IA · Healthcare shortage profile
Clay County, IA
Peak severity leads this reading: Clay County's highest active HPSA score is 15.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 16,384.
- Active HPSAs
- 2
- Population
- 16,384
- Peak shortage score
- 15.0
- MUA Index
- -
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Clay County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 2 active HPSA designations, more than 10% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 2
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Mental-health shortages
- 15
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 90%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Clay County
Clay 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 Clay County, IA 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 Clay County's active designations would take about 1.7 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.7 mental health, 0.1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
50% of Clay County's 2 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 2).
-
Peak HPSA score 15.0 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, Clay County carries 2 active designations, above 10% 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. Clay County falls in the lower half of IA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 66 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: 19041. Population: 16,384.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Clay 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 2 active (designated) HPSAs in Clay County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Spencer/ Spirit Lake Area | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Medicaid Eligible - Clay County | dental | 6.0 |
Light-burden reading for Clay County
Peak severity leads this reading: Clay County's highest active HPSA score is 15.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Clay County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 15.0 of 25, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Dental care reads 6.0 of 26. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Clay County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Clay 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.
Clay County falls in the lower half of IA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 66 of 99. 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 Clay County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Clay County's active designations: about 1.7 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Counties near Clay County's mental score of 15.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 15.0 (severity lead on this page is “Spencer/ Spirit Lake Area”).
Mercer County, PA
15.0 mental score · 110,652 pop.
Georgetown County, SC
15.0 mental score · 63,404 pop.
Polk County, TX
15.0 mental score · 50,123 pop.
Ohio County, WV
15.0 mental score · 42,425 pop.
Clark County, WA
15.0 mental score · 503,311 pop.
Union County, NC
15.0 mental score · 238,267 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Clay County's peak score of 15.0?
- "Spencer/ Spirit Lake Area" leads the active set (score 15.0; mental health; 27,000 people in the service area; ~1.7 FTE still needed on the record; designated 05/28/2026). Below 17 the shortage is formal but outside HRSA's high-priority NHSC tier. Discipline mix across 2 active rows: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental.
- Why is Clay County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Clay County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- Which other active designations sit under Clay County's severity reading?
- After "Spencer/ Spirit Lake Area", the next active names on this release are "Spencer/ Spirit Lake Area" and "Medicaid Eligible - Clay County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~1.7 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 19041. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_MH.csv (mental health) 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 19041 (Clay County, IA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 2; peak score 15.0; signature peak score 15.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.