California · Safety & Health
Primary Care Physicians (civilian) in California
Non-federal primary care doctors (MDs and DOs) per 100,000 civilians, counting all primary care specialties.
85 per 100K in 2023
#12 of 50 · Top tier (higher is better)
California is better than the 50-state median (80 per 100K). That's a gap of 6 per 100K.
View interactive chart & trend → See full 50-state ranking →
2010 – 2023 · California only · interactive chart with US median overlay →
About primary care physicians (civilian)
What this measures: Counts non-federal primary care doctors per 100,000 civilians.
Why it matters: Primary care supply is the front door to the health system. Lower density usually means longer waits, more travel, and worse management of chronic conditions.
Watch out: This measures provider supply, not actual patient access. A state can have many doctors per capita and still have access deserts in rural counties.
Recent trend
| Year | California | US median |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 79 per 100K | 77 per 100K |
| 2015 | 79 per 100K | 78 per 100K |
| 2016 | 80 per 100K | 78 per 100K |
| 2017 | 80 per 100K | 78 per 100K |
| 2018 | 81 per 100K | 78 per 100K |
| 2019 | 82 per 100K | 79 per 100K |
| 2020 | 82 per 100K | 79 per 100K |
| 2021 | 82 per 100K | 77 per 100K |
| 2022 | 84 per 100K | 79 per 100K |
| 2023 | 85 per 100K | 80 per 100K |
California vs. neighboring states
Same metric (primary care physicians (civilian)), latest year with full state coverage. Click any name for that state's full report.
| State | Primary Care Physicians (civilian) | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 96 per 100K | #5 of 50 |
| Nevada | 59 per 100K | #48 of 50 |
| Arizona | 65 per 100K | #43 of 50 |
How California compares (2023)
Top 5 best
| #1 | Vermont | 115 per 100K |
| #2 | Maine | 107 per 100K |
| #3 | Massachusetts | 103 per 100K |
| #4 | Alaska | 98 per 100K |
| #5 | Oregon | 96 per 100K |
Bottom 5
| #46 | Texas | 62 per 100K |
| #47 | Oklahoma | 60 per 100K |
| #48 | Nevada | 59 per 100K |
| #49 | Mississippi | 57 per 100K |
| #50 | Utah | 57 per 100K |
Source and methodology
Source: HRSA Area Health Resource File · Direction: higher is better · Unit: per 100K
Download raw CSV (all 50 states, all years)