HRSA Counties Indexed
70
with HPSA / MUA coverage
State healthcare shortage profile
South Dakota Healthcare Shortage Areas
245 active HRSA Health Professional Shortage Area designations and 74 Medically Underserved Areas across South Dakota.
- Total HPSAs
- 245
- Primary care
- 93
- Mental health
- 63
- Dental
- 89
Medically Underserved Areas
74
Residents in Geographic Shortage Areas
306,025
% Residents in Geographic Shortage
32.5%
Discipline Mix
93 / 63 / 89 PC/MH/D
Primary care · Mental health · Dental
Data Source
HRSA
Bureau of Health Workforce — HPSA Find
Reporting Year
2024
HRSA quarterly snapshot
% Residents in Geographic Shortage-Designated Counties 32.5%
South Dakota Shortage Designations by Care Type
How South Dakota's 245 active HRSA designations split across the three provider categories. South Dakota has adopted ACA Medicaid expansion, which broadens coverage but does not change provider-supply shortages.
South Dakota HPSA designations by type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations, by provider category.
- Primary care
Primary care
93 designations
- Dental
Dental
89 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
63 designations
Counties in South Dakota
| County | Primary Care | Mental Health |
|---|---|---|
| Adams | 1 | 1 |
| Aurora | 1 | 1 |
| Beadle | 1 | 1 |
| Bennett | 1 | 1 |
| Bon Homme | 1 | 1 |
| Brookings | 1 | 1 |
| Brown | 1 | 1 |
| Brule | 1 | 1 |
| Buffalo | 1 | 1 |
| Butte | 1 | 1 |
| Campbell | 1 | 1 |
| Charles Mix | 1 | 1 |
| Cherry | 1 | 1 |
| Clark | 1 | 1 |
| Clay | 1 | 1 |
| Codington | 1 | 1 |
| Corson | 1 | 1 |
| Custer | 1 | 1 |
| Davison | 1 | 1 |
| Day | 1 | 1 |
| Deuel | 1 | 1 |
| Dewey | 1 | 1 |
| Douglas | 1 | 1 |
| Edmunds | 1 | 1 |
| Fall River | 1 | 1 |
| Faulk | 1 | 1 |
| Grant | 1 | 1 |
| Gregory | 1 | 1 |
| Haakon | 1 | 1 |
| Hamlin | 1 | 1 |
| Hand | 1 | 1 |
| Hanson | 1 | 1 |
| Harding | 1 | 1 |
| Hughes | 1 | 1 |
| Hutchinson | 1 | 1 |
| Hyde | 1 | 1 |
| Jackson | 1 | 1 |
| Jerauld | 1 | 1 |
| Jones | 1 | 1 |
| Kingsbury | 1 | 1 |
| Lake | 0 | 1 |
| Lawrence | 1 | 1 |
| Lincoln | 1 | 1 |
| Lyman | 1 | 1 |
| Lyon | 1 | 1 |
| Marshall | 1 | 1 |
| McCook | 1 | 1 |
| McPherson | 1 | 1 |
| Meade | 1 | 1 |
| Mellette | 1 | 1 |
| Miner | 1 | 1 |
| Minnehaha | 1 | 1 |
| Moody | 1 | 1 |
| Oglala Lakota | 1 | 1 |
| Pennington | 1 | 1 |
| Perkins | 1 | 1 |
| Potter | 1 | 1 |
| Roberts | 1 | 1 |
| Sanborn | 1 | 1 |
| Sioux | 1 | 1 |
| Spink | 1 | 1 |
| Stanley | 1 | 1 |
| Sully | 1 | 1 |
| Todd | 1 | 1 |
| Tripp | 1 | 1 |
| Turner | 1 | 1 |
| Union | 1 | 1 |
| Walworth | 1 | 1 |
| Yankton | 1 | 1 |
| Ziebach | 1 | 1 |
Medically Underserved Areas in South Dakota
Showing 30 of 74 MUA designations (lowest MUA Index first, i.e. most underserved).
| Name | MUA Index |
|---|---|
| Faith City - County | 0.0 |
| Hot Springs City - County | 0.0 |
| Kimball City - County | 0.0 |
| TODD SERVICE AREA | 23.9 |
| MELLETTE SERVICE AREA | 26.8 |
| Jackson County | 28.9 |
| CORSON SERVICE AREA | 29.9 |
| MCPHERSON SERVICE AREA | 34.3 |
| AURORA SERVICE AREA | 38.6 |
| DOUGLAS SERVICE AREA | 40.3 |
| BENNETT SERVICE AREA | 40.7 |
| MCCOOK SERVICE AREA | 41.5 |
| Oglala Lakota County | 43.0 |
| DEWEY SERVICE AREA | 44.0 |
| SANBORN SERVICE AREA | 44.4 |
| Elkton City - County | 44.5 |
| CUSTER SERVICE AREA | 45.0 |
| ROBERTS SERVICE AREA | 45.2 |
| JONES SERVICE AREA | 45.4 |
| MINER SERVICE AREA | 45.4 |
| Revillo Service Area | 46.3 |
| ZIEBACH SERVICE AREA | 46.5 |
| BUFFALO SERVICE AREA | 46.6 |
| New Underwood Service Area | 47.4 |
| Edgemont Service Area | 48.7 |
| Irene Service Area | 48.8 |
| Bellefourche-cheyennevunorg Service Area | 48.8 |
| Minnehaha Service Area | 49.1 |
| HYDE SERVICE AREA | 49.3 |
| KINGSBURY SERVICE AREA | 49.7 |
What the HRSA Data Shows for South Dakota
South Dakota currently carries 245 active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the HRSA Data Warehouse, split across 93 primary-care HPSAs, 63 mental-health HPSAs, and 89 dental HPSAs. Roughly 32.5% of the state's population — about 306,025 residents — lives in a county that HRSA has designated as a geographic (whole-community) shortage area. Population-group and facility designations (rural health clinics, FQHCs, low-income groups) cover additional residents and are counted separately, since a single county can hold several designation types without their service populations overlapping cleanly.
Beyond the HPSA counts, South Dakota shows 74 Medically Underserved Areas, a separate HRSA classification that weights four population-level factors: the primary-care provider ratio, the infant mortality rate, the percent of residents below poverty, and the percent of residents aged 65 and over. Counties can appear on the HPSA list, the MUA list, or both — the designations serve different federal-program eligibility purposes. The 70 counties listed above show where these shortages land geographically inside South Dakota, with mental-health gaps typically running the highest in severity scores because HRSA's mental-health provider-to-population ratio threshold (30,000:1) is roughly ten times wider than primary care (3,500:1).
These designations are the gating criterion for more than thirty federal programs that target underserved communities in South Dakota: National Health Service Corps scholarships and loan-repayment awards (up to $50,000 per year), Community Health Center (FQHC) operating grants, a 10% Medicare bonus for physicians practicing inside a HPSA, Rural Health Clinic certification, and J-1 visa waivers for international medical graduates who commit to serving in designated areas. HRSA reviews designations quarterly, so the counts shown above shift as new areas qualify and previously designated areas fall off. The data here describes the structural supply of providers only; it does not evaluate the quality of care offered or substitute for medical advice, and residents seeking a specific appointment should contact a provider directly or use their insurance network.
Learn More About Healthcare Shortages
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plainmedicare.comFrequently Asked Questions
Are there doctor shortages in South Dakota? ▼
Yes. South Dakota has 245 Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), including 93 in primary care, 63 in mental health, and 89 in dental care. About 32.5% of South Dakota 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 South Dakota, there are 245 designated HPSAs and 74 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs).
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in South Dakota? ▼
South Dakota has 74 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs). About 306,025 residents (32.5% 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.
What federal programs address healthcare shortages in South Dakota? ▼
HRSA shortage designations in South Dakota 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 South Dakota compare to other states in healthcare access? ▼
South Dakota has 245 total HPSA designations and 74 Medically Underserved Areas. With 32.5% of residents in counties carrying a geographic shortage designation, you can compare this to other states on our national shortage rankings pages for primary care, mental health, and dental care.
How often is South Dakota HPSA data updated? ▼
HRSA reviews and updates HPSA designations quarterly. New designations and score changes are published through the HRSA Data Warehouse. PlainHealthAccess refreshes its data regularly to reflect the latest HRSA releases.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse HRSA Data Warehouse Not affiliated with HRSA
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
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