KY · Healthcare shortage profile
Taylor County, KY
Designation volume is the standout signal for Taylor County: 9 active HPSA records, above 75% of real US counties. Population 26,023.
- Active HPSAs
- 9
- Population
- 26,023
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- 59.1
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Taylor County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 9 active HPSA designations, more than 75% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 9
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Mental-health shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 25%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Taylor 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 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.
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Closing Taylor County's active designations would take about 14 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.3 primary care, 9.9 mental health, 2.3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Taylor County's 9 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 9).
Few Census ZCTAs touch Taylor County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 6 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Taylor County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
1 additional ZCTA 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.
Taylor County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
9 Top 25% higher than 75% 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. Taylor County falls in the upper quarter of KY counties by active-designation volume, at rank 16 of 120. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 21217. Population: 26,023.
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 9 active (designated) HPSAs in Taylor County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Cumberland Mhca | mental_health | 18.0 |
| One Cross Health Clinic, Inc | primary_care | 17.0 |
| LI - Taylor County | primary_care | 17.0 |
| One Cross Community Inc | primary_care | 17.0 |
| One Cross Health Clinic, Inc | mental_health | 17.0 |
| One Cross Community Inc | mental_health | 17.0 |
| One Cross Health Clinic, Inc | dental | 17.0 |
| LI-Taylor County | dental | 17.0 |
| One Cross Community Inc | dental | 17.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Taylor County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Taylor County: 9 active HPSA records, above 75% of real US counties. Taylor 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 17.0 of 25; Dental care reads 17.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 59.1, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Taylor County above 75% of real US counties (9 active designations: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 18.0. 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.
Taylor County falls in the upper quarter of KY counties by active-designation volume, at rank 16 of 120. 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.
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Taylor County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Taylor County's active designations: about 14 FTE, 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 Taylor County, KY · 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 a heavy-burden county
Taylor County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Taylor County's 9 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 KY before you draw conclusions from a single score. KY 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.
Counties With a Similar Mental Health Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Taylor County's 18.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Caguas County, PR and Cuyahoga County, OH.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Taylor County (9 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 9 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Taylor County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Taylor County carries an MUA designation (index 59.1; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- What makes up Taylor County's 9 active HPSA designations?
- 9 Designated rows (3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "Lake Cumberland MHCA" (score 18.0; mental health; 70,000 people in the service area; ~9.9 FTE still needed on the record; designated 03/14/2022). Also active: "ONE CROSS HEALTH CLINIC, INC", "LI - Taylor County", "ONE CROSS COMMUNITY INC". Above 75% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Taylor County?
- Peak active score 18.0 in mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 9 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Taylor County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 14 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "Lake Cumberland MHCA" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Taylor County's designation volume?
- 9 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, by designated area and provider type, not by county line alone.
- How does Taylor County's volume compare inside KY?
- 9 active HPSA rows · peak 18.0. Taylor County falls in the upper quarter of KY counties by active-designation volume, at rank 16 of 120. Score-nearest counties on this release include Caguas County, PR and Cuyahoga County, OH.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 21217. 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 21217 (Taylor County, KY), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 9; peak score 18.0; signature 9 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.