MO · Healthcare shortage profile
Wright County, MO
Designation volume is the standout signal for Wright County: 15 active HPSA records, above 91% of real US counties. Population 18,188.
- Active HPSAs
- 15
- Population
- 18,188
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- 58.8
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Wright County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 15 active HPSA designations, more than 91% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 15
- Active HPSA designations
- 5
- Mental-health shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 9%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Wright 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 Wright County's active designations would take about 8.5 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.8 primary care, 3.6 mental health, 2.1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Wright County's 15 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 5 primary care, 5 mental health, 5 dental (denominator 15).
Wright County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
11 Census ZCTAs intersect Wright 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
3 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.
Wright County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
15 Top 9% higher than 91% 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. Wright County falls in the upper quarter of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 19 of 115. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 29229. Population: 18,188.
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 15 active (designated) HPSAs in Wright County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Coxhealth Center Mountain Grove | mental_health | 18.0 |
| LI - Region 18 Mhca | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Tcmh Mountain Grove Clinic | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Mercy Clinic Family Medicine-Mountain Grove | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Ozarks Healthcare Mountain Grove | mental_health | 18.0 |
| LI - Wright County | dental | 18.0 |
| Coxhealth Center Mountain Grove | primary_care | 17.0 |
| LI-Wright County | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Tcmh Mountain Grove Clinic | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Mercy Clinic Family Medicine-Mountain Grove | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Ozarks Healthcare Mountain Grove | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Mercy Clinic Family Medicine-Mountain Grove | dental | 17.0 |
| Coxhealth Center Mountain Grove | dental | 17.0 |
| Ozarks Healthcare Mountain Grove | dental | 17.0 |
| Tcmh Mountain Grove Clinic | dental | 17.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Wright County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Wright County: 15 active HPSA records, above 91% of real US counties. Wright County's shortage runs equally deep in mental health and dental care: both scored 18.0 by HRSA, 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. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 58.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Wright County above 91% of real US counties (15 active designations: 5 primary care, 5 mental health, 5 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.
Wright County falls in the upper quarter of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 19 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.
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Wright County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Wright County's active designations: about 8.5 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 Wright 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
Wright County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Wright County's 15 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 Mental Health Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Wright County's 18.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Hendricks County, IN and Berrien County, MI.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Wright County (15 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 15 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Wright County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Wright County carries an MUA designation (index 58.8; 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 Wright County's 15 active HPSA designations?
- 15 Designated rows (5 primary care, 5 mental health, 5 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "COXHEALTH CENTER MOUNTAIN GROVE" (score 18.0; mental health; 59,416 people in the service area; designated 08/18/2019). Also active: "LI - Region 18 MHCA", "TCMH MOUNTAIN GROVE CLINIC", "MERCY CLINIC FAMILY MEDICINE-MOUNTAIN GROVE". Above 91% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Wright County?
- Peak active score 18.0 in mental health and dental care clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 15 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Wright County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 8.5 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "COXHEALTH CENTER MOUNTAIN GROVE" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Wright County's designation volume?
- 15 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 Wright County's volume compare inside MO?
- 15 active HPSA rows · peak 18.0. Wright County falls in the upper quarter of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 19 of 115. Score-nearest counties on this release include Hendricks County, IN and Berrien County, MI.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 29229. 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 29229 (Wright County, MO), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 15; peak score 18.0; signature 15 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.