Community health workers are an important workforce for health care systems to achieve health equity and reduce health disparities in vulnerable communities. However, because CHWs are a non-licensed workforce who work across system settings with various job titles, it is difficult to estimate and characterize this workforce.

This article discusses the estimated size and state distribution of the community health workforce in the US by comparing 3 national data sources, and explores the influence of state reimbursement and certification on the number of community health workers per 100,000 people in each state.