PA · Healthcare shortage profile
Delaware County, PA
Peak severity leads this reading: Delaware County's highest active HPSA score is 19.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 576,830.
- Active HPSAs
- 7
- Population
- 576,830
- Peak shortage score
- 19.0
- MUA Index
- 55.8
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Delaware 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 primary care the deepest gap.
- 7
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Dental shortages
- 19
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 30%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Delaware County
Delaware County intersects 45 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
33 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 Delaware 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 19.0 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 Delaware County's active designations would take about 5.9 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 5.3 primary care, 0.3 mental health, 0.3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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42.9% of Delaware County's 7 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 7).
Delaware 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. Delaware 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: 42045. Population: 576,830.
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 Delaware County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chespenn Health Services, Inc | dental | 19.0 |
| Chespenn Health Services, Inc | primary_care | 17.0 |
| LI-Chester City | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Chespenn Health Services, Inc | mental_health | 9.0 |
| CF-State Correctional Institution - Chester | primary_care | 3.0 |
| CF-State Correctional Institution - Chester | mental_health | 3.0 |
| CF-State Correctional Institution - Chester | dental | 3.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Delaware County
Peak severity leads this reading: Delaware County's highest active HPSA score is 19.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Delaware County's deepest shortage reading, 19.0 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 17.0 of 25; Mental health reads 9.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 55.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Delaware County above 70% of real US counties (7 active designations: 3 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 19.0. 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.
Delaware 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.
Delaware 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
3 designations
- Dental
Dental
2 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Delaware County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Delaware County's active designations: about 5.9 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 Delaware County, PA · 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
Delaware County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Delaware 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 primary care burden compares with the rest of PA before you draw conclusions from a single score. PA 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 Delaware County's 19.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Athens County, OH and Le Flore County, OK.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Delaware County's dental score of 19.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 19.0 (severity lead on this page is “CHESPENN HEALTH SERVICES, INC”).
Athens County, OH
19.0 dental score · 62,431 pop.
Le Flore County, OK
19.0 dental score · 48,129 pop.
Richmond County, NC
19.0 dental score · 42,946 pop.
Northampton County, PA
19.0 dental score · 312,951 pop.
Pueblo County, CO
19.0 dental score · 168,162 pop.
Terrebonne County, LA
19.0 dental score · 109,580 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Delaware County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Delaware County carries an MUA designation (index 55.8; 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 Delaware County's peak score of 19.0?
- "CHESPENN HEALTH SERVICES, INC" leads the active set (score 19.0; dental; 52,197 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: 3 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Delaware County's severity reading?
- After "CHESPENN HEALTH SERVICES, INC", the next active names on this release are "CHESPENN HEALTH SERVICES, INC", "CHESPENN HEALTH SERVICES, INC", "LI-Chester City" and "CHESPENN HEALTH SERVICES, INC". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~5.9 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Delaware County's high-severity geography?
- Delaware 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 "CHESPENN HEALTH SERVICES, INC".
- How does Delaware County's peak severity sit inside PA?
- Delaware County holds 7 active HPSA rows with peak 19.0. Delaware 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 Athens County, OH and Le Flore County, OK.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 42045. 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 42045 (Delaware County, PA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 7; peak score 19.0; signature peak score 19.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.