Medically Underserved Area High-priority · primary care only

GA · Healthcare shortage profile

Brooks County, GA

Peak severity leads this reading: Brooks County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 16,301.

Active HPSAs
2
Population
16,301
Peak shortage score
17.0
MUA Index
61.7
GA state overview → About this data

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Brooks County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 2 active HPSA designations, more than 10% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

2
Active HPSA designations
1
Primary-care shortages
17
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 90%
US counties by volume

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Brooks County, GA 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 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.

  2. Closing Brooks County's active designations would take about 7.8 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.3 primary care, 5.4 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 50% of Brooks County's 2 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental (denominator 2).

Brooks County's mid-pack ZIP footprint

10 Census ZCTAs intersect Brooks County, between the 9 and 15 ZIP cuts across published counties: neither a postage-stamp footprint nor a metro-scale lattice.

Largest land-share ZCTAs

2 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.

Brooks County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

2 Top 90% higher than 10% 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. Brooks County falls in the upper half of GA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 66 of 159. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 13027. Population: 16,301.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 61.7

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 17.0
Mental Health 14.0

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 2 active (designated) HPSAs in Brooks County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Brooks County primary_care 17.0
Mhca 22 - Behavioral Health Services - South Georgia mental_health 14.0

Light-burden reading for Brooks County

Peak severity leads this reading: Brooks County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where Brooks County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 17.0 of 25, the county's highest severity reading and past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Mental health reads 14.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 61.7, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Brooks County carries 2 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 10% of counties). A light footprint still matters: a single high-score dental or mental-health record can open program geography even when the county total looks small next to heavy peers.

Brooks County falls in the upper half of GA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 66 of 159. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.

Light-volume FTE gap for Brooks County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Brooks County's active designations: about 7.8 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

Acting on Brooks County's high-priority primary care

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

  • Brooks County's high-priority primary care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
  • See how the county's primary care burden compares with the rest of GA before drawing conclusions from a single score. GA overview
  • Check the provider-to-population ratio behind an HPSA score against HRSA's designation thresholds. 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 near Brooks County's primary score of 17.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 17.0 (severity lead on this page is “Brooks County”).

Black Hawk County, IA

17.0 primary score · 131,144 pop.

Providence County, RI

17.0 primary score · 660,741 pop.

Manatee County, FL

17.0 primary score · 399,710 pop.

Cleveland County, OK

17.0 primary score · 295,528 pop.

New Hanover County, NC

17.0 primary score · 225,702 pop.

Boone County, MO

17.0 primary score · 183,610 pop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Brooks County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Brooks County carries an MUA designation (index 61.7; 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 Brooks County's peak score of 17.0?
"Brooks County" leads the active set (score 17.0; primary care; 9,000 people in the service area; ~2.3 FTE still needed on the record; designated 06/12/1978). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 2 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental.
Which other active designations sit under Brooks County's severity reading?
After "Brooks County", the next active names on this release are "Brooks County" and "MHCA 22 - Behavioral Health Services - South Georgia". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~7.8 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 13027. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_PC.csv (primary care) and BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_MH.csv (mental health) — 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 13027 (Brooks County, GA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 2; peak score 17.0; signature peak score 17.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.