Where are Connecticut's doctor shortages?
10 Connecticut counties have at least one federal shortage designation for primary care, mental health or dental care. Look up a hospital to see whether its area has a shortage.
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Primary care shortage
10 counties
100% of Connecticut's 9 counties, against 88% nationally. 2 are designated as a whole county.
Mental health shortage
10 counties
100% of Connecticut's counties, against 93% nationally. 9 counties have a dental shortage designation.
Connecticut's highest-need counties for primary care
Counties with the highest primary care shortage score (0 to 25; higher means greater need).
Capitol
Part of county · 11 designations
Score 18
Mental health score 19
Naugatuck Valley
Part of county · 6 designations
Score 18
Mental health score 18
Southeastern Connecticut
Part of county · 7 designations
Score 18
Mental health score 15
Greater Bridgeport
Part of county · 1 designation
Score 18
Mental health score 17
Not Determined
Part of county · 15 designations
Score 16
Mental health score 18
South Central Connecticut
Part of county · 2 designations
Score 16
Mental health score 16
Every Connecticut county with a shortage designation
Click a column to sort, or filter by county name. "Whole county" means the entire county is designated; "Part" means one or more areas within it (such as census tracts) or a population group (such as low-income residents) is designated. The number is the highest shortage score in the county.
| County | Primary care | Mental health | Dental |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capitol | |||
| Greater Bridgeport | |||
| Lower Connecticut River Valley | |||
| Naugatuck Valley | |||
| Northeastern Connecticut | – | ||
| Northwest Hills | |||
| Not Determined | |||
| South Central Connecticut | |||
| Southeastern Connecticut | |||
| Western Connecticut |
No Connecticut county with a shortage designation matches that name.
Only counties with at least one active area-based designation (geographic or population) are listed; Connecticut has 9 counties in all. Scores run from 0 to 25 for primary care and mental health and 0 to 26 for dental care; higher means greater need. Bars show each score against the maximum. Source: Health Resources and Services Administration (data.hrsa.gov).
Questions about shortage areas in Connecticut
Which Connecticut counties are primary care shortage areas?
10 Connecticut counties have all or part of the county designated as short of primary care providers (100% of 9). 2 are designated as a whole county: Northeastern Connecticut, Northwest Hills. In the other 8, part of the county or a population group (such as low-income residents) is designated.
Which Connecticut county has the greatest need for primary care?
Capitol has the highest primary care shortage score in Connecticut: 18 on a scale of 0 to 25, where higher means greater need. Next highest: Naugatuck Valley (18), Southeastern Connecticut (18), Greater Bridgeport (18), Not Determined (16).
Is there a mental health care shortage in Connecticut?
10 Connecticut counties have a mental health shortage designation (100% of counties, against 93% nationally), 0 of them for the whole county. The highest mental health score is in Capitol (19 of 25). 9 counties have a dental shortage designation.
How does Connecticut compare with the rest of the U.S.?
100% of Connecticut's counties have a primary care shortage designation, higher than the national figure of 88% (2,759 of 3,143 counties). Many designations cover only part of a county or a population group, so a county being listed doesn't mean every resident lacks care.
What do the shortage scores mean?
HRSA scores each shortage area on how severe the need is, using things like the ratio of people to providers, poverty and travel time to care. Scores run from 0 to 25 for primary care and mental health, and from 0 to 26 for dental care. Higher scores mean greater need, and the highest-scoring areas get priority for National Health Service Corps clinicians.
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Shortage areas in every state
HRSA designates Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) where there are too few providers for the population: for primary care, generally fewer than one doctor for every 3,500 people (or 3,000 in high-need areas). Designations unlock federal programs such as National Health Service Corps clinicians and Medicare bonus payments. About the data.
Shortage areas in other states
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