NY · Healthcare shortage profile
Tompkins County, NY
Home to 105,740 residents, with 3 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 3
- Population
- 105,740
- Peak shortage score
- 20.0
- MUA Index
- -
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Tompkins County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 3 active HPSA designations, more than 20% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 3
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Dental shortages
- 20
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 80%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Tompkins 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.
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33.3% of Tompkins County's 3 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 3).
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Closing Tompkins County's active designations would take about 10 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 5.3 primary care, 1.4 mental health, 3.7 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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Peak HPSA score 20.0 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.
Tompkins County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
3 Top 80% higher than 20% 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. Tompkins County falls in the lower half of NY counties by active-designation volume, at rank 38 of 62. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 36109. Population: 105,740.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Tompkins 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 3 active (designated) HPSAs in Tompkins County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| ME - Tompkins County | dental | 20.0 |
| ME - Tompkins County | mental_health | 19.0 |
| ME - Tompkins County | primary_care | 16.0 |
Light-burden reading for Tompkins County
Dental care carries Tompkins County's deepest shortage reading, 20.0 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 16.0 of 25; Mental health reads 19.0 of 25. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Tompkins County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Tompkins County carries 3 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 20% 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.
Tompkins County falls in the lower half of NY counties by active-designation volume, at rank 38 of 62. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Tompkins 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 Tompkins County's designations
Tompkins County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Tompkins County's 3 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many healthcare shortage areas does Tompkins County have?
Tompkins County, NY has 3 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 1 in primary care, 1 in mental health, and 1 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
Is Tompkins County a Medically Underserved Area?
Tompkins County does not currently have a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) designation from HRSA. However, the county may still have individual HPSA designations for specific provider types.
What does Tompkins County's HPSA score of 20.0 mean?
20.0 in dental care clears 17, HRSA's high-priority line, which is what makes providers here eligible for NHSC placement and enhanced reimbursement.
Next read: Dental Shortage in America · NY state overview · NHSC loan repayment
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 36109. 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 36109 (Tompkins 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.