SD · Healthcare shortage profile
Meade County, SD
MUA standing opens this profile: Meade County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 0.0 (lower index = greater measured need). Population 29,852.
- Active HPSAs
- 2
- Population
- 29,852
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- 0.0
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Meade County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 2 active HPSA designations, more than 10% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 2
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Mental-health shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 90%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Meade County
Meade County intersects 19 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
7 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 Meade 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 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 Meade County's active designations would take about 16 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 6.2 primary care, 10 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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50% of Meade County's 2 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental (denominator 2).
Meade County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
2 Top 90% higher than 10% 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. Meade County falls in the lower half of SD counties by active-designation volume, at rank 45 of 66. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 46093. Population: 29,852.
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 2 active (designated) HPSAs in Meade County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Behavior Management Systems Mhca | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Meade County | primary_care | 13.0 |
Light-burden reading for Meade County
MUA standing opens this profile: Meade County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 0.0 (lower index = greater measured need). Meade County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 18.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 13.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 0.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Meade County carries 2 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 10% 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.
Meade County falls in the lower half of SD counties by active-designation volume, at rank 45 of 66. 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 Meade County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Meade County's active designations: about 16 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Meade County's high-priority mental health
Meade County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Meade 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 SD before drawing conclusions from a single score. SD 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.
Score neighbours for Meade County's MUA-led profile
One peer set beside the MUA standing: nearest primary-care HPSA score (13.0 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Meade County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Meade County carries an MUA designation (index 0.0; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- How do Meade County's HPSA rows sit beside the MUA?
- 2 active HPSA designations (1 primary care / 1 mental health / 0 dental); highest-scored active name is "Behavior Management Systems MHCA" (score 18.0; mental health; 76,000 people in the service area; ~10 FTE still needed on the record; designated 10/12/2021). MUA and HPSA are separate tracks, one does not substitute for the other.
- What does the 18.0 HPSA score mean next to the MUA?
- 18.0 clears the 17-point high-priority HPSA line. MUA index 0.0 remains a separate need measure.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 46093. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_PC.csv (primary care) and BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_MH.csv (mental health) — 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 46093 (Meade County, SD), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 2; peak score 18.0; signature MUA index 0.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.