTAs touch Kent County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Kent County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
4 additional ZCTAs intersect this county in the crosswalk (ordered by land share).
Source: Census ZCTA–county relationship file joined to this portal's county FIPS set. As of 2026-08-15.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Kent County, MD 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 17.0 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.
-
Closing Kent County's active designations would take about 2.6 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.8 primary care, 0.7 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
50% of Kent County's 2 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental (denominator 2).
Kent County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
2 Top 90% higher than 10% 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. Kent County falls in the lower half of MD counties by active-designation volume, at rank 17 of 23. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 24029. Population: 19,198.
Medically Underserved Area
Active HPSA 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 2 active (designated) HPSAs in Kent County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| ME - Kent County | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Kent County | mental_health | 12.0 |
Light-burden reading for Kent County
Peak severity leads this reading: Kent County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where Kent County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 17.0 of 25, the county's highest severity reading and past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Mental health reads 12.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 61.9, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Kent County carries 2 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 10% of counties). A light footprint still matters: a single high-score dental or mental-health record can open program geography even when the county total looks small next to heavy peers.
Kent County falls in the lower half of MD counties by active-designation volume, at rank 17 of 23. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.
Light-volume FTE gap for Kent County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Kent County's active designations: about 2.6 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Kent County's high-priority primary care
Kent County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Kent County's high-priority primary care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's primary care burden compares with the rest of MD before drawing conclusions from a single score. MD overview
- Check the provider-to-population ratio behind an HPSA score against HRSA's designation thresholds. 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 near Kent County's primary score of 17.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 17.0 (severity lead on this page is “ME - Kent County”).
Bell County, TX
17.0 primary score · 370,647 pop.
Dauphin County, PA
17.0 primary score · 286,401 pop.
Butte County, CA
17.0 primary score · 211,632 pop.
Kootenai County, ID
17.0 primary score · 171,362 pop.
Johnson County, IA
17.0 primary score · 152,854 pop.
Middlesex County, MA
17.0 primary score · 1,632,002 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Kent County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Kent County carries an MUA designation (index 61.9; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- Which record sets Kent County's peak score of 17.0?
- "ME - Kent County" leads the active set (score 17.0; primary care; 5,450 people in the service area; ~1.8 FTE still needed on the record; designated 02/09/2022). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 2 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Kent County's severity reading?
- After "ME - Kent County", the next active names on this release are "ME - Kent County" and "Kent County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~2.6 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 24029. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_PC.csv (primary care) and BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_MH.csv (mental health) — 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 24029 (Kent County, MD), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 2; peak score 17.0; signature peak score 17.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.