CA · Healthcare shortage profile
Santa Clara County, CA
Peak severity leads this reading: Santa Clara County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 1,936,259.
- Active HPSAs
- 39
- Population
- 1,936,259
- Peak shortage score
- 25.0
- MUA Index
- 54.2
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Santa Clara County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 39 active HPSA designations, more than 98% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 39
- Active HPSA designations
- 13
- Dental shortages
- 25
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 2%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Santa Clara 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.
-
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.
-
33.3% of Santa Clara County's 39 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 13 primary care, 13 mental health, 13 dental (denominator 39).
Dense ZCTA lattice over Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County intersects 63 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
51 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.
Santa Clara County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
39 Top 2% higher than 98% 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. Santa Clara County falls in the upper quarter of CA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 13 of 58. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 06085. Population: 1,936,259.
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 39 active (designated) HPSAs in Santa Clara County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Gardner Family Health Network, Inc | dental | 25.0 |
| School Health Clinics OF Santa Clara County | dental | 25.0 |
| Indian Health Center OF Santa Clara Valley | mental_health | 23.0 |
| Indian Health Center OF Santa Clara Valley | dental | 23.0 |
| Gardner Family Health Network, Inc | mental_health | 22.0 |
| The Asian Americans For Community Involvement OF Santa Clara County, Inc. | mental_health | 21.0 |
| School Health Clinics OF Santa Clara County | mental_health | 20.0 |
| The Asian Americans For Community Involvement OF Santa Clara County, Inc. | dental | 19.0 |
| County OF Santa Clara | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Peninsula Healthcare Connection, Inc. | dental | 17.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Silver Creek | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Wellness Center | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Main Clinic | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Westwood | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Forest Dental Clinic | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Pediatric Center | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Family Medical Center | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Forest Dental Clinic | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Pediatric Center | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Main Clinic | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Forest Dental Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Silver Creek | dental | 15.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Main Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Wellness Center | dental | 15.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Westwood | dental | 15.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Pediatric Center | dental | 15.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Family Medical Center | dental | 15.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Silver Creek | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Wellness Center | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Westwood | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Indian Health Center of Santa Clara Valley - Family Medical Center | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Peninsula Healthcare Connection, Inc. | mental_health | 13.0 |
| County OF Santa Clara | dental | 13.0 |
| Gardner Family Health Network, Inc | primary_care | 10.0 |
| School Health Clinics OF Santa Clara County | primary_care | 10.0 |
| The Asian Americans For Community Involvement OF Santa Clara County, Inc. | primary_care | 10.0 |
| Indian Health Center OF Santa Clara Valley | primary_care | 9.0 |
| County OF Santa Clara | primary_care | 9.0 |
| Peninsula Healthcare Connection, Inc. | primary_care | 8.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Santa Clara County
Peak severity leads this reading: Santa Clara County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Santa Clara 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 16.0 of 25; Mental health reads 23.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 54.2, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Santa Clara County above 98% of real US counties (39 active designations: 13 primary care, 13 mental health, 13 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.
Santa Clara County falls in the upper quarter of CA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 13 of 58. 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.
Santa Clara County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Mental health
Mental health
13 designations
- Dental
Dental
13 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 Santa Clara 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
Santa Clara County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Santa Clara County's 39 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 Santa Clara County's 25.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Cook County, IL and Riverside County, CA.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Santa Clara 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 “GARDNER FAMILY HEALTH NETWORK, INC”).
Cook County, IL
25.0 dental score · 5,275,541 pop.
Riverside County, CA
25.0 dental score · 2,418,185 pop.
Broward County, FL
25.0 dental score · 1,944,375 pop.
Hillsborough County, FL
25.0 dental score · 1,459,762 pop.
Contra Costa County, CA
25.0 dental score · 1,165,927 pop.
Westchester County, NY
25.0 dental score · 1,004,457 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Santa Clara County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Santa Clara County carries an MUA designation (index 54.2; 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 Santa Clara County's peak score of 25.0?
- "GARDNER FAMILY HEALTH NETWORK, INC" leads the active set (score 25.0; dental; 176,183 people in the service area; designated 08/07/2003). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 39 active rows: 13 primary care, 13 mental health, 13 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Santa Clara County's severity reading?
- After "GARDNER FAMILY HEALTH NETWORK, INC", the next active names on this release are "GARDNER FAMILY HEALTH NETWORK, INC", "SCHOOL HEALTH CLINICS OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY", "INDIAN HEALTH CENTER OF SANTA CLARA VALLEY" and "INDIAN HEALTH CENTER OF SANTA CLARA VALLEY". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~0 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Santa Clara County's high-severity geography?
- Santa Clara County's 39 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 "GARDNER FAMILY HEALTH NETWORK, INC".
- How does Santa Clara County's peak severity sit inside CA?
- Santa Clara County holds 39 active HPSA rows with peak 25.0. Santa Clara County falls in the upper quarter of CA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 13 of 58. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Cook County, IL and Riverside County, CA.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 06085. 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 06085 (Santa Clara County, CA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 39; peak score 25.0; signature peak score 25.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.