CA · Healthcare shortage profile
San Luis Obispo County, CA
Peak severity leads this reading: San Luis Obispo County's highest active HPSA score is 23.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 282,424.
- Active HPSAs
- 5
- Population
- 282,424
- Peak shortage score
- 23.0
- MUA Index
- 50.1
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, San Luis Obispo County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 5 active HPSA designations, more than 47% of the 3,289 real US counties, with dental the deepest gap.
- 5
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Dental shortages
- 23
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 53%
- 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.
Dense ZCTA lattice over San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo County intersects 30 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
18 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 San Luis Obispo County, CA 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 23.0 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 San Luis Obispo County's active designations would take about 8.9 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 8.9 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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60% of San Luis Obispo County's 5 active designations are dental.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 5).
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, San Luis Obispo County carries 5 active designations, above 47% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. San Luis Obispo County falls in the lower half of CA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 52 of 58. 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: 06079. Population: 282,424.
Medically Underserved Area
Active HPSA 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 5 active (designated) HPSAs in San Luis Obispo County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Community Health Centers OF The Central Coast Inc | dental | 23.0 |
| Community Health Centers OF The Central Coast Inc | mental_health | 20.0 |
| LI-Mssa 172 - San Luis Obispo | dental | 19.0 |
| Community Health Centers OF The Central Coast Inc | primary_care | 17.0 |
| ME-Mssa 173 - El Paso de Robles/Lake Nacimiento/San Miguel | dental | 11.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for San Luis Obispo County
Peak severity leads this reading: San Luis Obispo County's highest active HPSA score is 23.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries San Luis Obispo County's deepest shortage reading, 23.0 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 20.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 50.1, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
San Luis Obispo County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 47% of counties) with 5 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (1/1/3) before assuming every care category is equally short.
San Luis Obispo County falls in the lower half of CA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 52 of 58. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
San Luis Obispo County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Dental
Dental
3 designations
- Primary care 1
Primary care
1 designations
- Mental health 1
Mental health
1 designations
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for San Luis Obispo County, CA · 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 San Luis Obispo County's designations
San Luis Obispo County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- San Luis Obispo County's 5 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 dental burden compares with the rest of CA before you draw conclusions from a single score. CA 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.
Nearby dental score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active dental HPSA score to San Luis Obispo County's 23.0. Open Kern County, CA or Prince William County, VA next.
Showing 3 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does San Luis Obispo County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - San Luis Obispo County carries an MUA designation (index 50.1; 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 San Luis Obispo County's peak score of 23.0?
- "COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS OF THE CENTRAL COAST INC" leads the active set (score 23.0; dental; 101,660 people in the service area; designated 10/21/2003). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 5 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 3 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under San Luis Obispo County's severity reading?
- After "COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS OF THE CENTRAL COAST INC", the next active names on this release are "COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS OF THE CENTRAL COAST INC", "LI-MSSA 172 - San Luis Obispo" and "ME-MSSA 173 - El Paso de Robles/Lake Nacimiento/San Miguel". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~8.9 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow San Luis Obispo County's high-severity geography?
- San Luis Obispo County's 5 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 CENTERS OF THE CENTRAL COAST INC".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 06079. 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 06079 (San Luis Obispo County, CA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 5; peak score 23.0; signature peak score 23.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.