HI · Healthcare shortage profile
Kauai County, HI
Peak severity leads this reading: Kauai County's highest active HPSA score is 20.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 73,298.
- Active HPSAs
- 6
- Population
- 73,298
- Peak shortage score
- 20.0
- MUA Index
- MUA
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Kauai County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 6 active HPSA designations, more than 54% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 6
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Dental shortages
- 20
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 46%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Kauai County
Kauai County intersects 16 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
4 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 Kauai County, HI 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 20.0 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 Kauai County's active designations would take about 9.6 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.4 primary care, 2.8 mental health, 4.3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Kauai County's 6 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 6).
Kauai County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
6 Top 46% higher than 54% 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. Kauai County falls in the lower half of HI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 4 of 5. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 15007. Population: 73,298.
Single high-priority discipline
Kauai County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is dental care
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 2 active dental care designations to Kauai County , with a peak score of 20.0. Other care categories may still be designated here, but none of them clear HRSA's high-priority score line of 17 on the current release, NHSC and related instruments concentrate on the dental care records.
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 6 active (designated) HPSAs in Kauai County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| HO-Ola Lahui Hawaii Inc | dental | 20.0 |
| Kauai County | mental_health | 16.0 |
| ME - Kauai County | dental | 16.0 |
| HO-Ola Lahui Hawaii Inc | mental_health | 13.0 |
| HO-Ola Lahui Hawaii Inc | primary_care | 11.0 |
| Kauai County | primary_care | 10.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Kauai County
Peak severity leads this reading: Kauai County's highest active HPSA score is 20.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Kauai County's deepest shortage reading, 20.0 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 11.0 of 25; Mental health reads 16.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, a separate HRSA designation from the HPSA records above.
Kauai County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 54% of counties) with 6 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Kauai County falls in the lower half of HI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 4 of 5. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Kauai County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Kauai County's active designations: about 9.6 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Kauai County's high-priority dental care
Kauai County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Kauai County's high-priority dental care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's dental care burden compares with the rest of HI before drawing conclusions from a single score. HI overview
- Check the provider-to-population ratio behind an HPSA score against HRSA's designation thresholds. 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 Kauai County's 20.0. Open Snohomish County, WA or Marion County, FL next.
Showing 3 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Kauai County's dental score of 20.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 20.0 (severity lead on this page is “HO-OLA LAHUI HAWAII INC”).
Snohomish County, WA
20.0 dental score · 827,957 pop.
Marion County, FL
20.0 dental score · 375,908 pop.
Clark County, OH
20.0 dental score · 136,001 pop.
Polk County, OR
20.0 dental score · 87,433 pop.
Trujillo Alto County, PR
20.0 dental score · 67,740 pop.
Kenai Peninsula County, AK
20.0 dental score · 58,799 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Kauai County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Kauai County carries an MUA designation in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- Which record sets Kauai County's peak score of 20.0?
- "HO-OLA LAHUI HAWAII INC" leads the active set (score 20.0; dental; 11,576 people in the service area; designated 11/21/2003). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 6 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Kauai County's severity reading?
- After "HO-OLA LAHUI HAWAII INC", the next active names on this release are "HO-OLA LAHUI HAWAII INC", "Kauai County", "ME - Kauai County" and "HO-OLA LAHUI HAWAII INC". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~9.6 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Kauai County's high-severity geography?
- Kauai County's 6 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 "HO-OLA LAHUI HAWAII INC".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 15007. 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 15007 (Kauai County, HI), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 20.0; signature peak score 20.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.