IN · Healthcare shortage profile
Wells County, IN
Peak severity leads this reading: Wells County's highest active HPSA score is 12.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 28,180.
- Active HPSAs
- 1
- Population
- 28,180
- Peak shortage score
- 12.0
- MUA Index
- -
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Wells County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 1 active HPSA designation, more than 2% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 1
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Mental-health shortages
- 12
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 98%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Wells County
Wells County intersects 17 Census ZCTAs, above the 15-ZIP dense-tercile cut. Shortage designations still attach at the county (or smaller HPSA) grain; the ZIP list is geography, not a second severity score.
Largest land-share ZCTAs in this county
5 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.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Wells County, IN 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.
-
Closing Wells County's active designations would take about 7.6 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 7.6 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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100% of Wells County's 1 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental (denominator 1).
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Peak HPSA score 12.0 sits below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line.
Below-17 designations still count as shortages for program geography, but they do not clear the high-priority NHSC placement threshold on this release.
Corpus placement
Designated volume without a high-priority score
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Wells County carries 1 active designation, above 2% of real US counties. None of those scores clear HRSA's high-priority line of 17 on this release, so the page leads with severity reading rather than a national distribution chart.
State peer position. Wells County falls in the lower half of IN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 73 of 92. Ties share a rank.
Computed from current designated HPSA rows for every five-digit county FIPS. See the placement methodology.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 18179. Population: 28,180.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only · mental health only on this FIPS. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Wells 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 1 active (designated) HPSAs in Wells County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Mhca 20 - Adams/Allen/Wells Counties | mental_health | 12.0 |
Light-burden reading for Wells County
Peak severity leads this reading: Wells County's highest active HPSA score is 12.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Wells County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 12.0 of 25, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Wells County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Wells County carries 1 active designation and sits below the national mid-pack (above 2% 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.
Wells County falls in the lower half of IN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 73 of 92. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.
Counties near Wells County's mental score of 12.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 12.0 (severity lead on this page is “MHCA 20 - Adams/Allen/Wells Counties”).
Saunders County, NE
12.0 mental score · 22,278 pop.
Fairfield County, CT
12.0 mental score · 957,419 pop.
York County, PA
12.0 mental score · 456,438 pop.
Olmsted County, MN
12.0 mental score · 162,847 pop.
Burleigh County, ND
12.0 mental score · 98,458 pop.
San Patricio County, TX
12.0 mental score · 68,755 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Wells County's peak score of 12.0?
- "MHCA 20 - Adams/Allen/Wells Counties" leads the active set (score 12.0; mental health; 441,000 people in the service area; ~7.6 FTE still needed on the record; designated 02/04/2022). Below 17 the shortage is formal but outside HRSA's high-priority NHSC tier. Discipline mix across 1 active rows: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental.
- Why is Wells County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Wells County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- What provider types does Wells County's severity cover?
- Active rows break down 0 primary care / 1 mental health / 0 dental. Closing published gaps would take about 7.6 additional clinician FTEs on this release.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 18179. This county’s designations come from 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 18179 (Wells County, IN), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 1; peak score 12.0; signature peak score 12.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.