Medically Underserved Area Two high-priority disciplines

FL · Healthcare shortage profile

Jefferson County, FL

Peak severity leads this reading: Jefferson County's highest active HPSA score is 24.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 14,510.

Active HPSAs
6
Population
14,510
Peak shortage score
24.0
MUA Index
51.5
FL state overview → About this data

Mid-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Jefferson County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 6 active HPSA designations, more than 54% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

6
Active HPSA designations
2
Mental-health shortages
24
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 46%
US counties by volume

Few Census ZCTAs touch Jefferson County

The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 5 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Jefferson County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).

Intersecting ZCTA

Source: Census ZCTA–county relationship file joined to this portal's county FIPS set. As of 2026-08-15.

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Jefferson County, FL 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.

  1. Peak HPSA score 24.0 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.

  2. Closing Jefferson County's active designations would take about 5.6 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.5 primary care, 2.1 mental health, 2.1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 33.3% of Jefferson County's 6 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 6).

Jefferson County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

6 Top 46% higher than 54% of 3,289 real US counties

0–20: 3,115 real US counties (95%). This entry sits in this band. 20–40: 128 real US counties (4%). Above this entry. 40–60: 32 real US counties (1%). Above this entry. 60–80: 7 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 80–100: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 100–120: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 120–140: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 140–160: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 160–180: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 180–200: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 200–220: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 220–240: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 240–260: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 260–280: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. This county 0 280 every real US county, bucketed by value

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. Jefferson County falls in the lower half of FL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 67. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 12065. Population: 14,510.

2
Mental Health HPSAs
2
Dental HPSAs

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 51.5

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 16.0
Mental Health 24.0
Dental 20.0

Current designated records only. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?

Highest-severity HPSA designations

All 6 active (designated) HPSAs in Jefferson County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
CF-Jefferson Correctional Institution mental_health 24.0
Jefferson County mental_health 20.0
LI - Jefferson County dental 20.0
Jefferson County primary_care 16.0
CF-Jefferson Correctional Institution primary_care 12.0
CF-Jefferson Correctional Institution dental 3.0

Moderate-burden reading for Jefferson County

Peak severity leads this reading: Jefferson County's highest active HPSA score is 24.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Jefferson County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 24.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 16.0 of 25; Dental care reads 20.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 51.5, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Jefferson County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 54% of counties) with 6 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.

Jefferson County falls in the lower half of FL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 67. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.

Jefferson County designations by care type

Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).

designations
Source HRSA Data Warehouse, designated HPSAs As of 2026

Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Jefferson County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Jefferson County's active designations: about 5.6 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 Jefferson County, FL · 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 Jefferson County's designations

Jefferson County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.

  • Jefferson County's 6 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 primary care burden compares with the rest of FL before you draw conclusions from a single score. FL 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.

Nearby mental-health score peers

Closest U.S. counties on active mental-health HPSA score to Jefferson County's 24.0. Open Lexington County, SC or Umatilla County, OR next.

Showing 3 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.

Lexington County, SC

24.0 score 293,991 pop.

Umatilla County, OR

24.0 score 80,075 pop.

McDowell County, WV

24.0 score 19,111 pop.

Counties near Jefferson County's mental score of 24.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 24.0 (severity lead on this page is “CF-Jefferson Correctional Institution”).

Lexington County, SC

24.0 mental score · 293,991 pop.

Umatilla County, OR

24.0 mental score · 80,075 pop.

McDowell County, WV

24.0 mental score · 19,111 pop.

Santa Clara County, CA

23.0 mental score · 1,936,259 pop.

Hamilton County, OH

23.0 mental score · 830,639 pop.

Mobile County, AL

23.0 mental score · 414,809 pop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Jefferson County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Jefferson County carries an MUA designation (index 51.5; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
Which record sets Jefferson County's peak score of 24.0?
"CF-Jefferson Correctional Institution" leads the active set (score 24.0; mental health; 2,383 people in the service area; ~1.2 FTE still needed on the record; designated 08/02/2018). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 6 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental.
Which other active designations sit under Jefferson County's severity reading?
After "CF-Jefferson Correctional Institution", the next active names on this release are "CF-Jefferson Correctional Institution", "Jefferson County", "LI - Jefferson County" and "Jefferson County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~5.6 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Which federal pathways follow Jefferson County's high-severity geography?
Jefferson County's 6 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not merely the county line around "CF-Jefferson Correctional Institution".

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 12065. 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 12065 (Jefferson County, FL), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 24.0; signature peak score 24.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.