Medically Underserved Area Primary · mental · dental footprint

NY · Healthcare shortage profile

New York County, NY

Home to 1,694,251 residents, with 65 active HRSA shortage designations.

Active HPSAs
65
Population
1,694,251
Peak shortage score
25.0
MUA Index
48.3

Heavy-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, New York County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 65 active HPSA designations, more than 99% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

65
Active HPSA designations
21
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 New York County, NY 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.

  1. 33.8% of New York County's 65 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 22 primary care, 22 mental health, 21 dental (denominator 65).

  2. Closing New York County's active designations would take about 145 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 59 primary care, 18 mental health, 67 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 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, New York County carries 65 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. New York County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 62 real counties in NY. 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: 36061. Population: 1,694,251.

21
Dental HPSAs
22
Primary Care HPSAs
22
Mental Health HPSAs

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 48.3

Peak severity scores

Primary Care 20.0
Mental Health 23.0
Dental 25.0

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 65 active (designated) HPSAs in New York County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
New York City Health And Hospitals Corporation dental 25.0
Upper Room Aids Ministry, Inc Adult Day Health Care Center dental 25.0
Project Renewal, Inc. dental 25.0
Settlement Health & Med dental 25.0
East Harlem Council for Human Services, Inc. dental 25.0
Betances Health Center dental 25.0
Heritage Health & Housing Inc dental 25.0
Care For Homeless dental 25.0
William F. Ryan Community Health Center, Inc dental 25.0
The Institute For Family Health dental 25.0
Apicha Community Health Center dental 25.0
Community Healthcare Network, Inc. dental 25.0
East Harlem Council for Human Services, Inc. mental_health 23.0
Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, Inc. dental 23.0
New York City Health And Hospitals Corporation mental_health 22.0
Heritage Health & Housing Inc mental_health 22.0
William F. Ryan Community Health Center, Inc mental_health 22.0
Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, Inc. mental_health 22.0
Settlement Health & Med mental_health 22.0
Community Health Project, Inc. dental 22.0
ME - East Harlem dental 21.0
Bellevue Hospital Center dental 21.0
Betances Health Center primary_care 20.0
Betances Health Center mental_health 20.0
The Institute For Family Health mental_health 20.0
Community Healthcare Network, Inc. mental_health 20.0
Under 21 dental 20.0
Upper Room Aids Ministry, Inc Adult Day Health Care Center mental_health 19.0
Care For Homeless mental_health 19.0
Project Renewal, Inc. mental_health 19.0
ME - Central Harlem dental 19.0
ME - Washington Heights dental 19.0
The Institute For Family Health primary_care 18.0
ME - Riverdale mental_health 18.0
Apicha Community Health Center mental_health 18.0
New York City Health And Hospitals Corporation primary_care 17.0
Bellevue Hospital Center primary_care 17.0
Upper Room Aids Ministry, Inc Adult Day Health Care Center primary_care 17.0
Settlement Health & Med primary_care 17.0
East Harlem Council for Human Services, Inc. primary_care 17.0

Heavy-burden reading for New York County

Dental care carries New York 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 20.0 of 25; Mental health reads 23.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 48.3, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Volume places New York County above 99% of real US counties (65 active designations: 22 primary care, 22 mental health, 21 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.

New York County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 62 real counties in NY. 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.

New York County designations by care type

Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).

designations
Source HRSA Data Warehouse, designated HPSAs As of 2026

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for New York County, NY · 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

New York County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.

  • New York County's 65 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 NY before you draw conclusions from a single score. NY 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 New York County's 25.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is New York County a Medically Underserved Area?

Yes, New York County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 48.3. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.

How many healthcare shortage areas does New York County have?

New York County, NY has 65 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 22 in primary care, 22 in mental health, and 21 in dental care, according to HRSA data.

What does New York 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 New York County?

Based on HRSA shortage designations, New York 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 New York County's designations unlock?

New York County's 65 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 New York County compare to other counties in NY?

New York County has 65 total HPSA designations with a peak shortage score of 25.0. You can compare shortage levels across all counties in NY on the state overview page, or view national county rankings to see where New York County stands relative to the rest of the country.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 36061. 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.

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 36061 (New York County, NY) 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.