HRSA Counties Indexed
77
with HPSA / MUA coverage
State healthcare shortage profile
Oklahoma Healthcare Shortage Areas
501 active HRSA Health Professional Shortage Area designations and 97 Medically Underserved Areas across Oklahoma.
- 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
Corpus placement
Where Oklahoma sits among all 56 states and territories
Oklahoma carries 501 active HPSA designations for a population of 3,959,353, which is 12.7 per 100,000 residents, ranking it 19 of 56 and above 66% of states and territories, against a median of 7.3.
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
Counties in Oklahoma, by shortage volume
The 40 counties with the most active HPSA designations, of 77 in Oklahoma. Counts are live designated-HPSA records by care type (primary care, mental health, dental).
| # | County | Designations | Primary Care | Mental Health | Dental | MUA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cherokee | 27 | 9 | 9 | 9 | MUA |
| 2 | Tulsa | 24 | 8 | 8 | 8 | MUA |
| 3 | Oklahoma | 21 | 8 | 7 | 6 | MUA |
| 4 | McCurtain | 15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | MUA |
| 5 | Ottawa | 15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | MUA |
| 6 | Pittsburg | 15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | MUA |
| 7 | Osage | 14 | 5 | 5 | 4 | MUA |
| 8 | Pottawatomie | 14 | 4 | 5 | 5 | MUA |
| 9 | Caddo | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | MUA |
| 10 | Hughes | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | MUA |
| 11 | Lincoln | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | MUA |
| 12 | Okmulgee | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | MUA |
| 13 | Carter | 11 | 4 | 4 | 3 | MUA |
| 14 | Beaver | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | - |
| 15 | Bryan | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 16 | Cleveland | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 17 | Comanche | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 18 | Harper | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 19 | Haskell | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 20 | Kay | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 21 | McIntosh | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 22 | Okfuskee | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 23 | Seminole | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 24 | Wagoner | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 25 | Johnston | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | MUA |
| 26 | Alfalfa | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | MUA |
| 27 | Atoka | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | MUA |
| 28 | Canadian | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | MUA |
| 29 | Blaine | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 30 | Choctaw | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 31 | Cimarron | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 32 | Craig | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 33 | Creek | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 34 | Custer | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | - |
| 35 | Delaware | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 36 | Dewey | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 37 | Ellis | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 38 | Garvin | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 39 | Greer | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 40 | Latimer | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 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.
Learn More About Healthcare Shortages
Explore more Oklahoma shortage data
Dig deeper into the federal shortage designations behind Oklahoma's numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
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).
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.
What federal programs address healthcare shortages in Oklahoma? ▼
HRSA shortage designations in Oklahoma 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.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse 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 the state. 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.