TX · Healthcare shortage profile
El Paso County, TX
Peak severity leads this reading: El Paso County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 865,657.
- Active HPSAs
- 36
- Population
- 865,657
- Peak shortage score
- 25.0
- MUA Index
- 57.0
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, El Paso County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 36 active HPSA designations, more than 98% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 36
- Active HPSA designations
- 14
- Dental shortages
- 25
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 2%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for El Paso County, TX 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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Peak HPSA score 25.0 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.
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Closing El Paso County's active designations would take about 205 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 105 primary care, 22 mental health, 78 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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38.9% of El Paso County's 36 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 14 primary care, 8 mental health, 14 dental (denominator 36).
Dense ZCTA lattice over El Paso County
El Paso County intersects 31 Census ZCTAs, above the 15-ZIP dense-tercile cut. Shortage designations still attach at the county (or smaller HPSA) grain; the ZIP list is geography, not a second severity score.
Largest land-share ZCTAs in this county
19 additional ZCTAs intersect this county in the crosswalk (ordered by land share).
Source: Census ZCTA–county relationship file joined to this portal's county FIPS set. As of 2026-08-15.
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, El Paso County carries 36 active designations, above 98% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. El Paso County sits among the top three county rank positions in TX, at rank 2 of 254. 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: 48141. Population: 865,657.
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 36 active (designated) HPSAs in El Paso County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Project Vida Health Center | dental | 25.0 |
| Centro San Vicente | dental | 25.0 |
| Centro DE Salud Familiar LA FE Inc | dental | 23.0 |
| Project Vida Health Center | primary_care | 22.0 |
| Centro San Vicente | primary_care | 22.0 |
| LI-East El Paso SA - El Paso Co | dental | 22.0 |
| Centro DE Salud Familiar LA FE Inc | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Centro DE Salud Familiar LA FE Inc | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Ice - El Paso Processing Center | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Fci - La Tuna | mental_health | 21.0 |
| LI-East El Paso SA-El Paso Co | primary_care | 20.0 |
| Project Vida Health Center | mental_health | 20.0 |
| Centro San Vicente | mental_health | 20.0 |
| LI-West SA - El Paso County | dental | 20.0 |
| Ysleta Del Sur Health Station | dental | 20.0 |
| LI-Rural East El Paso-El Paso Co | dental | 20.0 |
| Ysleta Del Sur Health Station | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Ysleta del Sur Community Health Clinic | primary_care | 18.0 |
| LI-North East El Paso County SA - El Paso Co | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Ysleta Del Sur Health Station | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Northeast El Paso SA - El Paso Co | dental | 18.0 |
| LI-East El Paso County-Suburbs | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Rural East El Paso SA-El Paso Co | primary_care | 17.0 |
| LI-East Central El Paso County SA | primary_care | 17.0 |
| LI-West SA- El Paso County | primary_care | 17.0 |
| LI - Northwest El Paso SA – El Paso County | primary_care | 17.0 |
| LI - Mhca - El Paso County | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Ysleta del Sur Community Health Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Ysleta del Sur Community Health Clinic | dental | 17.0 |
| LI-East El Paso Suburbs-El Paso County | dental | 16.0 |
| LI-East Central El Paso County | dental | 16.0 |
| LI - Northwest El Paso SA – El Paso County | dental | 15.0 |
| Fci - La Tuna | primary_care | 12.0 |
| Ice - El Paso Processing Center | primary_care | 12.0 |
| Ice - El Paso Processing Center | dental | 12.0 |
| Fci - La Tuna | dental | 12.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for El Paso County
Peak severity leads this reading: El Paso County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries El Paso County's deepest shortage reading, 25.0 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 22.0 of 25; Mental health reads 21.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 57.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places El Paso County above 98% of real US counties (36 active designations: 14 primary care, 8 mental health, 14 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 25.0. 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.
El Paso County sits among the top three county rank positions in TX, at rank 2 of 254. 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.
El Paso 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
14 designations
- Dental
Dental
14 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
8 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in El Paso County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for El Paso County's active designations: about 205 FTE, 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 El Paso County, TX · 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
El Paso County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- El Paso County's 36 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 TX before you draw conclusions from a single score. TX 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 El Paso County's 25.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Wayne County, MI and Travis County, TX.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near El Paso County's dental score of 25.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 25.0 (severity lead on this page is “Project Vida Health Center”).
Wayne County, MI
25.0 dental score · 1,793,561 pop.
Travis County, TX
25.0 dental score · 1,290,188 pop.
Wake County, NC
25.0 dental score · 1,129,410 pop.
Capitol County, CT
25.0 dental score · 977,165 pop.
Macomb County, MI
25.0 dental score · 881,217 pop.
San Diego County, CA
25.0 dental score · 3,298,634 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does El Paso County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - El Paso County carries an MUA designation (index 57.0; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- Which record sets El Paso County's peak score of 25.0?
- "Project Vida Health Center" leads the active set (score 25.0; dental; 376,749 people in the service area; designated 09/30/2005). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 36 active rows: 14 primary care, 8 mental health, 14 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under El Paso County's severity reading?
- After "Project Vida Health Center", the next active names on this release are "Project Vida Health Center", "CENTRO SAN VICENTE", "CENTRO DE SALUD FAMILIAR LA FE INC" and "Project Vida Health Center". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~205 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow El Paso County's high-severity geography?
- El Paso County's 36 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not merely the county line around "Project Vida Health Center".
- How does El Paso County's peak severity sit inside TX?
- El Paso County holds 36 active HPSA rows with peak 25.0. El Paso County sits among the top three county rank positions in TX, at rank 2 of 254. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Wayne County, MI and Travis County, TX.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 48141. 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.
HRSA Data Warehouse HPSA + MUA/P records for FIPS 48141 (El Paso County, TX), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 36; peak score 25.0; signature peak score 25.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.