NH · Healthcare shortage profile
Coos County, NH
Designation volume is the standout signal for Coos County: 20 active HPSA records, above 95% of real US counties. Population 31,268.
- Active HPSAs
- 20
- Population
- 31,268
- Peak shortage score
- 21.0
- MUA Index
- MUA
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Coos County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 20 active HPSA designations, more than 95% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 20
- Active HPSA designations
- 7
- Mental-health shortages
- 21
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 5%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Coos County, NH 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 21.0 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 Coos County's active designations would take about 6.2 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.5 primary care, 1.8 mental health, 2.8 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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35% of Coos County's 20 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 7 primary care, 7 mental health, 6 dental (denominator 20).
Dense ZCTA lattice over Coos County
Coos County intersects 16 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
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.
Coos County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
20 Top 5% higher than 95% 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. Coos County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 10 real counties in NH. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 33007. Population: 31,268.
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 20 active (designated) HPSAs in Coos County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Fci - Berlin | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Northern New Hampshire Correctional Facility | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Coos County Family Health Services | dental | 20.0 |
| Weeks Medical Center - Lancaster | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Weeks Medical Center Whitefield | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Weeks Medical Center - Groveton | mental_health | 18.0 |
| LI - Coos County | dental | 16.0 |
| Weeks Medical Center - Lancaster | dental | 16.0 |
| Weeks Medical Center Whitefield | dental | 16.0 |
| Weeks Medical Center - Groveton | dental | 16.0 |
| Coos County | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Coos County Family Health Services | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Northern New Hampshire State Correctional Facility | primary_care | 12.0 |
| Fci - Berlin | primary_care | 12.0 |
| Fci - Berlin | dental | 12.0 |
| Coos County Family Health Services | primary_care | 8.0 |
| Weeks Medical Center - Lancaster | primary_care | 7.0 |
| LI - Coos County | primary_care | 7.0 |
| Weeks Medical Center Whitefield | primary_care | 5.0 |
| Weeks Medical Center - Groveton | primary_care | 5.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Coos County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Coos County: 20 active HPSA records, above 95% of real US counties. Coos County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 21.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 12.0 of 25; Dental care reads 20.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, a separate HRSA designation from the HPSA records above.
Volume places Coos County above 95% of real US counties (20 active designations: 7 primary care, 7 mental health, 6 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 21.0. 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.
Coos County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 10 real counties in NH. 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.
Coos County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Mental health
Mental health
7 designations
- Dental
Dental
6 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Coos County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Coos County's active designations: about 6.2 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 Coos County, NH · 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
Coos County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Coos County's 20 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 NH before you draw conclusions from a single score. NH 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 Coos County's 21.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Winnebago County, IL and King County, WA.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Coos County (20 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 20 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Coos County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Coos County carries an MUA designation in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- What makes up Coos County's 20 active HPSA designations?
- 20 Designated rows (7 primary care, 7 mental health, 6 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "FCI - Berlin" (score 21.0; mental health; 781 people in the service area; ~0.4 FTE still needed on the record; designated 02/22/2019). Also active: "Northern New Hampshire Correctional Facility", "COOS COUNTY FAMILY HEALTH SERVICES", "WEEKS MEDICAL CENTER - LANCASTER". Above 95% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Coos County?
- Peak active score 21.0 in mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 20 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Coos County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 6.2 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "FCI - Berlin" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Coos County's designation volume?
- 20 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 Coos County's volume compare inside NH?
- 20 active HPSA rows · peak 21.0. Coos County is tied for the highest active-designation count among 10 real counties in NH. Score-nearest counties on this release include Winnebago County, IL and King County, WA.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 33007. 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 33007 (Coos County, NH), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 20; peak score 21.0; signature 20 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.