Medically Underserved Area Two high-priority disciplines

ME · Healthcare shortage profile

Washington County, ME

Peak severity leads this reading: Washington County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 31,095.

Active HPSAs
29
Population
31,095
Peak shortage score
26.0
MUA Index
0.0
ME state overview → About this data

Heavy-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Washington County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 29 active HPSA designations, more than 97% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

29
Active HPSA designations
9
Dental shortages
26
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 3%
US counties by volume

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Washington 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.

  1. 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.

  2. Closing Washington County's active designations would take about 7.6 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.2 primary care, 1.5 mental health, 2.9 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 41.4% of Washington County's 29 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 12 primary care, 8 mental health, 9 dental (denominator 29).

Dense ZCTA lattice over Washington County

Washington County intersects 31 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

19 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.

Washington County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

29 Top 3% higher than 97% of 3,289 real US counties

0–20: 3,115 real US counties (95%). Below this entry. 20–40: 128 real US counties (4%). This entry sits in this band. 40–60: 32 real US counties (1%). Above this entry. 60–80: 7 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 80–100: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 100–120: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 120–140: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 140–160: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 160–180: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 180–200: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 200–220: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 220–240: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 240–260: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 260–280: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. This county 0 280 every real US county, bucketed by value

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. Washington County sits among the top three county rank positions in ME, at rank 3 of 16. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 23029. Population: 31,095.

9
Dental HPSAs
8
Mental Health HPSAs

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 0.0

Peak severity scores

Primary Care 15.0
Mental Health 18.0
Dental 26.0

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 29 active (designated) HPSAs in Washington County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Harrington Family Health Center dental 26.0
St Croix Regional Health Ctr dental 19.0
LI-Calais/Machias SA mental_health 18.0
Harrington Family Health Center mental_health 18.0
Eastport Health Care, Inc. mental_health 18.0
Eastport Health Care, Inc. dental 18.0
LI-Machias dental 18.0
Peter Dana Point dental 17.0
Peter Dana Point mental_health 16.0
LI-Gouldsboro dental 16.0
LI-Calais dental 16.0
Calais SA primary_care 15.0
Ellsworth SA mental_health 15.0
Pleasant Point Health Center dental 15.0
LI-Milbridge primary_care 14.0
Peter Dana Point primary_care 14.0
Pleasant Point Health Center primary_care 14.0
Pleasant Point Health Center mental_health 14.0
Washington & Aroostook SA primary_care 13.0
LI-Jonesport primary_care 13.0
St Croix Regional Health Ctr mental_health 13.0
Regional Medical Center AT Lubec Inc mental_health 13.0
Regional Medical Center AT Lubec Inc dental 13.0
Harrington Family Health Center primary_care 11.0
St Croix Regional Health Ctr primary_care 10.0
LI-Machias SA primary_care 9.0
Eastport Health Care, Inc. primary_care 9.0
LI-Eastport SA primary_care 8.0
Regional Medical Center AT Lubec Inc primary_care 8.0

Heavy-burden reading for Washington County

Peak severity leads this reading: Washington County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Washington 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 18.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 0.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Volume places Washington County above 97% of real US counties (29 active designations: 12 primary care, 8 mental health, 9 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.

Washington County sits among the top three county rank positions in ME, at rank 3 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.

Washington County designations by care type

Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).

designations
Source HRSA Data Warehouse, designated HPSAs As of 2026

Heavy-volume FTE gap in Washington County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Washington County's active designations: about 7.6 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 Washington 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

Washington County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.

  • Washington County's 29 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 Washington 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.

Orange County, FL

26.0 score 1,429,908 pop.

Lee County, FL

26.0 score 760,822 pop.

Sonoma County, CA

26.0 score 488,863 pop.

Albany County, NY

26.0 score 314,848 pop.

Maui County, HI

26.0 score 164,754 pop.

Sumter County, FL

26.0 score 129,752 pop.

Counties near Washington 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 “HARRINGTON FAMILY 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 Washington County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Washington County carries an MUA designation (index 0.0; 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 Washington County's peak score of 26.0?
"HARRINGTON FAMILY HEALTH CENTER" leads the active set (score 26.0; dental; 3,928 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 29 active rows: 12 primary care, 8 mental health, 9 dental.
Which other active designations sit under Washington County's severity reading?
After "HARRINGTON FAMILY HEALTH CENTER", the next active names on this release are "HARRINGTON FAMILY HEALTH CENTER", "ST CROIX REGIONAL HEALTH CTR", "LI-Calais/Machias SA" and "HARRINGTON FAMILY HEALTH CENTER". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~7.6 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Which federal pathways follow Washington County's high-severity geography?
Washington County's 29 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 "HARRINGTON FAMILY HEALTH CENTER".
How does Washington County's peak severity sit inside ME?
Washington County holds 29 active HPSA rows with peak 26.0. Washington County sits among the top three county rank positions in ME, at rank 3 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: 23029. 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 23029 (Washington County, ME), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 29; peak score 26.0; signature peak score 26.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.