CA · Healthcare shortage profile
Mendocino County, CA
Designation volume is the standout signal for Mendocino County: 47 active HPSA records, above 99% of real US counties. Population 91,601.
- Active HPSAs
- 47
- Population
- 91,601
- Peak shortage score
- 23.0
- MUA Index
- 59.7
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Mendocino County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 47 active HPSA designations, more than 99% of the 3,289 real US counties, with dental the deepest gap.
- 47
- Active HPSA designations
- 18
- Dental shortages
- 23
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 1%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Mendocino 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 Mendocino County's active designations would take about 7.4 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.1 primary care, 2.1 mental health, 4.2 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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38.3% of Mendocino County's 47 active designations are dental.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 15 primary care, 14 mental health, 18 dental (denominator 47).
Dense ZCTA lattice over Mendocino County
Mendocino County intersects 29 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
17 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, Mendocino County carries 47 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. Mendocino County falls in the upper quarter of CA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 8 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: 06045. Population: 91,601.
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 47 active (designated) HPSAs in Mendocino County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Mendocino Coast Clinics Inc | dental | 23.0 |
| Mendocino Community Health Clinic Inc | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Mendocino Community Health Clinic Inc | dental | 21.0 |
| Consolidated Tribal Health Program | dental | 20.0 |
| LI/MFW-Mendocino County | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Long Valley Health Center | dental | 19.0 |
| Mssa 87.1-Boonville | dental | 18.0 |
| Consolidated Tribal Health Program | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Mendocino Community Health Clinic Inc | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Mendocino Coast Clinics Inc | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Mendocino Coast Clinics Inc | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Redwood Medical Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Redwood Medical Clinic | dental | 17.0 |
| Anderson Valley Health Center Inc | dental | 17.0 |
| Consolidated Tribal Health Program | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Adventist Health Mendocino Coast | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Adventist Health Ukiah Valley | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Adventist Health Ukiah Valley | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Adventist Health Ukiah Valley | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI-Mssa 89- Fort Bragg | dental | 16.0 |
| Anderson Valley Health Center Inc | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Long Valley Health Center | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Mssa 90 - Laytonville | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Adventist Health Mendocino Coast | dental | 15.0 |
| Adventist Health Ukiah Valley | dental | 15.0 |
| Redwood Medical Clinic | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Long Valley Health Center | mental_health | 14.0 |
| LI Mssa 93.1-Ukiah | dental | 14.0 |
| ME Mssa 91 - Willits | dental | 14.0 |
| Adventist Health Ukiah Valley | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Adventist Health Ukiah Valley | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Adventist Health Ukiah Valley | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Adventist Health Mendocino Coast | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Anderson Valley Health Center Inc | mental_health | 13.0 |
| Manchester-Point Arena Clinic | mental_health | 13.0 |
| Adventist Health Ukiah Valley | dental | 13.0 |
| Adventist Health Ukiah Valley | dental | 13.0 |
| Round Valley Indian Health Center | primary_care | 12.0 |
| Redwood Coast Medical Services, Inc. | mental_health | 12.0 |
| Round Valley Indian Health Center | dental | 12.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Mendocino County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Mendocino County: 47 active HPSA records, above 99% of real US counties. Dental care carries Mendocino 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 21.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 59.7, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Mendocino County above 99% of real US counties (47 active designations: 15 primary care, 14 mental health, 18 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 23.0. 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.
Mendocino County falls in the upper quarter of CA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 8 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.
Mendocino County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Dental
Dental
18 designations
- Primary care
Primary care
15 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
14 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Mendocino County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Mendocino County's active designations: about 7.4 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 Mendocino 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
Mendocino County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Mendocino County's 47 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.
Counties With a Similar Dental Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to Mendocino County's 23.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Medina County, OH and Fairfield County, OH.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Mendocino County (47 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 47 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Mendocino County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Mendocino County carries an MUA designation (index 59.7; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- What makes up Mendocino County's 47 active HPSA designations?
- 47 Designated rows (15 primary care, 14 mental health, 18 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "MENDOCINO COAST CLINICS INC" (score 23.0; dental; 5,983 people in the service area; designated 09/30/2003). Also active: "MENDOCINO COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINIC INC", "MENDOCINO COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINIC INC", "Consolidated Tribal Health Program". Above 99% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Mendocino County?
- Peak active score 23.0 in dental care clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 47 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Mendocino County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 7.4 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "MENDOCINO COAST CLINICS INC" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Mendocino County's designation volume?
- 47 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, by designated area and provider type, not by county line alone.
- How does Mendocino County's volume compare inside CA?
- 47 active HPSA rows · peak 23.0. Mendocino County falls in the upper quarter of CA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 8 of 58. Score-nearest counties on this release include Medina County, OH and Fairfield County, OH.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 06045. 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 06045 (Mendocino County, CA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 47; peak score 23.0; signature 47 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.