MD · Healthcare shortage profile
Wicomico County, MD
Peak severity leads this reading: Wicomico County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 103,588.
- Active HPSAs
- 6
- Population
- 103,588
- Peak shortage score
- 26.0
- MUA Index
- 53.7
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Wicomico County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 6 active HPSA designations, more than 54% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 6
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Dental shortages
- 26
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 46%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Wicomico County
Wicomico County intersects 16 Census ZCTAs, above the 15-ZIP dense-tercile cut. Shortage designations still attach at the county (or smaller HPSA) grain; the ZIP list is geography, not a second severity score.
Largest land-share ZCTAs in this county
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 Wicomico 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 26.0 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 Wicomico County's active designations would take about 18 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 8.6 primary care, 1.9 mental health, 7.3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Wicomico County's 6 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 6).
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Wicomico County carries 6 active designations, above 54% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Wicomico County falls in the upper half of MD counties by active-designation volume, at rank 6 of 23. 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: 24045. Population: 103,588.
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 6 active (designated) HPSAs in Wicomico County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Three Lower Counties Community Services, Inc | dental | 26.0 |
| Three Lower Counties Community Services, Inc | mental_health | 22.0 |
| Three Lower Counties Community Services, Inc | primary_care | 21.0 |
| LI - Wicomico County | mental_health | 17.0 |
| LI - Wicomico County | dental | 16.0 |
| ME-Wicomico County | primary_care | 15.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Wicomico County
Peak severity leads this reading: Wicomico County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Wicomico County's deepest shortage reading, 26.0 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 53.7, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Wicomico County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 54% of counties) with 6 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Wicomico County falls in the upper half of MD counties by active-designation volume, at rank 6 of 23. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Wicomico 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
2 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
2 designations
- Dental
Dental
2 designations
Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Wicomico County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Wicomico County's active designations: about 18 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 Wicomico County, MD · 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 Wicomico County's designations
Wicomico County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Wicomico County's 6 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 MD before you draw conclusions from a single score. MD 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.
Nearby dental score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active dental HPSA score to Wicomico County's 26.0. Open Orange County, FL or Lee County, FL next.
Showing 3 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Wicomico County's dental score of 26.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 26.0 (severity lead on this page is “THREE LOWER COUNTIES COMMUNITY SERVICES, INC”).
Orange County, FL
26.0 dental score · 1,429,908 pop.
Lee County, FL
26.0 dental score · 760,822 pop.
Sonoma County, CA
26.0 dental score · 488,863 pop.
Albany County, NY
26.0 dental score · 314,848 pop.
Maui County, HI
26.0 dental score · 164,754 pop.
Sumter County, FL
26.0 dental score · 129,752 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Wicomico County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Wicomico County carries an MUA designation (index 53.7; 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 Wicomico County's peak score of 26.0?
- "THREE LOWER COUNTIES COMMUNITY SERVICES, INC" leads the active set (score 26.0; dental; 39,916 people in the service area; designated 10/26/2002). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 6 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Wicomico County's severity reading?
- After "THREE LOWER COUNTIES COMMUNITY SERVICES, INC", the next active names on this release are "THREE LOWER COUNTIES COMMUNITY SERVICES, INC", "THREE LOWER COUNTIES COMMUNITY SERVICES, INC", "THREE LOWER COUNTIES COMMUNITY SERVICES, INC" and "LI - Wicomico County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~18 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Wicomico County's high-severity geography?
- Wicomico County's 6 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 "THREE LOWER COUNTIES COMMUNITY SERVICES, INC".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 24045. 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 24045 (Wicomico County, MD), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 26.0; signature peak score 26.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.