Medically Underserved Area Mono-discipline · dental care

PR · Healthcare shortage profile

Toa Baja County, PR

MUA standing opens this profile: Toa Baja County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 0.0 (lower index = greater measured need). Population 75,293.

Active HPSAs
1
Population
75,293
Peak shortage score
22.0
MUA Index
0.0

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Toa Baja County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 1 active HPSA designation, more than 2% of the 3,289 real US counties, with dental the deepest gap.

1
Active HPSA designations
1
Dental shortages
22
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 98%
US counties by volume

Few Census ZCTAs touch Toa Baja County

The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 5 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Toa Baja 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 Toa Baja 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 22.0 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 Toa Baja County's active designations would take about 9 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 9 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 100% of Toa Baja County's 1 active designations are dental.

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

Toa Baja County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

1 Top 98% higher than 2% 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. Toa Baja County falls in the lower half of PR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 68 of 78. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 72137. Population: 75,293.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 0.0

Active HPSA scores

Dental 22.0

Current designated records only · dental care only on this FIPS. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?

Highest-severity HPSA designations

All 1 active (designated) HPSAs in Toa Baja County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
LI - Toa Baja Municipio dental 22.0

Light-burden reading for Toa Baja County

MUA standing opens this profile: Toa Baja County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 0.0 (lower index = greater measured need). Dental care carries Toa Baja County's deepest shortage reading, 22.0 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. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 0.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Toa Baja County carries 1 active designation and sits below the national mid-pack (above 2% 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.

Toa Baja County falls in the lower half of PR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 68 of 78. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.

Acting on Toa Baja County's high-priority dental care

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

  • Toa Baja 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 Toa Baja County's MUA-led profile

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Toa Baja County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Toa Baja 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 Toa Baja County's HPSA rows sit beside the MUA?
1 active HPSA designation (0 primary care / 0 mental health / 1 dental); highest-scored active name is "LI - Toa Baja Municipio" (score 22.0; dental; 14,972 people in the service area; ~9 FTE still needed on the record; designated 11/24/2023). MUA and HPSA are separate tracks, one does not substitute for the other.
What does the 22.0 HPSA score mean next to the MUA?
22.0 clears the 17-point high-priority HPSA line. MUA index 0.0 remains a separate need measure.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 72137. This county’s designations come from 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 72137 (Toa Baja County, PR), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 1; peak score 22.0; signature MUA index 0.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.