Medically Underserved Area Primary · mental · dental footprint

MO · Healthcare shortage profile

Pike County, MO

Home to 17,587 residents, with 23 active HRSA shortage designations.

Active HPSAs
23
Population
17,587
Peak shortage score
18.0
MUA Index
62.0

Heavy-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Pike County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 23 active HPSA designations, more than 96% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

23
Active HPSA designations
8
Dental shortages
18
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 4%
US counties by volume

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Pike 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.

  1. 34.8% of Pike County's 23 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 8 primary care, 7 mental health, 8 dental (denominator 23).

  2. Closing Pike County's active designations would take about 7.1 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.5 primary care, 2.4 mental health, 2.1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 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.

Corpus placement

Active-designation volume placement

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Pike County carries 23 active designations, above 96% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.

State peer position. Pike County falls in the upper quarter of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 6 of 115. 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: 29163. Population: 17,587.

8
Dental HPSAs
8
Primary Care HPSAs
7
Mental Health HPSAs

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 62.0

Peak severity scores

Primary Care 17.0
Mental Health 17.0
Dental 18.0

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 23 active (designated) HPSAs in Pike County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
LI-Pike County dental 18.0
LI-Pike County primary_care 17.0
Pike County Memorial Hospital Clinics mental_health 17.0
Pike County Memorial Hospital Clinics mental_health 17.0
Hannibal Regional Medical Group - Bowling Green mental_health 17.0
Bowling Green Medical Group mental_health 17.0
Pike Medical Clinic Inc mental_health 17.0
Medical Walk-IN Clinic mental_health 17.0
Pike County Memorial Hospital Clinics primary_care 16.0
Pike County Memorial Hospital Clinics primary_care 16.0
Pike Medical Clinic Inc primary_care 16.0
Medical Walk-IN Clinic primary_care 16.0
Hannibal Regional Medical Group - Bowling Green primary_care 16.0
Bowling Green Medical Group primary_care 16.0
LI-Mhca 15 mental_health 16.0
Medical Walk-IN Clinic dental 15.0
Pike County Memorial Hospital Clinics dental 15.0
Pike County Memorial Hospital Clinics dental 15.0
Pike Medical Clinic Inc dental 15.0
Hannibal Regional Medical Group - Bowling Green dental 15.0
Bowling Green Medical Group dental 15.0
CF-Northeast Correctional Center dental 6.0
Northeast Correctional Center primary_care 3.0

Heavy-burden reading for Pike County

Dental care carries Pike County's deepest shortage reading, 18.0 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 17.0 of 25; Mental health reads 17.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 62.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Volume places Pike County above 96% of real US counties (23 active designations: 8 primary care, 7 mental health, 8 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 18.0. 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.

Pike County falls in the upper quarter of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 6 of 115. 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.

Pike County designations by care type

Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).

designations
Source HRSA Data Warehouse, designated HPSAs As of 2026

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Pike 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 a heavy-burden county

Pike County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.

  • Pike County's 23 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 With a Similar Dental Shortage Score

Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to Pike County's 18.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Creek County, OK and Warren County, NY.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Pike County a Medically Underserved Area?

Yes, Pike County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 62.0. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.

How many healthcare shortage areas does Pike County have?

Pike County, MO has 23 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 8 in primary care, 7 in mental health, and 8 in dental care, according to HRSA data.

What does Pike County's HPSA score of 18.0 mean?

18.0 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 Pike County?

Based on HRSA shortage designations, Pike 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.

Which federal programs do Pike County's designations unlock?

Pike County's 23 active designations open NHSC placement, Community Health Center grants, the Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, but eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not the county line.

How does Pike County compare to other counties in MO?

Pike County has 23 total HPSA designations with a peak shortage score of 18.0. You can compare shortage levels across all counties in MO on the state overview page, or view national county rankings to see where Pike County stands relative to the rest of the country. Score-nearest counties on this release include Creek County, OK and Warren County, NY.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 29163. 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.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the HRSA Data Warehouse. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Every figure on PlainHealthAccess is rendered directly from HRSA source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page counts active HPSA rows for FIPS 29163 (Pike County, MO) from the current HRSA release and places that total among all real US counties. Designations describe federal shortage criteria, not appointment availability or care quality for any person. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, review the public data changelog, or report a data issue for this page. Data current as of 2026-08-15.