HRSA Counties Indexed
77
with HPSA / MUA coverage
Medically underserved areas & HPSA profile
Medically Underserved Areas in Oklahoma
97 Medically Underserved Areas and 501 active HRSA Health Professional Shortage Area designations across Oklahoma.
- MUAs
- 97
- Total HPSAs
- 501
- Primary care
- 189
- Mental health
- 131
- Dental
- 181
Upper-middle density verdict
Within HRSA's current state and territory corpus, Oklahoma occupies the upper-middle density quarter. The Data Warehouse counts 501 active shortage designations across 77 counties; Cherokee County has the largest county count at 27; about 28.6% of residents live in a geographic shortage county.
- 501
- Active HPSA designations
- 189
- Primary-care shortages
- 97
- Medically underserved areas
- 28.6%
- Residents in a shortage county
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma's active designations would take about 569 additional clinician FTEs, led by primary care.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id across the state: 299 primary care, 123 mental health, 147 dental. Federal gap estimate, not a practising-clinician headcount.
-
37.7% of Oklahoma's active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from state aggregates: 189 primary care, 131 mental health, 181 dental (denominator 501).
-
Cherokee County holds 5.4% of Oklahoma's 501 active designations (27 of 501).
77 of 77 counties in this profile carry at least one active record; the remainder are zero-active on this release.
HRSA state registry desk
Oklahoma designation file stamps
- HPSA-VOL
- 501
- MUA-COUNT
- 97
- PC/MH/DH
- 189/131/181
- RANK
- 19/56
- DENSITY
- MID-HIGH
- BOOK
- 77 counties
Lead discipline: primary-care. Photo-finish peer: Ohio (495HPSAs).
Corpus placement
Where Oklahoma sits among all 56 states and territories
Oklahoma's 501 active HPSA designations across 3,959,353 residents work out to 12.7 per 100,000, good for rank 19 of 56, ahead of the 7.3 national median and 66% of the corpus.
15 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 Oklahoma changed from 460 to 501 (+41).
- IDs added
- 20
- IDs absent now
- 0
- Newly designated
- 22
- No longer designated
- 0
Among IDs present in both snapshots, scores rose for 6 and fell for 11; recorded providers needed rose for 5 and fell for 17. 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
97
Residents in Geographic Shortage Areas
1,132,762
% Residents in Geographic Shortage
28.6%
Discipline Mix
189 / 131 / 181 PC/MH/D
Primary care · Mental health · Dental
% Residents in Geographic Shortage-Designated Counties 28.6%
Oklahoma Shortage Designations by Care Type
How Oklahoma's 501 active HRSA designations split across the three provider categories. According to KFF's May 2026 tracker, Oklahoma has adopted ACA Medicaid expansion. That policy context does not measure provider supply, appointment availability, or care quality.
Oklahoma HPSA designations by type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations, by provider category.
- Primary care
Primary care
189 designations
- Dental
Dental
181 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
131 designations
Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma
75 counties with at least one active dental designation ; led by Cherokee (9). Full list (designation count in parentheses): Cherokee (9) , Tulsa (8) , Oklahoma (6) , McCurtain (5) , Ottawa (5) , Pittsburg (5) , Pottawatomie (5) , Caddo (4) , Hughes (4) , Lincoln (4) , Okmulgee (4) , Osage (4) , Atoka (3) , Beaver (3) , Bryan (3) , Carter (3) , Cleveland (3) , Comanche (3) , Harper (3) , Haskell (3) ; plus 55 more in the table below.
Primary-care HPSA counties in Oklahoma
76 counties with at least one active primary-care designation ; led by Cherokee (9). Full list: Cherokee (9) , Oklahoma (8) , Tulsa (8) , McCurtain (5) , Osage (5) , Ottawa (5) , Pittsburg (5) , Caddo (4) , Carter (4) , Hughes (4) , Lincoln (4) , Okmulgee (4) , Pottawatomie (4) , Beaver (3) , Bryan (3) , Cleveland (3) , Comanche (3) , Harper (3) , Haskell (3) , Johnston (3) ; plus 56 more in the table below.
Mental-health HPSA counties in Oklahoma
77 counties with at least one active mental-health designation ; led by Cherokee (9). Full list: Cherokee (9) , Tulsa (8) , Oklahoma (7) , McCurtain (5) , Osage (5) , Ottawa (5) , Pittsburg (5) , Pottawatomie (5) , Caddo (4) , Carter (4) , Hughes (4) , Lincoln (4) , Okmulgee (4) , Alfalfa (3) , Beaver (3) , Bryan (3) , Canadian (3) , Cleveland (3) , Comanche (3) , Harper (3) ; plus 57 more in the table below.
All counties in Oklahoma, by total shortage volume
The 40 counties with the most active HPSA designations, of 77 in Oklahoma. 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 | Cherokee | 27 | MUA |
| 2 | Tulsa | 24 | MUA |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 21 | MUA |
| 4 | McCurtain | 15 | MUA |
| 5 | Ottawa | 15 | MUA |
| 6 | Pittsburg | 15 | MUA |
| 7 | Osage | 14 | MUA |
| 8 | Pottawatomie | 14 | MUA |
| 9 | Caddo | 12 | MUA |
| 10 | Hughes | 12 | MUA |
| 11 | Lincoln | 12 | MUA |
| 12 | Okmulgee | 12 | MUA |
| 13 | Carter | 11 | MUA |
| 14 | Beaver | 9 | - |
| 15 | Bryan | 9 | MUA |
| 16 | Cleveland | 9 | MUA |
| 17 | Comanche | 9 | MUA |
| 18 | Harper | 9 | MUA |
| 19 | Haskell | 9 | MUA |
| 20 | Kay | 9 | MUA |
| 21 | McIntosh | 9 | MUA |
| 22 | Okfuskee | 9 | MUA |
| 23 | Seminole | 9 | MUA |
| 24 | Wagoner | 9 | MUA |
| 25 | Johnston | 8 | MUA |
| 26 | Alfalfa | 7 | MUA |
| 27 | Atoka | 7 | MUA |
| 28 | Canadian | 7 | MUA |
| 29 | Blaine | 6 | MUA |
| 30 | Choctaw | 6 | MUA |
| 31 | Cimarron | 6 | MUA |
| 32 | Craig | 6 | MUA |
| 33 | Creek | 6 | MUA |
| 34 | Custer | 6 | - |
| 35 | Delaware | 6 | MUA |
| 36 | Dewey | 6 | MUA |
| 37 | Ellis | 6 | MUA |
| 38 | Garvin | 6 | MUA |
| 39 | Greer | 6 | MUA |
| 40 | Latimer | 6 | MUA |
Medically Underserved Areas in Oklahoma
Showing 30 of 97 MUA designations (lowest MUA Index first, i.e. most underserved).
| Name | MUA Index |
|---|---|
| Pawnee Service Area | 0.0 |
| Oklahoma Governor Service Area | 0.0 |
| Johnston Service Area | 28.5 |
| Delaware Service Area | 33.8 |
| Choctaw Service Area | 34.6 |
| Northeast 23rd South | 35.6 |
| Latimer Service Area | 42.2 |
| Jefferson Service Area | 42.8 |
| Okfuskee Service Area | 43.6 |
| Osage Service Area | 43.7 |
| Harmon County | 44.2 |
| Woods Service Area | 46.0 |
| Tillman Service Area | 46.0 |
| Hughes Service Area | 47.6 |
| Kiowa Service Area | 47.9 |
| Okmulgee Service Area | 48.2 |
| Coal Service Area | 48.4 |
| W. Central Blaine County | 49.7 |
| Mccurtain Service Area | 50.1 |
| NW Blaine County | 50.5 |
| Atoka Service Area | 50.5 |
| Central Oklahoma City | 51.3 |
| Pushmataha Service Area | 51.5 |
| Tulsa Service Area | 51.7 |
| Alfalfa Service Area | 52.0 |
| Haskell Service Area | 52.6 |
| Tulsa Riverside Service Area | 52.7 |
| Comanche Service Area | 52.8 |
| Ellis | 53.2 |
| Northern Cherokee Service Area | 54.3 |
Upper-middle density reading for Oklahoma
Oklahoma carries 501 active HPSA designations with 97 Medically Underserved Areas, enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the densest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (189/131/181) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Geographic shortage counties cover about 28.6% of residents. That coverage signal routes federal recruitment dollars; it is not a service-denial verdict for any one household.
Nationwide states with similar HRSA shortage footprints
Two peer sets for Oklahoma: total active HPSA designations and Medically Underserved Area counts, ranked against every other state and territory.
Similar designation volume
Nearest total HPSA count (501 active here).
Similar MUA inventory
Nearest MUA count (97 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Oklahoma? ▼
Oklahoma has 97 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs). About 1,132,762 residents (28.6% 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 Oklahoma have dental HPSA designations? ▼
75 Oklahoma counties carry at least one active dental Health Professional Shortage Area in the current HRSA release: Cherokee (9), Tulsa (8), Oklahoma (6), McCurtain (5), Ottawa (5), Pittsburg (5), Pottawatomie (5), Caddo (4), Hughes (4), Lincoln (4), Okmulgee (4), Osage (4), Atoka (3), Beaver (3), Bryan (3), Carter (3), Cleveland (3), Comanche (3), Harper (3), Haskell (3); plus 55 more on the table below. Counts are designated dental HPSA records per county, not a dentist headcount.
Are there doctor shortages in Oklahoma? ▼
Yes. Oklahoma has 501 Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), including 189 in primary care, 131 in mental health, and 181 in dental care. About 28.6% of Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma, there are 501 designated HPSAs and 97 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs).
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse Not affiliated with HRSA
Choose the next comparison
Use Oklahoma'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 Oklahoma's primary-care shortage record with every other state before drawing conclusions from a raw total; population and geography affect designation counts. Compare states
- Cherokee 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 Oklahoma (OK) 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.