CA · Healthcare shortage profile
Colusa County, CA
Designation volume is the standout signal for Colusa County: 8 active HPSA records, above 73% of real US counties. Population 21,839.
- Active HPSAs
- 8
- Population
- 21,839
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- -
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Colusa County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 8 active HPSA designations, more than 73% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 8
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Mental-health shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 27%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Colusa County, CA on its own pages , computed from the retained designation mirror as of 2026-08-15. Each line carries its own denominator so it can be quoted as it stands.
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Peak HPSA score 17.0 clears HRSA's 17-point high-priority line.
Scores at or above 17 on the 0–25/26 scales open NHSC placement priority for the matching provider type; eligibility still follows the designated area, not the county boundary alone.
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Closing Colusa County's active designations would take about 2.2 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.5 mental health, 1.7 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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37.5% of Colusa County's 8 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 8).
Few Census ZCTAs touch Colusa County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Colusa County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
4 additional ZCTAs intersect this county in the crosswalk (ordered by land share).
Source: Census ZCTA–county relationship file joined to this portal's county FIPS set. As of 2026-08-15.
Colusa County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
8 Top 27% higher than 73% of 3,289 real US counties
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more real US counties. 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 HRSA Data Warehouse, designated HPSAs · 2026
State peer position. Colusa County falls in the lower half of CA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 45 of 58. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 06011. Population: 21,839.
Peak severity scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Colusa County in the current HRSA release, federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?
Highest-severity HPSA designations
All 8 active (designated) HPSAs in Colusa County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Colusa Health Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Colusa Indian Health Clinic | dental | 17.0 |
| LI-Colusa County | mental_health | 16.0 |
| ME - Colusa County | dental | 16.0 |
| Colusa Indian Health Clinic | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Colusa Indian Health Clinic | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Colusa Health Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Colusa Health Clinic | primary_care | 13.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Colusa County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Colusa County: 8 active HPSA records, above 73% of real US counties. Colusa County's shortage runs equally deep in mental health and dental care: both scored 17.0 by HRSA, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 15.0 of 25. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Colusa County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Volume places Colusa County above 73% of real US counties (8 active designations: 2 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 17.0. The table on this page lists the highest-severity records first so a reader can see which named facilities, geographies, or population groups drive that burden without treating the county total as a personal appointment forecast.
Colusa County falls in the lower half of CA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 45 of 58. Heavy-burden counties are where NHSC placement, Community Health Center grant geography, and related federal instruments concentrate; eligibility still follows the designated area and provider type, not the county boundary alone.
Colusa County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Mental health
Mental health
3 designations
- Dental
Dental
3 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Colusa County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Colusa County's active designations: about 2.2 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Colusa County, CA · 2026 HRSA designation data updated quarterly; HPSA scores 0-25 (primary/mental) and 0-26 (dental); higher = greater shortage severity. Coverage tiers from U.S. Census ACS PUMS + KFF state tracker.
Acting on a heavy-burden county
Colusa County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Colusa County's 8 active designations make providers here eligible for National Health Service Corps loan repayment, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's mental health burden compares with the rest of CA before you draw conclusions from a single score. CA overview
- Check whether an area clears HRSA's 3,500:1 population-to-provider threshold with the provider-to-population ratio behind an HPSA score. HPSA score lookup
HPSA scores describe shortage severity within HRSA's designation criteria, not the availability of any individual provider. For a specific appointment, contact a provider or your insurer; use HRSA's current tools to verify a designation.
Counties With a Similar Mental Health Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Colusa County's 17.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Lafourche County, LA and Dane County, WI.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Colusa County (8 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 8 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What makes up Colusa County's 8 active HPSA designations?
- 8 Designated rows (2 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "COLUSA HEALTH CLINIC" (score 17.0; mental health; 88,441 people in the service area; designated 05/17/2024). Also active: "Colusa Indian Health Clinic", "LI-Colusa County", "ME - Colusa County". Above 73% of real US counties by volume.
- Why is Colusa County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Colusa County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Colusa County?
- Peak active score 17.0 in mental health and dental care clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 8 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Colusa County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 2.2 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "COLUSA HEALTH CLINIC" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Colusa County's designation volume?
- 8 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, by designated area and provider type, not by county line alone.
- How does Colusa County's volume compare inside CA?
- 8 active HPSA rows · peak 17.0. Colusa County falls in the lower half of CA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 45 of 58. Score-nearest counties on this release include Lafourche County, LA and Dane County, WI.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 06011. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_PC.csv (primary care) , BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_MH.csv (mental health) and BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_DH.csv (dental) — download the normalized export on our open data page. PlainHealthAccess is not affiliated with HRSA or any government agency.
HRSA Data Warehouse HPSA + MUA/P records for FIPS 06011 (Colusa County, CA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 8; peak score 17.0; signature 8 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.