ND · Healthcare shortage profile
McKenzie County, ND
Peak severity leads this reading: McKenzie County's highest active HPSA score is 20.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 14,704.
- Active HPSAs
- 8
- Population
- 14,704
- Peak shortage score
- 20.0
- MUA Index
- 49.9
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, McKenzie County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 8 active HPSA designations, more than 73% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 8
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Dental shortages
- 20
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 27%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for McKenzie 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.
-
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.
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Closing McKenzie County's active designations would take about 4.2 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, 2.8 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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37.5% of McKenzie County's 8 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 8).
McKenzie County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
12 Census ZCTAs intersect McKenzie 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
4 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.
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, McKenzie County carries 8 active designations, above 73% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. McKenzie County falls in the upper quarter of ND counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 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: 38053. Population: 14,704.
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 8 active (designated) HPSAs in McKenzie County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Mandaree Field Clinic | dental | 20.0 |
| Mha Nation | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Mandaree Field Clinic | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Mandaree Field Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| MH Northwest Catchment Area I | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Mchs Clinic | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Mchs Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Mchs Clinic | mental_health | 13.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for McKenzie County
Peak severity leads this reading: McKenzie County's highest active HPSA score is 20.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries McKenzie County's deepest shortage reading, 20.0 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 17.0 of 25; Mental health reads 17.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 49.9, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places McKenzie County above 73% of real US counties (8 active designations: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 2 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 20.0. 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.
McKenzie County falls in the upper quarter of ND counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 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.
McKenzie 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
2 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in McKenzie County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for McKenzie County's active designations: about 4.2 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 McKenzie 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
McKenzie County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- McKenzie County's 8 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 McKenzie County's 20.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Snohomish County, WA and Marion County, FL.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near McKenzie County's dental score of 20.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 20.0 (severity lead on this page is “Mandaree Field Clinic”).
Snohomish County, WA
20.0 dental score · 827,957 pop.
Marion County, FL
20.0 dental score · 375,908 pop.
Clark County, OH
20.0 dental score · 136,001 pop.
Polk County, OR
20.0 dental score · 87,433 pop.
Lake County, CA
20.0 dental score · 68,163 pop.
Sampson County, NC
20.0 dental score · 59,036 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does McKenzie County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - McKenzie County carries an MUA designation (index 49.9; 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 McKenzie County's peak score of 20.0?
- "Mandaree Field Clinic" leads the active set (score 20.0; dental; 4,919 people in the service area; designated 08/18/2019). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 8 active rows: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 2 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under McKenzie County's severity reading?
- After "Mandaree Field Clinic", the next active names on this release are "Mandaree Field Clinic", "MHA Nation", "Mandaree Field Clinic" and "Mandaree Field Clinic". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~4.2 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow McKenzie County's high-severity geography?
- McKenzie County's 8 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 "Mandaree Field Clinic".
- How does McKenzie County's peak severity sit inside ND?
- McKenzie County holds 8 active HPSA rows with peak 20.0. McKenzie County falls in the upper quarter of ND counties by active-designation volume, at rank 9 of 53. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Snohomish County, WA and Marion County, FL.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 38053. 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 38053 (McKenzie County, ND), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 8; peak score 20.0; signature peak score 20.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.