OR · Healthcare shortage profile
Multnomah County, OR
Home to 815,428 residents, with 48 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 48
- Population
- 815,428
- Peak shortage score
- 26.0
- MUA Index
- 52.5
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Multnomah County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 48 active HPSA designations, more than 99% of the 3,289 real US counties, with dental the deepest gap.
- 48
- Active HPSA designations
- 17
- Dental shortages
- 26
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 1%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Multnomah County, OR 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.
-
35.4% of Multnomah County's 48 active designations are dental.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 15 primary care, 16 mental health, 17 dental (denominator 48).
-
Closing Multnomah County's active designations would take about 33 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 12 mental health, 20 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
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.
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Multnomah County carries 48 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. Multnomah County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 36 real counties in OR. 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: 41051. Population: 815,428.
Medically Underserved Area
Peak severity 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
Showing the 40 most-severe of 48 active (designated) HPSAs in Multnomah County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Central City Concern | dental | 26.0 |
| Multnomah County | dental | 26.0 |
| The Wallace Medical Concern | dental | 24.0 |
| Oregon Health & Science University | dental | 24.0 |
| The Native American Rehabilitation Association OF The Northwest, Incorporated | dental | 24.0 |
| Outside IN | dental | 24.0 |
| Cascadia Health | dental | 23.0 |
| Oregon Health & Science University | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Multnomah County | mental_health | 21.0 |
| The Wallace Medical Concern | primary_care | 20.0 |
| Multnomah County | primary_care | 20.0 |
| The Wallace Medical Concern | mental_health | 20.0 |
| Nara of the Northwest, Inc. - Dental Clinic | dental | 20.0 |
| Central City Concern | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Nara of the Northwest, Inc. - Indian Health Clinic | mental_health | 19.0 |
| The Native American Rehabilitation Association OF The Northwest, Incorporated | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Nara of the Northwest, Inc. - Dental Clinic | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Nara of the Northwest, Inc. - Indian Health Clinic | dental | 19.0 |
| Oregon Health & Science University | primary_care | 18.0 |
| The Native American Rehabilitation Association OF The Northwest, Incorporated | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Outside IN | primary_care | 18.0 |
| LI - Inner Portland | dental | 18.0 |
| Nara of the Northwest, Inc. - Indian Health Clinic | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Nara of the Northwest, Inc. - Dental Clinic | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Central City Concern | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Cascade Aids Project | dental | 17.0 |
| Cascadia Health | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Outside IN | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI-East Portland | dental | 16.0 |
| Nara of the Northwest, Inc. – Tate Topo | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Nara of the Northwest, Inc. - Outpatient Treatment Center | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Nara of the Northwest, Inc. - Oyate Behavioral Health | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Nara of the Northwest, Inc. – Totem Lodge | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Nara of the Northwest, Inc. - Wellness Center | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Cascade Aids Project | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Nara of the Northwest, Inc. - Oyate Behavioral Health | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Nara of the Northwest, Inc. – Tate Topo | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Nara of the Northwest, Inc. - Wellness Center | mental_health | 15.0 |
| ME - Multnomah County | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Nara of the Northwest, Inc. - Outpatient Treatment Center | mental_health | 15.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Multnomah County
Dental care carries Multnomah 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 20.0 of 25; Mental health reads 21.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 52.5, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Multnomah County above 99% of real US counties (48 active designations: 15 primary care, 16 mental health, 17 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 26.0. 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.
Multnomah County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 36 real counties in OR. 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.
Multnomah County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Dental
Dental
17 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
16 designations
- Primary care
Primary care
15 designations
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Multnomah County, OR · 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
Multnomah County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Multnomah County's 48 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 dental burden compares with the rest of OR before you draw conclusions from a single score. OR 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 Multnomah County's 26.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Orange County, NY and Saginaw County, MI.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Multnomah County a Medically Underserved Area?
Yes, Multnomah County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 52.5. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.
How many healthcare shortage areas does Multnomah County have?
Multnomah County, OR has 48 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 15 in primary care, 16 in mental health, and 17 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
What does Multnomah County's HPSA score of 26.0 mean?
26.0 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 Multnomah County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, Multnomah 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 Multnomah County's designations unlock?
Multnomah County's 48 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 Multnomah County compare to other counties in OR?
Multnomah County has 48 total HPSA designations with a peak shortage score of 26.0. You can compare shortage levels across all counties in OR on the state overview page, or view national county rankings to see where Multnomah County stands relative to the rest of the country. Score-nearest counties on this release include Orange County, NY and Saginaw County, MI.
Learn More About Healthcare Shortages
Explore more OR shortage data
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 41051. 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 41051 (Multnomah County, OR) 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.