MO · Healthcare shortage profile
Ray County, MO
MUA standing opens this profile: Ray County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 0.0 (lower index = greater measured need). Population 23,158.
- Active HPSAs
- 3
- Population
- 23,158
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- 0.0
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Ray 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
- Mental-health shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 80%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Ray 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 17.0 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 Ray County's active designations would take about 12 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.5 primary care, 5.5 mental health, 2.4 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Ray 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).
Ray County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
12 Census ZCTAs intersect Ray 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.
Ray 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. Ray 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: 29177. Population: 23,158.
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 3 active (designated) HPSAs in Ray County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI - Mhca 6 | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Ray County | dental | 13.0 |
| Ray County | primary_care | 12.0 |
Light-burden reading for Ray County
MUA standing opens this profile: Ray County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 0.0 (lower index = greater measured need). Ray County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 17.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 12.0 of 25; Dental care reads 13.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 0.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Ray 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.
Ray 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 Ray County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Ray County's active designations: about 12 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Ray County's high-priority mental health
Ray County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Ray County's high-priority mental health designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's mental health burden compares with the rest of MO before drawing conclusions from a single score. MO overview
- Check the provider-to-population ratio behind an HPSA score against HRSA's designation thresholds. 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.
Score neighbours for Ray County's MUA-led profile
One peer set beside the MUA standing: nearest primary-care HPSA score (12.0 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Ray County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Ray County carries an MUA designation (index 0.0; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- How do Ray County's HPSA rows sit beside the MUA?
- 3 active HPSA designations (1 primary care / 1 mental health / 1 dental); highest-scored active name is "LI - MHCA 6" (score 17.0; mental health; 83,050 people in the service area; ~5.5 FTE still needed on the record; designated 04/21/2022). MUA and HPSA are separate tracks, one does not substitute for the other.
- What does the 17.0 HPSA score mean next to the MUA?
- 17.0 clears the 17-point high-priority HPSA line. MUA index 0.0 remains a separate need measure.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 29177. 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 29177 (Ray County, MO), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 3; peak score 17.0; signature MUA index 0.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.