ME · Healthcare shortage profile
Hancock County, ME
Peak severity leads this reading: Hancock County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 55,478.
- Active HPSAs
- 9
- Population
- 55,478
- Peak shortage score
- 26.0
- MUA Index
- 46.6
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Hancock County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 9 active HPSA designations, more than 75% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 9
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Dental shortages
- 26
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 25%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Hancock County
Hancock County intersects 41 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
29 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 Hancock 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 26.0 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 Hancock County's active designations would take about 6.8 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.9 primary care, 1.4 mental health, 2.6 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Hancock County's 9 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 9).
Hancock County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
9 Top 25% higher than 75% 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. Hancock County falls in the lower half of ME counties by active-designation volume, at rank 12 of 16. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 23009. Population: 55,478.
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 9 active (designated) HPSAs in Hancock County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Bucksport Regional Health Center | dental | 26.0 |
| Bucksport Regional Health Center | mental_health | 22.0 |
| LI-Gouldsboro | dental | 16.0 |
| LI-Old Town SA | dental | 16.0 |
| LI-Old Town SA | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Ellsworth SA | mental_health | 15.0 |
| LI-Milbridge | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Stonington SA | mental_health | 12.0 |
| Bucksport Regional Health Center | primary_care | 9.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Hancock County
Peak severity leads this reading: Hancock County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Hancock County's deepest shortage reading, 26.0 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 22.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 46.6, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Hancock County above 75% of real US counties (9 active designations: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 26.0. 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.
Hancock County falls in the lower half of ME counties by active-designation volume, at rank 12 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.
Hancock County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Mental health
Mental health
3 designations
- Dental
Dental
3 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Hancock County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Hancock County's active designations: about 6.8 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 Hancock 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
Hancock County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Hancock County's 9 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 primary care 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 Hancock County's 26.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Orange County, FL and Lee County, FL.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Hancock County's dental score of 26.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 26.0 (severity lead on this page is “BUCKSPORT REGIONAL HEALTH CENTER”).
Orange County, FL
26.0 dental score · 1,429,908 pop.
Lee County, FL
26.0 dental score · 760,822 pop.
Sonoma County, CA
26.0 dental score · 488,863 pop.
Albany County, NY
26.0 dental score · 314,848 pop.
Maui County, HI
26.0 dental score · 164,754 pop.
Sumter County, FL
26.0 dental score · 129,752 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Hancock County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Hancock County carries an MUA designation (index 46.6; 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 Hancock County's peak score of 26.0?
- "BUCKSPORT REGIONAL HEALTH CENTER" leads the active set (score 26.0; dental; 10,525 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 9 active rows: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Hancock County's severity reading?
- After "BUCKSPORT REGIONAL HEALTH CENTER", the next active names on this release are "BUCKSPORT REGIONAL HEALTH CENTER", "BUCKSPORT REGIONAL HEALTH CENTER", "LI-Gouldsboro" and "LI-Old Town SA". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~6.8 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Hancock County's high-severity geography?
- Hancock County's 9 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 "BUCKSPORT REGIONAL HEALTH CENTER".
- How does Hancock County's peak severity sit inside ME?
- Hancock County holds 9 active HPSA rows with peak 26.0. Hancock County falls in the lower half of ME counties by active-designation volume, at rank 12 of 16. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Orange County, FL and Lee County, FL.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 23009. 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 23009 (Hancock County, ME), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 9; peak score 26.0; signature peak score 26.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.