Where Will the U.S. Need Nurses?

Exploring state supply and demand in the nursing landscape of tomorrow

Will your state need more nurses over the next decade? According to a 2013 report by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, the supply of nurse practitioners (NPs) is projected to increase by 30 percent to 72,100 in 2020. Advanced practice begins with registered nurse (RN) education and licensure, so it is useful to know where RN demand and shortages are projected. Read on to learn how each state stacks up.

Map DataProjected Nursing Demand in 2025Projected Nursing Supply in 2025Projected Difference in 2025 (Pos = Surplus/Neg = Shortage)
Alabama
55,700
70,100
14,400
Alaska
7,300
4,600
-2,700
Arizona
87,200
59,100
-28,100
Arkansas
31,800
47,700
15,900
California
393,600
389,900
-3,700
Colorado
59,000
46,100
-12,900
Connecticut
41,500
45,200
3,700
Delaware
12,500
16,200
3,700
Florida
225,500
229,700
4,200
Georgia
101,400
94,700
-6,700
Hawaii
13,400
13,200
-200
Idaho
15,400
16,100
700
Illinois
140,100
149,800
9,700
Indiana
71,400
91,600
20,200
Iowa
35,300
56,600
21,300
Kansas
32,800
47,600
14,800
Kentucky
51,000
67,500
16,500
Louisiana
46,500
64,700
18,200
Maine
17,500
15,800
-1,700
Maryland
72,000
59,900
-12,100
Massachusetts
85,500
85,900
400
Michigan
104,600
116,000
11,400
Minnesota
66,500
84,900
18,400
Mississippi
35,800
47,000
11,200
Missouri
67,700
85,000
17,300
Montana
12,100
11,300
-800
Nebraska
21,900
22,100
200
Nevada
32,400
24,600
-7,800
New Hampshire
18,000
18,500
500
New Jersey
98,500
119,400
20,900
New Mexico
22,100
18,700
-3,400
New York
212,400
235,800
23,400
North Carolina
120,000
107,100
-12,900
North Dakota
7,600
10,400
2,800
Ohio
137,400
212,800
75,400
Oklahoma
37,300
55,000
17,700
Oregon
40,100
34,100
-6,000
Pennsylvania
152,600
178,400
25,800
Rhode Island
14,000
11,900
-2,100
South Carolina
54,600
54,000
-600
South Dakota
10,600
14,500
3,900
Tennessee
76,100
92,200
16,100
Texas
278,300
284,400
6,100
Utah
25,400
31,200
5,800
Vermont
8,100
8,800
700
Virginia
87,300
106,700
19,400
Washington
75,100
68,100
-7,000
West Virginia
21,100
29,000
7,900
Wisconsin
68,800
78,100
9,300
Wyoming
4,900
6,800
1,900

Data for Washington, D.C., are not presented because the small sample size in the American Community Survey — used to create “The Future of the Nursing Workforce: National- and State-Level Projections, 2012-2015” — generated unstable supply estimates.

SOURCE

“The Future of the Nursing Workforce: National- and State-Level Projections, 2012-2015,” U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, 2014, 8-9. Accessed October 10, 2016.
bhw.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bhw/nchwa/projections/nursingprojections.pdf

Nursing@Georgetown