TX · Healthcare shortage profile
Wheeler County, TX
Peak severity leads this reading: Wheeler County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 4,990.
- Active HPSAs
- 5
- Population
- 4,990
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- -
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Wheeler County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 5 active HPSA designations, more than 47% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 5
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Mental-health shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 53%
- US counties by volume
Few Census ZCTAs touch Wheeler County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 6 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Wheeler County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
1 additional ZCTA 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 Wheeler 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 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 Wheeler County's active designations would take about 0.8 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.6 primary care, 0.2 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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40% of Wheeler County's 5 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 5).
Wheeler County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
5 Top 53% higher than 47% 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. Wheeler County falls in the upper half of TX counties by active-designation volume, at rank 74 of 254. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 48483. Population: 4,990.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Wheeler 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 5 active (designated) HPSAs in Wheeler County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Parkview Rural Health Clinic | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Parkview Rural Health Clinic | dental | 17.0 |
| Parkview Rural Health Clinic | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Wheeler County | mental_health | 13.0 |
| LI - Wheeler County | primary_care | 12.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Wheeler County
Peak severity leads this reading: Wheeler County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Wheeler 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 15.0 of 25; Dental care reads 17.0 of 26. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Wheeler County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Wheeler County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 47% of counties) with 5 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/1) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Wheeler County falls in the upper half of TX counties by active-designation volume, at rank 74 of 254. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Wheeler County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Mental health
Mental health
2 designations
- Dental
Dental
1 designations
Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Wheeler County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Wheeler County's active designations: about 0.8 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 Wheeler 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 Wheeler County's designations
Wheeler County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Wheeler County's 5 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 mental-health score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active mental-health HPSA score to Wheeler County's 18.0. Open Clackamas County, OR or Weber County, UT next.
Showing 3 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Wheeler County's mental score of 18.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 18.0 (severity lead on this page is “PARKVIEW RURAL HEALTH CLINIC”).
Clackamas County, OR
18.0 mental score · 421,401 pop.
Weber County, UT
18.0 mental score · 262,223 pop.
Santa Rosa County, FL
18.0 mental score · 188,000 pop.
Washington County, MD
18.0 mental score · 154,705 pop.
Tazewell County, IL
18.0 mental score · 131,343 pop.
Missoula County, MT
18.0 mental score · 117,922 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Wheeler County's peak score of 18.0?
- "PARKVIEW RURAL HEALTH CLINIC" leads the active set (score 18.0; mental health; 15,770 people in the service area; designated 12/28/2021). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 5 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental.
- Why is Wheeler County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Wheeler County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- Which other active designations sit under Wheeler County's severity reading?
- After "PARKVIEW RURAL HEALTH CLINIC", the next active names on this release are "PARKVIEW RURAL HEALTH CLINIC", "PARKVIEW RURAL HEALTH CLINIC", "PARKVIEW RURAL HEALTH CLINIC" and "Wheeler County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~0.8 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Wheeler County's high-severity geography?
- Wheeler County's 5 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 "PARKVIEW RURAL HEALTH CLINIC".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 48483. 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 48483 (Wheeler County, TX), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 5; peak score 18.0; signature peak score 18.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.