TX · Healthcare shortage profile
Bell County, TX
Home to 370,647 residents, with 2 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 2
- Population
- 370,647
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- -
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Bell 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
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 90%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Bell County, TX 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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50% of Bell 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).
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Closing Bell County's active designations would take about 39 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 34 primary care, 5.3 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
Peak HPSA score 17.0 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.
Bell 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. Bell County falls in the lower half of TX counties by active-designation volume, at rank 204 of 254. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 48027. Population: 370,647.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Bell County in the current HRSA release, federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone. 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 Bell County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI-Bell County | primary_care | 17.0 |
| LI-Bell County | mental_health | 12.0 |
Light-burden reading for Bell County
Primary care is where Bell County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 17.0 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. Mental health reads 12.0 of 25. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Bell County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Bell 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.
Bell County falls in the lower half of TX counties by active-designation volume, at rank 204 of 254. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.
Clinician FTE gap by care type
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Bell County's active designations: a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Bell County's high-priority primary care
Bell County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Bell 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 TX before drawing conclusions from a single score. TX 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.
Nationwide counties with similar HRSA profiles
Two peer sets for Bell County: active designation volume and primary-care HPSA score, ranked across the national county corpus.
Similar designation volume
Nearest active designation count (2 here).
Similar primary-care score
Nearest active primary-care HPSA score (17.0 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many healthcare shortage areas does Bell County have?
Bell County, TX has 2 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 1 in primary care, 1 in mental health, and 0 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
Is Bell County a Medically Underserved Area?
Bell County does not currently have a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) designation from HRSA. However, the county may still have individual HPSA designations for specific provider types.
What does Bell County's HPSA score of 17.0 mean?
17.0 in primary care clears 17, HRSA's high-priority line, which is what makes providers here eligible for NHSC placement and enhanced reimbursement.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 48027. 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.