NE · Healthcare shortage profile
Thayer County, NE
Designation volume is the standout signal for Thayer County: 14 active HPSA records, above 90% of real US counties. Population 5,034.
- Active HPSAs
- 14
- Population
- 5,034
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- 56.2
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Thayer County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 14 active HPSA designations, more than 90% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 14
- Active HPSA designations
- 5
- Mental-health shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 10%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Thayer County
Thayer County intersects 17 Census ZCTAs, above the 15-ZIP dense-tercile cut. Shortage designations still attach at the county (or smaller HPSA) grain; the ZIP list is geography, not a second severity score.
Largest land-share ZCTAs in this county
5 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 Thayer 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.
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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 Thayer County's active designations would take about 13 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.5 primary care, 12 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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35.7% of Thayer County's 14 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 5 primary care, 5 mental health, 4 dental (denominator 14).
Thayer County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
14 Top 10% higher than 90% 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. Thayer County sits among the top three county rank positions in NE, at rank 2 of 92. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 31169. Population: 5,034.
Single high-priority discipline
Thayer County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is mental health
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 5 active mental health designations to Thayer 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.
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 14 active (designated) HPSAs in Thayer County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Hebron Medical Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Thayer CO Hlth Svs Deshler Med | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Bruning Medical Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Davenport Medical Clinic | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Davenport Medical Clinic | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Bruning Medical Clinic | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Davenport Medical Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Bruning Medical Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Hebron Medical Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Thayer CO Hlth Svs Deshler Med | dental | 15.0 |
| Thayer CO Hlth Svs Deshler Med | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Hebron Medical Clinic | primary_care | 14.0 |
| LI - Thayer County | primary_care | 12.0 |
| Mental Health Catchment Area 5 | mental_health | 12.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Thayer County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Thayer County: 14 active HPSA records, above 90% of real US counties. Thayer 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 16.0 of 25; Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 56.2, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Thayer County above 90% of real US counties (14 active designations: 5 primary care, 5 mental health, 4 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.
Thayer County sits among the top three county rank positions in NE, at rank 2 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 Thayer County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Thayer County's active designations: about 13 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Thayer County's high-priority mental health
Thayer County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Thayer 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 Thayer 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 Thayer County (14 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 14 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Thayer County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Thayer County carries an MUA designation (index 56.2; 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 Thayer County's 14 active HPSA designations?
- 14 Designated rows (5 primary care, 5 mental health, 4 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "HEBRON MEDICAL CLINIC" (score 17.0; mental health; 17,055 people in the service area; designated 06/16/2009). Also active: "THAYER CO HLTH SVS DESHLER MED", "BRUNING MEDICAL CLINIC", "DAVENPORT MEDICAL CLINIC". Above 90% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Thayer County?
- Peak active score 17.0 in mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 14 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Thayer County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 13 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "HEBRON MEDICAL CLINIC" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Thayer County's designation volume?
- 14 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 Thayer County's volume compare inside NE?
- 14 active HPSA rows · peak 17.0. Thayer County sits among the top three county rank positions in NE, at rank 2 of 92. Score-nearest counties on this release include Thurston County, WA and Boone County, MO.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 31169. 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 31169 (Thayer County, NE), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 14; peak score 17.0; signature 14 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.