A geographic area, population group, or facility where residents have substandard access to basic medical care because too few primary care physicians serve the community relative to the size of its population may be deemed a health professional shortage area (HPSA) by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).  As of December 31, 2022, the HRSA reported that more than 98.5 million Americans resided in areas or settings designated as primary care HPSAs.

With 51.3% of the U.S. population who live in primary care shortage areas, the following are the ten states with the most people living in primary care shortage areas as of December 31, 2022, according to HRSA data:

Ten States with the Most People Living in Primary Care Shortage Areas

State	(1) HPSAs	(2) Population	(3) Shortage
CA	682	8,260,869	1,380
FL	306	7,688,768	1,745
TX	440	7,479,997	1,038
NY	194	6,449,663	1,348
IL	273	3,600,042	578
MI	285	3,565,754	583
WA	225	3,542,702	794
GA	247	3,369,911	683
AZ	248	3,344,046	667
NC	222	3,216,821	498
Top 10	3,122	50,518,573	9,314
U.S.	8,294	98,537,257	17,065
% of U.S.	37.6%	51.3%	54.6%

(1) Designated Geographic, Population Group, and Facility HPSAs with a primary care shortage

(2) Population of designated HPSAs

(3) Primary Care practitioners needed to remove HPSA Designation

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, 12/31/22 (HRSA)