TN · Healthcare shortage profile
Houston County, TN
Peak severity leads this reading: Houston County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 8,283.
- Active HPSAs
- 2
- Population
- 8,283
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- 56.0
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Houston 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
- Primary-care shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 90%
- US counties by volume
Few Census ZCTAs touch Houston County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 8 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Houston County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
3 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 Houston County, TN 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 Houston County's active designations would take about 1.5 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.8 primary care, 0.8 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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50% of Houston County's 2 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 0 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 2).
Houston 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. Houston County falls in the lower half of TN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 73 of 95. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 47083. Population: 8,283.
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 Houston County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI-Houston County | primary_care | 18.0 |
| LI-Houston County | dental | 15.0 |
Light-burden reading for Houston County
Peak severity leads this reading: Houston County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where Houston County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 18.0 of 25, the county's highest severity reading and past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 56.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Houston 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.
Houston County falls in the lower half of TN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 73 of 95. 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 Houston County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Houston County's active designations: about 1.5 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Houston County's high-priority primary care
Houston County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Houston County's high-priority primary care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's primary care burden compares with the rest of TN before drawing conclusions from a single score. TN 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 Houston County's primary score of 18.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 18.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI-Houston County”).
Whatcom County, WA
18.0 primary score · 226,847 pop.
Pitt County, NC
18.0 primary score · 170,243 pop.
Rock Island County, IL
18.0 primary score · 144,672 pop.
Ventura County, CA
18.0 primary score · 843,843 pop.
Douglas County, NE
18.0 primary score · 584,526 pop.
Lane County, OR
18.0 primary score · 382,971 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Houston County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Houston County carries an MUA designation (index 56.0; 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 Houston County's peak score of 18.0?
- "LI-Houston County" leads the active set (score 18.0; primary care; 810 people in the service area; ~0.8 FTE still needed on the record; designated 09/22/2011). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 2 active rows: 1 primary care, 0 mental health, 1 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Houston County's severity reading?
- After "LI-Houston County", the next active names on this release are "LI-Houston County" and "LI-Houston County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~1.5 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 47083. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_PC.csv (primary care) 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 47083 (Houston County, TN), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 2; peak score 18.0; signature peak score 18.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.