MN · Healthcare shortage profile
Becker County, MN
Peak severity leads this reading: Becker County's highest active HPSA score is 22.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 35,183.
- Active HPSAs
- 12
- Population
- 35,183
- Peak shortage score
- 22.0
- MUA Index
- 50.8
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Becker County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 12 active HPSA designations, more than 85% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 12
- Active HPSA designations
- 4
- Dental shortages
- 22
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 15%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Becker County
Becker County intersects 16 Census ZCTAs, above the 15-ZIP dense-tercile cut. Shortage designations still attach at the county (or smaller HPSA) grain; the ZIP list is geography, not a second severity score.
Largest land-share ZCTAs in this county
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.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Becker 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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Peak HPSA score 22.0 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 Becker 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): 2.4 primary care, 9.7 mental health, 1.6 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Becker County's 12 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental (denominator 12).
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Becker County carries 12 active designations, above 85% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Becker County falls in the upper quarter of MN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 10 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: 27005. Population: 35,183.
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 12 active (designated) HPSAs in Becker County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| White Earth | dental | 22.0 |
| Pine Point Health Station | dental | 22.0 |
| White Earth Tribal Health Services | dental | 21.0 |
| White Earth | primary_care | 18.0 |
| White Earth Tribal Health Services | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Pine Point Health Station | primary_care | 18.0 |
| White Earth | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Pine Point Health Station | mental_health | 18.0 |
| White Earth Tribal Health Services | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Region 4 SA | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Becker County | dental | 11.0 |
| Becker County | primary_care | 10.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Becker County
Peak severity leads this reading: Becker County's highest active HPSA score is 22.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Becker County's deepest shortage reading, 22.0 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 18.0 of 25; Mental health reads 18.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 50.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Becker County above 85% of real US counties (12 active designations: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 22.0. 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.
Becker County falls in the upper quarter of MN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 10 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.
Becker 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
4 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
4 designations
- Dental
Dental
4 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Becker County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Becker 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 Becker County, MN · 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
Becker County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Becker County's 12 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 MN before you draw conclusions from a single score. MN 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 Dental Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to Becker County's 22.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Washington County, OR and Anchorage County, AK.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Becker County's dental score of 22.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 22.0 (severity lead on this page is “WHITE EARTH”).
Washington County, OR
22.0 dental score · 600,372 pop.
Anchorage County, AK
22.0 dental score · 291,247 pop.
Kings County, CA
22.0 dental score · 152,486 pop.
Cattaraugus County, NY
22.0 dental score · 77,042 pop.
Knox County, OH
22.0 dental score · 62,721 pop.
Itasca County, MN
22.0 dental score · 45,014 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Becker County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Becker County carries an MUA designation (index 50.8; 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 Becker County's peak score of 22.0?
- "WHITE EARTH" leads the active set (score 22.0; dental; 7,483 people in the service area; designated 02/24/2015). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 12 active rows: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Becker County's severity reading?
- After "WHITE EARTH", the next active names on this release are "WHITE EARTH", "PINE POINT HEALTH STATION", "White Earth Tribal Health Services" and "WHITE EARTH". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~14 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Becker County's high-severity geography?
- Becker County's 12 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not merely the county line around "WHITE EARTH".
- How does Becker County's peak severity sit inside MN?
- Becker County holds 12 active HPSA rows with peak 22.0. Becker County falls in the upper quarter of MN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 10 of 85. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Washington County, OR and Anchorage County, AK.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 27005. 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 27005 (Becker County, MN), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 12; peak score 22.0; signature peak score 22.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.