ME · Healthcare shortage profile
Lincoln County, ME
Designation volume is the standout signal for Lincoln County: 10 active HPSA records, above 83% of real US counties. Population 35,237.
- Active HPSAs
- 10
- Population
- 35,237
- Peak shortage score
- 16.0
- MUA Index
- 54.2
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Lincoln County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 10 active HPSA designations, more than 83% of the 3,289 real US counties, with dental the deepest gap.
- 10
- Active HPSA designations
- 4
- Dental shortages
- 16
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 17%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Lincoln County
Lincoln 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.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Lincoln 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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Closing Lincoln County's active designations would take about 2.7 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.7 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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40% of Lincoln County's 10 active designations are dental.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 4 dental (denominator 10).
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Peak HPSA score 16.0 sits below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line.
Below-17 designations still count as shortages for program geography, but they do not clear the high-priority NHSC placement threshold on this release.
Corpus placement
Designated volume without a high-priority score
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Lincoln County carries 10 active designations, above 83% of real US counties. None of those scores clear HRSA's high-priority line of 17 on this release, so the page leads with severity reading rather than a national distribution chart.
State peer position. Lincoln County falls in the lower half of ME counties by active-designation volume, at rank 11 of 16. Ties share a rank.
Computed from current designated HPSA rows for every five-digit county FIPS. See the placement methodology.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 23015. Population: 35,237.
Below high-priority line
Lincoln County is designated, but no active score clears 17
10 active designations sit on this FIPS (3 primary care, 3 mental health, 4 dental), and the peak severity is 16.0. That is a formal shortage footprint without HRSA's high-priority (≥17) tier, so NHSC placement geography is usually weaker here than on counties whose lead score clears the line.
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 10 active (designated) HPSAs in Lincoln County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Lmp Boothbay | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI-Augusta | dental | 16.0 |
| Lmp Waldoboro | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Lmp Primary Care Damariscotta | dental | 15.0 |
| Lmp Waldoboro | dental | 15.0 |
| Lmp Boothbay | dental | 15.0 |
| Lmp Primary Care Damariscotta | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Lmp Boothbay | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Lmp Primary Care Damariscotta | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Lmp Waldoboro | primary_care | 12.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Lincoln County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Lincoln County: 10 active HPSA records, above 83% of real US counties. Lincoln County's shortage runs equally deep in mental health and dental care: both scored 16.0 by HRSA, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Primary care reads 14.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 54.2, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Lincoln County above 83% of real US counties (10 active designations: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 4 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 16.0. 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.
Lincoln County falls in the lower half of ME counties by active-designation volume, at rank 11 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.
High-volume peers of Lincoln County (10 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 10 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Lincoln County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Lincoln County carries an MUA designation (index 54.2; 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 Lincoln County's 10 active HPSA designations?
- 10 Designated rows (3 primary care, 3 mental health, 4 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "LMP BOOTHBAY" (score 16.0; mental health; 18,525 people in the service area; designated 08/06/2021). Also active: "LI-Augusta", "LMP WALDOBORO", "LMP PRIMARY CARE DAMARISCOTTA". Above 83% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Lincoln County?
- Peak active score 16.0 in mental health and dental care stays under the 17-point line while volume sits at 10 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Lincoln County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 2.7 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "LMP BOOTHBAY" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Lincoln County's designation volume?
- 10 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 Lincoln County's volume compare inside ME?
- 10 active HPSA rows · peak 16.0. Lincoln County falls in the lower half of ME counties by active-designation volume, at rank 11 of 16. Score-nearest counties on this release include Somerset County, NJ and Schuylkill County, PA.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 23015. 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 23015 (Lincoln County, ME), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 10; peak score 16.0; signature 10 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.