NE · Healthcare shortage profile
Merrick County, NE
Peak severity leads this reading: Merrick County's highest active HPSA score is 15.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 7,668.
- Active HPSAs
- 4
- Population
- 7,668
- Peak shortage score
- 15.0
- MUA Index
- 58.8
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Merrick County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 4 active HPSA designations, more than 44% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 4
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Mental-health shortages
- 15
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 56%
- US counties by volume
Based on HRSA primary/mental/dental shortage severity, Medically Underserved Area status, and estimated unmet provider need -- not patient outcomes, insurance access, facility quality, or wait times.
Few Census ZCTAs touch Merrick County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Merrick County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
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.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Merrick 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.
-
Closing Merrick County's active designations would take about 5.1 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 5.1 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
50% of Merrick County's 4 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 4).
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Peak HPSA score 15.0 sits below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line.
Below-17 designations still count as shortages for program geography, but they do not clear the high-priority NHSC placement threshold on this release.
Corpus placement
Designated volume without a high-priority score
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Merrick County carries 4 active designations, above 44% of real US counties. None of those scores clear HRSA's high-priority line of 17 on this release, so the page leads with severity reading rather than a national distribution chart.
State peer position. Merrick County falls in the upper half of NE counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 92. 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: 31121. Population: 7,668.
Below high-priority line
Merrick County is designated, but no active score clears 17
4 active designations sit on this FIPS (1 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental), and the peak severity is 15.0. That is a formal shortage footprint without HRSA's high-priority (≥17) tier, so NHSC placement geography is usually weaker here than on counties whose lead score clears the line.
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 4 active (designated) HPSAs in Merrick County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Central City Medical Clinic | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Central City Medical Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Central City Medical Clinic | primary_care | 12.0 |
| Mental Health Catchment Area 3 | mental_health | 12.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Merrick County
Peak severity leads this reading: Merrick County's highest active HPSA score is 15.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Merrick County's shortage runs equally deep in mental health and dental care: both scored 15.0 by HRSA, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Primary care reads 12.0 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.
Merrick County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 44% of counties) with 4 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (1/2/1) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Merrick County falls in the upper half of NE counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 92. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Counties near Merrick County's mental score of 15.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 15.0 (severity lead on this page is “CENTRAL CITY MEDICAL CLINIC”).
Mercer County, PA
15.0 mental score · 110,652 pop.
Georgetown County, SC
15.0 mental score · 63,404 pop.
Polk County, TX
15.0 mental score · 50,123 pop.
Ohio County, WV
15.0 mental score · 42,425 pop.
Clark County, WA
15.0 mental score · 503,311 pop.
Union County, NC
15.0 mental score · 238,267 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Merrick County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Merrick 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.
- Which record sets Merrick County's peak score of 15.0?
- "CENTRAL CITY MEDICAL CLINIC" leads the active set (score 15.0; mental health; 35,524 people in the service area; designated 09/30/2021). Below 17 the shortage is formal but outside HRSA's high-priority NHSC tier. Discipline mix across 4 active rows: 1 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Merrick County's severity reading?
- After "CENTRAL CITY MEDICAL CLINIC", the next active names on this release are "CENTRAL CITY MEDICAL CLINIC" and "Mental Health Catchment Area 3". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~5.1 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Merrick County's high-severity geography?
- Merrick County's 4 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not merely the county line around "CENTRAL CITY MEDICAL CLINIC".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 31121. 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 31121 (Merrick County, NE), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 4; peak score 15.0; signature peak score 15.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.