NC · Healthcare shortage profile
Brunswick County, NC
Home to 136,693 residents, with 4 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 4
- Population
- 136,693
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- 52.9
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Brunswick County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 4 active HPSA designations, more than 44% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 4
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Primary-care shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 56%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Brunswick County, NC 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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75% of Brunswick County's 4 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental (denominator 4).
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Closing Brunswick County's active designations would take about 8.4 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 5.7 primary care, 2.7 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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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.
Brunswick County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
4 Top 56% higher than 44% 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. Brunswick County falls in the lower half of NC counties by active-designation volume, at rank 65 of 100. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 37019. Population: 136,693.
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 4 active (designated) HPSAs in Brunswick County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI - Brunswick Western | primary_care | 17.0 |
| LI-Brunswick Bolivia | primary_care | 16.0 |
| LI-Brunswick Leland | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Brunswick | mental_health | 11.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Brunswick County
Primary care is where Brunswick 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 11.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 52.9, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Brunswick County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 44% of counties) with 4 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (3/1/0) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Brunswick County falls in the lower half of NC counties by active-designation volume, at rank 65 of 100. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Clinician FTE gap by care type
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Brunswick County's active designations: a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Brunswick County's high-priority primary care
Brunswick County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Brunswick 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 NC before drawing conclusions from a single score. NC 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.
Nearby primary-care score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active primary-care HPSA score to Brunswick County's 17.0. Open Providence County, RI or Manatee County, FL next.
Showing 3 of 2934 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Nationwide counties with similar HRSA profiles
Two peer sets for Brunswick County: active designation volume and primary-care HPSA score, ranked across the national county corpus.
Similar designation volume
Nearest active designation count (4 here).
Similar primary-care score
Nearest active primary-care HPSA score (17.0 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brunswick County a Medically Underserved Area?
Yes, Brunswick County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 52.9. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.
How many healthcare shortage areas does Brunswick County have?
Brunswick County, NC has 4 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 3 in primary care, 1 in mental health, and 0 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
What does Brunswick County's HPSA score of 17.0 mean?
17.0 in primary 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 Brunswick County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, Brunswick County needs additional providers in primary care (family physicians, internists, pediatricians), and mental health (psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers). The National Health Service Corps offers loan repayment and scholarship programs for providers who serve in designated shortage areas.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 37019. 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.