GA · Healthcare shortage profile
Wilkes County, GA
Peak severity leads this reading: Wilkes County's highest active HPSA score is 20.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 9,565.
- Active HPSAs
- 2
- Population
- 9,565
- Peak shortage score
- 20.0
- MUA Index
- 49.8
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Wilkes 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
- 20
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 90%
- US counties by volume
Few Census ZCTAs touch Wilkes County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 5 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Wilkes 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 Wilkes 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 20.0 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 Wilkes County's active designations would take about 9.4 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1 primary care, 8.4 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
50% of Wilkes 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).
Wilkes 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. Wilkes 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: 13317. Population: 9,565.
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 Wilkes County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI-Wilkes County | primary_care | 20.0 |
| LI-Community Service Board of East Central Georgia | mental_health | 18.0 |
Light-burden reading for Wilkes County
Peak severity leads this reading: Wilkes County's highest active HPSA score is 20.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where Wilkes County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 20.0 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 18.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 49.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Wilkes 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.
Wilkes 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 Wilkes County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Wilkes County's active designations: about 9.4 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 Wilkes 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 Wilkes County's designations
Wilkes County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Wilkes 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 Wilkes County's primary score of 20.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 20.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI-Wilkes County”).
Humboldt County, CA
20.0 primary score · 136,463 pop.
Franklin County, OH
20.0 primary score · 1,323,807 pop.
Multnomah County, OR
20.0 primary score · 815,428 pop.
Sedgwick County, KS
20.0 primary score · 523,824 pop.
Horry County, SC
20.0 primary score · 351,029 pop.
Gaston County, NC
20.0 primary score · 227,943 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Wilkes County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Wilkes County carries an MUA designation (index 49.8; 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 Wilkes County's peak score of 20.0?
- "LI-Wilkes County" leads the active set (score 20.0; primary care; 960 people in the service area; ~1 FTE still needed on the record; designated 03/06/2026). 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 Wilkes County's severity reading?
- After "LI-Wilkes County", the next active names on this release are "LI-Wilkes County" and "LI-Community Service Board of East Central Georgia". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~9.4 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 13317. 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 13317 (Wilkes County, GA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 2; peak score 20.0; signature peak score 20.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.