<P> As of 2018 , there were 5,534 registered hospitals in the United States . There were 4,840 community hospitals , which are defined as nonfederal , short - term general , or specialty hospitals . The non-profit hospitals share of total hospital capacity has remained relatively stable ( about 70 % ) for decades . There are also privately owned for - profit hospitals as well as government hospitals in some locations , mainly owned by county and city governments . The Hill - Burton Act was passed in 1946 , which provided federal funding for hospitals in exchange for treating poor patients . </P>
how many hospitals are there in the united states
5,534