State provider profile · CMS NPPES

Iowa Doctors & Healthcare Providers

Every CMS NPPES-registered provider in Iowa - actual federal records by specialty, city, and Medicare participation, with no composite score or editorial opinion on top.

47,312
Providers
482
Specialties
30+
Cities (10+ NPIs)
37th
of 56 by size

The state in one line

Iowa has 47,312 CMS-registered healthcare providers, the 37th-largest provider base of 56 U.S. jurisdictions, led by Pharmacist.

47,312
NPPES-registered providers
37th
of 56 jurisdictions
Top 66%
by provider count
6.6%
Pharmacist (largest specialty)

Where Iowa ranks among all U.S. states

Provider count vs every U.S. state, DC and territory, CMS NPPES

47,312 34th percentile higher than 34% of 56 jurisdictions

0–25,000: 11 jurisdictions (20%). Below this entry. 25,000–50,000: 9 jurisdictions (16%). This entry sits in this band. 50,000–75,000: 5 jurisdictions (9%). Above this entry. 75,000–100,000: 8 jurisdictions (14%). Above this entry. 100,000–125,000: 6 jurisdictions (11%). Above this entry. 125,000–150,000: 3 jurisdictions (5%). Above this entry. 150,000–175,000: 3 jurisdictions (5%). Above this entry. 175,000–200,000: 1 jurisdictions (2%). Above this entry. 200,000–225,000: 2 jurisdictions (4%). Above this entry. 225,000–250,000: 1 jurisdictions (2%). Above this entry. 250K+: 7 jurisdictions (13%). Above this entry. This state 0 250K+ every U.S. jurisdiction (providers), bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more jurisdictions. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source CMS National Plan & Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) · 2026

47,312 providers across 482 specialties

How to read this directory

This count includes every individual clinician, physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, therapists, and psychologists, with a current active National Provider Identifier on file with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and a primary practice address in Iowa. Organizations such as hospitals, group practices, and pharmacies carry their own separate NPPES records and are deliberately not included in this individual-provider total, and each clinician is counted once under their registered primary taxonomy. Every figure is drawn from the federal National Provider Identifier Registry (CMS NPPES) - more than 7 million providers, maintained since May 2007, with 2023 Medicare Part D data, and, according to CMS, can be searched, compared, and traced in our methodology.

Important: this is a directory of public CMS government data, not a quality ranking, a review aggregator, or medical advice. NPPES records are self-reported and refreshed monthly, so a listed address or phone number can lag reality; always call the office to confirm location, insurance acceptance, and new-patient availability before booking. Verify licensure and disciplinary history, which are not shown here, through the NPI Registry and your state medical board.

Iowa at a glance

Diverse specialty mix

Providers

47,312

Active CMS NPI registrations

Across 30+ cities

Specialties

482

NUCC taxonomy codes represented

Of 690 total specialties

Cities (10+ NPIs)

30

Crosses CMS reporting threshold

≥10 providers required

Top specialty

Pharmacist

3,138 providers

6.6% of state total

Top specialties in Iowa

Distribution by primary NUCC taxonomy - 482 specialties total

Diverse specialty mix
Top specialty: Pharmacist
3,138
6.6% of Iowa's 47,312 providers
# Specialty Providers
1 Pharmacist 3,138
2 Physical Therapist 2,596
3 Mental Health Counselor 2,345
4 Family Medicine Physician 2,267
5 Chiropractor 2,003
6 Clinical Social Worker 1,943
7 Family Nurse Practitioner 1,852
8 Physician Assistant 1,396
9 Internal Medicine Physician 1,320
10 Student in an Organized Health Care Education/Training Program 1,253
11 General Practice Dentistry 1,219
12 Nurse Practitioner 1,206
13 Social Worker 1,163
14 Addiction (Substance Use Disorder) Counselor 1,116
15 Occupational Therapist 1,060
16 Speech-Language Pathologist 1,050
17 Behavior Technician 927
18 Registered Nurse 924
19 Dentist 744
20 Athletic Trainer 701

Which cities in Iowa have the most providers?

Top cities in Iowa by provider count

Active CMS NPPES-registered providers by primary practice city

providers

What this shows Iowa City leads Iowa's 30+ reporting cities; provider supply concentrates in the largest metros, so a statewide total understates rural access gaps.

Source CMS National Plan & Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) As of 2026

Full city breakdown with each city's share of the state total:

# City Providers
1 Iowa City 6,894
2 Des Moines 5,293
3 Cedar Rapids 2,893
4 West Des Moines 2,123
5 Davenport 1,990
6 Waterloo 1,477
7 Dubuque 1,457
8 Sioux City 1,439
9 Ames 1,200
10 Ankeny 1,143
11 Council Bluffs 1,000
12 Mason City 844
13 Bettendorf 735
14 Coralville 682
15 Urbandale 623
16 Clive 605
17 Cedar Falls 601
18 Fort Dodge 509
19 Johnston 504
20 Clinton 500
21 Marshalltown 430
22 Ottumwa 399
23 Muscatine 337
24 Waverly 337
25 Spencer 336
26 Hiawatha 329
27 North Liberty 319
28 Pella 313
29 Decorah 276
30 Altoona 268

Nearby States

Other high-volume states in the CMS NPPES registry for side-by-side context.

Compare specialties nationally →

License & disciplinary context - Iowa

Aggregate state medical board disciplinary action statistics for Iowa licensees, sourced from the state medical board annual report and cross-checked against the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB).

View Iowa disciplinary trends →

Using the Iowa data

Iowa has 47,312 active registered providers, here is how to act on that.

  • Narrow by specialty first: Iowa's provider mix differs from the national distribution, and the per-specialty pages show who actually practices here. Browse specialties
  • Verify any shortlisted provider's federal record and license before booking, registration alone is not a quality signal. NPI lookup
  • Check Iowa's disciplinary-action trends to understand the state board's enforcement context. Board actions

Counts reflect CMS NPPES registrations, which can lag retirements and relocations. PlainDoctor does not rate, rank, or recommend providers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many healthcare providers are in Iowa?
Iowa has 47,312 healthcare providers registered in the CMS NPPES database, spanning 482 medical specialties across 30+ cities.
What is the most common medical specialty in Iowa?
The most common specialty in Iowa is Pharmacist with 3,138 providers, followed by Physical Therapist.
How do I find a doctor in Iowa?
You can browse Iowa providers by specialty or city on this page, or use our search to find providers by name, NPI number, or location.

Provider data from CMS NPPES (download.cms.gov/nppes); specialty mix by NUCC Health Care Provider Taxonomy. PlainDoctor does not rate or rank providers. Methodology · About

Compiled from official public sources by the PlainDoctor editorial team.