PA · Healthcare shortage profile
Columbia County, PA
Peak severity leads this reading: Columbia County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 64,727.
- Active HPSAs
- 1
- Population
- 64,727
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- 57.5
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Columbia County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 1 active HPSA designation, more than 2% of the 3,289 real US counties, with dental the deepest gap.
- 1
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Dental shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 98%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Columbia County
Columbia County intersects 20 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
8 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 Columbia County, PA 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 18.0 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 Columbia County's active designations would take about 5.4 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 5.4 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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100% of Columbia County's 1 active designations are dental.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 0 primary care, 0 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 1).
Columbia County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
1 Top 98% higher than 2% 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. Columbia County falls in the lower half of PA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 53 of 67. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 42037. Population: 64,727.
Medically Underserved Area
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only · dental care only on this FIPS. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?
Highest-severity HPSA designations
All 1 active (designated) HPSAs in Columbia County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI- Columbia County | dental | 18.0 |
Light-burden reading for Columbia County
Peak severity leads this reading: Columbia County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Columbia County's deepest shortage reading, 18.0 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. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 57.5, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Columbia County carries 1 active designation and sits below the national mid-pack (above 2% 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.
Columbia County falls in the lower half of PA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 53 of 67. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.
Acting on Columbia County's high-priority dental care
Columbia County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Columbia 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 PA before drawing conclusions from a single score. PA 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 Columbia County's dental score of 18.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 18.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI- Columbia County”).
St. Francois County, MO
18.0 dental score · 66,922 pop.
Pearl River County, MS
18.0 dental score · 56,145 pop.
Montgomery County, NY
18.0 dental score · 49,532 pop.
Delaware County, NY
18.0 dental score · 44,308 pop.
Mecosta County, MI
18.0 dental score · 39,714 pop.
Highlands County, FL
18.0 dental score · 101,235 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Columbia County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Columbia County carries an MUA designation (index 57.5; 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 Columbia County's peak score of 18.0?
- "LI- Columbia County" leads the active set (score 18.0; dental; 21,675 people in the service area; ~5.4 FTE still needed on the record; designated 10/22/2000). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 1 active rows: 0 primary care, 0 mental health, 1 dental.
- What provider types does Columbia County's severity cover?
- Active rows break down 0 primary care / 0 mental health / 1 dental. Closing published gaps would take about 5.4 additional clinician FTEs on this release.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 42037. This county’s designations come from 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 42037 (Columbia County, PA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 1; peak score 18.0; signature peak score 18.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.