ME · Healthcare shortage profile
Aroostook County, ME
Designation volume is the standout signal for Aroostook County: 44 active HPSA records, above 99% of real US counties. Population 67,105.
- Active HPSAs
- 44
- Population
- 67,105
- Peak shortage score
- 22.0
- MUA Index
- 52.5
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Aroostook County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 44 active HPSA designations, more than 99% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 44
- Active HPSA designations
- 13
- Mental-health shortages
- 22
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 1%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Aroostook 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.
-
Peak HPSA score 22.0 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.
-
Closing Aroostook County's active designations would take about 9.5 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.4 primary care, 2.1 mental health, 4 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
36.4% of Aroostook County's 44 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 16 primary care, 13 mental health, 15 dental (denominator 44).
Dense ZCTA lattice over Aroostook County
Aroostook County intersects 42 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
30 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.
Aroostook County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
44 Top 1% higher than 99% 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. Aroostook County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 16 real counties in ME. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 23003. Population: 67,105.
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
Showing the 40 most-severe of 44 active (designated) HPSAs in Aroostook County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Pines Health Services | mental_health | 22.0 |
| Pines Health Services | dental | 19.0 |
| Houlton | mental_health | 18.0 |
| LI-Houlton SA | dental | 18.0 |
| LI-Presque Isle SA | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Fish River Rural Health | dental | 17.0 |
| Sigrid E Tompkins Health Center | dental | 17.0 |
| Houlton Family Practice | dental | 17.0 |
| Station Hill Medical Office Building | mental_health | 16.0 |
| N M M C Medical Office Building | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Valley Medical Association | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Houlton Family Practice | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Sigrid E Tompkins Health Center | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Valley Medical Association | dental | 16.0 |
| LI-Fort Kent SA | dental | 16.0 |
| LI-Presque Isle SA | dental | 16.0 |
| Acadia Family Health Center | dental | 15.0 |
| Station Hill Medical Office Building | dental | 15.0 |
| N M M C Medical Office Building | dental | 15.0 |
| Acadia Family Health Center | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Fish River Rural Health | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians Health Department | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians Health Department | dental | 14.0 |
| LI Houlton SA | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Washington & Aroostook SA | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Island Falls SA | primary_care | 13.0 |
| LI-Fort Kent | primary_care | 12.0 |
| Micmac Health Department | primary_care | 12.0 |
| Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians Health Department | primary_care | 12.0 |
| LI-Fort Kent | mental_health | 12.0 |
| Ashland SA | primary_care | 11.0 |
| Lincoln SA | primary_care | 11.0 |
| Micmac Health Department | mental_health | 11.0 |
| LI-Millinocket | dental | 11.0 |
| Micmac Health Department | dental | 11.0 |
| LI-Caribou SA | dental | 10.0 |
| Sigrid E Tompkins Health Center | primary_care | 7.0 |
| Pines Health Services | primary_care | 7.0 |
| Houlton Family Practice | primary_care | 7.0 |
| Valley Medical Association | primary_care | 5.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Aroostook County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Aroostook County: 44 active HPSA records, above 99% of real US counties. Aroostook County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 22.0 of 25, 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; Dental care reads 19.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 52.5, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Aroostook County above 99% of real US counties (44 active designations: 16 primary care, 13 mental health, 15 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 22.0. 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.
Aroostook County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 16 real counties in ME. 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.
Aroostook County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Dental
Dental
15 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
13 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Aroostook County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Aroostook County's active designations: about 9.5 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 Aroostook 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
Aroostook County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Aroostook County's 44 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 Mental Health Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Aroostook County's 22.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Jackson County, MO and Montgomery County, OH.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Aroostook County (44 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 44 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Aroostook County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Aroostook County carries an MUA designation (index 52.5; 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 Aroostook County's 44 active HPSA designations?
- 44 Designated rows (16 primary care, 13 mental health, 15 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "PINES HEALTH SERVICES" (score 22.0; mental health; 9,738 people in the service area; designated 01/09/2007). Also active: "PINES HEALTH SERVICES", "Houlton", "LI-Houlton SA". Above 99% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Aroostook County?
- Peak active score 22.0 in mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 44 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Aroostook County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 9.5 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "PINES HEALTH SERVICES" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Aroostook County's designation volume?
- 44 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 Aroostook County's volume compare inside ME?
- 44 active HPSA rows · peak 22.0. Aroostook County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 16 real counties in ME. Score-nearest counties on this release include Jackson County, MO and Montgomery County, OH.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 23003. 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 23003 (Aroostook County, ME), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 44; peak score 22.0; signature 44 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.