TX · Healthcare shortage profile
Jim Wells County, TX
Peak severity leads this reading: Jim Wells County's highest active HPSA score is 23.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 38,891.
- Active HPSAs
- 6
- Population
- 38,891
- Peak shortage score
- 23.0
- MUA Index
- 62.0
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Jim Wells County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 6 active HPSA designations, more than 54% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 6
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Dental shortages
- 23
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 46%
- US counties by volume
Few Census ZCTAs touch Jim Wells County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 8 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Jim Wells 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 Jim Wells 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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Peak HPSA score 23.0 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 Jim Wells County's active designations would take about 9.4 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 4.4 primary care, 1.9 mental health, 3.1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Jim Wells County's 6 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 6).
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Jim Wells County carries 6 active designations, above 54% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Jim Wells County falls in the upper quarter of TX counties by active-designation volume, at rank 26 of 254. 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: 48249. Population: 38,891.
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 6 active (designated) HPSAs in Jim Wells County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Community Action Corporation Of South Texas | dental | 23.0 |
| Community Action Corporation Of South Texas | mental_health | 22.0 |
| Community Action Corporation Of South Texas | primary_care | 19.0 |
| LI-Jim Wells County | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Jim Wells County | mental_health | 19.0 |
| LI - Jim Wells County | dental | 19.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Jim Wells County
Peak severity leads this reading: Jim Wells County's highest active HPSA score is 23.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Jim Wells County's deepest shortage reading, 23.0 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 19.0 of 25; Mental health reads 22.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 62.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Jim Wells County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 54% of counties) with 6 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Jim Wells County falls in the upper quarter of TX counties by active-designation volume, at rank 26 of 254. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Jim Wells 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
2 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
2 designations
- Dental
Dental
2 designations
Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Jim Wells County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Jim Wells County's active designations: about 9.4 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 Jim Wells 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 Jim Wells County's designations
Jim Wells County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Jim Wells County's 6 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.
Nearby dental score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active dental HPSA score to Jim Wells County's 23.0. Open Kern County, CA or Prince William County, VA next.
Showing 3 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Jim Wells County's dental score of 23.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 23.0 (severity lead on this page is “Community Action Corporation Of South Texas”).
Kern County, CA
23.0 dental score · 909,235 pop.
Prince William County, VA
23.0 dental score · 482,204 pop.
Rutherford County, TN
23.0 dental score · 341,486 pop.
San Luis Obispo County, CA
23.0 dental score · 282,424 pop.
Calcasieu County, LA
23.0 dental score · 216,785 pop.
Kootenai County, ID
23.0 dental score · 171,362 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Jim Wells County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Jim Wells County carries an MUA designation (index 62.0; 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 Jim Wells County's peak score of 23.0?
- "Community Action Corporation Of South Texas" leads the active set (score 23.0; dental; 49,179 people in the service area; designated 01/12/2003). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 6 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Jim Wells County's severity reading?
- After "Community Action Corporation Of South Texas", the next active names on this release are "Community Action Corporation Of South Texas", "Community Action Corporation Of South Texas", "Community Action Corporation Of South Texas" and "LI-Jim Wells County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~9.4 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Jim Wells County's high-severity geography?
- Jim Wells County's 6 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 "Community Action Corporation Of South Texas".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 48249. 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 48249 (Jim Wells County, TX), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 23.0; signature peak score 23.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.