Medically Underserved Area High-priority · mental health only

KY · Healthcare shortage profile

Lyon County, KY

Peak severity leads this reading: Lyon County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 8,680.

Active HPSAs
3
Population
8,680
Peak shortage score
18.0
MUA Index
57.0
KY state overview → About this data

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Lyon 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
Mental-health shortages
18
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 80%
US counties by volume

Few Census ZCTAs touch Lyon County

The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 4 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Lyon County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).

Intersecting ZCTA

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 Lyon 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.

  1. Peak HPSA score 18.0 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.

  2. Closing Lyon County's active designations would take about 11 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.6 primary care, 9.8 mental health, 0.6 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 33.3% of Lyon 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).

Lyon 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. Lyon County falls in the lower half of KY counties by active-designation volume, at rank 68 of 120. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 21143. Population: 8,680.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 57.0

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 15.0
Mental Health 18.0
Dental 11.0

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 3 active (designated) HPSAs in Lyon County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Pennyroyal Mhca mental_health 18.0
LI- Lyon County primary_care 15.0
LI - Lyon County dental 11.0

Light-burden reading for Lyon County

Peak severity leads this reading: Lyon County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Lyon County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 18.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 15.0 of 25; Dental care reads 11.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 57.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Lyon 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.

Lyon County falls in the lower half of KY counties by active-designation volume, at rank 68 of 120. 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 Lyon County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Lyon County's active designations: about 11 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

Acting on Lyon County's high-priority mental health

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

  • Lyon County's high-priority mental health designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
  • See how the county's mental health 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 Lyon County's mental score of 18.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 18.0 (severity lead on this page is “Pennyroyal MHCA”).

Hendricks County, IN

18.0 mental score · 174,788 pop.

Berrien County, MI

18.0 mental score · 154,316 pop.

Skagit County, WA

18.0 mental score · 129,523 pop.

Northwest Hills County, CT

18.0 mental score · 112,696 pop.

Will County, IL

18.0 mental score · 696,355 pop.

Galveston County, TX

18.0 mental score · 350,682 pop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Lyon County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Lyon County carries an MUA designation (index 57.0; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
Which record sets Lyon County's peak score of 18.0?
"Pennyroyal MHCA" leads the active set (score 18.0; mental health; 195,385 people in the service area; ~9.8 FTE still needed on the record; designated 01/20/2022). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 3 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental.
Which other active designations sit under Lyon County's severity reading?
After "Pennyroyal MHCA", the next active names on this release are "Pennyroyal MHCA", "LI- Lyon County" and "LI - Lyon County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~11 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 21143. 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.

HRSA Data Warehouse HPSA + MUA/P records for FIPS 21143 (Lyon County, KY), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 3; peak score 18.0; signature peak score 18.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.