IA · Healthcare shortage profile
Benton County, IA
Home to 25,575 residents, with 13 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 13
- Population
- 25,575
- Peak shortage score
- 16.0
- MUA Index
- 61.0
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Benton County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 13 active HPSA designations, more than 89% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 13
- Active HPSA designations
- 4
- Mental-health shortages
- 16
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 11%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Benton County, IA on its own pages , computed from the retained designation mirror as of 2026-08-03. Each line carries its own denominator so it can be quoted as it stands.
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38.5% of Benton County's 13 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 5 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental (denominator 13).
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Closing Benton County's active designations would take about 3.6 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.6 primary care. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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Peak HPSA score 16.0 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, Benton County carries 13 active designations, above 89% 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. Benton County sits among the top three county rank positions in IA, at rank 3 of 99. 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: 19011. Population: 25,575.
Below high-priority line
Benton County is designated, but no active score clears 17
13 active designations sit on this FIPS (5 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental), and the peak severity is 16.0. That is a formal shortage footprint without HRSA's high-priority (≥17) tier, so NHSC placement geography is usually weaker here than on counties whose lead score clears the line.
Medically Underserved Area
Peak severity 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 13 active (designated) HPSAs in Benton County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Urbana Family Medical Clinic | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Van Horne Family Medical Clinic | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Vinton Family Medical Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Van Horne Family Medical Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Urbana Family Medical Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Atkins Family Medical Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Urbana Family Medical Clinic | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Vinton Family Medical Clinic | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Vinton Family Medical Clinic | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Van Horne Family Medical Clinic | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Atkins Family Medical Clinic | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Atkins Family Medical Clinic | mental_health | 13.0 |
| Benton County | primary_care | 11.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Benton County
Benton County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 16.0 of 25, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Primary care reads 14.0 of 25; Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 61.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Benton County above 89% of real US counties (13 active designations: 5 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 16.0. The table on this page lists the highest-severity records first so a reader can see which named facilities, geographies, or population groups drive that burden without treating the county total as a personal appointment forecast.
Benton County sits among the top three county rank positions in IA, at rank 3 of 99. Heavy-burden counties are where NHSC placement, Community Health Center grant geography, and related federal instruments concentrate; eligibility still follows the designated area and provider type, not the county boundary alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Benton County a Medically Underserved Area?
Yes, Benton County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 61.0. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.
How many healthcare shortage areas does Benton County have?
Benton County, IA has 13 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 5 in primary care, 4 in mental health, and 4 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
What does Benton County's HPSA score of 16.0 mean?
16.0 in mental health falls under 17, so the shortage is formally designated but outside HRSA's high-priority tier.
What healthcare providers are needed in Benton County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, Benton County needs additional providers in primary care (family physicians, internists, pediatricians), mental health (psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers), and dental care (dentists, dental hygienists). The National Health Service Corps offers loan repayment and scholarship programs for providers who serve in designated shortage areas.
Which federal programs do Benton County's designations unlock?
Benton County's 13 active designations open NHSC placement, Community Health Center grants, the Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, but eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not the county line.
How does Benton County compare to other counties in IA?
Benton County has 13 total HPSA designations with a peak shortage score of 16.0. You can compare shortage levels across all counties in IA on the state overview page, or view national county rankings to see where Benton County stands relative to the rest of the country. Score-nearest counties on this release include Lehigh County, PA and Hall County, GA.
Next read: The Mental-Health Provider Shortage · IA state overview · NHSC loan repayment
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 19011. PlainHealthAccess is not affiliated with HRSA or any government agency.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the HRSA Data Warehouse. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →
Every figure on PlainHealthAccess is rendered directly from HRSA source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page counts active HPSA rows for FIPS 19011 (Benton County, IA) from the current HRSA release and places that total among all real US counties. Designations describe federal shortage criteria, not appointment availability or care quality for any person. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, review the public data changelog, or report a data issue for this page. Data current as of 2026-08-03.