ME · Healthcare shortage profile
Kennebec County, ME
Designation volume is the standout signal for Kennebec County: 16 active HPSA records, above 92% of real US counties. Population 123,642.
- Active HPSAs
- 16
- Population
- 123,642
- Peak shortage score
- 23.0
- MUA Index
- 58.5
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Kennebec County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 16 active HPSA designations, more than 92% of the 3,289 real US counties, with dental the deepest gap.
- 16
- Active HPSA designations
- 6
- Dental shortages
- 23
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 8%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Kennebec County, ME 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 23.0 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 Kennebec County's active designations would take about 13 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 4.8 primary care, 2.2 mental health, 5.6 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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37.5% of Kennebec County's 16 active designations are dental.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 5 primary care, 5 mental health, 6 dental (denominator 16).
Dense ZCTA lattice over Kennebec County
Kennebec County intersects 27 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
15 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.
Kennebec County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
16 Top 8% higher than 92% 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. Kennebec County falls in the upper half of ME counties by active-designation volume, at rank 7 of 16. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 23011. Population: 123,642.
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 16 active (designated) HPSAs in Kennebec County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Maine Mobile Health Program, Inc. | dental | 23.0 |
| Health Reach Community Health Centers | dental | 22.0 |
| Health Reach Community Health Centers | mental_health | 21.0 |
| LI-Waterville SA | mental_health | 17.0 |
| LI-Augusta SA | mental_health | 17.0 |
| LI-Augusta | dental | 16.0 |
| LI-Unity | dental | 16.0 |
| LI-Unity SA | primary_care | 15.0 |
| LI-Waterville SA | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Health Reach Community Health Centers | primary_care | 13.0 |
| LI-Livermore SA | mental_health | 13.0 |
| Maine Mobile Health Program, Inc. | mental_health | 12.0 |
| Maine Mobile Health Program, Inc. | primary_care | 11.0 |
| LI-Farmington | primary_care | 10.0 |
| LI-Farmington | dental | 10.0 |
| LI-Waterville | dental | 10.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Kennebec County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Kennebec County: 16 active HPSA records, above 92% of real US counties. Dental care carries Kennebec County's deepest shortage reading, 23.0 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 15.0 of 25; Mental health reads 21.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 58.5, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Kennebec County above 92% of real US counties (16 active designations: 5 primary care, 5 mental health, 6 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 23.0. 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.
Kennebec County falls in the upper half of ME counties by active-designation volume, at rank 7 of 16. 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.
Kennebec County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Dental
Dental
6 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
5 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Kennebec County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Kennebec County's active designations: about 13 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Kennebec County, ME · 2026 HRSA designation data updated quarterly; HPSA scores 0-25 (primary/mental) and 0-26 (dental); higher = greater shortage severity. Coverage tiers from U.S. Census ACS PUMS + KFF state tracker.
Acting on a heavy-burden county
Kennebec County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Kennebec County's 16 active designations make providers here eligible for National Health Service Corps loan repayment, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's dental burden compares with the rest of ME before you draw conclusions from a single score. ME overview
- Check whether an area clears HRSA's 3,500:1 population-to-provider threshold with the provider-to-population ratio behind an HPSA score. 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 Kennebec County's 23.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Spartanburg County, SC and McLennan County, TX.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Kennebec County (16 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 16 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Kennebec County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Kennebec County carries an MUA designation (index 58.5; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- What makes up Kennebec County's 16 active HPSA designations?
- 16 Designated rows (5 primary care, 5 mental health, 6 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "MAINE MOBILE HEALTH PROGRAM, INC." (score 23.0; dental; 21,527 people in the service area; designated 10/26/2002). Also active: "HEALTH REACH COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS", "HEALTH REACH COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS", "LI-Waterville SA". Above 92% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Kennebec County?
- Peak active score 23.0 in dental care clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 16 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Kennebec County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 13 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "MAINE MOBILE HEALTH PROGRAM, INC." is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Kennebec County's designation volume?
- 16 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, by designated area and provider type, not by county line alone.
- How does Kennebec County's volume compare inside ME?
- 16 active HPSA rows · peak 23.0. Kennebec County falls in the upper half of ME counties by active-designation volume, at rank 7 of 16. Score-nearest counties on this release include Spartanburg County, SC and McLennan County, TX.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 23011. 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 23011 (Kennebec County, ME), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 16; peak score 23.0; signature 16 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.