TX · Healthcare shortage profile
Brooks County, TX
Peak severity leads this reading: Brooks County's highest active HPSA score is 22.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 7,076.
- Active HPSAs
- 3
- Population
- 7,076
- Peak shortage score
- 22.0
- MUA Index
- 41.0
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Brooks 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
- Primary-care shortages
- 22
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 80%
- US counties by volume
Based on HRSA primary/mental/dental shortage severity, Medically Underserved Area status, and estimated unmet provider need -- not patient outcomes, insurance access, facility quality, or wait times.
Few Census ZCTAs touch Brooks County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 2 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Brooks County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
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 Brooks 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.
-
Peak HPSA score 22.0 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.
-
Closing Brooks County's active designations would take about 3 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.8 primary care, 0.3 mental health, 0.9 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
33.3% of Brooks 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).
Brooks County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
3 Top 80% higher than 20% 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. Brooks County falls in the upper half of TX counties by active-designation volume, at rank 98 of 254. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 48047. Population: 7,076.
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 Brooks County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Brooks County | primary_care | 22.0 |
| Brooks County | dental | 17.0 |
| Brooks County | mental_health | 15.0 |
Light-burden reading for Brooks County
Peak severity leads this reading: Brooks County's highest active HPSA score is 22.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where Brooks County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 22.0 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 15.0 of 25; Dental care reads 17.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 41.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Brooks 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.
Brooks County falls in the upper half of TX counties by active-designation volume, at rank 98 of 254. 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 Brooks County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Brooks County's active designations: about 3 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 Brooks County, TX · 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 Brooks County's designations
Brooks County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Brooks County's 3 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 TX before you draw conclusions from a single score. TX 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 near Brooks County's primary score of 22.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 22.0 (severity lead on this page is “Brooks County”).
Bernalillo County, NM
22.0 primary score · 676,444 pop.
Lake County, OH
22.0 primary score · 232,603 pop.
Guam County, GU
22.0 primary score · 153,836 pop.
Jackson County, IL
22.0 primary score · 52,974 pop.
Avoyelles County, LA
22.0 primary score · 39,693 pop.
Harris County, TX
22.0 primary score · 4,731,145 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Brooks County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Brooks County carries an MUA designation (index 41.0; 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 Brooks County's peak score of 22.0?
- "Brooks County" leads the active set (score 22.0; primary care; 1,200 people in the service area; ~1.8 FTE still needed on the record; designated 02/11/1992). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 3 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental.
- What provider types does Brooks County's severity cover?
- Active rows break down 1 primary care / 1 mental health / 1 dental. Closing published gaps would take about 3 additional clinician FTEs on this release.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 48047. 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 48047 (Brooks County, TX), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 3; peak score 22.0; signature peak score 22.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.