Physician demand varies by state based on workforce supply, population growth, physician retirement trends, and federally designated shortage areas. State workforce reports and physician supply analyses identify states where physician shortages or supply gaps remain a concern.

1. Florida — Florida could face a shortage of nearly 18,000 physicians by 2035, according to a statewide physician workforce analysis, while the Florida Department of Health reported continued concern about physician supply as the overall state and elderly populations increase.

2. Texas — The Association of American Medical Colleges projected continued physician shortages nationwide through 2036. Shortages in several primary care specialties—including general internal medicine, geriatrics, pediatrics, and psychiatry—are projected to increase, with some regions continuing to report substantial unmet physician demand.

3. North Carolina — North Carolina workforce analyses reported intensifying concerns about primary care access as population growth continues affecting the supply and distribution of primary care clinicians across the state’s 100 counties.

4. Georgia — Georgia is projected to be short just over 8,000 physicians by 2030, while 143 of the state’s 159 counties are designated as health professional shortage areas, according to a physician workforce analysis.

5. Arizona — Arizona is projected to be short just over 8,250 physicians, including a projected shortage of 1,941 primary care physicians, while every county in the state has at least a partial health professional shortage area designation.

6. Nevada — Nevada would need an additional 2,450 physicians to match the national physician-per-population rate.

7. Tennessee — Tennessee is projected to face a shortage of nearly 3,900 physicians by 2035, while physician demand is expected to grow by approximately 10% during the same period.

8. South Carolina — South Carolina’s physician-to-patient ratio was 23% below the national average, and 11 rural counties were entirely designated as primary care health professional shortage areas.

9. Utah — Utah reported 67 direct-patient-care primary care physicians per 100,000 residents compared with the national rate of 86 per 100,000 individuals.

10. Idaho — Idaho ranked 49th nationally for actively practicing physicians overall and 45th for primary care physicians, while 98.7% of Idaho counties were designated as primary care health professional shortage areas.

Sources: Florida Hospital Association, Florida Department of Health, Association of American Medical Colleges, Texas Health and Human Services, North Carolina Medical Journal, Cicero Institute, Las Vegas HEALS, Tennessee Hospital Association, South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Utah Department of Health & Human Services, Idaho Business Review, BMC Health Services Research