Where are South Carolina's doctor shortages?
46 South Carolina 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
45 counties
98% of South Carolina's 46 counties, against 88% nationally. 20 are designated as a whole county. 70 South Carolina hospitals are in these counties.
Mental health shortage
46 counties
100% of South Carolina's counties, against 93% nationally. 41 counties have a dental shortage designation.
South Carolina's highest-need counties for primary care
Counties with the highest primary care shortage score (0 to 25; higher means greater need).
Marion
Part of county · 1 designation
Score 22
Mental health score 16
Marlboro
Whole county · 1 designation
Score 21
Mental health score 19
Allendale
Whole county · 1 designation
Score 21
Mental health score 17
Williamsburg
Whole county · 1 designation
Score 20
Mental health score 16
Calhoun
Whole county · 2 designations
Score 19
Mental health score 18
Orangeburg
Whole county · 2 designations
Score 19
Mental health score 18
Every South Carolina 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.
No South Carolina county with a shortage designation matches that name.
Only counties with at least one active area-based designation (geographic or population) are listed; South Carolina has 46 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 South Carolina
Which South Carolina counties are primary care shortage areas?
45 South Carolina counties have all or part of the county designated as short of primary care providers (98% of 46). 20 are designated as a whole county: Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Chester, Chesterfield, Dorchester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Hampton, Jasper, Kershaw, Lee, Marlboro, Orangeburg, Saluda, Union, Williamsburg. In the other 25, part of the county or a population group (such as low-income residents) is designated.
Which South Carolina county has the greatest need for primary care?
Marion has the highest primary care shortage score in South Carolina: 22 on a scale of 0 to 25, where higher means greater need. Next highest: Marlboro (21), Allendale (21), Williamsburg (20), Calhoun (19).
Is there a mental health care shortage in South Carolina?
46 South Carolina counties have a mental health shortage designation (100% of counties, against 93% nationally), 40 of them for the whole county. The highest mental health score is in Aiken (19 of 25). 41 counties have a dental shortage designation.
How does South Carolina compare with the rest of the U.S.?
98% of South Carolina'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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