HRSA Counties Indexed
71
with HPSA / MUA coverage
Medically underserved areas & HPSA profile
Medically Underserved Areas in Wisconsin
78 Medically Underserved Areas and 459 active HRSA Health Professional Shortage Area designations across Wisconsin.
- MUAs
- 78
- Total HPSAs
- 459
- Primary care
- 156
- Mental health
- 157
- Dental
- 146
Upper-middle density verdict
Within HRSA's current state and territory corpus, Wisconsin occupies the upper-middle density quarter. The Data Warehouse counts 459 active shortage designations across 71 counties; Milwaukee County has the largest county count at 32; about 29.3% of residents live in a geographic shortage county.
- 459
- Active HPSA designations
- 156
- Primary-care shortages
- 78
- Medically underserved areas
- 29.3%
- Residents in a shortage county
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Wisconsin on its own pages , computed from the retained designation mirror as of 2026-08-03. Each line carries its own denominator so it can be quoted as it stands.
-
Milwaukee County holds 7% of Wisconsin's 459 active designations (32 of 459).
61 of 71 counties in this profile carry at least one active record; the remainder are zero-active on this release.
-
34.2% of Wisconsin's active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from state aggregates: 156 primary care, 157 mental health, 146 dental (denominator 459).
-
Closing Wisconsin's active designations would take about 276 additional clinician FTEs, led by primary care.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id across the state: 119 primary care, 63 mental health, 93 dental. Federal gap estimate, not a practising-clinician headcount.
Corpus placement
Where Wisconsin sits among all 56 states and territories
Wisconsin carries 459 active HPSA designations for a population of 5,802,215, which is 7.9 per 100,000 residents, ranking it 26 of 56 and above 54% of states and territories, against a median of 7.3.
34 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 Wisconsin changed from 454 to 459 (+5).
- IDs added
- 5
- IDs absent now
- 1
- Newly designated
- 0
- No longer designated
- 0
Among IDs present in both snapshots, scores rose for 8 and fell for 3; recorded providers needed rose for 18 and fell for 6. 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
78
Residents in Geographic Shortage Areas
1,699,055
% Residents in Geographic Shortage
29.3%
Discipline Mix
156 / 157 / 146 PC/MH/D
Primary care · Mental health · Dental
% Residents in Geographic Shortage-Designated Counties 29.3%
Wisconsin Shortage Designations by Care Type
How Wisconsin's 459 active HRSA designations split across the three provider categories. According to KFF's May 2026 tracker, Wisconsin has not adopted ACA Medicaid expansion. That policy context does not measure provider supply, appointment availability, or care quality.
Wisconsin HPSA designations by type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations, by provider category.
- Mental health
Mental health
157 designations
- Primary care
Primary care
156 designations
- Dental
Dental
146 designations
Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin
53 counties with at least one active dental designation ; led by Grant (10). Full list (designation count in parentheses): Grant (10) , Milwaukee (9) , Juneau (8) , Barron (5) , Jefferson (5) , Sawyer (5) , Vernon (5) , Brown (4) , Iowa (4) , Lafayette (4) , Monroe (4) , Wood (4) , Burnett (3) , Chippewa (3) , Clark (3) , Crawford (3) , Forest (3) , Marathon (3) , Polk (3) , Price (3) ; plus 33 more in the table below.
Primary-care HPSA counties in Wisconsin
56 counties with at least one active primary-care designation ; led by Milwaukee (11). Full list: Milwaukee (11) , Grant (10) , Juneau (8) , Barron (5) , Jefferson (5) , Sawyer (5) , Vernon (5) , Brown (4) , Iowa (4) , Lafayette (4) , Marathon (4) , Monroe (4) , Wood (4) , Buffalo (3) , Burnett (3) , Chippewa (3) , Clark (3) , Dodge (3) , Forest (3) , Jackson (3) ; plus 36 more in the table below.
Mental-health HPSA counties in Wisconsin
58 counties with at least one active mental-health designation ; led by Milwaukee (12). Full list: Milwaukee (12) , Grant (11) , Juneau (8) , Barron (6) , Jefferson (5) , Sawyer (5) , Vernon (5) , Wood (5) , Brown (4) , Iowa (4) , Lafayette (4) , Bayfield (3) , Buffalo (3) , Burnett (3) , Chippewa (3) , Clark (3) , Crawford (3) , Dodge (3) , Forest (3) , Jackson (3) ; plus 38 more in the table below.
All counties in Wisconsin, by total shortage volume
The 40 counties with the most active HPSA designations, of 71 in Wisconsin. Columns split primary care, mental health, and dental.
| # | County | Designations | Primary Care | Mental Health | Dental | MUA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee | 32 | 11 | 12 | 9 | MUA |
| 2 | Grant | 31 | 10 | 11 | 10 | MUA |
| 3 | Juneau | 24 | 8 | 8 | 8 | MUA |
| 4 | Barron | 16 | 5 | 6 | 5 | MUA |
| 5 | Jefferson | 15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | - |
| 6 | Sawyer | 15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | MUA |
| 7 | Vernon | 15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | MUA |
| 8 | Wood | 13 | 4 | 5 | 4 | MUA |
| 9 | Brown | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | MUA |
| 10 | Iowa | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | MUA |
| 11 | Lafayette | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | MUA |
| 12 | Monroe | 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | MUA |
| 13 | Marathon | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 14 | Burnett | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 15 | Chippewa | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 16 | Clark | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 17 | Forest | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 18 | Polk | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 19 | Price | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 20 | Shawano | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 21 | Buffalo | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | MUA |
| 22 | Crawford | 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | MUA |
| 23 | Dodge | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | - |
| 24 | Jackson | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | MUA |
| 25 | Racine | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | MUA |
| 26 | Sheboygan | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | MUA |
| 27 | Vilas | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | MUA |
| 28 | Bayfield | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | MUA |
| 29 | Sauk | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | - |
| 30 | Waushara | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | MUA |
| 31 | Adams | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 32 | Menominee | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 33 | Rusk | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 34 | St. Croix | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 35 | Walworth | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 36 | Washburn | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 37 | Waupaca | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | MUA |
| 38 | Ashland | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | - |
| 39 | Florence | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | MUA |
| 40 | Kenosha | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | MUA |
Medically Underserved Areas in Wisconsin
Showing 30 of 78 MUA designations (lowest MUA Index first, i.e. most underserved).
| Name | MUA Index |
|---|---|
| Low Inc - Neenah/ Menasha | 0.0 |
| Low Inc - Northeast Madison | 0.0 |
| Low Inc - South Madison | 0.0 |
| Shell Lake City - County | 0.0 |
| Rib Lake Village - County | 0.0 |
| Benton Town Service Area | 42.3 |
| Argyle Town Service Area | 45.3 |
| Milwaukee Service Area | 47.3 |
| Bayfield County | 49.0 |
| Douglas Service Area | 51.5 |
| Birchwood Town Service Area | 51.6 |
| Couderay Town Service Area | 51.6 |
| Milwaukee Service Area | 51.7 |
| Marquette Service Area | 51.8 |
| Low Income - Sheboygan City | 51.8 |
| Capitol Drive Service Area | 52.0 |
| Milwaukee Service Area | 52.6 |
| Buffalo Service Area | 52.7 |
| Durand City Service Area | 54.3 |
| Crawford Service Area | 54.3 |
| Central Kenosha Service Area | 54.5 |
| Osseo City Service Area | 54.6 |
| Farmington Town Service Area | 54.9 |
| Washington Island | 54.9 |
| Milwaukee Service Area | 55.0 |
| Milwaukee Service Area | 55.0 |
| Ainsworth Town Service Area | 55.1 |
| Iron Service Area | 55.2 |
| Marinette Service Area | 55.3 |
| Florence Service Area | 55.5 |
Upper-middle density reading for Wisconsin
Wisconsin carries 459 active HPSA designations with 78 Medically Underserved Areas, enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the densest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (156/157/146) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Geographic shortage counties cover about 29.3% 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 Wisconsin shortage data
Dig deeper into the federal shortage designations behind Wisconsin's numbers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Wisconsin? ▼
Wisconsin has 78 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs). About 1,699,055 residents (29.3% 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 Wisconsin have dental HPSA designations? ▼
53 Wisconsin counties carry at least one active dental Health Professional Shortage Area in the current HRSA release: Grant (10), Milwaukee (9), Juneau (8), Barron (5), Jefferson (5), Sawyer (5), Vernon (5), Brown (4), Iowa (4), Lafayette (4), Monroe (4), Wood (4), Burnett (3), Chippewa (3), Clark (3), Crawford (3), Forest (3), Marathon (3), Polk (3), Price (3); plus 33 more on the table below. Counts are designated dental HPSA records per county, not a dentist headcount.
Are there doctor shortages in Wisconsin? ▼
Yes. Wisconsin has 459 Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), including 156 in primary care, 157 in mental health, and 146 in dental care. About 29.3% of Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin, there are 459 designated HPSAs and 78 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs).
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse HRSA Data Warehouse Not affiliated with HRSA
Choose the next comparison
Use Wisconsin'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 Wisconsin's primary-care shortage record with every other state before drawing conclusions from a raw total; population and geography affect designation counts. Compare states
- Milwaukee 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 Wisconsin (WI) 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.