NE · Healthcare shortage profile
Dawson County, NE
Designation volume is the standout signal for Dawson County: 9 active HPSA records, above 75% of real US counties. Population 24,111.
- Active HPSAs
- 9
- Population
- 24,111
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- -
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Dawson County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 9 active HPSA designations, more than 75% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 9
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Mental-health shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 25%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Dawson County, NE 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.
-
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.
-
Closing Dawson County's active designations would take about 8.7 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 6 primary care, 1.8 mental health, 0.9 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
33.3% of Dawson County's 9 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 9).
Dawson County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
12 Census ZCTAs intersect Dawson 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.
Dawson County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
9 Top 25% higher than 75% 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. Dawson County falls in the upper quarter of NE counties by active-designation volume, at rank 10 of 92. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 31047. Population: 24,111.
Single high-priority discipline
Dawson County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is mental health
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 3 active mental health designations to Dawson County , with a peak score of 17.0. Other care categories may still be designated here, but none of them clear HRSA's high-priority score line of 17 on the current release, NHSC and related instruments concentrate on the mental health records.
Peak severity scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Dawson 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 9 active (designated) HPSAs in Dawson County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Family Medicine Specialists | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Lexington Regional Health Center Medical Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Family Medicine Specialists | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Lexington Regional Health Center Medical Clinic | primary_care | 15.0 |
| LI - Central Nebraska | primary_care | 14.0 |
| LI - Dawson County | dental | 12.0 |
| Lexington Regional Health Center Medical Clinic | dental | 11.0 |
| Family Medicine Specialists | dental | 11.0 |
| Catchment Area 2 | mental_health | 7.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Dawson County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Dawson County: 9 active HPSA records, above 75% of real US counties. Dawson 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 15.0 of 25; Dental care reads 12.0 of 26. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Dawson County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Volume places Dawson County above 75% of real US counties (9 active designations: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 17.0. 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.
Dawson County falls in the upper quarter of NE counties by active-designation volume, at rank 10 of 92. 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 Dawson County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Dawson County's active designations: about 8.7 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Dawson County's high-priority mental health
Dawson County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Dawson 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 NE before drawing conclusions from a single score. NE 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.
Counties With a Similar Mental Health Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Dawson County's 17.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Thurston County, WA and Boone County, MO.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Dawson County (9 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 9 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What makes up Dawson County's 9 active HPSA designations?
- 9 Designated rows (3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "FAMILY MEDICINE SPECIALISTS" (score 17.0; mental health; 26,171 people in the service area; designated 06/01/2017). Also active: "LEXINGTON REGIONAL HEALTH CENTER MEDICAL CLINIC", "FAMILY MEDICINE SPECIALISTS", "LEXINGTON REGIONAL HEALTH CENTER MEDICAL CLINIC". Above 75% of real US counties by volume.
- Why is Dawson County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Dawson County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Dawson County?
- Peak active score 17.0 in mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 9 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Dawson County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 8.7 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "FAMILY MEDICINE SPECIALISTS" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Dawson County's designation volume?
- 9 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 Dawson County's volume compare inside NE?
- 9 active HPSA rows · peak 17.0. Dawson County falls in the upper quarter of NE counties by active-designation volume, at rank 10 of 92. Score-nearest counties on this release include Thurston County, WA and Boone County, MO.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 31047. 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 31047 (Dawson County, NE), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 9; peak score 17.0; signature 9 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.