MA · Healthcare shortage profile
Dukes County, MA
Designation volume is the standout signal for Dukes County: 7 active HPSA records, above 70% of real US counties. Population 20,600.
- Active HPSAs
- 7
- Population
- 20,600
- Peak shortage score
- 15.0
- MUA Index
- MUA
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Dukes County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 7 active HPSA designations, more than 70% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 7
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Primary-care shortages
- 15
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 30%
- 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 Dukes County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 7 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Dukes County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
2 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 Dukes County, MA 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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Closing Dukes County's active designations would take about 3.1 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.1 primary care. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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42.9% of Dukes County's 7 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 7).
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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, Dukes County carries 7 active designations, above 70% 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. Dukes County falls in the lower half of MA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 of 14. 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: 25007. Population: 20,600.
Below high-priority line
Dukes County is designated, but no active score clears 17
7 active designations sit on this FIPS (3 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental), and the peak severity is 15.0. That is a formal shortage footprint without HRSA's high-priority (≥17) tier, so NHSC placement geography is usually weaker here than on counties whose lead score clears the line.
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 7 active (designated) HPSAs in Dukes County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Island Health Inc. | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Wampanoag Health Service | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Island Health Inc. | dental | 15.0 |
| Dukes County | primary_care | 11.0 |
| Island Health Inc. | mental_health | 10.0 |
| Wampanoag Health Service | dental | 9.0 |
| Wampanoag Health Service | primary_care | 7.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Dukes County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Dukes County: 7 active HPSA records, above 70% of real US counties. Dukes County's shortage runs equally deep in primary care and mental health and dental care: both scored 15.0 by HRSA, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, a separate HRSA designation from the HPSA records above.
Volume places Dukes County above 70% of real US counties (7 active designations: 3 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 15.0. 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.
Dukes County falls in the lower half of MA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 of 14. 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.
High-volume peers of Dukes County (7 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 7 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Dukes County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Dukes County carries an MUA designation in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- What makes up Dukes County's 7 active HPSA designations?
- 7 Designated rows (3 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "ISLAND HEALTH INC." (score 15.0; primary care; 2,149 people in the service area; designated 04/22/2021). Also active: "Wampanoag Health Service", "ISLAND HEALTH INC.", "Dukes County". Above 70% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Dukes County?
- Peak active score 15.0 in primary care and mental health and dental care stays under the 17-point line while volume sits at 7 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Dukes County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 3.1 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "ISLAND HEALTH INC." is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Dukes County's designation volume?
- 7 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 Dukes County's volume compare inside MA?
- 7 active HPSA rows · peak 15.0. Dukes County falls in the lower half of MA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 of 14. Score-nearest counties on this release include Hampshire County, MA and Ascension County, LA.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 25007. 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 25007 (Dukes County, MA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 7; peak score 15.0; signature 7 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.