FL · Healthcare shortage profile
Palm Beach County, FL
Peak severity leads this reading: Palm Beach County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 1,492,191.
- Active HPSAs
- 17
- Population
- 1,492,191
- Peak shortage score
- 26.0
- MUA Index
- 46.7
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Palm Beach County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 17 active HPSA designations, more than 93% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 17
- Active HPSA designations
- 5
- Dental shortages
- 26
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 7%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Palm Beach County, FL 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 26.0 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 Palm Beach County's active designations would take about 27 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.7 primary care, 23 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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35.3% of Palm Beach County's 17 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 6 primary care, 6 mental health, 5 dental (denominator 17).
Dense ZCTA lattice over Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County intersects 53 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
41 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.
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Palm Beach County carries 17 active designations, above 93% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Palm Beach County falls in the upper quarter of FL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 5 of 67. Ties share a rank.
Computed from current designated HPSA rows for every five-digit county FIPS. See the placement methodology.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 12099. Population: 1,492,191.
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 17 active (designated) HPSAs in Palm Beach County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Florida Community Health Centers, Inc. | dental | 26.0 |
| Genesis Community Health, Inc. | dental | 25.0 |
| Florida Atlantic University | dental | 25.0 |
| Foundcare | dental | 25.0 |
| Health Care District OF Palm Beach County | dental | 25.0 |
| Foundcare | mental_health | 22.0 |
| Florida Community Health Centers, Inc. | mental_health | 22.0 |
| Genesis Community Health, Inc. | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Genesis Community Health, Inc. | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Health Care District OF Palm Beach County | mental_health | 20.0 |
| Florida Atlantic University | mental_health | 20.0 |
| Foundcare | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Florida Community Health Centers, Inc. | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Florida Atlantic University | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Health Care District OF Palm Beach County | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Li/mfw - Belle Glade/Pahokee | primary_care | 16.0 |
| LI – Southeast Florida Behavioral Health Network – Circuit Area 15 | mental_health | 16.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Palm Beach County
Peak severity leads this reading: Palm Beach County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Palm Beach County's deepest shortage reading, 26.0 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 21.0 of 25; Mental health reads 22.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 46.7, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Palm Beach County above 93% of real US counties (17 active designations: 6 primary care, 6 mental health, 5 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 26.0. 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.
Palm Beach County falls in the upper quarter of FL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 5 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.
Palm Beach 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
6 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
6 designations
- Dental
Dental
5 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Palm Beach County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Palm Beach County's active designations: about 27 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 Palm Beach County, FL · 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
Palm Beach County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Palm Beach County's 17 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 FL before you draw conclusions from a single score. FL 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 Palm Beach County's 26.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Honolulu County, HI and Polk County, FL.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Palm Beach County's dental score of 26.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 26.0 (severity lead on this page is “FLORIDA COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS, INC.”).
Honolulu County, HI
26.0 dental score · 1,016,508 pop.
Polk County, FL
26.0 dental score · 725,046 pop.
Washoe County, NV
26.0 dental score · 486,492 pop.
Leon County, FL
26.0 dental score · 292,198 pop.
Yellowstone County, MT
26.0 dental score · 164,731 pop.
Chautauqua County, NY
26.0 dental score · 127,657 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Palm Beach County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Palm Beach County carries an MUA designation (index 46.7; 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 Palm Beach County's peak score of 26.0?
- "FLORIDA COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS, INC." leads the active set (score 26.0; dental; 122,314 people in the service area; designated 11/12/2003). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 17 active rows: 6 primary care, 6 mental health, 5 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Palm Beach County's severity reading?
- After "FLORIDA COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS, INC.", the next active names on this release are "FLORIDA COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS, INC.", "GENESIS COMMUNITY HEALTH, INC.", "Florida Atlantic University" and "FOUNDCARE". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~27 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Palm Beach County's high-severity geography?
- Palm Beach County's 17 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 "FLORIDA COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS, INC.".
- How does Palm Beach County's peak severity sit inside FL?
- Palm Beach County holds 17 active HPSA rows with peak 26.0. Palm Beach County falls in the upper quarter of FL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 5 of 67. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Honolulu County, HI and Polk County, FL.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 12099. 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 12099 (Palm Beach County, FL), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 17; peak score 26.0; signature peak score 26.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.