NC · Healthcare shortage profile
Lee County, NC
Peak severity leads this reading: Lee County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 63,285.
- Active HPSAs
- 3
- Population
- 63,285
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- -
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Lee County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 3 active HPSA designations, more than 20% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 3
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Dental shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 80%
- US counties by volume
Few Census ZCTAs touch Lee County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 5 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Lee County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
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 Lee County, NC 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.
-
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 Lee County's active designations would take about 8.7 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.7 primary care, 1 mental health, 5 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Lee County's 3 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 3).
Lee County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
3 Top 80% higher than 20% 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. Lee County falls in the lower half of NC counties by active-designation volume, at rank 67 of 100. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 37105. Population: 63,285.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Lee 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 3 active (designated) HPSAs in Lee County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI - Lee County | dental | 17.0 |
| LI - Lee County | mental_health | 15.0 |
| LI-Lee County | primary_care | 14.0 |
Light-burden reading for Lee County
Peak severity leads this reading: Lee County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Lee County's deepest shortage reading, 17.0 on HRSA's 0–26 dental scale, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 14.0 of 25; Mental health reads 15.0 of 25. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Lee County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Lee County carries 3 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 20% 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.
Lee County falls in the lower half of NC counties by active-designation volume, at rank 67 of 100. 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 Lee County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Lee County's active designations: about 8.7 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Lee County's high-priority dental care
Lee County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Lee County's high-priority dental care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's dental care burden compares with the rest of NC before drawing conclusions from a single score. NC 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 near Lee County's dental score of 17.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 17.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI - Lee County”).
Bossier County, LA
17.0 dental score · 128,746 pop.
Woodbury County, IA
17.0 dental score · 105,941 pop.
Ashtabula County, OH
17.0 dental score · 97,574 pop.
Rockingham County, VA
17.0 dental score · 83,757 pop.
Lea County, NM
17.0 dental score · 74,455 pop.
Washington County, PA
17.0 dental score · 209,349 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Lee County's peak score of 17.0?
- "LI - Lee County" leads the active set (score 17.0; dental; 2,940 people in the service area; ~5 FTE still needed on the record; designated 12/08/2000). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 3 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental.
- Why is Lee County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Lee 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 Lee County's severity reading?
- After "LI - Lee County", the next active names on this release are "LI - Lee County", "LI - Lee County" and "LI-Lee County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~8.7 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 37105. 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 37105 (Lee County, NC), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 3; peak score 17.0; signature peak score 17.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.