ND · Healthcare shortage profile
Benson County, ND
Peak severity leads this reading: Benson County's highest active HPSA score is 24.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 5,964.
- Active HPSAs
- 9
- Population
- 5,964
- Peak shortage score
- 24.0
- MUA Index
- 33.4
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Benson County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 9 active HPSA designations, more than 75% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 9
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Dental shortages
- 24
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 25%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Benson County
Benson 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 Benson County, ND 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 24.0 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 Benson County's active designations would take about 4.7 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.9 primary care, 1.4 mental health, 1.3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Benson County's 9 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 9).
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Benson County carries 9 active designations, above 75% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Benson County falls in the upper quarter of ND counties by active-designation volume, at rank 6 of 53. 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: 38005. Population: 5,964.
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 9 active (designated) HPSAs in Benson County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Spirit Lake Health Center | dental | 24.0 |
| Spirit Lake Health Center | primary_care | 20.0 |
| Heart OF America Johnson Clinic - Maddock | dental | 18.0 |
| Spirit Lake Nation | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Heart OF America Johnson Clinic - Maddock | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Spirit Lake Health Center | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Region III Devils Lake Catchment | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Heart OF America Johnson Clinic - Maddock | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Spirit Lake Nation | dental | 16.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Benson County
Peak severity leads this reading: Benson County's highest active HPSA score is 24.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Benson County's deepest shortage reading, 24.0 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 20.0 of 25; Mental health reads 17.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 33.4, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Benson County above 75% of real US counties (9 active designations: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 24.0. 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.
Benson County falls in the upper quarter of ND counties by active-designation volume, at rank 6 of 53. 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.
Benson County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Primary care
Primary care
3 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
3 designations
- Dental
Dental
3 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Benson County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Benson County's active designations: about 4.7 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 Benson County, ND · 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
Benson County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Benson County's 9 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 ND before you draw conclusions from a single score. ND 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 Dental Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to Benson County's 24.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with St. Landry County, LA and Cabo Rojo County, PR.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Benson County's dental score of 24.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 24.0 (severity lead on this page is “SPIRIT LAKE HEALTH CENTER”).
St. Landry County, LA
24.0 dental score · 82,540 pop.
Cabo Rojo County, PR
24.0 dental score · 47,158 pop.
Vega Alta County, PR
24.0 dental score · 35,395 pop.
Cibola County, NM
24.0 dental score · 27,172 pop.
Sabana Grande County, PR
24.0 dental score · 22,729 pop.
Lane County, OR
24.0 dental score · 382,971 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Benson County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Benson County carries an MUA designation (index 33.4; 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 Benson County's peak score of 24.0?
- "SPIRIT LAKE HEALTH CENTER" leads the active set (score 24.0; dental; 5,124 people in the service area; designated 06/10/2015). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 9 active rows: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Benson County's severity reading?
- After "SPIRIT LAKE HEALTH CENTER", the next active names on this release are "SPIRIT LAKE HEALTH CENTER", "SPIRIT LAKE HEALTH CENTER", "HEART OF AMERICA JOHNSON CLINIC - MADDOCK" and "Spirit Lake Nation". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~4.7 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Benson County's high-severity geography?
- Benson County's 9 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 "SPIRIT LAKE HEALTH CENTER".
- How does Benson County's peak severity sit inside ND?
- Benson County holds 9 active HPSA rows with peak 24.0. Benson County falls in the upper quarter of ND counties by active-designation volume, at rank 6 of 53. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include St. Landry County, LA and Cabo Rojo County, PR.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 38005. 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 38005 (Benson County, ND), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 9; peak score 24.0; signature peak score 24.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.