ND · Healthcare shortage profile
Dunn County, ND
Peak severity leads this reading: Dunn County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 4,095.
- Active HPSAs
- 6
- Population
- 4,095
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- 55.8
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Dunn County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 6 active HPSA designations, more than 54% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 6
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Primary-care shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 46%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Dunn 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 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 Dunn County's active designations would take about 4.7 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.5 primary care, 2.3 mental health, 0.9 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Dunn County's 6 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 6).
Dunn County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
13 Census ZCTAs intersect Dunn County, between the 9 and 15 ZIP cuts across published counties: neither a postage-stamp footprint nor a metro-scale lattice.
Largest land-share ZCTAs
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.
Dunn County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
6 Top 46% higher than 54% 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. Dunn County falls in the upper quarter of ND counties by active-designation volume, at rank 11 of 53. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 38025. Population: 4,095.
Medically Underserved Area
Active HPSA 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 6 active (designated) HPSAs in Dunn County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Mha Nation | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Region VIII Badlands Human Service Center Mhca | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Twin Buttes Field Clinic | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Dunn County | dental | 12.0 |
| Twin Buttes Field Clinic | dental | 12.0 |
| Twin Buttes Field Clinic | primary_care | 11.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Dunn County
Peak severity leads this reading: Dunn County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dunn County's shortage runs equally deep in primary care and mental health: both scored 17.0 by HRSA, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Dental care reads 12.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 55.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Dunn County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 54% of counties) with 6 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Dunn County falls in the upper quarter of ND counties by active-designation volume, at rank 11 of 53. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Dunn 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
2 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
2 designations
Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Dunn County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Dunn 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 Dunn 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 Dunn County's designations
Dunn County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Dunn County's 6 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.
Nearby primary-care score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active primary-care HPSA score to Dunn County's 17.0. Open Bell County, TX or Dauphin County, PA next.
Showing 3 of 2932 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Dunn County's primary score of 17.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 17.0 (severity lead on this page is “MHA Nation”).
Bell County, TX
17.0 primary score · 370,647 pop.
Dauphin County, PA
17.0 primary score · 286,401 pop.
Butte County, CA
17.0 primary score · 211,632 pop.
Kootenai County, ID
17.0 primary score · 171,362 pop.
Johnson County, IA
17.0 primary score · 152,854 pop.
Middlesex County, MA
17.0 primary score · 1,632,002 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Dunn County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Dunn County carries an MUA designation (index 55.8; 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 Dunn County's peak score of 17.0?
- "MHA Nation" leads the active set (score 17.0; primary care; 4,444 people in the service area; ~1.5 FTE still needed on the record; designated 02/20/2026). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 6 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Dunn County's severity reading?
- After "MHA Nation", the next active names on this release are "MHA Nation", "Region VIII Badlands Human Service Center MHCA", "Twin Buttes Field Clinic" and "Dunn County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~4.7 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Dunn County's high-severity geography?
- Dunn County's 6 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 "MHA Nation".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 38025. 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 38025 (Dunn County, ND), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 17.0; signature peak score 17.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.