TN · Healthcare shortage profile
Hamilton County, TN
Peak severity leads this reading: Hamilton County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 366,207.
- Active HPSAs
- 13
- Population
- 366,207
- Peak shortage score
- 25.0
- MUA Index
- 56.4
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Hamilton County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 13 active HPSA designations, more than 89% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 13
- Active HPSA designations
- 4
- Dental shortages
- 25
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 11%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Hamilton County
Hamilton County intersects 32 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
20 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 Hamilton County, TN 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 Hamilton County's active designations would take about 25 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.2 primary care, 7.1 mental health, 15 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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38.5% of Hamilton County's 13 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 4 primary care, 5 mental health, 4 dental (denominator 13).
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Hamilton County carries 13 active designations, above 89% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Hamilton County falls in the upper quarter of TN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 4 of 95. 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: 47065. Population: 366,207.
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 13 active (designated) HPSAs in Hamilton County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County of | dental | 25.0 |
| Chattanooga Hamilton County Hospital Authority | dental | 25.0 |
| Chattanooga C. A. R. E. S., Inc. | dental | 25.0 |
| Chattanooga Hamilton County Hospital Authority | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Chattanooga C. A. R. E. S., Inc. | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Chattanooga C. A. R. E. S., Inc. | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Hamilton County of | mental_health | 17.0 |
| LI - South Hamilton Chattanooga | dental | 17.0 |
| LI-Hamilton County | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Chattanooga Hamilton County Hospital Authority | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute | mental_health | 12.0 |
| Hamilton County of | primary_care | 11.0 |
| LI - South Hamilton, Chattanooga | primary_care | 9.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Hamilton County
Peak severity leads this reading: Hamilton County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Hamilton 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 17.0 of 25; Mental health reads 19.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 56.4, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Hamilton County above 89% of real US counties (13 active designations: 4 primary care, 5 mental health, 4 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.
Hamilton County falls in the upper quarter of TN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 4 of 95. 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.
Hamilton County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Mental health
Mental health
5 designations
- Primary care
Primary care
4 designations
- Dental
Dental
4 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Hamilton County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Hamilton County's active designations: about 25 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 Hamilton County, TN · 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
Hamilton County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Hamilton County's 13 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 mental health burden compares with the rest of TN before you draw conclusions from a single score. TN 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 Hamilton County's 25.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Cook County, IL and Riverside County, CA.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Hamilton 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 “Hamilton County of”).
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 Hamilton County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Hamilton County carries an MUA designation (index 56.4; 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 Hamilton County's peak score of 25.0?
- "Hamilton County of" leads the active set (score 25.0; dental; 25,109 people in the service area; designated 11/26/2003). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 13 active rows: 4 primary care, 5 mental health, 4 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Hamilton County's severity reading?
- After "Hamilton County of", the next active names on this release are "Hamilton County of", "CHATTANOOGA HAMILTON COUNTY HOSPITAL AUTHORITY", "CHATTANOOGA C. A. R. E. S., INC." and "CHATTANOOGA HAMILTON COUNTY HOSPITAL AUTHORITY". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~25 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Hamilton County's high-severity geography?
- Hamilton County's 13 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 "Hamilton County of".
- How does Hamilton County's peak severity sit inside TN?
- Hamilton County holds 13 active HPSA rows with peak 25.0. Hamilton County falls in the upper quarter of TN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 4 of 95. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Cook County, IL and Riverside County, CA.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 47065. 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 47065 (Hamilton County, TN), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 13; peak score 25.0; signature peak score 25.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.