Medically Underserved Areas Map Shows Vulnerable and Underserved Populations

Medically underserved areas (MUA) are areas where certain populations — usually rural — are subject to a lack of primary care and have high levels of poverty, infant mortality, and elderly people. As designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), these “shortage areas” can have both a “population” and “geographic” identify.

For example, a “geographic” shortage area would be a county, a group of counties, an urban census tract, or civil division where there’s a severe lack of primary care and health services, where a “population” shortage area, on the other hand, would most likely be a subset of that geographic location — such as people experiencing homelessness, low-income people, those eligible for Medicaid, Native Americans, or migrant farmworkers who may face language, economic, or cultural barriers to receiving quality health care.

And, as evidenced by the below information, these areas have not only been described, designated, and tracked by the HRSA, but they have also been mapped — a great resource for teachers, planners, and everyday learners who want to understand equity vs equality, health, and medical accessibility in the United States.

Use the map(s) below to explore medically underserved areas or explore our interactive tools section to find additional health information.

Vulnerable and Medically Underserved Populations Examples

In most situations, the term “vulnerable” can be used interchangeably with “underserved,” however, there are still some minor differences. Therefore, if you hear someone talk about “underserved populations,” it typically means that certain groups lack access (or have limited access) to health care services because of their location, but if you hear someone talk about “vulnerable populations,” it typically refers to those individuals who experience additional barriers — such as homelessness or extreme financial hardship — thus making that access to healthcare even more difficult.

For example, if someone has a serious health condition, they’re considered vulnerable, but if healthcare is accessible to them, then they’re not considered underserved.

Conversely, if someone doesn’t have accessible healthcare near them, they’re considered underserved, but unless they have some sort of limitation, then they may not be considered vulnerable.

Regardless of the academic definition, however, the most important thing to remember is that despite a few differences, there is usually a high level of overlap between both vulnerable and underserved populations, and in most cases, one usually exacerbates the effects of the other.

Vulnerable Populations

• People who experience significant hardship and have limited life options (e.g. access to affordable housing, lack of education, financial struggles)
• People who have cultural communication barriers (e.g. may not speak English in an English speaking town)
• People who can’t give (or have the limited ability to give) consent because of communication barriers or cognitive impairments.
• People who are at high risk for multiple health issues and may have pre-existing conditions
• People who have a strong distrust of government programs (may not be willing to disclose sensitive information)
• People who have or experience mobility impairments
• People who lack or have limited access to transportation services
• People who face discrimination

Underserved Populations

• People who face certain hardships when trying to access health care services
• People who live in certain locations where health care isn’t accessible or readily available
• People who lack or don’t understand health care delivery
• People who face economic or linguistic/cultural communication barriers when trying to access health care

Who are Vulnerable and Underserved Populations?

• Homeless individuals
• Low-income individuals
• Pregnant women
• Native Americans
• LGBTQ Community
• Individuals who have HIV/AIDS
• Trauma victims
• Abuse victims
• Older adults
• Minorities (ethnic or racial)
• Children
• Rural inhabitants
• People with physical disabilities
• People with intellectual disabilities

Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/Ps) by State

Here’s a list of the U.S. states and territories with both Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs).

Note: The count changes slightly over time; this was last updated on 1/3/2022.

State (highest to lowest)	MUA/P Count
California	214
Texas	206
Illinois	176
Georgia	168
Pennsylvania	156
Ohio	137
New York	133
Florida	130
Missouri	122
Virginia	121
Michigan	114
North Carolina	113
Minnesota	110
Kentucky	107
Kansas	105
Tennessee	100
Alabama	99
Oklahoma	97
Iowa	94
Arkansas	92
Mississippi	91
Indiana	88
Nebraska	85
South Carolina	80
Wisconsin	78
Colorado	74
Louisiana	73
Puerto Rico	72
South Dakota	71
West Virginia	62
Oregon	61
North Dakota	56
Montana	55
Maryland	54
Maine	51
Idaho	50
Arizona	48
Washington	47
Massachusetts	46
New Jersey	39
New Mexico	39
Alaska	30
Connecticut	29
Nevada	25
Vermont	24
Utah	22
Wyoming	21
New Hampshire	16
Hawaii	13
Rhode Island	12
District of Columbia	8
Delaware	8
American Samoa	4
Federated States of Micronesia	4
U.S. Virgin Islands	3
Guam	1
Marshall Islands	1
Northern Mariana Islands	1
Republic of Palau	1

Medically Underserved Areas Map Tools