KY · Healthcare shortage profile
Boone County, KY
Peak severity leads this reading: Boone County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 135,968.
- Active HPSAs
- 1
- Population
- 135,968
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- -
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Boone County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 1 active HPSA designation, more than 2% of the 3,289 real US counties, with dental the deepest gap.
- 1
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Dental shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 98%
- US counties by volume
Based on HRSA primary/mental/dental shortage severity, Medically Underserved Area status, and estimated unmet provider need -- not patient outcomes, insurance access, facility quality, or wait times.
Few Census ZCTAs touch Boone County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Boone County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
4 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 Boone County, KY 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.
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Peak HPSA score 17.0 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 Boone County's active designations would take about 1.8 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.8 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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100% of Boone County's 1 active designations are dental.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 0 primary care, 0 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 1).
Boone County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
1 Top 98% higher than 2% 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. Boone County falls in the lower half of KY counties by active-designation volume, at rank 118 of 120. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 21015. Population: 135,968.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only · dental care only on this FIPS. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Boone 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 Boone County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI-Boone County SA | dental | 17.0 |
Light-burden reading for Boone County
Peak severity leads this reading: Boone County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Boone County's deepest shortage reading, 17.0 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. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Boone County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Boone 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.
Boone County falls in the lower half of KY counties by active-designation volume, at rank 118 of 120. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.
Acting on Boone County's high-priority dental care
Boone County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Boone County's high-priority dental care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's dental care burden compares with the rest of KY before drawing conclusions from a single score. KY overview
- Check the provider-to-population ratio behind an HPSA score against HRSA's designation thresholds. 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 Boone County's dental score of 17.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 17.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI-Boone County SA”).
Will County, IL
17.0 dental score · 696,355 pop.
Jackson County, MI
17.0 dental score · 160,366 pop.
Florence County, SC
17.0 dental score · 137,059 pop.
Craighead County, AR
17.0 dental score · 111,231 pop.
Sevier County, TN
17.0 dental score · 98,380 pop.
Burke County, NC
17.0 dental score · 87,570 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Boone County's peak score of 17.0?
- "LI-Boone County SA" leads the active set (score 17.0; dental; 2,640 people in the service area; ~1.8 FTE still needed on the record; designated 03/31/2026). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 1 active rows: 0 primary care, 0 mental health, 1 dental.
- Why is Boone County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Boone County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- What provider types does Boone County's severity cover?
- Active rows break down 0 primary care / 0 mental health / 1 dental. Closing published gaps would take about 1.8 additional clinician FTEs on this release.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 21015. This county’s designations come from 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 21015 (Boone County, KY), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 1; peak score 17.0; signature peak score 17.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.