MN · Healthcare shortage profile
Aitkin County, MN
Designation volume is the standout signal for Aitkin County: 7 active HPSA records, above 70% of real US counties. Population 15,697.
- Active HPSAs
- 7
- Population
- 15,697
- Peak shortage score
- 16.0
- MUA Index
- 51.1
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Aitkin 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
- 2
- Mental-health shortages
- 16
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 30%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Aitkin County, MN 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 Aitkin County's active designations would take about 8 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2 primary care, 5.6 mental health, 0.4 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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42.9% of Aitkin 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 16.0 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.
Aitkin County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
12 Census ZCTAs intersect Aitkin County, between the 9 and 15 ZIP cuts across published counties: neither a postage-stamp footprint nor a metro-scale lattice.
Largest land-share ZCTAs
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.
Corpus placement
Designated volume without a high-priority score
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Aitkin 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. Aitkin County falls in the upper half of MN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 29 of 85. 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: 27001. Population: 15,697.
Below high-priority line
Aitkin 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 16.0. 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 Aitkin County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| East Lake Health Station | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI-Region 3 Arrowhead | mental_health | 16.0 |
| East Lake Health Station | primary_care | 14.0 |
| East Lake Health Station | dental | 14.0 |
| LI-Mille Lacs SA | primary_care | 13.0 |
| LI North Aitkin Rsa 58 | primary_care | 13.0 |
| LI - Aitkin County | dental | 10.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Aitkin County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Aitkin County: 7 active HPSA records, above 70% of real US counties. Aitkin County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 16.0 of 25, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Primary care reads 14.0 of 25; Dental care reads 14.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 51.1, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Aitkin 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 16.0. 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.
Aitkin County falls in the upper half of MN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 29 of 85. 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 Aitkin County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Aitkin County's active designations: about 8 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
High-volume peers of Aitkin 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 Aitkin County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Aitkin County carries an MUA designation (index 51.1; 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 Aitkin County's 7 active HPSA designations?
- 7 Designated rows (3 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "EAST LAKE HEALTH STATION" (score 16.0; mental health; 3,654 people in the service area; designated 08/18/2019). Also active: "LI-Region 3 Arrowhead", "EAST LAKE HEALTH STATION", "EAST LAKE HEALTH STATION". Above 70% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Aitkin County?
- Peak active score 16.0 in mental health stays under the 17-point line while volume sits at 7 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Aitkin County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 8 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "EAST LAKE HEALTH STATION" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Aitkin 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 Aitkin County's volume compare inside MN?
- 7 active HPSA rows · peak 16.0. Aitkin County falls in the upper half of MN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 29 of 85. Score-nearest counties on this release include Roanoke County, VA and Kent County, MI.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 27001. 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 27001 (Aitkin County, MN), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 7; peak score 16.0; signature 7 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.