Registered Nurse Shortage Areas in California

In 2024, the Research Data Center (RDC) at HCAI developed a new supply and demand model for the Nursing workforce. The RNSA methodology now includes supply and demand data from the Registered Nurse group from this model in the new calculations. This group includes the following license types: Registered Nurses, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Public Health Nurses, and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses. This 2027 update examines 65 areas in California for RNSA designation. Of these, 44 are classified as experiencing a registered nursing shortage: seven counties are in a severe shortage, 10 are in a high shortage, nine are in a medium shortage, and 18 are in a low shortage. Of the eight Los Angeles County Service Planning Areas (SPAs) one is in a severe shortage, one is in a medium shortage, and two are in a low shortage. The excel table identifies which areas were designated as Registered Nurse Shortage Areas (RNSAs) in the 2027 update. Detailed information on the data and calculations used in the process can be found here: https://hcai.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Public-Modeling-Methodology-v.1.1_5-2025.pdf. Population data is sourced from the Department of Finance's P-2A Total Population for California and Counties table and SPA level estimates were calculated based on the percentage of the Los Angeles population currently living within each SPA region using DP05 ACS Demographic and Housing Estimates 2024 ACS 5 year estimate for Los Angeles County. License counts are sourced from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information's licensure data received from the California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA).

This document includes background and methodology for designating the 2027 Registered Nurse Shortage Areas (RNSAs) in California. Includes a map of all RNSAs across the state