MI · Healthcare shortage profile
St. Clair County, MI
Home to 160,383 residents, with 6 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 6
- Population
- 160,383
- Peak shortage score
- 25.0
- MUA Index
- 61.7
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, St. Clair County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 6 active HPSA designations, more than 54% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 6
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Dental shortages
- 25
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 46%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for St. Clair County, MI 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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33.3% of St. Clair County's 6 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 6).
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Closing St. Clair County's active designations would take about 18 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 7.2 primary care, 1.3 mental health, 9.7 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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Peak HPSA score 25.0 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.
St. Clair County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
6 Top 46% higher than 54% 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. St. Clair County falls in the lower half of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 44 of 83. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 26147. Population: 160,383.
Medically Underserved Area
Active HPSA 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 6 active (designated) HPSAs in St. Clair County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Downriver Community Services Inc | dental | 25.0 |
| Downriver Community Services Inc | primary_care | 19.0 |
| ME-St. Clair County | dental | 15.0 |
| ME-St. Clair County | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Downriver Community Services Inc | mental_health | 14.0 |
| LI-St. Clair County Mhca | mental_health | 12.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for St. Clair County
Dental care carries St. Clair County's deepest shortage reading, 25.0 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 19.0 of 25; Mental health reads 14.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 61.7, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
St. Clair County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 54% of counties) with 6 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.
St. Clair County falls in the lower half of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 44 of 83. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
St. Clair County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Primary care
Primary care
2 designations
- Dental
Dental
2 designations
Clinician FTE gap by care type
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for St. Clair 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 St. Clair County, MI · 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 St. Clair County's designations
St. Clair County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- St. Clair County's 6 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 MI before you draw conclusions from a single score. MI 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.
Nearby dental score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active dental HPSA score to St. Clair County's 25.0. Open San Diego County, CA or Clark County, NV next.
Showing 3 of 2746 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Nationwide counties with similar HRSA profiles
Two peer sets for St. Clair County: active designation volume and primary-care HPSA score, ranked across the national county corpus.
Similar designation volume
Nearest active designation count (6 here).
Similar primary-care score
Nearest active primary-care HPSA score (19.0 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is St. Clair County a Medically Underserved Area?
Yes, St. Clair County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 61.7. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.
How many healthcare shortage areas does St. Clair County have?
St. Clair County, MI has 6 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 2 in primary care, 2 in mental health, and 2 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
What does St. Clair County's HPSA score of 25.0 mean?
25.0 in dental care clears 17, HRSA's high-priority line, which is what makes providers here eligible for NHSC placement and enhanced reimbursement.
What healthcare providers are needed in St. Clair County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, St. Clair County needs additional providers in primary care (family physicians, internists, pediatricians), mental health (psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers), and dental care (dentists, dental hygienists). The National Health Service Corps offers loan repayment and scholarship programs for providers who serve in designated shortage areas.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 26147. 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.