NM · Healthcare shortage profile
Taos County, NM
Peak severity leads this reading: Taos County's highest active HPSA score is 22.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 34,489.
- Active HPSAs
- 12
- Population
- 34,489
- Peak shortage score
- 22.0
- MUA Index
- 56.6
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Taos County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 12 active HPSA designations, more than 85% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 12
- Active HPSA designations
- 4
- Primary-care shortages
- 22
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 15%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Taos County
Taos County intersects 21 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
9 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 Taos County, NM 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 22.0 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 Taos County's active designations would take about 7.8 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.9 primary care, 0.9 mental health, 3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Taos County's 12 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental (denominator 12).
Taos County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
12 Top 15% higher than 85% 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. Taos County falls in the upper half of NM counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 of 32. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 35055. Population: 34,489.
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 12 active (designated) HPSAs in Taos County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Picuris Health Location | primary_care | 22.0 |
| Taos-Picuris Indian Health Center | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Picuris Health Location | dental | 21.0 |
| Taos-Picuris Indian Health Center | dental | 20.0 |
| LI - Taos County | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Picuris Medical Center | dental | 19.0 |
| Picuris Medical Center | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Taos-Picuris Indian Health Center | mental_health | 15.0 |
| LI - Taos County | dental | 15.0 |
| Picuris Health Location | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Picuris Medical Center | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Taos County | mental_health | 10.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Taos County
Peak severity leads this reading: Taos County's highest active HPSA score is 22.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where Taos County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 22.0 of 25, the county's highest severity reading and past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Mental health reads 15.0 of 25; Dental care reads 21.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 56.6, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Taos County above 85% of real US counties (12 active designations: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 22.0. 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.
Taos County falls in the upper half of NM counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 of 32. 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.
Taos 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
4 designations
- Dental
Dental
4 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Taos County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Taos County's active designations: about 7.8 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 Taos County, NM · 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
Taos County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Taos County's 12 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 NM before you draw conclusions from a single score. NM 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 Primary Care Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA primary-care HPSA score is closest to Taos County's 22.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Daviess County, KY and Halifax County, NC.
Showing 6 of 2932 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Taos County's primary score of 22.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 22.0 (severity lead on this page is “Picuris Health Location”).
Daviess County, KY
22.0 primary score · 103,312 pop.
Halifax County, NC
22.0 primary score · 48,622 pop.
Ware County, GA
22.0 primary score · 36,251 pop.
Broward County, FL
22.0 primary score · 1,944,375 pop.
Hamilton County, OH
22.0 primary score · 830,639 pop.
Fayette County, KY
22.0 primary score · 322,570 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Taos County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Taos County carries an MUA designation (index 56.6; 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 Taos County's peak score of 22.0?
- "Picuris Health Location" leads the active set (score 22.0; primary care; 3,487 people in the service area; designated 09/18/2020). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 12 active rows: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Taos County's severity reading?
- After "Picuris Health Location", the next active names on this release are "Picuris Health Location", "TAOS-PICURIS INDIAN HEALTH CENTER", "Picuris Health Location" and "TAOS-PICURIS INDIAN HEALTH CENTER". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~7.8 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Taos County's high-severity geography?
- Taos County's 12 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 "Picuris Health Location".
- How does Taos County's peak severity sit inside NM?
- Taos County holds 12 active HPSA rows with peak 22.0. Taos County falls in the upper half of NM counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 of 32. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Daviess County, KY and Halifax County, NC.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 35055. 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 35055 (Taos County, NM), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 12; peak score 22.0; signature peak score 22.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.