MO · Healthcare shortage profile
Knox County, MO
Peak severity leads this reading: Knox County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 3,744.
- Active HPSAs
- 3
- Population
- 3,744
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- -
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Knox County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 3 active HPSA designations, more than 20% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 3
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Primary-care shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 80%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Knox County, MO 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 Knox County's active designations would take about 6.1 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.4 primary care, 2.4 mental health, 0.3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Knox County's 3 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 3).
Knox County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
12 Census ZCTAs intersect Knox 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.
Knox County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
3 Top 80% higher than 20% 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. Knox County falls in the lower half of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 89 of 115. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 29103. Population: 3,744.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Knox County in the current HRSA release, federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?
Highest-severity HPSA designations
All 3 active (designated) HPSAs in Knox County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI-Adair and Knox Counties | primary_care | 18.0 |
| LI - Region 14 Mhca | mental_health | 17.0 |
| LI-Knox County | dental | 8.0 |
Light-burden reading for Knox County
Peak severity leads this reading: Knox County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where Knox County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 18.0 of 25, the county's highest severity reading and past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Mental health reads 17.0 of 25; Dental care reads 8.0 of 26. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Knox County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Knox County carries 3 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 20% of counties). A light footprint still matters: a single high-score dental or mental-health record can open program geography even when the county total looks small next to heavy peers.
Knox County falls in the lower half of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 89 of 115. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.
Light-volume FTE gap for Knox County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Knox County's active designations: about 6.1 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 Knox County, MO · 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 Knox County's designations
Knox County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Knox County's 3 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 MO before you draw conclusions from a single score. MO 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 near Knox County's primary score of 18.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 18.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI-Adair and Knox Counties”).
Rapides County, LA
18.0 primary score · 130,023 pop.
Kent County, MI
18.0 primary score · 657,974 pop.
Richmond County, NY
18.0 primary score · 495,747 pop.
Collier County, FL
18.0 primary score · 375,752 pop.
Brown County, WI
18.0 primary score · 268,740 pop.
Minnehaha County, SD
18.0 primary score · 197,214 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Knox County's peak score of 18.0?
- "LI-Adair and Knox Counties" leads the active set (score 18.0; primary care; 566 people in the service area; ~3.4 FTE still needed on the record; designated 08/25/2017). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 3 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental.
- Why is Knox County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Knox County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- Which other active designations sit under Knox County's severity reading?
- After "LI-Adair and Knox Counties", the next active names on this release are "LI-Adair and Knox Counties", "LI - Region 14 MHCA" and "LI-Knox County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~6.1 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 29103. 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 29103 (Knox County, MO), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 3; peak score 18.0; signature peak score 18.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.