Which States Have the Highest Concentration of Physician Assistants?

Healthcare reform's focus on cost-efficient care paired with the nationwide shortage of primary care physicians is putting physician assistants in high demand. Here is the number of physician assistants per 100,000 people in each state, along with the District of Columbia.

Source: Kaiser Family State Health Facts, based on 2010 census data.

1. Alaska — 75
2. South Dakota — 65
3. District of Columbia — 64
4. Montana — 62
5. Nebraska — 49
5. Colorado — 49
5. Maine — 49
8. Connecticut — 47
9. Vermont — 47
10. New Hampshire — 43
11. North Carolina — 42
12. Minnesota — 41
12. Wyoming — 41
14. Idaho — 40
14. North Dakota — 40
16. Washington — 39
17. Michigan — 38
17. Wisconsin — 38
19. Maryland — 37
20. Pennsylvania — 36
20. Kansas — 36
20. New York — 36
23. West Virginia — 34
23. Oregon — 34
23. Massachusetts — 34
23. Utah — 34
27. Delaware — 33
28. Arizona  — 32
28. Iowa — 32
30. Oklahoma — 30
31. New Mexico — 29
32. Virginia — 28
33. Rhode Island — 27
34. Florida — 23
34. Nevada — 23
34. Georgia — 23
37. Texas — 22
37. Kentucky — 22
39. Illinois — 20
40. Tennessee — 19
40. South Carolina — 19
42. California — 18
43. Ohio — 17
44. Hawaii — 16
44. Louisiana — 16
46. Indiana — 15
46. New Jersey — 15
48. Missouri — 13
49. Arkansas — 9
50. Alabama — 8
51. Mississippi — 4

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