WA · Healthcare shortage profile
Jefferson County, WA
Designation volume is the standout signal for Jefferson County: 29 active HPSA records, above 97% of real US counties. Population 32,977.
- Active HPSAs
- 29
- Population
- 32,977
- Peak shortage score
- 19.0
- MUA Index
- -
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Jefferson County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 29 active HPSA designations, more than 97% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 29
- Active HPSA designations
- 10
- Dental shortages
- 19
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 3%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Jefferson County, WA 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 19.0 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.
-
Closing Jefferson County's active designations would take about 8.3 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.7 primary care, 2.2 mental health, 3.4 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
34.5% of Jefferson County's 29 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 10 primary care, 9 mental health, 10 dental (denominator 29).
Few Census ZCTAs touch Jefferson County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Jefferson County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
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.
Jefferson County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
29 Top 3% higher than 97% 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. Jefferson County falls in the upper quarter of WA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 of 39. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 53031. Population: 32,977.
Peak severity scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Jefferson County in the current HRSA release, federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?
Highest-severity HPSA designations
All 29 active (designated) HPSAs in Jefferson County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Hoh River Chr | dental | 19.0 |
| Jefferson County | mental_health | 18.0 |
| West Clallam-Jefferson Service Area | dental | 18.0 |
| West Clallam-Jefferson Counties | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Hoh River Chr | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Jefferson Healthcare Townsend Clinic | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Jefferson Healthcare Port Ludlow Clinic | mental_health | 16.0 |
| South County Medical Clinic | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Jefferson Healthcare Watership Clinic | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Jefferson Healthcare Express Clinic | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Jefferson Healthcare Sheridan Clinic | mental_health | 16.0 |
| South County Medical Clinic | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Jefferson Healthcare Townsend Clinic | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Jefferson Healthcare Sheridan Clinic | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Jefferson Healthcare Watership Clinic | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Jefferson Healthcare Express Clinic | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Jefferson Healthcare Townsend Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Jefferson Healthcare Watership Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Jefferson Healthcare Sheridan Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Jefferson Healthcare Express Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Hoh River Chr | mental_health | 13.0 |
| Queets Health Station | mental_health | 13.0 |
| Queets Health Station | dental | 13.0 |
| Queets Health Station | primary_care | 12.0 |
| Jefferson Healthcare Port Ludlow Clinic | primary_care | 11.0 |
| Port Angeles/Townsend Service Area | dental | 10.0 |
| Port Angeles/Townsend Service Area | primary_care | 9.0 |
| South County Medical Clinic | dental | 9.0 |
| Jefferson Healthcare Port Ludlow Clinic | dental | 7.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Jefferson County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Jefferson County: 29 active HPSA records, above 97% of real US counties. Dental care carries Jefferson County's deepest shortage reading, 19.0 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 18.0 of 25. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Jefferson County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Volume places Jefferson County above 97% of real US counties (29 active designations: 10 primary care, 9 mental health, 10 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 19.0. 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.
Jefferson County falls in the upper quarter of WA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 of 39. 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.
Jefferson County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Dental
Dental
10 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
9 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Jefferson County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Jefferson County's active designations: about 8.3 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 Jefferson County, WA · 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
Jefferson County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Jefferson County's 29 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 WA before you draw conclusions from a single score. WA 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 Jefferson County's 19.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Scott County, MN and Lafourche County, LA.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Jefferson County (29 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 29 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What makes up Jefferson County's 29 active HPSA designations?
- 29 Designated rows (10 primary care, 9 mental health, 10 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "Hoh River CHR" (score 19.0; dental; 2,820 people in the service area; designated 12/28/2021). Also active: "Jefferson County", "West Clallam-Jefferson Service Area", "West Clallam-Jefferson Counties". Above 97% of real US counties by volume.
- Why is Jefferson County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Jefferson County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Jefferson County?
- Peak active score 19.0 in dental care clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 29 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Jefferson County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 8.3 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "Hoh River CHR" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Jefferson County's designation volume?
- 29 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 Jefferson County's volume compare inside WA?
- 29 active HPSA rows · peak 19.0. Jefferson County falls in the upper quarter of WA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 of 39. Score-nearest counties on this release include Scott County, MN and Lafourche County, LA.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 53031. 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 53031 (Jefferson County, WA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 29; peak score 19.0; signature 29 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.