The coronavirus outbreak has called into question the nation’s preparedness to respond to and mitigate health crises. As the number of presumptive and confirmed COVID-19 cases continue to increase, hospitals across the country face shortages of equipment, personnel, and beds. While the pandemic is highlighting shortcomings of the U.S. healthcare system overall, it is also evident that some parts of the country are better staffed with healthcare workers than others.

Despite current shortages, healthcare employment growth has actually outpaced the average across all workers for the past three decades. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), healthcare workers have experienced a cumulative 106 percent increase from 1990 to 2020, compared to a 40 percent increase for all workers over the same time period. Even without taking into account the recent outbreak, BLS projections indicate that employment in healthcare occupations will continue to grow much faster than the average for all occupations, mainly due to increased demand from an aging population.

Nationwide, there are 3.9 healthcare workers for every 100 residents. In Massachusetts, the density of healthcare workers is 5.06 per 100 residents, the highest in the country. But in Nevada, that number is just 2.94, the lowest in the country. Compared to the Northeast and Midwest, there is a shortage of healthcare workers in the South and West. Interestingly, these are regions where many older adults who require healthcare services choose to retire.

Similar trends exist at the local level. To identify which metropolitan areas have the most healthcare workers per capita, researchers at Self Financial analyzed statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau. Metros were ordered by the total number of healthcare workers employed per 100 residents. The total number of healthcare workers includes both practitioners (for example, physicians, surgeons, and registered nurses) and healthcare support occupations (for example, home health aides, nursing assistants, and medical equipment preparers).

As with the statewide trends, the metropolitan areas with the most healthcare workers per capita tend to be located in the Midwest or the Northeast. The West and the South have a far lower density of healthcare workers.

This analysis by Self Financial found that the Houston, TX metropolitan area has 234,390 total healthcare workers, which amounts to 3.35 for every 100 residents. Of all large metros, Houston has the 10th fewest healthcare workers per capita in the U.S. Here is a summary of the data for the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX metro:

Healthcare workers per 100 residents: 3.35

Total number of healthcare workers: 234,390

Number of healthcare practitioners: 168,220

Number of healthcare support workers: 66,170

Population: 6,997,384

For reference, here are the statistics for the entire United States:

Healthcare workers per 100 residents: 3.90

Total number of healthcare workers: 12,764,180

Number of healthcare practitioners: 8,646,730

Number of healthcare support workers: 4,117,450

Population: 327,167,439

For more information, a detailed methodology, and complete results for all metros, you can find the original report on Self Financial’s website: https://www.self.inc/blog/healthcare-workers-by-city