PA · Healthcare shortage profile
Lehigh County, PA
Peak severity leads this reading: Lehigh County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 374,557.
- Active HPSAs
- 7
- Population
- 374,557
- Peak shortage score
- 25.0
- MUA Index
- 51.6
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Lehigh 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
- 25
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 30%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Lehigh County
Lehigh County intersects 36 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
24 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 Lehigh County, PA 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 25.0 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 Lehigh County's active designations would take about 11 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 11 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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42.9% of Lehigh County's 7 active designations are dental.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 7).
Lehigh 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. Lehigh County falls in the upper half of PA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 19 of 67. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 42077. Population: 374,557.
Single high-priority discipline
Lehigh County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is dental care
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 3 active dental care designations to Lehigh County , with a peak score of 25.0. Other care categories may still be designated here, but none of them clear HRSA's high-priority score line of 17 on the current release, NHSC and related instruments concentrate on the dental care records.
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 Lehigh County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Neighborhood Health Centers OF Lehigh Valley | dental | 25.0 |
| Valley Health Partners Community Health Center | dental | 23.0 |
| LI-Allentown City | dental | 19.0 |
| Valley Health Partners Community Health Center | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Neighborhood Health Centers OF Lehigh Valley | mental_health | 13.0 |
| Neighborhood Health Centers OF Lehigh Valley | primary_care | 9.0 |
| Valley Health Partners Community Health Center | primary_care | 8.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Lehigh County
Peak severity leads this reading: Lehigh County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Lehigh County's deepest shortage reading, 25.0 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 9.0 of 25; Mental health reads 16.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 51.6, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Lehigh 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 25.0. 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.
Lehigh County falls in the upper half of PA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 19 of 67. 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.
Acting on Lehigh County's high-priority dental care
Lehigh County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Lehigh County's high-priority dental care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's dental care burden compares with the rest of PA before drawing conclusions from a single score. PA overview
- Check the provider-to-population ratio behind an HPSA score against HRSA's designation thresholds. 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 Lehigh County's 25.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Fulton County, GA and Erie County, NY.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Lehigh County's dental score of 25.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 25.0 (severity lead on this page is “NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTERS OF LEHIGH VALLEY”).
Fulton County, GA
25.0 dental score · 1,066,710 pop.
Erie County, NY
25.0 dental score · 954,236 pop.
El Paso County, TX
25.0 dental score · 865,657 pop.
Miami-Dade County, FL
25.0 dental score · 2,701,767 pop.
Tarrant County, TX
25.0 dental score · 2,110,640 pop.
Philadelphia County, PA
25.0 dental score · 1,603,797 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Lehigh County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Lehigh County carries an MUA designation (index 51.6; 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 Lehigh County's peak score of 25.0?
- "NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTERS OF LEHIGH VALLEY" leads the active set (score 25.0; dental; 76,929 people in the service area; designated 09/25/2010). 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 Lehigh County's severity reading?
- After "NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTERS OF LEHIGH VALLEY", the next active names on this release are "NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTERS OF LEHIGH VALLEY", "VALLEY HEALTH PARTNERS COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER", "LI-Allentown City" and "VALLEY HEALTH PARTNERS COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~11 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Lehigh County's high-severity geography?
- Lehigh 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 "NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTERS OF LEHIGH VALLEY".
- How does Lehigh County's peak severity sit inside PA?
- Lehigh County holds 7 active HPSA rows with peak 25.0. Lehigh County falls in the upper half of PA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 19 of 67. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Fulton County, GA and Erie County, NY.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 42077. 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 42077 (Lehigh County, PA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 7; peak score 25.0; signature peak score 25.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.