Medically Underserved Area Primary · mental · dental footprint

NY · Healthcare shortage profile

Cortland County, NY

Peak severity leads this reading: Cortland County's highest active HPSA score is 20.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 46,809.

Active HPSAs
5
Population
46,809
Peak shortage score
20.0
MUA Index
59.1

Mid-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Cortland County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 5 active HPSA designations, more than 47% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

5
Active HPSA designations
2
Mental-health shortages
20
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 53%
US counties by volume

Dense ZCTA lattice over Cortland County

Cortland County intersects 18 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

6 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 Cortland County, NY 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.

  1. Peak HPSA score 20.0 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.

  2. Closing Cortland County's active designations would take about 3.1 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.1 primary care, 1 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 40% of Cortland County's 5 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 5).

Cortland County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

5 Top 53% higher than 47% of 3,289 real US counties

0–20: 3,115 real US counties (95%). This entry sits in this band. 20–40: 128 real US counties (4%). Above this entry. 40–60: 32 real US counties (1%). Above this entry. 60–80: 7 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 80–100: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 100–120: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 120–140: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 140–160: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 160–180: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 180–200: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 200–220: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 220–240: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 240–260: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 260–280: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. This county 0 280 every real US county, bucketed by value

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. Cortland County falls in the upper half of NY counties by active-designation volume, at rank 31 of 62. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 36023. Population: 46,809.

2
Mental Health HPSAs
2
Primary Care HPSAs
1
Dental HPSAs

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 59.1

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 18.0
Mental Health 20.0
Dental 20.0

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 5 active (designated) HPSAs in Cortland County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Family Health Network mental_health 20.0
Family Health Network dental 20.0
Family Health Network primary_care 18.0
LI-Cortland (City) primary_care 17.0
ME-Cortland County mental_health 15.0

Moderate-burden reading for Cortland County

Peak severity leads this reading: Cortland County's highest active HPSA score is 20.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Cortland County's shortage runs equally deep in mental health and dental care: both scored 20.0 by HRSA, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 18.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 59.1, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Cortland County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 47% of counties) with 5 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/1) before assuming every care category is equally short.

Cortland County falls in the upper half of NY counties by active-designation volume, at rank 31 of 62. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.

Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Cortland County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Cortland County's active designations: about 3.1 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 Cortland County, NY · 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 Cortland County's designations

Cortland County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.

  • Cortland County's 5 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 NY before you draw conclusions from a single score. NY 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.

Nearby mental-health score peers

Closest U.S. counties on active mental-health HPSA score to Cortland County's 20.0. Open Bibb County, GA or Oakland County, MI next.

Showing 3 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.

Counties near Cortland County's mental score of 20.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 20.0 (severity lead on this page is “FAMILY HEALTH NETWORK”).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Cortland County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Cortland County carries an MUA designation (index 59.1; 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 Cortland County's peak score of 20.0?
"FAMILY HEALTH NETWORK" leads the active set (score 20.0; mental health; 15,478 people in the service area; designated 10/26/2002). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 5 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental.
Which other active designations sit under Cortland County's severity reading?
After "FAMILY HEALTH NETWORK", the next active names on this release are "FAMILY HEALTH NETWORK", "FAMILY HEALTH NETWORK", "FAMILY HEALTH NETWORK" and "LI-Cortland (City)". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~3.1 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Which federal pathways follow Cortland County's high-severity geography?
Cortland County's 5 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 "FAMILY HEALTH NETWORK".

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 36023. 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 36023 (Cortland County, NY), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 5; peak score 20.0; signature peak score 20.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.