NE · Healthcare shortage profile
Perkins County, NE
Peak severity leads this reading: Perkins County's highest active HPSA score is 14.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 2,858.
- Active HPSAs
- 2
- Population
- 2,858
- Peak shortage score
- 14.0
- MUA Index
- -
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Perkins County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 2 active HPSA designations, more than 10% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 2
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Primary-care shortages
- 14
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 90%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Perkins 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 Perkins County's active designations would take about 5.1 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.4 primary care, 1.8 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
50% of Perkins County's 2 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental (denominator 2).
-
Peak HPSA score 14.0 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.
Perkins County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
10 Census ZCTAs intersect Perkins 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
2 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.
Corpus placement
Designated volume without a high-priority score
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Perkins County carries 2 active designations, above 10% 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. Perkins County falls in the lower half of NE counties by active-designation volume, at rank 56 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: 31135. Population: 2,858.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Perkins 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 2 active (designated) HPSAs in Perkins County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI - West Central Nebraska | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Catchment Area 2 | mental_health | 7.0 |
Light-burden reading for Perkins County
Peak severity leads this reading: Perkins County's highest active HPSA score is 14.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where Perkins County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 14.0 of 25, the county's highest severity reading and still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Mental health reads 7.0 of 25. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Perkins County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Perkins County carries 2 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 10% 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.
Perkins County falls in the lower half of NE counties by active-designation volume, at rank 56 of 92. 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 Perkins County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Perkins County's active designations: about 5.1 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Counties near Perkins County's primary score of 14.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 14.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI - West Central Nebraska”).
Roane County, TN
14.0 primary score · 53,404 pop.
Rockland County, NY
14.0 primary score · 338,329 pop.
York County, ME
14.0 primary score · 211,972 pop.
Bradley County, TN
14.0 primary score · 108,620 pop.
Crawford County, PA
14.0 primary score · 83,938 pop.
Harrison County, WV
14.0 primary score · 65,921 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Perkins County's peak score of 14.0?
- "LI - West Central Nebraska" leads the active set (score 14.0; primary care; 4,553 people in the service area; ~3.4 FTE still needed on the record; designated 03/11/2025). Below 17 the shortage is formal but outside HRSA's high-priority NHSC tier. Discipline mix across 2 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental.
- Why is Perkins County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Perkins County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- Which other active designations sit under Perkins County's severity reading?
- After "LI - West Central Nebraska", the next active names on this release are "LI - West Central Nebraska" and "Catchment Area 2". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~5.1 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 31135. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_PC.csv (primary care) and BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_MH.csv (mental health) — 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 31135 (Perkins County, NE), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 2; peak score 14.0; signature peak score 14.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.