Medically Underserved Area High-priority · dental care only

PR · Healthcare shortage profile

Arecibo County, PR

MUA standing opens this profile: Arecibo County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 0.0 (lower index = greater measured need). Population 87,754.

Active HPSAs
2
Population
87,754
Peak shortage score
18.0
MUA Index
0.0
PR state overview → About this data

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Arecibo County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 2 active HPSA designations, more than 10% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.

2
Active HPSA designations
1
Dental shortages
18
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 90%
US counties by volume

Few Census ZCTAs touch Arecibo County

The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 5 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Arecibo County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).

Intersecting ZCTA

Source: Census ZCTA–county relationship file joined to this portal's county FIPS set. As of 2026-08-15.

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Arecibo County, PR 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.

  1. 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.

  2. Closing Arecibo County's active designations would take about 5.9 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.3 mental health, 3.6 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 50% of Arecibo County's 2 active designations are mental health.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 2).

Arecibo County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

2 Top 90% higher than 10% of 3,289 real US counties

0–20: 3,115 real US counties (95%). This entry sits in this band. 20–40: 128 real US counties (4%). Above this entry. 40–60: 32 real US counties (1%). Above this entry. 60–80: 7 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 80–100: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 100–120: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 120–140: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 140–160: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 160–180: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 180–200: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 200–220: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 220–240: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 240–260: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 260–280: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. This county 0 280 every real US county, bucketed by value

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. Arecibo County falls in the upper half of PR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 34 of 78. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 72013. Population: 87,754.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 0.0

Active HPSA scores

Mental Health 16.0
Dental 18.0

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 2 active (designated) HPSAs in Arecibo County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
LI - Arecibo Municipio dental 18.0
LI - Arecibo Municipio mental_health 16.0

Light-burden reading for Arecibo County

MUA standing opens this profile: Arecibo County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 0.0 (lower index = greater measured need). Dental care carries Arecibo County's deepest shortage reading, 18.0 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. Mental health reads 16.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 0.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Arecibo County carries 2 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 10% of counties). A light footprint still matters: a single high-score dental or mental-health record can open program geography even when the county total looks small next to heavy peers.

Arecibo County falls in the upper half of PR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 34 of 78. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.

Light-volume FTE gap for Arecibo County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Arecibo County's active designations: about 5.9 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

Acting on Arecibo County's high-priority dental care

Arecibo County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.

  • Arecibo 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 PR before drawing conclusions from a single score. PR 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.

Score neighbours for Arecibo County's MUA-led profile

One peer set beside the MUA standing: nearest primary-care HPSA score.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Arecibo County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Arecibo County carries an MUA designation (index 0.0; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
How do Arecibo County's HPSA rows sit beside the MUA?
2 active HPSA designations (0 primary care / 1 mental health / 1 dental); highest-scored active name is "LI - Arecibo Municipio" (score 18.0; dental; 50,850 people in the service area; ~3.6 FTE still needed on the record; designated 11/07/2023). MUA and HPSA are separate tracks, one does not substitute for the other.
What does the 18.0 HPSA score mean next to the MUA?
18.0 clears the 17-point high-priority HPSA line. MUA index 0.0 remains a separate need measure.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 72013. This county’s designations come from 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 72013 (Arecibo County, PR), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 2; peak score 18.0; signature MUA index 0.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.