Medically Underserved Area Two high-priority disciplines

NC · Healthcare shortage profile

Durham County, NC

Peak severity leads this reading: Durham County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 324,833.

Active HPSAs
6
Population
324,833
Peak shortage score
25.0
MUA Index
55.0
NC state overview → About this data

Mid-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Durham County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 6 active HPSA designations, more than 54% of the 3,289 real US counties, with dental the deepest gap.

6
Active HPSA designations
3
Dental shortages
25
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 46%
US counties by volume

Dense ZCTA lattice over Durham County

Durham County intersects 17 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

5 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 Durham County, NC 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.

  1. 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.

  2. Closing Durham County's active designations would take about 18 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3 mental health, 15 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 50% of Durham County's 6 active designations are dental.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 2 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 6).

Durham County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

6 Top 46% higher than 54% of 3,289 real US counties

0–20: 3,115 real US counties (95%). This entry sits in this band. 20–40: 128 real US counties (4%). Above this entry. 40–60: 32 real US counties (1%). Above this entry. 60–80: 7 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 80–100: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 100–120: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 120–140: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 140–160: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 160–180: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 180–200: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 200–220: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 220–240: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 240–260: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 260–280: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. This county 0 280 every real US county, bucketed by value

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. Durham County falls in the upper half of NC counties by active-designation volume, at rank 28 of 100. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 37063. Population: 324,833.

3
Dental HPSAs
2
Mental Health HPSAs

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 55.0

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 15.0
Mental Health 21.0
Dental 25.0

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 6 active (designated) HPSAs in Durham County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Lincoln Community Health Center Incorporated dental 25.0
Lincoln Community Health Center Incorporated mental_health 21.0
LI - Durham Downtown dental 17.0
LI - Durham Downtown mental_health 16.0
Lincoln Community Health Center Incorporated primary_care 15.0
Fcc - Butner dental 12.0

Moderate-burden reading for Durham County

Peak severity leads this reading: Durham County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Durham 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 15.0 of 25; Mental health reads 21.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 55.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Durham County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 54% of counties) with 6 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (1/2/3) before assuming every care category is equally short.

Durham County falls in the upper half of NC counties by active-designation volume, at rank 28 of 100. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.

Durham County designations by care type

Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).

designations
Source HRSA Data Warehouse, designated HPSAs As of 2026

Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Durham County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Durham County's active designations: about 18 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 Durham County, NC · 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 Durham County's designations

Durham County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.

  • Durham County's 6 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 NC before you draw conclusions from a single score. NC 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.

Nearby dental score peers

Closest U.S. counties on active dental HPSA score to Durham County's 25.0. Open Cook County, IL or Riverside County, CA next.

Showing 3 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.

Cook County, IL

25.0 score 5,275,541 pop.

Riverside County, CA

25.0 score 2,418,185 pop.

Broward County, FL

25.0 score 1,944,375 pop.

Counties near Durham 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 “LINCOLN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER INCORPORATED”).

Cook County, IL

25.0 dental score · 5,275,541 pop.

Riverside County, CA

25.0 dental score · 2,418,185 pop.

Broward County, FL

25.0 dental score · 1,944,375 pop.

Bronx County, NY

25.0 dental score · 1,472,654 pop.

Salt Lake County, UT

25.0 dental score · 1,185,238 pop.

Fresno County, CA

25.0 dental score · 1,008,654 pop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Durham County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Durham County carries an MUA designation (index 55.0; 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 Durham County's peak score of 25.0?
"LINCOLN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER INCORPORATED" leads the active set (score 25.0; dental; 73,730 people in the service area; designated 11/27/2013). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 6 active rows: 1 primary care, 2 mental health, 3 dental.
Which other active designations sit under Durham County's severity reading?
After "LINCOLN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER INCORPORATED", the next active names on this release are "LINCOLN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER INCORPORATED", "LINCOLN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER INCORPORATED", "LI - Durham Downtown" and "LI - Durham Downtown". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~18 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Which federal pathways follow Durham County's high-severity geography?
Durham County's 6 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 "LINCOLN COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER INCORPORATED".

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 37063. 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 37063 (Durham County, NC), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 25.0; signature peak score 25.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.