0 Two high-priority disciplines

IA · Healthcare shortage profile

Johnson County, IA

Home to 152,854 residents, with 3 active HRSA shortage designations.

Active HPSAs
3
Population
152,854
Peak shortage score
19.0
MUA Index
-
IA state overview → About this data

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Johnson County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 3 active HPSA designations, more than 20% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

3
Active HPSA designations
1
Dental shortages
19
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 80%
US counties by volume

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Johnson 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.

  1. 33.3% of Johnson County's 3 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 3).

  2. Closing Johnson County's active designations would take about 21 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 12 primary care, 0.6 mental health, 9 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 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.

Johnson County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

3 Top 80% higher than 20% of 3,289 real US counties

0–20: 3,115 real US counties (95%). This entry sits in this band. 20–40: 128 real US counties (4%). Above this entry. 40–60: 32 real US counties (1%). Above this entry. 60–80: 7 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 80–100: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 100–120: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 120–140: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 140–160: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 160–180: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 180–200: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 200–220: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 220–240: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 240–260: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 260–280: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. This county 0 280 every real US county, bucketed by value

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. Johnson County falls in the lower half of IA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 53 of 99. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 19103. Population: 152,854.

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 17.0
Mental Health 12.0
Dental 19.0

Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Johnson 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 3 active (designated) HPSAs in Johnson County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
LI - Iowa City Area dental 19.0
LI - Iowa City Area primary_care 17.0
LI Iowa City Area mental_health 12.0

Light-burden reading for Johnson County

Dental care carries Johnson County's deepest shortage reading, 19.0 on HRSA's 0–26 dental scale, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 17.0 of 25; Mental health reads 12.0 of 25. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Johnson County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.

Johnson County carries 3 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 20% 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.

Johnson County falls in the lower half of IA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 53 of 99. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.

Clinician FTE gap by care type

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Johnson County's active designations: 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 Johnson County, IA · 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 Johnson County's designations

Johnson County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.

  • Johnson County's 3 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 IA before you draw conclusions from a single score. IA 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.

Nationwide counties with similar HRSA profiles

Two peer sets for Johnson County: active designation volume and primary-care HPSA score, ranked across the national county corpus.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many healthcare shortage areas does Johnson County have?

Johnson County, IA has 3 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 1 in primary care, 1 in mental health, and 1 in dental care, according to HRSA data.

Is Johnson County a Medically Underserved Area?

Johnson County does not currently have a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) designation from HRSA. However, the county may still have individual HPSA designations for specific provider types.

What does Johnson County's HPSA score of 19.0 mean?

19.0 in dental care clears 17, HRSA's high-priority line, which is what makes providers here eligible for NHSC placement and enhanced reimbursement.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 19103. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_PC.csv (primary care) , 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.