NJ · Healthcare shortage profile
Mercer County, NJ
Peak severity leads this reading: Mercer County's highest active HPSA score is 23.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 387,340.
- Active HPSAs
- 7
- Population
- 387,340
- Peak shortage score
- 23.0
- MUA Index
- 43.8
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Mercer County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 7 active HPSA designations, more than 70% of the 3,289 real US counties, with dental the deepest gap.
- 7
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Dental shortages
- 23
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 30%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Mercer County
Mercer County intersects 26 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
14 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 Mercer 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.
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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 Mercer County's active designations would take about 17 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.9 primary care, 0.4 mental health, 14 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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42.9% of Mercer County's 7 active designations are dental.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 7).
Mercer County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
7 Top 30% higher than 70% 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. Mercer County falls in the upper half of NJ counties by active-designation volume, at rank 7 of 20. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 34021. Population: 387,340.
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 7 active (designated) HPSAs in Mercer County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Henry J. Austin Health Center, Inc. | dental | 23.0 |
| Henry J. Austin Health Center, Inc. | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Trenton SA | dental | 19.0 |
| Henry J. Austin Health Center, Inc. | primary_care | 14.0 |
| New Jersey State Prison | primary_care | 6.0 |
| New Jersey State Prison | dental | 6.0 |
| CF-New Jersey State Prison | mental_health | 3.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Mercer County
Peak severity leads this reading: Mercer County's highest active HPSA score is 23.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Mercer County's deepest shortage reading, 23.0 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 14.0 of 25; Mental health reads 19.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 43.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Mercer County above 70% of real US counties (7 active designations: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 3 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.
Mercer County falls in the upper half of NJ counties by active-designation volume, at rank 7 of 20. 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.
Mercer County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Dental
Dental
3 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
2 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Mercer County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Mercer County's active designations: about 17 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 Mercer 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
Mercer County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Mercer County's 7 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 dental 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 Dental Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to Mercer County's 23.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Kern County, CA and Prince William County, VA.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Mercer County's dental score of 23.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 23.0 (severity lead on this page is “HENRY J. AUSTIN HEALTH CENTER, INC.”).
Kern County, CA
23.0 dental score · 909,235 pop.
Prince William County, VA
23.0 dental score · 482,204 pop.
Boulder County, CO
23.0 dental score · 330,758 pop.
Erie County, PA
23.0 dental score · 270,876 pop.
York County, ME
23.0 dental score · 211,972 pop.
Ector County, TX
23.0 dental score · 165,171 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Mercer County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Mercer County carries an MUA designation (index 43.8; 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 Mercer County's peak score of 23.0?
- "HENRY J. AUSTIN HEALTH CENTER, INC." leads the active set (score 23.0; dental; 56,384 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 7 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 3 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Mercer County's severity reading?
- After "HENRY J. AUSTIN HEALTH CENTER, INC.", the next active names on this release are "HENRY J. AUSTIN HEALTH CENTER, INC.", "HENRY J. AUSTIN HEALTH CENTER, INC.", "Trenton SA" and "HENRY J. AUSTIN HEALTH CENTER, INC.". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~17 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Mercer County's high-severity geography?
- Mercer County's 7 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 "HENRY J. AUSTIN HEALTH CENTER, INC.".
- How does Mercer County's peak severity sit inside NJ?
- Mercer County holds 7 active HPSA rows with peak 23.0. Mercer County falls in the upper half of NJ counties by active-designation volume, at rank 7 of 20. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Kern County, CA and Prince William County, VA.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 34021. 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 34021 (Mercer County, NJ), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 7; peak score 23.0; signature peak score 23.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.