Tuesday, July 8, 2025

The U.S. Dental Care Shortfall by Region

Based on March 31, 2025, data available from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), over 59.7 million Americans lived in settings or communities designated as dental health professional shortage areas (HPSA).  The dental health HPSA designation means that the residents of a population group, geographic unit, or facility have substandard access to dental care because not enough dentists serve the area given the size of the HPSA's population. In order to rectify the dental care shortfall in these communities and settings, the HRSA estimates that HPSAs throughout the country would need over 10,100 more dentists.

Here is a summary look at the U.S. dental care shortfall by region (for state-level details, follow the "region" link):

The U.S. Dental Care Shortfall by Region

Region (1) HPSAs (2) Population (3) Shortfall
Far Western U.S. 1,294 7,083,237 1,025
Great Lakes 916 7,278,467 1,323
Great Plains 1,053 4,017,861 675
MidEast 411 6,927,660 1,256
New England 222 1,074,377 158
Rocky Mountain 402 1,812,491 207
Southeast 1,868 22,743,034 4,018
Southwestern U.S. 764 6,046,418 1,099
U.S. Territories 124 2,734,629 382
U.S. 7,054 59,718,174 10,143

(1) HRSA-designated Geographic Units, Population Groups, and Facilities with a dental care shortfall
(2) Population of designated HPSAs
(3) Dental Care practitioners needed to remove HPSA Designation

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, 3/31/25 (HRSA)

Monday, July 7, 2025

Nurse Practitioner Pay in the Mid-Eastern U.S.

Data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) put the number of nurse practitioners (NPs) working in the United States at more than 303,000 as of May 2024.  More than 49,500 of the nation's nurse practitioner jobs at that time were in the Mid-Eastern region, an area which includes five states and the District of Columbia.  The Mid-Eastern U.S. was one of the best regions of the country for nurse practitioner pay.  Moreover, over 60% of employed NPs in the region lived in New York, New Jersey or DC, three states that ranked among the ten best states in the country for nurse practitioner annual mean wages. A closer examination of BLS employment data from May 2024 shows the following about nurse practitioner pay in the Mid-Eastern U.S.:

Nurse Practitioner Pay in the Mid-Eastern U.S.

Nurse Practitioner Pay in the Mid-Eastern U.S.

State # Employed Annual Mean Wages Wage Rank*
DC 1210 $130,190 22nd
DE 790 $137,600 10th
MD 6,640 $127,100 31st
NJ 9,590 $140,470 8th
NY 20,430 $148,410 2nd
PA 10,860 $126,730 32nd
U.S. 303,410 $130,077 -------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on July 7, 2025

Sunday, July 6, 2025

The Mental Health Care Shortfall in the Great Plains Region

A facility, geographic area, or population group where community members have poor access to mental health care services can be designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as a health professional shortage area (HPSA).  A mental health care shortfall designation indicates that too few mental health care practitioners are serving the community relative to the size of its population.  As of March 31, 2025, nearly 122.4 million Americans lived in mental health care shortfall areas according to the HRSA. That figures includes over 8.8 million residents of the seven-state Great Plains region who were living in mental health care shortfall areas. The HRSA estimates that Great Plains region HPSAs would need 409 additional mental health care practitioners to eliminate the shortfall in the region. A further examination of 3/31/25 HRSA data reveals the following state-level details about the mental health care shortfall in the Great Plains region:

The Mental Health Care Shortfall in the Great Plains Region

The Mental Health Care Shortfall in the Great Plains Region

State (1) HPSAs (2) Population (3) Shortfall
IA 165 1,504,536 67
KS 110 1,180,423 51
MN 141 2,170,516 93
MO 255 1,969,048 117
NE 88 1,064,487 32
ND 73 284,923 15
SD 58 656,295 34
Region 890 8,830,228 409
U.S. 6,418 122,383,988 6,202

(1) HRSA-designated Geographic Units, Population Groups, and Facilities with a mental health care shortfall
(2) Population of designated HPSAs
(3) Mental Health Care practitioners needed to remove HPSA Designation

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, March 31, 2025 (HRSA)

Saturday, July 5, 2025

The Primary Care Shortfall in the Southeastern U.S.

As designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a primary care health professional shortage area (HPSA) is a facility, geographic area, or population group where residents are underserved for basic medical care because not enough primary care physicians service the community given the size of its population.  As of March 31, 2025, more than 77.2 million Americans lived in HRSA-designated primary care shortfall areas.  The twelve-state Southeastern U.S. had, as of 3/31/25, almost 25.7 million residents living in primary care shortfall areas.  The HRSA estimates that to eliminate this shortfall, the Southeastern U.S. would need over 4,200 additional primary care physicians serving HPSAs in the region.  A deeper examination of 3/31/25 HRSA data provides the following state-level view of the primary care shortfall in the Southeastern U.S.:

The Primary Care Shortfall in the Southeastern U.S.

The Primary Care Shortfall in the Southeastern U.S.

State (1) HPSAs (2) Population (3) Shortfall
AL 109 2,018,437 221
AR 144 1,101,893 131
FL 292 6,166,533 1,338
GA 231 2,783,079 586
KY 231 1,426,402 305
LA 175 2,086,166 206
MS 153 1,379,002 251
NC 195 2,296,076 409
SC 93 1,395,598 162
TN 142 2,364,873 272
VA 137 1,933,391 210
WV 121 748,303 123
Region 2,023 25,699,753 4,214
U.S. 7,749 77,253,848 13,364

(1) HRSA-designated Geographic Units, Population Groups, and Facilities with a primary care shortfall
(2) Population of designated HPSAs
(3) Primary Care practitioners needed to remove the HPSA Designation

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, 3/31/25 (HRSA)

Friday, July 4, 2025

The Dental Care Shortfall in the Great Lakes Region

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) data as of March 31, 2025, indicated that over 59.7 million Americans lived in communities designated as a dental health HPSA (health professional shortage area).  A dental health HPSA is a population group, geographic area, or facility where access to dental care suffers from too few dentists serving the community relative to the size of its population.  As of 3/31/25, HRSA designated dental care shortfall areas in the five-state Great Lakes region totaled almost 7.3 million residents.  In order to remove that dental care shortfall designation, the HRSA estimates that HPSAs in the Great Lakes states would need 1,323 more dentists serving their communities.  A deeper look at HRSA data provides the following state-level summary view of the dental care shortfall in the Great Lakes region:

The Dental Care Shortfall in the Great Lakes Region


The Dental Care Shortfall in the Great Lakes Region

State (1) HPSAs (2) Population (3) Shortfall
IL 227 2,134,589 408
IN 124 976,210 164
MI 242 1,582,942 297
OH 162 1,717,141 289
WI 161 867,585 165
Region 916 7,278,467 1,323
U.S. 7,054 59,718,174 10,143

(1) Designated Geographic, Population Group, and Facility HPSAs with a dental care shortfall
(2) Population of designated HPSAs
(3) Dental Care practitioners needed to remove HPSA Designation

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, 3/31/25 (HRSA)

Thursday, July 3, 2025

Family Medicine Physician Pay in the Great Lakes Region

Information published recently by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) put the number of family medicine physicians employed in the United States at more than 104,000 as of May 2024.  Almost 10,000 family medicine physicians were employed at that time in the five-state Great Lakes region.  BLS data reveals the region to have much disparity in family physician pay.  Indiana and Wisconsin are both top ten states nationally for family medicine physician annual mean wages.  However, more than 70% of Great Lakes region family medicine physicians live in other states in the region, all of which register family physician annual mean wage levels below the national average.  A closer examination of May 2024 data from the BLS details the following about family medicine physician pay in the Great Lakes region:

Family Medicine Physician Pay in the Great Lakes Region

Family Medicine Physician Pay in the Great Lakes Region

State # Employed Annual Mean Wages Wage Rank*
IL 1,540 $206,010 48th
IN 1,700 $295,310 5th
MI 4,400 $222,500 41st
OH 1,780 $230,400 36th
WI 1,510 $293,630 6th
U.S. 98,590 $214,370 -------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on July 3, 2025

The Mental Health Care Shortfall in New England

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) can designate a population group, facility, or geographic area as a health professional shortage area (HPSA) for mental health care services. This designation indicates that there is a mental health care services shortfall in the community because too few mental health care practitioners service the area relative to the size of the population. From March 31, 2025 HRSA data, more than 122.4 million Americans live in a mental health care HPSA. That number included 1.8 million residents of the six-state New England region. To eliminate that mental health care shortfall, the HRSA estimates that HPSAs in the region would need 90 additional mental health care practitioners.  A further review of 3/31/25 HRSA data details the following about the state-level mental health care shortfall in New England:

The Mental Health Care Shortfall in New England

The Mental Health Care Shortfall in New England

State (1) HPSAs (2) Population (3) Shortfall
CT 43 801,604 53
ME 65 268,713 11
MA 51 256,453 13
NH 18 91,279 2
RI 12 394,307 11
VT 12 N/A N/A
Region 201 1,812,356 90
U.S. 6,418 122,383,988 6,202

(1) HRSA-designated Geographic Units, Population Groups, and Facilities with a mental health care shortfall
(2) Population of designated HPSAs
(3) Mental Health Care practitioners needed to remove HPSA Designation

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, March 31, 2025 (HRSA)

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

The Primary Care Shortfall in the Far Western U.S.

A primary care health professional shortage area (HPSA) is a designation given by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to a population group, geographic area, or facility where residents have limited access to basic medical care because not enough primary care physicians serve the area relative to its population size.  As of March 31, 2025, the HRSA reported that more than 77.2 million Americans lived in a community that had a primary care shortfall.  Per HRSA data, the six-state Far Western U.S. was home to nearly 11.8 million Americans who lived in primary care shortfall areas.  The HRSA estimates that to eliminate this shortfall, HPSAs in the Far Western U.S would need 1,922 additional primary care physicians.  A closer review of 3/31/25 HRSA data reveals the following about the primary care shortfall in the Far Western U.S.:

The Primary Care Shortfall in the Far Western U.S.

The Primary Care Shortfall in the Far Western U.S.

State (1) HPSAs (2) Population (3) Shortfall
AK 343 288,772 71
CA 630 6,549,786 971
HI 33 519,572 87
NV 74 952,427 183
OR 150 877,420 111
WA 214 2,606,632 499
Region 1,444 11,794,609 1.922
U.S. 7,749 77,253,848 13,364

(1) HRSA-designated Geographic Units, Population Groups, and Facilities with a primary care shortfall
(2) Population of designated HPSAs
(3) Primary Care practitioners needed to remove the HPSA Designation

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, 3/31/25 (HRSA)

Monday, June 30, 2025

The Dental Care Shortfall in the Southwestern U.S.

According to data from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), as of March 31, 2025, over 59.7 million Americans resided in a dental health professional shortage area (HPSA).  A dental health HPSA is a geographic area, population group, or facility where community residents are underserved for dental care because too few dentists work in the area relative to the size of the population.  In the four-state Southwestern U.S., as of March 31, 2025, over 6.0 million residents lived in dental care shortfall areas.  The HRSA estimates that HPSAs in the Southwest would need 1,099 more dentists to eliminate the dental care shortfall in the region.  From 3/31/25 HRSA data, here is a summary look at the dental care shortfall in the Southwestern U.S.:

The Dental Care Shortfall in the Southwestern U.S.

The Dental Care Shortfall in the Southwestern U.S.


State (1) HPSAs (2) Population (3) Shortfall
AZ 207 2,046,279 339
NM 106 865,757 171
OK 187 1,083,631 211
TX 264 2,050,751 378
Region 764 6,046,418 1,099
U.S. 7,054 59,718,174 10,143

(1) HRSA-designated Geographic Units, Population Groups, and Facilities with a dental care shortfall
(2) Population of designated HPSAs
(3) Dental Care practitioners needed to remove HPSA Designation

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, 3/31/25 (HRSA)

Saturday, June 28, 2025

The Mental Health Care Shortfall in the Rocky Mountain Region

A population group, facility, or geographic area where community residents have substandard access to mental health care services can be designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as a health professional shortage area (HPSA).  This designation reflects an environment where the HPSA has too few mental health care practitioners serving the community relative to the size of its population.  The HRSA reports that, as of March 31, 2025, nearly 122.4 million Americans lived in communities where there was a mental health care shortfall. That number included over 7.7 million residents who lived in mental health care shortfall areas in the five-state Rocky Mountain region. To eliminate that mental health care shortfall, the HRSA estimates that Rocky Mountain region HPSAs would need 287 additional mental health care practitioners. A closer examination of HRSA data reveals the following state-level details about the mental health care shortfall in the Rocky Mountain region as of March 31, 2025:

The Mental Health Care Shortfall in the Rocky Mountain Region

The Mental Health Care Shortfall in the Rocky Mountain Region

State (1) HPSAs (2) Population (3) Shortfall
CO 78 2,744,353 110
ID 63 1,210,451 48
MT 105 772,338 38
UT 57 2,430,542 68
WY 23 566,918 23
Region 326 7,724,602 287
U.S. 6,418 122,383,988 6,202

(1) HRSA-designated Geographic Units, Population Groups, and Facilities with a mental health care shortfall
(2) Population of designated HPSAs
(3) Mental Health Care practitioners needed to remove HPSA Designation

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, March 31, 2025 (HRSA)

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

The Primary Care Shortfall in the Mid-Eastern U.S.

A geographic area, population group, or facility where residents have poor access to basic medical care because too few primary care physicians service the community can be designated a primary care HPSA (health professional shortage area) by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).  As of March 31, 2025, more than 77.2 million Americans lived in primary care shortfall areas as designated by the HRSA.  At that time, more than 7 million residents of the Mid-Eastern region of the U.S., which includes five states and the District of Columbia, were living in communities that were primary care shortfall areas. The HRSA estimates that to eliminate the region's primary care shortfall, Mid-Eastern region HPSAs would need more than 1,570 additional primary care physicians.  A closer examination of that 3/31/25 HRSA data reveals the following about the primary care shortfall in the Mid-Eastern U.S.:

The Primary Care Shortfall in the Mid-Eastern U.S.

The Primary Care Shortfall in the Mid-Eastern U.S.

State (1) HPSAs (2) Population (3) Shortfall
DC 13 286,765 96
DE 10 231,014 71
MD 56 1,168,871 282
NJ 37 163,027 19
NY 191 4,810,016 1,033
PA 130 383,121 73
Region 437 7,042,814 1,574
U.S. 7,749 77,253,848 13,364

(1) HRSA-designated Geographic Units, Population Groups, and Facilities with a primary care shortfall
(2) Population of designated HPSAs
(3) Primary Care practitioners needed to remove the HPSA Designation

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, 3/31/25 (HRSA)

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Dental Assistant Pay in the Far West U.S.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released earlier this year indicated that over 287,000 dental assistants were employed in the United States as of May 2024.  At that time, roughly 79,970 dental assistants were working in the six-state Far West region of the country.  Although dental assistant annual mean wage levels were poor in Hawaii and Nevada, BLS data revealed the Far West U.S. to be a modestly good one for dental assistant pay.  Over 93% of the region's dental assistants lived in a state where the annual mean wage level for dental assistants was above the national average.  Moreover, this included four states that ranked among the ten best states in the nation for dental assistant annual mean wages.  A closer review of May 2024 BLS data reveals the following about dental assistant pay in the Far West U.S.:

Dental Assistant Pay in the Far West U.S.

Dental Assistant Pay in the Far West U.S.

State # Employed Annual Mean Wages Wage Rank*
AK 1,080 $54,720 6th
CA 54,580 $53,570 10th
HI 1,610 $42,130 44th
NV 3,890 $47,320 26nd
OR 5,480 $57,690 2nd
WA 13,330 $56,140 5th
U.S. 387,780 $48,225 -------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on June 24, 2025

Monday, June 23, 2025

The Dental Care Shortfall in the Great Plains Region

From March 31, 2025 data from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), more than 59.7 million Americans were living in settings designated as dental health professional shortage areas (HPSA).  A dental health HPSA is a facility, geographic area, or population group, where access to basic dental care is deemed substandard because there is a shortfall in the number of dentists serving the area relative to the size of the HPSA's population.  Per 3/31/25 HRSA data, dental care shortfall areas in the seven-state Great Plains region totaled more than 4 million residents.  The HRSA estimated that the region would need 675 more dentists to fully eliminate the dental care shortfall in the region's HPSAs.  From 3/31/25 HRSA data, here is a summary breakdown of the dental care shortfall in the Great Plains region of the U.S.:

The Dental Care Shortfall in the Great Plains Region

The Dental Care Shortfall in the Great Plains Region

State (1) HPSAs (2) Population (3) Shortfall
IA 140 483,912 98
KS 129 288,859 50
MN 194 991,583 130
MO 321 1,761,565 334
NE 112 134,922 12
ND 67 116,532 12
SD 90 240,488 39
Region 1,053 4,017,861 675
U.S. 7,054 59,718,174 10,143

(1) Designated Geographic, Population Group, and Facility HPSAs with a dental care shortfall
(2) Population of designated HPSAs
(3) Dental Care practitioners needed to remove HPSA Designation

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, 3/31/25 (HRSA)

Saturday, June 21, 2025

The Mental Health Care Shortfall in the Southeast

As designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a mental health HPSA (health professional shortage area) is a population group, facility, or geographic unit where the availability of basic mental health care services is substandard. This designation is a reflection of there not being enough mental health care practitioners serving the HPSA community relative to its population size.  As of March 31, 2025, the HRSA reported that nearly 122.4 million Americans were living in designated mental health care shortfall areas.  That national total included more than 36.4 million residents of the twelve-state Southeast who were living in mental health care shortfall areas.  According to HRSA estimates, HPSAs in the Southeast would need 1,987 additional mental health care practitioners servicing these communities in order to eliminate the mental healthcare shortfall in the region.  A deeper look into 3/31/25 HRSA data reveals the following details about the mental health care shortfall in the Southeast:

The Mental Health Care Shortfall in the Southeast

The Mental Health Care Shortfall in the Southeast

State (1) HPSAs (2) Population (3) Shortfall
AL 64 2,943,245 128
AR 90 1,163,274 69
FL 219 7,830,810 452
GA 90 5,025,398 180
KY 179 2,414,709 131
LA 171 3,210,059 160
MS 84 2,132,264 90
NC 191 3,512,069 217
SC 73 2,081,830 99
TN 83 2,987,186 243
VA 99 2,385,548 129
WV 115 766,433 89
Region 1,458 36,452,825 1,987
U.S. 6,418 122,383,988 6,202

(1) HRSA-designated Geographic Units, Population Groups, and Facilities with a mental health care shortfall
(2) Population of designated HPSAs
(3) Mental Health Care practitioners needed to remove HPSA Designation

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, March 31, 2025 (HRSA)

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

The Primary Care Shortfall in the Great Lakes Region

If residents within a geographic area, facility, or population group have poor access to basic medical care because an insufficient number of primary care physicians serve the area relative to its population, that setting can be designated a primary care HPSA (health professional shortage area) by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).  As of March 31, 2025, more than 77.2 million Americans lived in the HRSA-designated primary care shortfall areas.    That number included about 11.4 million residents of the five-state Great Lakes region who were living in HRSA-designated primary care shortfall areas at that time.  According to HRSA estimates, another 1,847 primary care providers would need to be serving Great Lakes region HPSAs in order to eliminate the primary care shortfall in the region.  A further review of HRSA data details the following about the primary care shortfall in the Great Lakes region:


The Primary Care Shortfall in the Great Lakes Region

The Primary Care Shortfall in the Great Lakes Region

State (1) HPSAs (2) Population (3) Shortfall
IL 261 3,081,967 527
IN 153 2,230,213 336
MI 253 2,698,029 490
OH 174 2,011,262 342
WI 165 1,332,145 152
Region 1,006 11,353,616 1,847
U.S. 7,749 77,253,848 13,364

(1) HRSA-designated Geographic Units, Population Groups, and Facilities with a primary care shortfall
(2) Population of designated HPSAs
(3) Primary Care practitioners needed to remove the HPSA Designation

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, 3/31/25 (HRSA)

Monday, June 16, 2025

The Dental Care Shortfall in New England

March 31, 2025 data from the HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration) estimated that nearly 59.7 million Americans lived in a dental health HPSA (health professional shortage area).  A dental health HPSA is a geographic area, population group, or facility where residents have bad dental care access because not enough dentists serve the area relative to the population of that HPSA.  The six-state New England region was home to almost 1.1 million individuals who resided in dental care shortfall areas.  The HRSA estimates that New England HPSAs would need 158 more dentists in order to eliminate the dental care shortfall in the region.  Further examination of the HRSA's 3/31/25 data provides the following state-level details about the dental care shortfall New England:

The Dental Care Shortfall in New England

The Dental Care Shortfall in New England

State (1) HPSAs (2) Population (3) Shortfall
CT 40 480,128 71
ME 82 234,694 39
MA 55 185,325 18
NH 19 27,417 7
RI 13 140,340 23
VT 13 6,473 0
Region 222 1,074,377 158
U.S. 7,054 59,718,174 10,143

(1) HRSA-designated Geographic Units, Population Groups, and Facilities with a dental care shortfall
(2) Population of designated HPSAs
(3) Dental Care practitioners needed to remove HPSA Designation

Source:  Designated HPSA Quarterly Summary, 3/31/25 (HRSA)