NC · Healthcare shortage profile
Wayne County, NC
Home to 117,333 residents, with 5 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 5
- Population
- 117,333
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- 54.4
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Wayne County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 5 active HPSA designations, more than 47% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 5
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Mental-health shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 53%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Wayne 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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40% of Wayne County's 5 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 5).
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Closing Wayne County's active designations would take about 20 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 7.6 primary care, 3.2 mental health, 9.1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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Peak HPSA score 18.0 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.
Wayne County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
5 Top 53% higher than 47% 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. Wayne County falls in the lower half of NC counties by active-designation volume, at rank 57 of 100. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 37191. Population: 117,333.
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 5 active (designated) HPSAs in Wayne County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI - Wayne County | mental_health | 18.0 |
| LI - Wayne County | primary_care | 17.0 |
| LI-Wayne County | dental | 17.0 |
| Neuse Correctional Institution | mental_health | 12.0 |
| Neuse Correctional Institution | dental | 12.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Wayne County
Wayne County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 18.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 17.0 of 25; Dental care reads 17.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 54.4, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Wayne County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 47% of counties) with 5 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (1/2/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Wayne County falls in the lower half of NC counties by active-designation volume, at rank 57 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 Wayne County's active designations: 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 Wayne County, NC · 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 Wayne County's designations
Wayne County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Wayne County's 5 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 mental health burden compares with the rest of NC before you draw conclusions from a single score. NC 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 mental-health score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active mental-health HPSA score to Wayne County's 18.0. Open St. Louis County, MO or Solano County, CA next.
Showing 3 of 3083 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Nationwide counties with similar HRSA profiles
Two peer sets for Wayne County: active designation volume and primary-care HPSA score, ranked across the national county corpus.
Similar designation volume
Nearest active designation count (5 here).
Similar primary-care score
Nearest active primary-care HPSA score (17.0 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wayne County a Medically Underserved Area?
Yes, Wayne County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 54.4. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.
How many healthcare shortage areas does Wayne County have?
Wayne County, NC has 5 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 1 in primary care, 2 in mental health, and 2 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
What does Wayne County's HPSA score of 18.0 mean?
18.0 in mental health 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 Wayne County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, Wayne 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.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 37191. 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.