NV · Healthcare shortage profile
Washoe County, NV
Peak severity leads this reading: Washoe County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 486,492.
- Active HPSAs
- 18
- Population
- 486,492
- Peak shortage score
- 26.0
- MUA Index
- 48.6
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Washoe County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 18 active HPSA designations, more than 94% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 18
- Active HPSA designations
- 5
- Dental shortages
- 26
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 6%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Washoe County, NV 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.
-
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.
-
Closing Washoe County's active designations would take about 6.5 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.4 primary care, 4.1 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
38.9% of Washoe County's 18 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 7 primary care, 6 mental health, 5 dental (denominator 18).
Dense ZCTA lattice over Washoe County
Washoe County intersects 28 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
16 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, Washoe County carries 18 active designations, above 94% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Washoe County sits among the top three county rank positions in NV, at rank 2 of 17. 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: 32031. Population: 486,492.
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 18 active (designated) HPSAs in Washoe County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Community Health Alliance | dental | 26.0 |
| Reno/sparks Tribal Hlth Clinic | dental | 20.0 |
| Nevada Urban Indians, Inc. | dental | 20.0 |
| Northern Nevada Hiv Outpatient Program, Education And Services | dental | 20.0 |
| Pyramid Lake Tribal Hlth Center | dental | 20.0 |
| Community Health Alliance | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Nevada Urban Indians, Inc. | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Reno/sparks Tribal Hlth Clinic | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Pyramid Lake Tribal Hlth Center | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Pyramid Lake Tribal Hlth Center | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Northern Nevada Hiv Outpatient Program, Education And Services | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Community Health Alliance | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI - Reno | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Reno/sparks Tribal Hlth Clinic | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Nevada Urban Indians, Inc. | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Washoe - Reno Area | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Northern Nevada Hiv Outpatient Program, Education And Services | mental_health | 11.0 |
| Incline Village | primary_care | 7.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Washoe County
Peak severity leads this reading: Washoe County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Washoe 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 19.0 of 25; Mental health reads 17.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 48.6, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Washoe County above 94% of real US counties (18 active designations: 7 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.
Washoe County sits among the top three county rank positions in NV, at rank 2 of 17. 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.
Washoe 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
7 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
6 designations
- Dental
Dental
5 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Washoe County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Washoe County's active designations: about 6.5 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 Washoe County, NV · 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
Washoe County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Washoe County's 18 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 NV before you draw conclusions from a single score. NV 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 Washoe County's 26.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Guam County, GU and Van Buren County, MI.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Washoe 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 “COMMUNITY HEALTH ALLIANCE”).
Guam County, GU
26.0 dental score · 153,836 pop.
Van Buren County, MI
26.0 dental score · 75,587 pop.
Hancock County, ME
26.0 dental score · 55,478 pop.
Pinellas County, FL
26.0 dental score · 959,107 pop.
Volusia County, FL
26.0 dental score · 553,543 pop.
Rockland County, NY
26.0 dental score · 338,329 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Washoe County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Washoe County carries an MUA designation (index 48.6; 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 Washoe County's peak score of 26.0?
- "COMMUNITY HEALTH ALLIANCE" leads the active set (score 26.0; dental; 72,646 people in the service area; designated 10/26/2002). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 18 active rows: 7 primary care, 6 mental health, 5 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Washoe County's severity reading?
- After "COMMUNITY HEALTH ALLIANCE", the next active names on this release are "COMMUNITY HEALTH ALLIANCE", "RENO/SPARKS TRIBAL HLTH CLINIC", "Nevada Urban Indians, Inc." and "NORTHERN NEVADA HIV OUTPATIENT PROGRAM, EDUCATION AND SERVICES". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~6.5 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Washoe County's high-severity geography?
- Washoe County's 18 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 "COMMUNITY HEALTH ALLIANCE".
- How does Washoe County's peak severity sit inside NV?
- Washoe County holds 18 active HPSA rows with peak 26.0. Washoe County sits among the top three county rank positions in NV, at rank 2 of 17. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Guam County, GU and Van Buren County, MI.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 32031. 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 32031 (Washoe County, NV), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 18; peak score 26.0; signature peak score 26.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.