IL · Healthcare shortage profile
Cook County, IL
Peak severity leads this reading: Cook County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 5,275,541.
- Active HPSAs
- 154
- Population
- 5,275,541
- Peak shortage score
- 25.0
- MUA Index
- 35.1
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Cook County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 154 active HPSA designations, more than 99% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 154
- Active HPSA designations
- 42
- Dental shortages
- 25
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 1%
- US counties by volume
Based on HRSA primary/mental/dental shortage severity, Medically Underserved Area status, and estimated unmet provider need -- not patient outcomes, insurance access, facility quality, or wait times.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Cook County, IL 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 Cook County's active designations would take about 264 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 198 primary care, 20 mental health, 47 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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48.1% of Cook County's 154 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 74 primary care, 38 mental health, 42 dental (denominator 154).
Dense ZCTA lattice over Cook County
Cook County intersects 178 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
166 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, Cook County carries 154 active designations, above 99% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Cook County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 102 real counties in IL. 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: 17031. Population: 5,275,541.
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
Showing the 40 most-severe of 154 active (designated) HPSAs in Cook County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI-Riverdale | dental | 25.0 |
| Community Health Partnership OF Illinois | dental | 25.0 |
| LI-Washington Park | dental | 23.0 |
| Tca Health, Inc. Nfp | dental | 23.0 |
| Grand Prairie Services | dental | 23.0 |
| Beloved Community Family Wellness Center | dental | 23.0 |
| Family Christian Health Center | dental | 23.0 |
| Asian Human Services Family Health Center | dental | 23.0 |
| Friend Family Health Center, Inc. | dental | 23.0 |
| Christian Community Health Center | dental | 23.0 |
| Family Christian Health Center | mental_health | 22.0 |
| Beloved Community Family Wellness Center | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Erie Family Health Center | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Esperanza Health Centers | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Family Christian Health Center | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Tapestry 360 Health | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Friend Family Health Center, Inc. | primary_care | 21.0 |
| University of Illinois | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Alivio Medical Center, Inc | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Lawndale Christian Health Center | primary_care | 21.0 |
| The Near North Health Service Corporation | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Heartland Alliance Health | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Christian Community Health Center | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Chicago Family Health Center Inc | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Community Health Partnership OF Illinois | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Inner -City Muslim Action Network | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Access Community Health Network | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Pcc Community Wellness Center | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Tca Health, Inc. Nfp | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Howard Brown Health Center | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Grand Prairie Services | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Pillars Community Health | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Haymarket Center | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Primecare Community Health Inc | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Chicago Family Health Center Inc | dental | 21.0 |
| Aunt Martha's Health & Wellness Inc | dental | 21.0 |
| University of Illinois | dental | 21.0 |
| The Near North Health Service Corporation | dental | 21.0 |
| Heartland Alliance Health | dental | 21.0 |
| LI-Chicago 40 Washington Park | primary_care | 20.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Cook County
Peak severity leads this reading: Cook County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Cook 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 21.0 of 25; Mental health reads 22.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 35.1, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Cook County above 99% of real US counties (154 active designations: 74 primary care, 38 mental health, 42 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.
Cook County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 102 real counties in IL. 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.
Cook 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
74 designations
- Dental
Dental
42 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
38 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Cook County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Cook County's active designations: about 264 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 Cook County, IL · 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
Cook County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Cook County's 154 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 IL before you draw conclusions from a single score. IL 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 Cook County's 25.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Montgomery County, MD and Milwaukee County, WI.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Cook County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Cook County carries an MUA designation (index 35.1; 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 Cook County's peak score of 25.0?
- "LI-Riverdale" leads the active set (score 25.0; dental; 5,666 people in the service area; ~1.4 FTE still needed on the record; designated 03/10/2026). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 154 active rows: 74 primary care, 38 mental health, 42 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Cook County's severity reading?
- After "LI-Riverdale", the next active names on this release are "LI-Riverdale", "COMMUNITY HEALTH PARTNERSHIP OF ILLINOIS", "LI-Washington Park" and "TCA HEALTH, INC. NFP". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~264 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Cook County's high-severity geography?
- Cook County's 154 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 "LI-Riverdale".
- How does Cook County's peak severity sit inside IL?
- Cook County holds 154 active HPSA rows with peak 25.0. Cook County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 102 real counties in IL. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Montgomery County, MD and Milwaukee County, WI.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 17031. 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 17031 (Cook County, IL), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 154; peak score 25.0; signature peak score 25.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.