MA · Healthcare shortage profile
Plymouth County, MA
Peak severity leads this reading: Plymouth County's highest active HPSA score is 20.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 530,819.
- Active HPSAs
- 7
- Population
- 530,819
- Peak shortage score
- 20.0
- MUA Index
- 43.6
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Plymouth County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 7 active HPSA designations, more than 70% of the 3,289 real US counties, with dental the deepest gap.
- 7
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Dental shortages
- 20
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 30%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Plymouth County
Plymouth County intersects 36 Census ZCTAs, above the 15-ZIP dense-tercile cut. Shortage designations still attach at the county (or smaller HPSA) grain; the ZIP list is geography, not a second severity score.
Largest land-share ZCTAs in this county
24 additional ZCTAs intersect this county in the crosswalk (ordered by land share).
Source: Census ZCTA–county relationship file joined to this portal's county FIPS set. As of 2026-08-15.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Plymouth County, MA 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.
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Peak HPSA score 20.0 clears HRSA's 17-point high-priority line.
Scores at or above 17 on the 0–25/26 scales open NHSC placement priority for the matching provider type; eligibility still follows the designated area, not the county boundary alone.
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Closing Plymouth County's active designations would take about 3.3 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.6 primary care, 0.1 mental health, 2.6 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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42.9% of Plymouth County's 7 active designations are dental.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 7).
Plymouth County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
7 Top 30% higher than 70% of 3,289 real US counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more real US counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source HRSA Data Warehouse, designated HPSAs · 2026
State peer position. Plymouth County falls in the lower half of MA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 of 14. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 25023. Population: 530,819.
Single high-priority discipline
Plymouth County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is dental care
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 3 active dental care designations to Plymouth County , with a peak score of 20.0. Other care categories may still be designated here, but none of them clear HRSA's high-priority score line of 17 on the current release, NHSC and related instruments concentrate on the dental care records.
Medically Underserved Area
Peak severity scores
Current designated records only. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?
Highest-severity HPSA designations
All 7 active (designated) HPSAs in Plymouth County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Brockton Neighborhood Health Center, Inc. | dental | 20.0 |
| Brockton Neighborhood Health Center, Inc. | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Brockton Neighborhood Health Center, Inc. | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Bridgewater State Hospital CF | dental | 6.0 |
| Bridgewater State Hospital CF | primary_care | 3.0 |
| Old Colony Correctional Center | mental_health | 3.0 |
| Massachusetts Treatment Center (mtc) | dental | 3.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Plymouth County
Peak severity leads this reading: Plymouth County's highest active HPSA score is 20.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Plymouth County's deepest shortage reading, 20.0 on HRSA's 0–26 dental scale, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 13.0 of 25; Mental health reads 15.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 43.6, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Plymouth County above 70% of real US counties (7 active designations: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 3 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 20.0. The table on this page lists the highest-severity records first so a reader can see which named facilities, geographies, or population groups drive that burden without treating the county total as a personal appointment forecast.
Plymouth County falls in the lower half of MA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 of 14. Heavy-burden counties are where NHSC placement, Community Health Center grant geography, and related federal instruments concentrate; eligibility still follows the designated area and provider type, not the county boundary alone.
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Plymouth County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Plymouth County's active designations: about 3.3 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Plymouth County's high-priority dental care
Plymouth County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Plymouth County's high-priority dental care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's dental care burden compares with the rest of MA before drawing conclusions from a single score. MA overview
- Check the provider-to-population ratio behind an HPSA score against HRSA's designation thresholds. HPSA score lookup
HPSA scores describe shortage severity within HRSA's designation criteria, not the availability of any individual provider. For a specific appointment, contact a provider or your insurer; use HRSA's current tools to verify a designation.
Counties With a Similar Dental Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to Plymouth County's 20.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Snohomish County, WA and Marion County, OR.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Plymouth County's dental score of 20.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 20.0 (severity lead on this page is “BROCKTON NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTER, INC.”).
Snohomish County, WA
20.0 dental score · 827,957 pop.
Marion County, OR
20.0 dental score · 345,920 pop.
Washington County, RI
20.0 dental score · 129,839 pop.
Payne County, OK
20.0 dental score · 81,646 pop.
Trujillo Alto County, PR
20.0 dental score · 67,740 pop.
Kenai Peninsula County, AK
20.0 dental score · 58,799 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Plymouth County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Plymouth County carries an MUA designation (index 43.6; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- Which record sets Plymouth County's peak score of 20.0?
- "BROCKTON NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTER, INC." leads the active set (score 20.0; dental; 52,086 people in the service area; designated 10/26/2002). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 7 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 3 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Plymouth County's severity reading?
- After "BROCKTON NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTER, INC.", the next active names on this release are "BROCKTON NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTER, INC.", "BROCKTON NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTER, INC.", "BROCKTON NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTER, INC." and "Bridgewater State Hospital CF". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~3.3 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Plymouth County's high-severity geography?
- Plymouth County's 7 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not merely the county line around "BROCKTON NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTER, INC.".
- How does Plymouth County's peak severity sit inside MA?
- Plymouth County holds 7 active HPSA rows with peak 20.0. Plymouth County falls in the lower half of MA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 of 14. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Snohomish County, WA and Marion County, OR.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 25023. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_PC.csv (primary care) , BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_MH.csv (mental health) and BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_DH.csv (dental) — download the normalized export on our open data page. PlainHealthAccess is not affiliated with HRSA or any government agency.
HRSA Data Warehouse HPSA + MUA/P records for FIPS 25023 (Plymouth County, MA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 7; peak score 20.0; signature peak score 20.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.