PA · Healthcare shortage profile
Delaware County, PA
Home to 576,830 residents, with 7 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 7
- Population
- 576,830
- Peak shortage score
- 19.0
- MUA Index
- 55.8
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Delaware County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 7 active HPSA designations, more than 70% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 7
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Dental shortages
- 19
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 30%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Delaware County, PA 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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42.9% of Delaware County's 7 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 7).
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Closing Delaware County's active designations would take about 5.9 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, 0.3 mental health, 0.3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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Peak HPSA score 19.0 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.
Delaware County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
7 Top 30% higher than 70% 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. Delaware County falls in the upper half of PA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 19 of 67. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 42045. Population: 576,830.
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
All 7 active (designated) HPSAs in Delaware County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chespenn Health Services, Inc | dental | 19.0 |
| Chespenn Health Services, Inc | primary_care | 17.0 |
| LI-Chester City | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Chespenn Health Services, Inc | mental_health | 9.0 |
| CF-State Correctional Institution - Chester | primary_care | 3.0 |
| CF-State Correctional Institution - Chester | mental_health | 3.0 |
| CF-State Correctional Institution - Chester | dental | 3.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Delaware County
Dental care carries Delaware County's deepest shortage reading, 19.0 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 17.0 of 25; Mental health reads 9.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 55.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Delaware County above 70% of real US counties (7 active designations: 3 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 19.0. 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.
Delaware County falls in the upper half of PA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 19 of 67. 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.
Delaware County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Primary care
Primary care
3 designations
- Dental
Dental
2 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 Delaware County, PA · 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
Delaware County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Delaware County's 7 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 PA before you draw conclusions from a single score. PA 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 Delaware County's 19.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Delaware County a Medically Underserved Area?
Yes, Delaware County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 55.8. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.
How many healthcare shortage areas does Delaware County have?
Delaware County, PA has 7 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 3 in primary care, 2 in mental health, and 2 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
What does Delaware County's HPSA score of 19.0 mean?
19.0 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 Delaware County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, Delaware 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 Delaware County's designations unlock?
Delaware County's 7 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 Delaware County compare to other counties in PA?
Delaware County has 7 total HPSA designations with a peak shortage score of 19.0. You can compare shortage levels across all counties in PA on the state overview page, or view national county rankings to see where Delaware County stands relative to the rest of the country.
Learn More About Healthcare Shortages
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 42045. 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 42045 (Delaware County, PA) 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.