SD · Healthcare shortage profile
Corson County, SD
Peak severity leads this reading: Corson County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 3,902.
- Active HPSAs
- 12
- Population
- 3,902
- Peak shortage score
- 26.0
- MUA Index
- 29.9
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Corson County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 12 active HPSA designations, more than 85% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 12
- Active HPSA designations
- 4
- Dental shortages
- 26
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 15%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Corson County
Corson County intersects 16 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
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.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Corson County, SD 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 26.0 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 Corson County's active designations would take about 2.9 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Corson County's 12 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental (denominator 12).
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Corson County carries 12 active designations, above 85% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Corson County sits among the top three county rank positions in SD, at rank 2 of 66. 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: 46031. Population: 3,902.
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 12 active (designated) HPSAs in Corson County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Bullhead Health Station | dental | 26.0 |
| Mclaughlin Health Center | dental | 24.0 |
| Corson County | dental | 23.0 |
| Bullhead Health Station | primary_care | 22.0 |
| Three Rivers Mental Health Center - Mhca 8 | mental_health | 22.0 |
| Corson County | primary_care | 20.0 |
| Mclaughlin Health Center | primary_care | 20.0 |
| Bullhead Health Station | mental_health | 20.0 |
| West River Health Clinic | dental | 20.0 |
| West River Health Clinic | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Mclaughlin Health Center | mental_health | 19.0 |
| West River Health Clinic | mental_health | 19.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Corson County
Peak severity leads this reading: Corson County's highest active HPSA score is 26.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Corson County's deepest shortage reading, 26.0 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 22.0 of 25; Mental health reads 22.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 29.9, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Corson County above 85% of real US counties (12 active designations: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 26.0. 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.
Corson County sits among the top three county rank positions in SD, at rank 2 of 66. 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.
Corson 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
4 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
4 designations
- Dental
Dental
4 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Corson County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Corson County's active designations: about 2.9 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 Corson County, SD · 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
Corson County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Corson County's 12 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 SD before you draw conclusions from a single score. SD 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 Corson County's 26.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Tulare County, CA and Frederick County, MD.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Corson County's dental score of 26.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 26.0 (severity lead on this page is “BULLHEAD HEALTH STATION”).
Tulare County, CA
26.0 dental score · 473,117 pop.
Frederick County, MD
26.0 dental score · 271,717 pop.
Hampshire County, MA
26.0 dental score · 162,308 pop.
Berkeley County, WV
26.0 dental score · 122,076 pop.
Klamath County, OR
26.0 dental score · 69,413 pop.
Marion County, IN
26.0 dental score · 977,203 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Corson County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Corson County carries an MUA designation (index 29.9; 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 Corson County's peak score of 26.0?
- "BULLHEAD HEALTH STATION" leads the active set (score 26.0; dental; 7,905 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 12 active rows: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Corson County's severity reading?
- After "BULLHEAD HEALTH STATION", the next active names on this release are "BULLHEAD HEALTH STATION", "MCLAUGHLIN HEALTH CENTER", "Corson County" and "BULLHEAD HEALTH STATION". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~2.9 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Corson County's high-severity geography?
- Corson County's 12 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 "BULLHEAD HEALTH STATION".
- How does Corson County's peak severity sit inside SD?
- Corson County holds 12 active HPSA rows with peak 26.0. Corson County sits among the top three county rank positions in SD, at rank 2 of 66. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Tulare County, CA and Frederick County, MD.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 46031. 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 46031 (Corson County, SD), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 12; peak score 26.0; signature peak score 26.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.