HRSA Counties Indexed
100
with HPSA / MUA coverage
Medically underserved areas & HPSA profile
Medically Underserved Areas in North Carolina
113 Medically Underserved Areas and 615 active HRSA Health Professional Shortage Area designations across North Carolina.
- MUAs
- 113
- Total HPSAs
- 615
- Primary care
- 208
- Mental health
- 207
- Dental
- 200
Lower-middle density verdict
North Carolina sits in the lower-middle quarter by active designations per resident. According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, its 100 counties carry 615 active shortage designations; Mecklenburg County has the largest county count at 21, while about 9.2% of residents live in a geographic shortage county.
- 615
- Active HPSA designations
- 208
- Primary-care shortages
- 113
- Medically underserved areas
- 9.2%
- Residents in a shortage county
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for North Carolina 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.
-
Closing North Carolina's active designations would take about 1194 additional clinician FTEs, led by dental.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id across the state: 461 primary care, 207 mental health, 526 dental. Federal gap estimate, not a practising-clinician headcount.
-
33.8% of North Carolina's active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from state aggregates: 208 primary care, 207 mental health, 200 dental (denominator 615).
-
Mecklenburg County holds 3.4% of North Carolina's 615 active designations (21 of 615).
100 of 100 counties in this profile carry at least one active record; the remainder are zero-active on this release.
HRSA state registry desk
North Carolina designation file stamps
- HPSA-VOL
- 615
- MUA-COUNT
- 113
- PC/MH/DH
- 208/207/200
- RANK
- 32/56
- DENSITY
- MID-LOW
- BOOK
- 100 counties
Lead discipline: primary-care. Photo-finish peer: Florida (637HPSAs).
Corpus placement
Where North Carolina sits among all 56 states and territories
At 5.9 designations per 100,000 residents, built from 615 active HPSA records over 10,439,388 people, North Carolina lands at rank 32 of 56, trailing the 7.3 median but still ahead of 43% of the field.
31 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.
Medically Underserved Areas
113
Residents in Geographic Shortage Areas
960,106
% Residents in Geographic Shortage
9.2%
Discipline Mix
208 / 207 / 200 PC/MH/D
Primary care · Mental health · Dental
% Residents in Geographic Shortage-Designated Counties 9.2%
North Carolina Shortage Designations by Care Type
How North Carolina's 615 active HRSA designations split across the three provider categories. According to KFF's May 2026 tracker, North Carolina has adopted ACA Medicaid expansion. That policy context does not measure provider supply, appointment availability, or care quality.
North Carolina HPSA designations by type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations, by provider category.
- Primary care
Primary care
208 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
207 designations
- Dental
Dental
200 designations
North Carolina 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 North Carolina
96 counties with at least one active dental designation ; led by Mecklenburg (7). Full list (designation count in parentheses): Mecklenburg (7) , Wake (7) , McDowell (5) , Pender (5) , Scotland (5) , Swain (5) , Buncombe (4) , Cherokee (4) , Greene (4) , Anson (3) , Bertie (3) , Caswell (3) , Columbus (3) , Craven (3) , Durham (3) , Edgecombe (3) , Graham (3) , Granville (3) , Guilford (3) , Halifax (3) ; plus 76 more in the table below.
Primary-care HPSA counties in North Carolina
98 counties with at least one active primary-care designation ; led by Mecklenburg (7). Full list: Mecklenburg (7) , McDowell (6) , Scotland (6) , Wake (6) , Cumberland (5) , Swain (5) , Buncombe (4) , Cherokee (4) , Columbus (4) , Granville (4) , Greene (4) , Robeson (4) , Anson (3) , Avery (3) , Bertie (3) , Brunswick (3) , Craven (3) , Edgecombe (3) , Graham (3) , Guilford (3) ; plus 78 more in the table below.
Mental-health HPSA counties in North Carolina
99 counties with at least one active mental-health designation ; led by Mecklenburg (7). Full list: Mecklenburg (7) , McDowell (6) , Pender (6) , Scotland (6) , Buncombe (5) , Swain (5) , Wake (5) , Cherokee (4) , Columbus (4) , Granville (4) , Greene (4) , Robeson (4) , Anson (3) , Avery (3) , Bertie (3) , Caswell (3) , Craven (3) , Edgecombe (3) , Graham (3) , Guilford (3) ; plus 79 more in the table below.
All counties in North Carolina, by total shortage volume
The 40 counties with the most active HPSA designations, of 100 in North Carolina. Columns split primary care, mental health, and dental. On a narrow screen, this list keeps each county’s total and MUA status visible; the care-type split is available on wider screens.
| # | County | Designations | MUA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mecklenburg | 21 | MUA |
| 2 | Wake | 18 | MUA |
| 3 | McDowell | 17 | MUA |
| 4 | Scotland | 17 | MUA |
| 5 | Swain | 15 | MUA |
| 6 | Pender | 14 | MUA |
| 7 | Buncombe | 13 | MUA |
| 8 | Cherokee | 12 | MUA |
| 9 | Greene | 12 | MUA |
| 10 | Columbus | 11 | MUA |
| 11 | Granville | 11 | MUA |
| 12 | Robeson | 11 | MUA |
| 13 | Anson | 9 | MUA |
| 14 | Bertie | 9 | MUA |
| 15 | Craven | 9 | MUA |
| 16 | Cumberland | 9 | MUA |
| 17 | Edgecombe | 9 | MUA |
| 18 | Graham | 9 | MUA |
| 19 | Guilford | 9 | MUA |
| 20 | Halifax | 9 | MUA |
| 21 | Jackson | 9 | MUA |
| 22 | Johnston | 9 | MUA |
| 23 | Mitchell | 9 | MUA |
| 24 | New Hanover | 9 | MUA |
| 25 | Avery | 8 | MUA |
| 26 | Caswell | 8 | MUA |
| 27 | Harnett | 8 | MUA |
| 28 | Alexander | 6 | MUA |
| 29 | Alleghany | 6 | MUA |
| 30 | Beaufort | 6 | MUA |
| 31 | Bladen | 6 | MUA |
| 32 | Burke | 6 | - |
| 33 | Cabarrus | 6 | MUA |
| 34 | Clay | 6 | MUA |
| 35 | Duplin | 6 | MUA |
| 36 | Durham | 6 | MUA |
| 37 | Forsyth | 6 | MUA |
| 38 | Gaston | 6 | MUA |
| 39 | Haywood | 6 | MUA |
| 40 | Hertford | 6 | MUA |
Medically Underserved Areas in North Carolina
Showing 30 of 113 MUA designations (lowest MUA Index first, i.e. most underserved).
| Name | MUA Index |
|---|---|
| Watauga Service Area | 0.0 |
| Stony Fork Service Area | 0.0 |
| Township 10 Little River - County | 0.0 |
| Gloucester Service Area | 0.0 |
| Low Inc & Mfw Population | 0.0 |
| Hyde Service Area | 24.2 |
| Greene Service Area | 24.4 |
| Warren Service Area | 30.4 |
| Clay Service Area | 30.9 |
| Tyrrell Service Area | 31.4 |
| Halifax Service Area | 34.5 |
| Gates Service Area | 35.0 |
| Bertie Service Area | 36.3 |
| Washington Service Area | 37.2 |
| Northampton Service Area | 37.3 |
| Bladen Service Area | 37.7 |
| Jones Service Area | 38.6 |
| Madison Service Area | 39.7 |
| Perquimans Service Area | 40.5 |
| Franklin Service Area | 41.0 |
| Mitchell Service Area | 41.2 |
| Granville Service Area | 41.5 |
| Columbus Service Area | 41.8 |
| Nash Service Area | 42.4 |
| Hoke Service Area | 42.9 |
| Caswell Service Area | 43.1 |
| Robeson Service Area | 43.7 |
| Davidson Service Area | 44.8 |
| Camden Service Area | 45.4 |
| Duplin Service Area | 45.9 |
Lower-middle density reading for North Carolina
North Carolina sits below the national mid-pack by designations per resident with 615 active records across 100 counties. A moderate footprint still matters: a single high-score dental or mental-health record can open program geography even when the state total looks small next to denser peers.
About 9.2% of residents live in a geographic shortage county. Use the county ranking below to see which localities drive that share.
Nationwide states with similar HRSA shortage footprints
Two peer sets for North Carolina: total active HPSA designations and Medically Underserved Area counts, ranked against every other state and territory.
Similar designation volume
Nearest total HPSA count (615 active here).
Similar MUA inventory
Nearest MUA count (113 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in North Carolina? ▼
North Carolina has 113 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs). About 960,106 residents (9.2% 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 North Carolina have dental HPSA designations? ▼
96 North Carolina counties carry at least one active dental Health Professional Shortage Area in the current HRSA release: Mecklenburg (7), Wake (7), McDowell (5), Pender (5), Scotland (5), Swain (5), Buncombe (4), Cherokee (4), Greene (4), Anson (3), Bertie (3), Caswell (3), Columbus (3), Craven (3), Durham (3), Edgecombe (3), Graham (3), Granville (3), Guilford (3), Halifax (3); plus 76 more on the table below. Counts are designated dental HPSA records per county, not a dentist headcount.
Are there doctor shortages in North Carolina? ▼
Yes. North Carolina has 615 Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), including 208 in primary care, 207 in mental health, and 200 in dental care. About 9.2% of North Carolina 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.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse Not affiliated with HRSA
Choose the next comparison
Use North Carolina'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 North Carolina's primary-care shortage record with every other state before drawing conclusions from a raw total; population and geography affect designation counts. Compare states
- Mecklenburg 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 North Carolina (NC) 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.