WA · Healthcare shortage profile
Pacific County, WA
Designation volume is the standout signal for Pacific County: 18 active HPSA records, above 94% of real US counties. Population 23,365.
- Active HPSAs
- 18
- Population
- 23,365
- Peak shortage score
- 20.0
- MUA Index
- 61.0
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Pacific County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 18 active HPSA designations, more than 94% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 18
- Active HPSA designations
- 6
- Dental shortages
- 20
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 6%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Pacific County, WA 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 20.0 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 Pacific County's active designations would take about 3.9 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.9 primary care, 1.2 mental health, 0.8 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Pacific County's 18 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 6 primary care, 6 mental health, 6 dental (denominator 18).
Pacific County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
14 Census ZCTAs intersect Pacific County, between the 9 and 15 ZIP cuts across published counties: neither a postage-stamp footprint nor a metro-scale lattice.
Largest land-share ZCTAs
6 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.
Pacific County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
18 Top 6% higher than 94% 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. Pacific County falls in the upper half of WA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 13 of 39. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 53049. Population: 23,365.
Single high-priority discipline
Pacific County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is dental care
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 6 active dental care designations to Pacific County , with a peak score of 20.0. Other care categories may still be designated here, but none of them clear HRSA's high-priority score line of 17 on the current release, NHSC and related instruments concentrate on the dental care records.
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 18 active (designated) HPSAs in Pacific County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Shoalwater Bay Wellness Center | dental | 20.0 |
| Ocean Beach Medical Group | primary_care | 16.0 |
| LI - Pacific County | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Ocean Beach Medical Clinic | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Naselle Clinic | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Willapa Medical Clinic | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Ocean Beach Medical Group | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Willapa Medical Clinic | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Ocean Beach Medical Clinic | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Naselle Clinic | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Pacific County | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Ocean Beach Medical Group | dental | 15.0 |
| Ocean Beach Medical Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Naselle Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Shoalwater Bay Wellness Center | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Shoalwater Bay Wellness Center | mental_health | 12.0 |
| LI - Pacific County | dental | 12.0 |
| Willapa Medical Clinic | dental | 11.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Pacific County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Pacific County: 18 active HPSA records, above 94% of real US counties. Dental care carries Pacific County's deepest shortage reading, 20.0 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 16.0 of 25; Mental health reads 16.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 61.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Pacific County above 94% of real US counties (18 active designations: 6 primary care, 6 mental health, 6 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 20.0. 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.
Pacific County falls in the upper half of WA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 13 of 39. 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.
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Pacific County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Pacific County's active designations: about 3.9 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Pacific County's high-priority dental care
Pacific County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Pacific County's high-priority dental care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's dental care burden compares with the rest of WA before drawing conclusions from a single score. WA 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.
Counties With a Similar Dental Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to Pacific County's 20.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Allegan County, MI and Umatilla County, OR.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Pacific County (18 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 18 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Pacific County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Pacific County carries an MUA designation (index 61.0; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- What makes up Pacific County's 18 active HPSA designations?
- 18 Designated rows (6 primary care, 6 mental health, 6 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "Shoalwater Bay Wellness Center" (score 20.0; dental; 3,056 people in the service area; designated 10/26/2002). Also active: "OCEAN BEACH MEDICAL GROUP", "LI - Pacific County", "OCEAN BEACH MEDICAL CLINIC". Above 94% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Pacific County?
- Peak active score 20.0 in dental care clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 18 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Pacific County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 3.9 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "Shoalwater Bay Wellness Center" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Pacific County's designation volume?
- 18 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, by designated area and provider type, not by county line alone.
- How does Pacific County's volume compare inside WA?
- 18 active HPSA rows · peak 20.0. Pacific County falls in the upper half of WA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 13 of 39. Score-nearest counties on this release include Allegan County, MI and Umatilla County, OR.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 53049. 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 53049 (Pacific County, WA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 18; peak score 20.0; signature 18 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.