Hospitals are a vital part of a nation’s social infrastructure, but they are also businesses that grapple with operational stresses, including staffing shortages and rising costs.
According to the American Hospital Association, the U.S. had 6,093 hospitals in 2022, led by more than 5,000 nonfederal, short-term general, and other special hospitals – like facilities dedicated to obstetrics, gynecology, and orthopedics. These hospitals contain a total of about 789,000 staffed beds, and last year reported 31.4 million admissions and $1.1 trillion in expenses – or roughly $35,000 per admission.
However, nearly one out of five U.S. hospitals were facing “critical” staffing shortages last year, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. States experiencing the largest share of hospitals with serious staffing shortages include small states like Vermont, where 52% of hospitals have insufficient hospital staff, and the nation’s most populous state, California, where 35% of hospitals say they don’t have enough staff. (These are the 16 states where hospitals are experiencing the worst workforce shortages.)
Staffing shortages can be a problem in both urban and rural America. Rural hospitals struggle to maintain their services because of a low pool of medical care recruits and limited financial resources. In large cities, hospitals can be well-funded but struggle with the large quantity of admissions relative to the number of available staff despite the larger number of qualified medical care candidates.
To identify the cities with the most hospitals, 24/7 Tempo reviewed statistics on non-federal short-term acute-care hospitals by the American Hospital Directory. Data is based on each hospital’s most recent cost report and is up to date as of early May 2023. The AHD collects data on thousands of hospitals nationwide, drawing on both public and private sources, including Medicare claims data, hospital cost reports, and commercial licensors. Gross patient revenue (inpatient and outpatient) is taken from each hospital’s most recent Medicare Cost Report.
Click here to see the American cities with the most hospitals
Fifteen hospitals on this list have more than 1,000 staffed beds. Two hospital networks, New York-Presbyterian and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles reported the highest annual gross patient revenue at $25 billion and $24 billion, respectively. (See this list of America’s best health care systems.)
41. Omaha, Nebraska
> No. of hospitals in Omaha: 10
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Nebraska Medical Center (616)
> Total hospital discharges in Omaha: 24,138
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 175,951
> Gross patient revenue: $4.1 billion
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40. Portland, Maine
> No. of hospitals in Portland: 10
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Maine Medical Center (637)
> Total hospital discharges in Portland: 27,258
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 175,352
> Gross patient revenue: $3.8 billion
39. Boston, Massachusetts
> No. of hospitals in Boston: 10
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Massachusetts General Hospital (1,019)
> Total hospital discharges in Boston: 46,219
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 330,657
> Gross patient revenue: $11.2 billion
38. Shreveport, Louisiana
> No. of hospitals in Shreveport: 10
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Willis-Knighton Medical Center (889)
> Total hospital discharges in Shreveport: 30,064
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 172,433
> Gross patient revenue: $3.6 billion
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37. Lexington, Kentucky
> No. of hospitals in Lexington: 10
> Hospital with most beds in the city: University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital (991)
> Total hospital discharges in Lexington: 40,490
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 297,645
> Gross patient revenue: $7.4 billion
36. Nashville, Tennessee
> No. of hospitals in Nashville: 10
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Vanderbilt University Medical Center (1,162)
> Total hospital discharges in Nashville: 59,771
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 374,374
> Gross patient revenue: $16.9 billion
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35. Tampa, Florida
> No. of hospitals in Tampa: 10
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Saint Joseph’s Hospital (1,382)
> Total hospital discharges in Tampa: 51,341
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 278,733
> Gross patient revenue: $5.8 billion
34. Tucson, Arizona
> No. of hospitals in Tucson: 10
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Tucson Medical Center (515)
> Total hospital discharges in Tucson: 28,900
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 136,617
> Gross patient revenue: $2.6 billion
33. San Juan, Puerto Rico
> No. of hospitals in San Juan: 11
> Hospital with most beds in the city: University District Hospital (196)
> Total hospital discharges in San Juan: 6,114
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 54,060
> Gross patient revenue: $64.1 million
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32. Tulsa, Oklahoma
> No. of hospitals in Tulsa: 11
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Saint Francis Hospital (905)
> Total hospital discharges in Tulsa: 43,763
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 247,265
> Gross patient revenue: $4.7 billion
31. Bronx, New York
> No. of hospitals in Bronx: 11
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Montefiore Hospital- Moses Campus (1,497)
> Total hospital discharges in Bronx: 73,728
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 443,208
> Gross patient revenue: $16.1 billion
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30. Rochester, Minnesota
> No. of hospitals in Rochester: 11
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Mayo Clinic Hospital , Saint Mary’s Campus (1,252)
> Total hospital discharges in Rochester: 52,451
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 298,846
> Gross patient revenue: $6.8 billion
29. Saint Louis, Missouri
> No. of hospitals in Saint Louis: 12
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Barnes-Jewish Hospital (1,273)
> Total hospital discharges in Saint Louis: 51,503
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 347,710
> Gross patient revenue: $7.5 billion
28. Austin, Texas
> No. of hospitals in Austin: 12
> Hospital with most beds in the city: St. David’s Medical Center (606)
> Total hospital discharges in Austin: 29,978
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 134,521
> Gross patient revenue: $5.8 billion
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27. Washington, D.C.
> No. of hospitals in Washington: 12
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Medstar Washington Hospital Center (748)
> Total hospital discharges in Washington: 28,021
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 230,678
> Gross patient revenue: $5.3 billion
26. Lafayette, Louisiana
> No. of hospitals in Lafayette: 12
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center (432)
> Total hospital discharges in Lafayette: 20,042
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 115,282
> Gross patient revenue: $2.6 billion
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25. Louisville, Kentucky
> No. of hospitals in Louisville: 12
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Norton Hospital (1,465)
> Total hospital discharges in Louisville: 76,823
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 386,095
> Gross patient revenue: $10.0 billion
24. Jacksonville, Florida
> No. of hospitals in Jacksonville: 12
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville (930)
> Total hospital discharges in Jacksonville: 42,129
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 275,644
> Gross patient revenue: $7.7 billion
23. Charleston, West Virginia
> No. of hospitals in Charleston: 13
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Charleston Area Medical Center General Hospital (855)
> Total hospital discharges in Charleston: 29,936
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 177,042
> Gross patient revenue: $4.8 billion
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22. Richmond, Virginia
> No. of hospitals in Richmond: 13
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Chippenham Hospital (793)
> Total hospital discharges in Richmond: 31,372
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 160,161
> Gross patient revenue: $8.6 billion
21. San Francisco, California
> No. of hospitals in San Francisco: 13
> Hospital with most beds in the city: UCSF Helen Diller Medical Center at Parnassus Heights (809)
> Total hospital discharges in San Francisco: 34,304
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 254,081
> Gross patient revenue: $18.8 billion
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20. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
> No. of hospitals in Pittsburgh: 14
> Hospital with most beds in the city: UPMC Presbyterian (1,455)
> Total hospital discharges in Pittsburgh: 43,190
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 320,403
> Gross patient revenue: $16.1 billion
19. Brooklyn, New York
> No. of hospitals in Brooklyn: 14
> Hospital with most beds in the borough: Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center (1,303)
> Total hospital discharges in Brooklyn: 21,788
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 152,441
> Gross patient revenue: $1.8 billion
18. Indianapolis, Indiana
> No. of hospitals in Indianapolis: 14
> Hospital with most beds in the city: IU Health Methodist University (1,271)
> Total hospital discharges in Indianapolis: 44,898
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 311,967
> Gross patient revenue: $9.5 billion
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17. Springfield, Missouri
> No. of hospitals in Springfield: 14
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Cox North Hospital (867)
> Total hospital discharges in Springfield: 31,138
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 173,635
> Gross patient revenue: $4.6 billion
16. Columbus, Ohio
> No. of hospitals in Columbus: 14
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (1,170)
> Total hospital discharges in Columbus: 48,902
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 278,270
> Gross patient revenue: $7.8 billion
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15. Miami, Florida
> No. of hospitals in Miami: 14
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Jackson Memorial Hospital (1,717)
> Total hospital discharges in Miami: 55,882
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 390,165
> Gross patient revenue: $6.0 billion
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14. Greenville, North Carolina
> No. of hospitals in Greenville: 15
> Hospital with most beds in the city: ECU Health Medical Center (974)
> Total hospital discharges in Greenville: 39,794
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 223,444
> Gross patient revenue: $3.2 billion
13. Dallas, Texas
> No. of hospitals in Dallas: 16
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Parkland Hospital (850)
> Total hospital discharges in Dallas: 42,444
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 226,898
> Gross patient revenue: $7.8 billion
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12. Baltimore, Maryland
> No. of hospitals in Baltimore: 16
> Hospital with most beds in the city: The Johns Hopkins Hospital (999)
> Total hospital discharges in Baltimore: 38,435
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 308,029
> Gross patient revenue: $2.9 billion
11. Phoenix, Arizona
> No. of hospitals in Phoenix: 16
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Valleywise Health Medical Center (738)
> Total hospital discharges in Phoenix: 13,185
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 69,705
> Gross patient revenue: $2.6 billion
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10. Las Vegas, Nevada
> No. of hospitals in Las Vegas: 17
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center (718)
> Total hospital discharges in Las Vegas: 36,907
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 224,018
> Gross patient revenue: $9.6 billion
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9. Columbia, South Carolina
> No. of hospitals in Columbia: 17
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Prisma Health Richland Hospital (633)
> Total hospital discharges in Columbia: 23,909
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 173,293
> Gross patient revenue: $3.6 billion
8. Jackson, Mississippi
> No. of hospitals in Jackson: 17
> Hospital with most beds in the city: University of Mississippi Medical Center (698)
> Total hospital discharges in Jackson: 28,215
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 219,371
> Gross patient revenue: $3.7 billion
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7. Los Angeles, California
> No. of hospitals in Los Angeles: 18
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (882)
> Total hospital discharges in Los Angeles: 50,743
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 295,623
> Gross patient revenue: $24.0 billion
6. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
> No. of hospitals in Philadelphia: 19
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (1,061)
> Total hospital discharges in Philadelphia: 41,414
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 280,172
> Gross patient revenue: $17.6 billion
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5. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
> No. of hospitals in Oklahoma City: 20
> Hospital with most beds in the city: OU Health University of Oklahoma Medical Center (829)
> Total hospital discharges in Oklahoma City: 34,702
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 228,743
> Gross patient revenue: $9.0 billion
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4. Manhattan, New York
> No. of hospitals in New York: 20
> Hospital with most beds in the city: New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center (862)
> Total hospital discharges in New York: 108,714
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 749,255
> Gross patient revenue: $25.0 billion
3. San Antonio, Texas
> No. of hospitals in San Antonio: 28
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Methodist Hospital (1,764)
> Total hospital discharges in San Antonio: 93,206
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 479,967
> Gross patient revenue: $13.4 billion
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2. Houston, Texas
> No. of hospitals in Houston: 28
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital (1,414)
> Total hospital discharges in Houston: 75,463
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 366,364
> Gross patient revenue: $8.1 billion
1. Chicago, Illinois
> No. of hospitals in Chicago: 31
> Hospital with most beds in the city: Northwestern Memorial Hospital (903)
> Total hospital discharges in Chicago: 41,891
> Days patients spent in a hospital: 292,716
> Gross patient revenue: $9.2 billion
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