ND · Healthcare shortage profile
Golden Valley County, ND
Peak severity leads this reading: Golden Valley County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 1,736.
- Active HPSAs
- 3
- Population
- 1,736
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- 57.3
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Golden Valley 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
- Mental-health shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 80%
- US counties by volume
Few Census ZCTAs touch Golden Valley County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 4 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Golden Valley 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 Golden Valley 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 Golden Valley County's active designations would take about 3 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.5 primary care, 2.3 mental health, 0.2 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Golden Valley 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).
Golden Valley 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. Golden Valley County falls in the lower half of ND counties by active-designation volume, at rank 31 of 53. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 38033. Population: 1,736.
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 3 active (designated) HPSAs in Golden Valley County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Region VIII Badlands Human Service Center Mhca | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Golden Valley County | dental | 15.0 |
| Golden Valley County | primary_care | 12.0 |
Light-burden reading for Golden Valley County
Peak severity leads this reading: Golden Valley County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Golden Valley County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 17.0 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 15.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 57.3, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Golden Valley 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.
Golden Valley County falls in the lower half of ND counties by active-designation volume, at rank 31 of 53. 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 Golden Valley County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Golden Valley County's active designations: about 3 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Golden Valley County's high-priority mental health
Golden Valley County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Golden Valley County's high-priority mental health designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's mental health burden compares with the rest of ND before drawing conclusions from a single score. ND 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 Golden Valley County's mental score of 17.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 17.0 (severity lead on this page is “Region VIII Badlands Human Service Center MHCA”).
Thurston County, WA
17.0 mental score · 294,793 pop.
Boone County, MO
17.0 mental score · 183,610 pop.
Hampton City County, VA
17.0 mental score · 137,148 pop.
Cowlitz County, WA
17.0 mental score · 110,730 pop.
Cleveland County, NC
17.0 mental score · 99,519 pop.
Cape May County, NJ
17.0 mental score · 95,263 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Golden Valley County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Golden Valley County carries an MUA designation (index 57.3; 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 Golden Valley County's peak score of 17.0?
- "Region VIII Badlands Human Service Center MHCA" leads the active set (score 17.0; mental health; 16,000 people in the service area; ~2.3 FTE still needed on the record; designated 08/28/2017). 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.
- Which other active designations sit under Golden Valley County's severity reading?
- After "Region VIII Badlands Human Service Center MHCA", the next active names on this release are "Region VIII Badlands Human Service Center MHCA", "Golden Valley County" and "Golden Valley County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~3 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 38033. 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 38033 (Golden Valley County, ND), 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.