SC · Healthcare shortage profile
Colleton County, SC
Home to 38,604 residents, with 3 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 3
- Population
- 38,604
- Peak shortage score
- 15.0
- MUA Index
- 60.8
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Colleton 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
- 15
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 80%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Colleton County, SC on its own pages , computed from the retained designation mirror as of 2026-08-03. Each line carries its own denominator so it can be quoted as it stands.
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33.3% of Colleton 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).
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Closing Colleton County's active designations would take about 14 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.6 primary care, 11 mental health, 2.6 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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Peak HPSA score 15.0 sits below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line.
Below-17 designations still count as shortages for program geography, but they do not clear the high-priority NHSC placement threshold on this release.
Corpus placement
Designated volume without a high-priority score
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Colleton County carries 3 active designations, above 20% of real US counties. None of those scores clear HRSA's high-priority line of 17 on this release, so the page leads with severity reading rather than a national distribution chart.
State peer position. Colleton County falls in the lower half of SC counties by active-designation volume, at rank 36 of 46. 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: 45029. Population: 38,604.
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 Colleton County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Coastal Empire Mhc | mental_health | 15.0 |
| LI - Colleton County | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Colleton County | dental | 10.0 |
Light-burden reading for Colleton County
Colleton County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 15.0 of 25, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Primary care reads 13.0 of 25; Dental care reads 10.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 60.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Colleton 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.
Colleton County falls in the lower half of SC counties by active-designation volume, at rank 36 of 46. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Colleton County a Medically Underserved Area?
Yes, Colleton County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 60.8. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.
How many healthcare shortage areas does Colleton County have?
Colleton County, SC has 3 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 1 in primary care, 1 in mental health, and 1 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
What does Colleton County's HPSA score of 15.0 mean?
15.0 in mental health falls under 17, so the shortage is formally designated but outside HRSA's high-priority tier.
Next read: The Mental-Health Provider Shortage · SC state overview · NHSC loan repayment
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 45029. PlainHealthAccess is not affiliated with HRSA or any government agency.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the HRSA Data Warehouse. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →
Every figure on PlainHealthAccess is rendered directly from HRSA source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page counts active HPSA rows for FIPS 45029 (Colleton County, SC) from the current HRSA release and places that total among all real US counties. Designations describe federal shortage criteria, not appointment availability or care quality for any person. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, review the public data changelog, or report a data issue for this page. Data current as of 2026-08-03.