15 metropolitan areas with the fewest primary care physicians per 100,000 people

Supply and demand are out of balance for primary care physicians (PCPs) and behavioral health providers (BHPs) across the United States, according to a new report that analyzed metropolitan areas.

Based on U.S. Census Bureau Data, the national average rate of PCPs is 110 per 100,000 people in metropolitan areas with populations of at least 200,000 people. But some cities have far fewer primary care physicians and the two worst have fewer than half the national average.

Market consultant Trilliant Health used its own Provider Directory and U.S. Census Bureau data to describe mismatches among population growth areas and locations where health care providers are.

“Quantifying the current state of provider supply at the local level is necessary to understand current and future gaps in supply for both primary care and behavioral health services,” said the report by Sanjula Jain, PhD, Trilliant Health chief research officer.

Trilliant Health published a list of 30 metropolitan areas with at least 200,000 people, and here are the bottom-ranked 15 metropolitan areas for the number of primary care physicians per 100,000 people.