ME · Healthcare shortage profile
Franklin County, ME
Designation volume is the standout signal for Franklin County: 13 active HPSA records, above 89% of real US counties. Population 29,456.
- Active HPSAs
- 13
- Population
- 29,456
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- 59.5
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Franklin County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 13 active HPSA designations, more than 89% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 13
- Active HPSA designations
- 5
- Primary-care shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 11%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Franklin County
Franklin County intersects 18 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
6 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 Franklin 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 18.0 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 Franklin County's active designations would take about 6 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.4 primary care, 0.7 mental health, 3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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38.5% of Franklin County's 13 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 5 primary care, 3 mental health, 5 dental (denominator 13).
Franklin County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
13 Top 11% higher than 89% 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. Franklin County falls in the lower half of ME counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 of 16. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 23007. Population: 29,456.
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 13 active (designated) HPSAs in Franklin County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI - Rumford | primary_care | 18.0 |
| LI-Rumford | dental | 17.0 |
| Mainehealth Fmh FH Practices | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI-Franklin County | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Fmh Primary Care Rhc | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Rangeley | dental | 16.0 |
| Mainehealth Fmh FH Practices | dental | 15.0 |
| Fmh Primary Care Rhc | dental | 15.0 |
| Rangeley | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Fmh Primary Care Rhc | primary_care | 12.0 |
| Mainehealth Fmh FH Practices | primary_care | 12.0 |
| LI-Farmington | primary_care | 10.0 |
| LI-Farmington | dental | 10.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Franklin County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Franklin County: 13 active HPSA records, above 89% of real US counties. Primary care is where Franklin County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 18.0 of 25, the county's highest severity reading and past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Mental health reads 16.0 of 25; Dental care reads 17.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 59.5, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Franklin County above 89% of real US counties (13 active designations: 5 primary care, 3 mental health, 5 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 18.0. 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.
Franklin County falls in the lower half of ME counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 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.
Franklin County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Primary care
Primary care
5 designations
- Dental
Dental
5 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Franklin County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Franklin County's active designations: about 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 Franklin 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
Franklin County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Franklin County's 13 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 Primary Care Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA primary-care HPSA score is closest to Franklin County's 18.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Placer County, CA and Boulder County, CO.
Showing 6 of 2932 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Franklin County (13 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 13 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Franklin County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Franklin County carries an MUA designation (index 59.5; 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 Franklin County's 13 active HPSA designations?
- 13 Designated rows (5 primary care, 3 mental health, 5 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "LI - Rumford" (score 18.0; primary care; 1,294 people in the service area; ~1.4 FTE still needed on the record; designated 09/30/2024). Also active: "LI-Rumford", "MAINEHEALTH FMH FH PRACTICES", "LI-Franklin County". Above 89% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Franklin County?
- Peak active score 18.0 in primary care clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 13 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Franklin County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 6 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "LI - Rumford" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Franklin County's designation volume?
- 13 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 Franklin County's volume compare inside ME?
- 13 active HPSA rows · peak 18.0. Franklin County falls in the lower half of ME counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 of 16. Score-nearest counties on this release include Placer County, CA and Boulder County, CO.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 23007. 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 23007 (Franklin County, ME), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 13; peak score 18.0; signature 13 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.