CA · Healthcare shortage profile
Los Angeles County, CA
Peak severity leads this reading: Los Angeles County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 10,014,009.
- Active HPSAs
- 271
- Population
- 10,014,009
- Peak shortage score
- 25.0
- MUA Index
- 47.9
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Los Angeles County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 271 active HPSA designations, more than 99% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 271
- Active HPSA designations
- 90
- Dental shortages
- 25
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 1%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Los Angeles 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 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 Los Angeles County's active designations would take about 156 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 60 primary care, 2.2 mental health, 94 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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35.4% of Los Angeles County's 271 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 96 primary care, 85 mental health, 90 dental (denominator 271).
Dense ZCTA lattice over Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County intersects 304 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
292 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, Los Angeles County carries 271 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. Los Angeles County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 58 real counties in CA. 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: 06037. Population: 10,014,009.
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 271 active (designated) HPSAs in Los Angeles County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Central Neighborhood Health Foundation | dental | 25.0 |
| Bartz-Altadonna Community Health Center | dental | 25.0 |
| DE Novo Health Care, Inc | dental | 25.0 |
| South Central Family Health Center | dental | 25.0 |
| Wilmington Community Clinic | dental | 25.0 |
| University Muslim Medical Association, Inc | dental | 25.0 |
| Harbor Community Clinic | dental | 25.0 |
| Kedren Community Health Center, Inc. | dental | 25.0 |
| Los Angeles Christian Health Centers | dental | 25.0 |
| Pediatric And Family Medical Foundation | dental | 25.0 |
| St. John's Community Health | dental | 25.0 |
| Universal Community Health Center | dental | 25.0 |
| Watts Healthcare Corp | dental | 25.0 |
| Clinica Msr. Oscar A Romero | dental | 25.0 |
| Samuel Dixon Family Health Center, Inc. | dental | 25.0 |
| Community Medicine Inc | dental | 25.0 |
| Yehowa Medical Services | dental | 25.0 |
| Community Medical Wellness Centers, USA | dental | 25.0 |
| Aghaby Comprehensive Community Health Center | dental | 25.0 |
| Northeast Community Clinic | dental | 25.0 |
| St. Anthony Medical Centers, A Nonprofit Corporation | dental | 25.0 |
| The R.o.a.d.s. Foundation, Inc. | dental | 25.0 |
| Benevolence Industries Inc | dental | 25.0 |
| The Clinic, Inc. | dental | 25.0 |
| Behavioral Health Services, Inc. | dental | 25.0 |
| The Children's Clinic, Serving Children And Their Families | dental | 25.0 |
| Serenity Care Health Group | dental | 25.0 |
| Los Angeles Free Clinic., The | dental | 23.0 |
| Gracelight Community Health | dental | 23.0 |
| Apla Health & Wellness | dental | 23.0 |
| Central City Community Health Center, Inc | dental | 23.0 |
| Korean Health, Education, Information And Research Center | dental | 23.0 |
| Valley Community Healthcare | dental | 23.0 |
| Mission City Community Network, Inc | dental | 23.0 |
| Amh Comprehensive Medical Centers | dental | 23.0 |
| Sfv Health Center, Inc | dental | 23.0 |
| Tarzana Treatment Centers, Inc. | dental | 23.0 |
| Asian Pacific Health Care Venture, Inc. | dental | 23.0 |
| Beverlycare | dental | 23.0 |
| Precision Health Center | dental | 23.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Los Angeles County
Peak severity leads this reading: Los Angeles County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Los Angeles 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 47.9, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Los Angeles County above 99% of real US counties (271 active designations: 96 primary care, 85 mental health, 90 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.
Los Angeles County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 58 real counties in CA. 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.
Los Angeles 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
96 designations
- Dental
Dental
90 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
85 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Los Angeles County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Los Angeles County's active designations: about 156 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 Los Angeles 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 a heavy-burden county
Los Angeles County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Los Angeles County's 271 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 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.
Counties With a Similar Dental Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to Los Angeles County's 25.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with New York County, NY and Hennepin County, MN.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Los Angeles 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 “CENTRAL NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH FOUNDATION”).
New York County, NY
25.0 dental score · 1,694,251 pop.
Hennepin County, MN
25.0 dental score · 1,281,565 pop.
Mecklenburg County, NC
25.0 dental score · 1,115,482 pop.
Gwinnett County, GA
25.0 dental score · 957,062 pop.
Hidalgo County, TX
25.0 dental score · 870,781 pop.
Kings County, NY
25.0 dental score · 2,736,074 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Los Angeles County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Los Angeles County carries an MUA designation (index 47.9; 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 Los Angeles County's peak score of 25.0?
- "CENTRAL NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH FOUNDATION" leads the active set (score 25.0; dental; 526,468 people in the service area; designated 07/13/2010). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 271 active rows: 96 primary care, 85 mental health, 90 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Los Angeles County's severity reading?
- After "CENTRAL NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH FOUNDATION", the next active names on this release are "CENTRAL NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH FOUNDATION", "BARTZ-ALTADONNA COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER", "DE NOVO HEALTH CARE, INC" and "SOUTH CENTRAL FAMILY HEALTH CENTER". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~156 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Los Angeles County's high-severity geography?
- Los Angeles County's 271 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 "CENTRAL NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH FOUNDATION".
- How does Los Angeles County's peak severity sit inside CA?
- Los Angeles County holds 271 active HPSA rows with peak 25.0. Los Angeles County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 58 real counties in CA. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include New York County, NY and Hennepin County, MN.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 06037. 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 06037 (Los Angeles County, CA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 271; peak score 25.0; signature peak score 25.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.