GA · Healthcare shortage profile
Wheeler County, GA
Peak severity leads this reading: Wheeler County's highest active HPSA score is 19.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 7,471.
- Active HPSAs
- 2
- Population
- 7,471
- Peak shortage score
- 19.0
- MUA Index
- 35.6
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Wheeler 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
- 19
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 90%
- US counties by volume
Few Census ZCTAs touch Wheeler County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 4 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Wheeler 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 Wheeler 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.
-
Peak HPSA score 19.0 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.
-
Closing Wheeler County's active designations would take about 2.8 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.2 primary care, 1.6 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
50% of Wheeler County's 2 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 0 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 2).
Wheeler 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
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. Wheeler 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: 13309. Population: 7,471.
Medically Underserved Area
Active HPSA scores
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 Wheeler County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Wheeler County | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Wheeler County | dental | 19.0 |
Light-burden reading for Wheeler County
Peak severity leads this reading: Wheeler County's highest active HPSA score is 19.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Wheeler County's shortage runs equally deep in primary care and dental care: both scored 19.0 by HRSA, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 35.6, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Wheeler 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.
Wheeler 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 Wheeler County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Wheeler County's active designations: about 2.8 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 Wheeler County, GA · 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 Wheeler County's designations
Wheeler County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Wheeler County's 2 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 GA before you draw conclusions from a single score. GA 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 near Wheeler County's primary score of 19.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 19.0 (severity lead on this page is “Wheeler County”).
Kane County, IL
19.0 primary score · 516,522 pop.
Solano County, CA
19.0 primary score · 453,491 pop.
Cumberland County, NC
19.0 primary score · 334,728 pop.
Queens County, NY
19.0 primary score · 2,405,464 pop.
Oakland County, MI
19.0 primary score · 1,274,395 pop.
Suffolk County, MA
19.0 primary score · 797,936 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Wheeler County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Wheeler County carries an MUA designation (index 35.6; 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 Wheeler County's peak score of 19.0?
- "Wheeler County" leads the active set (score 19.0; primary care; 3,000 people in the service area; ~1.2 FTE still needed on the record; designated 10/29/1999). 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, 0 mental health, 1 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Wheeler County's severity reading?
- After "Wheeler County", the next active names on this release are "Wheeler County" and "Wheeler County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~2.8 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 13309. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_PC.csv (primary care) 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 13309 (Wheeler County, GA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 2; peak score 19.0; signature peak score 19.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.