HRSA Counties Indexed
99
with HPSA / MUA coverage
Medically underserved areas & HPSA profile
Medically Underserved Areas in Iowa
100 Medically Underserved Areas and 447 active HRSA Health Professional Shortage Area designations across Iowa.
- MUAs
- 100
- Total HPSAs
- 447
- Primary care
- 162
- Mental health
- 155
- Dental
- 130
Highest-density verdict
Current HRSA Data Warehouse records put Iowa in the highest-density quarter of states and territories. It carries 447 active shortage designations across 99 counties; Van Buren County has the largest county count at 15. About 44.1% of residents live in a geographic shortage county.
- 447
- Active HPSA designations
- 162
- Primary-care shortages
- 100
- Medically underserved areas
- 44.1%
- Residents in a shortage county
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Iowa 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.
-
Van Buren County holds 3.4% of Iowa's 447 active designations (15 of 447).
96 of 99 counties in this profile carry at least one active record; the remainder are zero-active on this release.
-
36.2% of Iowa's active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from state aggregates: 162 primary care, 155 mental health, 130 dental (denominator 447).
-
Closing Iowa's active designations would take about 252 additional clinician FTEs, led by primary care.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id across the state: 129 primary care, 65 mental health, 59 dental. Federal gap estimate, not a practising-clinician headcount.
Corpus placement
Where Iowa sits among all 56 states and territories
Iowa carries 447 active HPSA designations for a population of 3,190,369, which is 14.0 per 100,000 residents, ranking it 13 of 56 and above 77% of states and territories, against a median of 7.3.
76 of those are county-wide geographic designations; the remainder are facility-, population- or clinic-based, which is why the county map and the designation count answer different questions.
Designation density tracks rural geography as much as unmet need: AK records 134.7 designations per 100,000 residents and NJ 1.5, because a sparsely-settled state accumulates more separate designations to cover the same population. Designations also overlap, so this counts designations, not people. Counted as distinct HRSA designation IDs, the same unit as the totals above. Computed from the designation records and county populations behind this page; states without county population data are given no placement rather than an estimated one.
Snapshot comparison
Change since the previous HRSA snapshot
Between Jun 2, 2026 and Jul 25, 2026, the number of active stable HPSA IDs recorded for Iowa changed from 448 to 447 (-1).
- IDs added
- 4
- IDs absent now
- 0
- Newly designated
- 2
- No longer designated
- 7
Among IDs present in both snapshots, scores rose for 0 and fell for 2; recorded providers needed rose for 0 and fell for 1. These are changes in published designation records, not evidence of cause, care quality, or patient outcomes. See the national comparison and limitations.
Medically Underserved Areas
100
Residents in Geographic Shortage Areas
1,405,775
% Residents in Geographic Shortage
44.1%
Discipline Mix
162 / 155 / 130 PC/MH/D
Primary care · Mental health · Dental
% Residents in Geographic Shortage-Designated Counties 44.1%
Iowa Shortage Designations by Care Type
How Iowa's 447 active HRSA designations split across the three provider categories. According to KFF's May 2026 tracker, Iowa has adopted ACA Medicaid expansion. That policy context does not measure provider supply, appointment availability, or care quality.
Iowa HPSA designations by type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations, by provider category.
- Primary care
Primary care
162 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
155 designations
- Dental
Dental
130 designations
Iowa HPSA Counties by Care Type
County lists for the three HRSA shortage disciplines searchers ask for by name (dental, primary care, mental health). Counts are live designated-HPSA records in this release, not provider headcounts.
Dental HPSA counties in Iowa
66 counties with at least one active dental designation ; led by Van Buren (5). Full list (designation count in parentheses): Van Buren (5) , Benton (4) , Cass (4) , Clayton (4) , Delaware (4) , Harrison (4) , Palo Alto (4) , Shelby (4) , Audubon (3) , Bremer (3) , Hamilton (3) , Henry (3) , Mitchell (3) , Montgomery (3) , Polk (3) , Taylor (3) , Wapello (3) , Webster (3) , Wright (3) , Appanoose (2) ; plus 46 more in the table below.
Primary-care HPSA counties in Iowa
78 counties with at least one active primary-care designation ; led by Benton (5). Full list: Benton (5) , Cass (5) , Van Buren (5) , Webster (5) , Clayton (4) , Delaware (4) , Hamilton (4) , Harrison (4) , Henry (4) , Mitchell (4) , Shelby (4) , Audubon (3) , Bremer (3) , Louisa (3) , Page (3) , Palo Alto (3) , Polk (3) , Pottawattamie (3) , Sac (3) , Taylor (3) ; plus 58 more in the table below.
Mental-health HPSA counties in Iowa
94 counties with at least one active mental-health designation ; led by Cass (5). Full list: Cass (5) , Delaware (5) , Shelby (5) , Van Buren (5) , Webster (5) , Benton (4) , Bremer (4) , Clayton (4) , Hamilton (4) , Harrison (4) , Henry (4) , Mitchell (4) , Palo Alto (4) , Audubon (3) , Fremont (3) , Louisa (3) , Montgomery (3) , O'Brien (3) , Polk (3) , Pottawattamie (3) ; plus 74 more in the table below.
All counties in Iowa, by total shortage volume
The 40 counties with the most active HPSA designations, of 99 in Iowa. Columns split primary care, mental health, and dental.
| # | County | Designations | Primary Care | Mental Health | Dental | MUA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Van Buren | 15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | MUA |
| 2 | Cass | 14 | 5 | 5 | 4 | MUA |
| 3 | Benton | 13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | MUA |
| 4 | Delaware | 13 | 4 | 5 | 4 | MUA |
| 5 | Shelby | 13 | 4 | 5 | 4 | MUA |
| 6 | Webster | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | MUA |
| 7 | Clayton | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | MUA |
| 8 | Harrison | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | MUA |
| 9 | Hamilton | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | MUA |
| 10 | Henry | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | MUA |
| 11 | Mitchell | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - |
| 12 | Palo Alto | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | MUA |
| 13 | Bremer | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | MUA |
| 14 | Audubon | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 15 | Polk | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 16 | Taylor | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 17 | Wapello | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 18 | Wright | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 19 | Louisa | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | MUA |
| 20 | Montgomery | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 21 | Pottawattamie | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | MUA |
| 22 | Sac | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | MUA |
| 23 | Fremont | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | MUA |
| 24 | O'Brien | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | MUA |
| 25 | Page | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | - |
| 26 | Appanoose | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 27 | Black Hawk | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 28 | Buena Vista | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 29 | Decatur | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 30 | Des Moines | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | - |
| 31 | Jefferson | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 32 | Lee | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 33 | Lucas | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 34 | Tama | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 35 | Woodbury | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 36 | Adams | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | MUA |
| 37 | Buchanan | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | MUA |
| 38 | Butler | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | MUA |
| 39 | Chickasaw | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | MUA |
| 40 | Dallas | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - |
Medically Underserved Areas in Iowa
Showing 30 of 100 MUA designations (lowest MUA Index first, i.e. most underserved).
| Name | MUA Index |
|---|---|
| Low Inc - Cedar Rapids | 0.0 |
| Low Inc - Webster County | 0.0 |
| Low Inc - Buena Vista County | 0.0 |
| Wright Governor Service Area | 0.0 |
| Carroll Service Area | 0.0 |
| Delaware Service Area | 41.7 |
| Delhi/ Milo Service Area | 48.9 |
| Center Service Area | 50.2 |
| Buffalo Service Area | 50.3 |
| Garfield Service Area | 50.4 |
| Pottawattamie Service Area | 50.9 |
| Washington Service Area | 51.6 |
| Dubuque Service Area | 52.1 |
| Black Hawk Service Area | 52.2 |
| Irvington/ Prairie Service Area | 52.2 |
| Union Service Area | 52.9 |
| Sumner City Service Area | 53.0 |
| Ledyard Service Area | 53.5 |
| Oxford Township | 53.7 |
| Prescott/ Quincy Service Area | 53.9 |
| Elgin Service Area | 54.2 |
| Ocheyedan/ Gilman Service Area | 54.4 |
| Thompson Township | 54.7 |
| Lucas County | 55.0 |
| Greene County MUA | 55.0 |
| Taylor County MUA | 55.0 |
| Malvern Service Area | 55.1 |
| Canoe Township | 55.2 |
| Palo Alto Service Area | 55.4 |
| Humboldt County MUA | 56.0 |
High-density reading for Iowa
At 447 active designations (162 primary care / 155 mental health / 130 dental), Iowa sits in the top quarter of the state and territory corpus by designations per resident. That volume is where NHSC placements, FQHC operating geography, and related federal instruments concentrate; eligibility still follows the designated area and provider type, not the state boundary alone.
Van Buren County leads the in-state table with 15 active records; open that county profile before treating the state total as evenly spread. About 44.1% of residents live in a geographic shortage county; facility and population-group designations cover additional residents counted separately.
Learn More About Healthcare Shortages
Explore more Iowa shortage data
Dig deeper into the federal shortage designations behind Iowa's numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Iowa? ▼
Iowa has 100 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs). About 1,405,775 residents (44.1% of the state) live in a county with a geographic HRSA shortage designation. MUA-designated areas qualify for enhanced federal funding and Community Health Center grants.
Which counties in Iowa have dental HPSA designations? ▼
66 Iowa counties carry at least one active dental Health Professional Shortage Area in the current HRSA release: Van Buren (5), Benton (4), Cass (4), Clayton (4), Delaware (4), Harrison (4), Palo Alto (4), Shelby (4), Audubon (3), Bremer (3), Hamilton (3), Henry (3), Mitchell (3), Montgomery (3), Polk (3), Taylor (3), Wapello (3), Webster (3), Wright (3), Appanoose (2); plus 46 more on the table below. Counts are designated dental HPSA records per county, not a dentist headcount.
Are there doctor shortages in Iowa? ▼
Yes. Iowa has 447 Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), including 162 in primary care, 155 in mental health, and 130 in dental care. About 44.1% of Iowa residents live in a county that HRSA has designated as a geographic (whole-community) shortage area; additional residents are covered by population-group and facility designations counted separately.
What are HPSAs? ▼
Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) are federal designations by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) identifying communities with insufficient healthcare providers. HPSAs are categorized into three types: primary care, mental health, and dental. In Iowa, there are 447 designated HPSAs and 100 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs).
What federal programs address healthcare shortages in Iowa? ▼
HRSA shortage designations in Iowa unlock eligibility for over 30 federal programs, including National Health Service Corps (NHSC) loan repayment and scholarships, Community Health Center (FQHC) funding, Medicare bonus payments (10% for physicians in HPSAs), J-1 visa waiver programs for international medical graduates, and Rural Health Clinic certification. These programs direct billions of dollars annually toward underserved communities.
How does Iowa compare to other states in HRSA shortage designations? ▼
Iowa has 447 total HPSA designations and 100 Medically Underserved Areas. With 44.1% of residents in counties carrying a geographic shortage designation, you can compare the recorded HRSA designations and scores with other states on our national rankings pages for primary care, mental health, and dental care.
How often is Iowa HPSA data updated? ▼
HRSA publishes HPSA designation changes through the Data Warehouse on a rolling basis. This page reports the portal's stated HRSA source vintage after a verified refresh; use HRSA's official tools when a current designation status matters.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse Not affiliated with HRSA
Choose the next comparison
Use Iowa's designation totals as a starting point, then move to the comparison that answers the next decision without treating a shortage designation as a personal care outcome.
- Compare Iowa's primary-care shortage record with every other state before drawing conclusions from a raw total; population and geography affect designation counts. Compare states
- Van Buren County has the most active HPSA designations in this state profile. Open its county record to inspect the local primary-care, mental-health, and dental breakdown. Open county profile
- Use the national statistics reference for the source vintage, aggregate context, and methodology behind these state-level figures. Read national context
HRSA designations describe structural provider-shortage criteria and federal-program eligibility. They do not measure appointment availability, insurance coverage, care quality, or an individual patient’s access to care.
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 aggregates every county-level HPSA and MUA designation on record for Iowa (IA) and ranks the state's per-capita designation density among all states and territories. 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.