NJ · Healthcare shortage profile
Essex County, NJ
Designation volume is the standout signal for Essex County: 20 active HPSA records, above 95% of real US counties. Population 863,728.
- Active HPSAs
- 20
- Population
- 863,728
- Peak shortage score
- 23.0
- MUA Index
- 39.7
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Essex County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 20 active HPSA designations, more than 95% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 20
- Active HPSA designations
- 6
- Mental-health shortages
- 23
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 5%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Essex County, NJ 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 23.0 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 Essex County's active designations would take about 11 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 6.6 primary care, 3.4 mental health, 0.5 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
40% of Essex County's 20 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 8 primary care, 6 mental health, 6 dental (denominator 20).
Dense ZCTA lattice over Essex County
Essex 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.
Essex County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
20 Top 5% higher than 95% 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. Essex County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 20 real counties in NJ. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 34013. Population: 863,728.
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 20 active (designated) HPSAs in Essex County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| City OF Newark New Jersey | mental_health | 23.0 |
| Saint James Health Inc | mental_health | 22.0 |
| Newark Community Health Centers Inc | mental_health | 22.0 |
| City OF Newark New Jersey | dental | 22.0 |
| Newark Community Health Centers Inc | dental | 21.0 |
| North Newark | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Saint James Health Inc | dental | 18.0 |
| Rutgers The State University OF New Jersey | mental_health | 17.0 |
| City OF Newark New Jersey | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Newark Community Health Centers Inc | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Saint James Health Inc | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Ironbound Community Health Center Inc. | dental | 14.0 |
| North Newark | primary_care | 13.0 |
| South Essex County SA | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Ironbound Community Health Center Inc. | mental_health | 12.0 |
| Rutgers The State University OF New Jersey | dental | 12.0 |
| Ironbound Community Health Center Inc. | primary_care | 6.0 |
| Rutgers The State University OF New Jersey | primary_care | 6.0 |
| Northern State Prison | primary_care | 3.0 |
| Northern State Prison | dental | 3.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Essex County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Essex County: 20 active HPSA records, above 95% of real US counties. Essex County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 23.0 of 25, 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; Dental care reads 22.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 39.7, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Essex County above 95% of real US counties (20 active designations: 8 primary care, 6 mental health, 6 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 23.0. 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.
Essex County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 20 real counties in NJ. 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.
Essex 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
6 designations
- Dental
Dental
6 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Essex County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Essex County's active designations: about 11 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 Essex County, NJ · 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
Essex County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Essex County's 20 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 NJ before you draw conclusions from a single score. NJ 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 Essex County's 23.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Polk County, FL and Luzerne County, PA.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Essex County (20 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 20 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Essex County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Essex County carries an MUA designation (index 39.7; 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 Essex County's 20 active HPSA designations?
- 20 Designated rows (8 primary care, 6 mental health, 6 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "CITY OF NEWARK NEW JERSEY" (score 23.0; mental health; 142,478 people in the service area; designated 10/26/2002). Also active: "SAINT JAMES HEALTH INC", "NEWARK COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS INC", "CITY OF NEWARK NEW JERSEY". Above 95% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Essex County?
- Peak active score 23.0 in mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 20 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Essex County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 11 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "CITY OF NEWARK NEW JERSEY" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Essex County's designation volume?
- 20 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 Essex County's volume compare inside NJ?
- 20 active HPSA rows · peak 23.0. Essex County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 20 real counties in NJ. Score-nearest counties on this release include Polk County, FL and Luzerne County, PA.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 34013. 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 34013 (Essex County, NJ), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 20; peak score 23.0; signature 20 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.