HRSA Counties Indexed
32
with HPSA / MUA coverage
Medically underserved areas & HPSA profile
Medically Underserved Areas in New Mexico
39 Medically Underserved Areas and 302 active HRSA Health Professional Shortage Area designations across New Mexico.
- MUAs
- 39
- Total HPSAs
- 302
- Primary care
- 103
- Mental health
- 96
- Dental
- 103
Highest-density verdict
Current HRSA Data Warehouse records put New Mexico in the highest-density quarter of states and territories. It carries 302 active shortage designations across 32 counties; Sandoval County has the largest county count at 42. About 55.5% of residents live in a geographic shortage county.
- 302
- Active HPSA designations
- 103
- Primary-care shortages
- 39
- Medically underserved areas
- 55.5%
- Residents in a shortage county
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for New Mexico 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.
-
Sandoval County holds 13.9% of New Mexico's 302 active designations (42 of 302).
32 of 32 counties in this profile carry at least one active record; the remainder are zero-active on this release.
-
34.1% of New Mexico's active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from state aggregates: 103 primary care, 96 mental health, 103 dental (denominator 302).
-
Closing New Mexico's active designations would take about 487 additional clinician FTEs, led by primary care.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id across the state: 232 primary care, 68 mental health, 187 dental. Federal gap estimate, not a practising-clinician headcount.
Corpus placement
Where New Mexico sits among all 56 states and territories
New Mexico carries 302 active HPSA designations for a population of 2,098,103, which is 14.4 per 100,000 residents, ranking it 12 of 56 and above 79% of states and territories, against a median of 7.3.
48 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 New Mexico changed from 275 to 302 (+27).
- IDs added
- 15
- IDs absent now
- 0
- Newly designated
- 12
- No longer designated
- 0
Among IDs present in both snapshots, scores rose for 5 and fell for 4; recorded providers needed rose for 8 and fell for 4. 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
39
Residents in Geographic Shortage Areas
1,163,430
% Residents in Geographic Shortage
55.5%
Discipline Mix
103 / 96 / 103 PC/MH/D
Primary care · Mental health · Dental
% Residents in Geographic Shortage-Designated Counties 55.5%
New Mexico Shortage Designations by Care Type
How New Mexico's 302 active HRSA designations split across the three provider categories. According to KFF's May 2026 tracker, New Mexico has adopted ACA Medicaid expansion. That policy context does not measure provider supply, appointment availability, or care quality.
New Mexico HPSA designations by type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations, by provider category.
- Primary care
Primary care
103 designations
- Dental
Dental
103 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
96 designations
New Mexico 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 New Mexico
32 counties with at least one active dental designation ; led by Sandoval (14). Full list (designation count in parentheses): Sandoval (14) , Bernalillo (11) , McKinley (7) , Rio Arriba (7) , Cibola (6) , San Juan (6) , Lea (5) , Santa Fe (5) , Dona Ana (4) , Taos (4) , Roosevelt (3) , De Baca (2) , Eddy (2) , Guadalupe (2) , Hidalgo (2) , Lincoln (2) , Mora (2) , Otero (2) , Sierra (2) , Socorro (2) ; plus 12 more in the table below.
Primary-care HPSA counties in New Mexico
32 counties with at least one active primary-care designation ; led by Sandoval (14). Full list: Sandoval (14) , Bernalillo (11) , Cibola (7) , McKinley (7) , Rio Arriba (7) , San Juan (6) , Lea (5) , Santa Fe (5) , Dona Ana (4) , Taos (4) , Roosevelt (3) , De Baca (2) , Eddy (2) , Guadalupe (2) , Hidalgo (2) , Lincoln (2) , Mora (2) , Otero (2) , Sierra (2) , Socorro (2) ; plus 12 more in the table below.
Mental-health HPSA counties in New Mexico
32 counties with at least one active mental-health designation ; led by Sandoval (14). Full list: Sandoval (14) , Bernalillo (11) , Cibola (7) , McKinley (7) , Rio Arriba (7) , San Juan (6) , Lea (5) , Santa Fe (5) , Dona Ana (4) , Taos (4) , Roosevelt (3) , De Baca (2) , Eddy (2) , Guadalupe (2) , Hidalgo (2) , Lincoln (2) , Mora (2) , Otero (2) , Sierra (2) , Socorro (2) ; plus 12 more in the table below.
All counties in New Mexico, by total shortage volume
All 32New Mexico counties, ranked by active HPSA designations across primary care, mental health, and dental.
| # | County | Designations | Primary Care | Mental Health | Dental | MUA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sandoval | 42 | 14 | 14 | 14 | MUA |
| 2 | Bernalillo | 33 | 11 | 11 | 11 | MUA |
| 3 | McKinley | 21 | 7 | 7 | 7 | MUA |
| 4 | Rio Arriba | 21 | 7 | 7 | 7 | MUA |
| 5 | Cibola | 20 | 7 | 7 | 6 | MUA |
| 6 | San Juan | 18 | 6 | 6 | 6 | MUA |
| 7 | Lea | 15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | MUA |
| 8 | Santa Fe | 15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | MUA |
| 9 | Dona Ana | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | MUA |
| 10 | Taos | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | MUA |
| 11 | Roosevelt | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 12 | De Baca | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 13 | Eddy | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 14 | Guadalupe | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 15 | Hidalgo | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 16 | Lincoln | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 17 | Mora | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 18 | Otero | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 19 | Sierra | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 20 | Socorro | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 21 | Catron | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | MUA |
| 22 | Chaves | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | MUA |
| 23 | Colfax | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | MUA |
| 24 | Curry | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | MUA |
| 25 | Grant | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | MUA |
| 26 | Harding | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | MUA |
| 27 | Luna | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | MUA |
| 28 | Quay | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | MUA |
| 29 | San Miguel | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | MUA |
| 30 | Torrance | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | MUA |
| 31 | Union | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | MUA |
| 32 | Valencia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | MUA |
Medically Underserved Areas in New Mexico
Showing 30 of 39 MUA designations (lowest MUA Index first, i.e. most underserved).
| Name | MUA Index |
|---|---|
| Low Inc - Cerrillos Service Area | 0.0 |
| Dona Ana Service Area | 0.0 |
| Debaca Service Area | 0.0 |
| Sierra Service Area | 18.1 |
| Harding Service Area | 24.3 |
| Sandoval Service Area | 34.1 |
| Mckinley Service Area | 37.8 |
| Union Service Area | 42.1 |
| Catron County | 44.9 |
| Torrance Service Area | 46.0 |
| Mora Service Area | 47.3 |
| San Juan Service Area | 48.2 |
| Otero Service Area | 48.7 |
| Luna Service Area | 49.7 |
| Socorro Service Area | 50.2 |
| Cibola Service Area | 51.0 |
| Hidalgo Service Area | 52.4 |
| Eddy Service Area | 54.2 |
| Springer Service Area | 54.3 |
| Colfax County | 54.8 |
| Quay Service Area | 55.0 |
| Santa Fe Service Area | 55.3 |
| Penasco Service Area | 56.6 |
| Lincoln Service Area | 57.0 |
| Grant County | 57.3 |
| Lea Service Area | 57.4 |
| Bernalillo Service Area | 58.5 |
| Guadalupe Service Area | 59.2 |
| Roosevelt Service Area | 59.3 |
| Low Income - Otero County | 59.6 |
High-density reading for New Mexico
At 302 active designations (103 primary care / 96 mental health / 103 dental), New Mexico 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.
Sandoval County leads the in-state table with 42 active records; open that county profile before treating the state total as evenly spread. About 55.5% 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 New Mexico shortage data
Dig deeper into the federal shortage designations behind New Mexico's numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in New Mexico? ▼
New Mexico has 39 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs). About 1,163,430 residents (55.5% 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 New Mexico have dental HPSA designations? ▼
32 New Mexico counties carry at least one active dental Health Professional Shortage Area in the current HRSA release: Sandoval (14), Bernalillo (11), McKinley (7), Rio Arriba (7), Cibola (6), San Juan (6), Lea (5), Santa Fe (5), Dona Ana (4), Taos (4), Roosevelt (3), De Baca (2), Eddy (2), Guadalupe (2), Hidalgo (2), Lincoln (2), Mora (2), Otero (2), Sierra (2), Socorro (2); plus 12 more on the table below. Counts are designated dental HPSA records per county, not a dentist headcount.
Are there doctor shortages in New Mexico? ▼
Yes. New Mexico has 302 Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), including 103 in primary care, 96 in mental health, and 103 in dental care. About 55.5% of New Mexico 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 New Mexico, there are 302 designated HPSAs and 39 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs).
What federal programs address healthcare shortages in New Mexico? ▼
HRSA shortage designations in New Mexico 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 New Mexico compare to other states in HRSA shortage designations? ▼
New Mexico has 302 total HPSA designations and 39 Medically Underserved Areas. With 55.5% 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 New Mexico 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 New Mexico'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 New Mexico's primary-care shortage record with every other state before drawing conclusions from a raw total; population and geography affect designation counts. Compare states
- Sandoval 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 New Mexico (NM) 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.