North Carolina Physician Shortage Facts
THE PROBLEM
Physician supply lags behind patient demand nationally and across North Carolina. As supply falls, patients wait longer to see a doctor, and doctors burn out.
By 2030
![](https://ciceroinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/healthcare-icon-1.png)
The U.S. is projected to have 120,000 too few doctors nationally.1,2,3
- Nearly 40% of American physicians will reach retirement age.
- The United States will face a shortage of over 120,000 physicians.
![](https://ciceroinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/healthcare-icon-2.png)
North Carolina is projected to be short 7,725 doctors.4,5
- Primary care alone is projected to be short 1,885 providers.
- There are only 506 residency slots in North Carolina for primary care each year.
- 45.2% of those residents will practice out of state.
![](https://ciceroinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/NC-rank.png)
North Carolina ranks in the bottom half of states for primary care and physician availability.6
92 of North Carolina’s 100 counties are health professional shortage areas (HPSAs).7,8,9
- Low-income citizens are disproportionately affected by these shortages.
- HPSA designations indicate areas where there are 3,500 or more patients for every one provider.
- 2,229,951 North Carolina residents live in an HPSA.
![](https://ciceroinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/NC-HPSAs.png)
North Carolina’s physician-to-patient ratio is 10% worse than the national average:
![](https://ciceroinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/NC-state-comparison.png)
Louisiana Physician Shortage Facts