TX · Healthcare shortage profile
Wise County, TX
Peak severity leads this reading: Wise County's highest active HPSA score is 16.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 68,632.
- Active HPSAs
- 4
- Population
- 68,632
- Peak shortage score
- 16.0
- MUA Index
- -
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Wise County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 4 active HPSA designations, more than 44% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 4
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Primary-care shortages
- 16
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 56%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Wise County
Wise County intersects 18 Census ZCTAs, above the 15-ZIP dense-tercile cut. Shortage designations still attach at the county (or smaller HPSA) grain; the ZIP list is geography, not a second severity score.
Largest land-share ZCTAs in this county
6 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 Wise 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.
-
Closing Wise County's active designations would take about 2.5 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.5 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
50% of Wise County's 4 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 4).
-
Peak HPSA score 16.0 sits below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line.
Below-17 designations still count as shortages for program geography, but they do not clear the high-priority NHSC placement threshold on this release.
Corpus placement
Designated volume without a high-priority score
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Wise County carries 4 active designations, above 44% of real US counties. None of those scores clear HRSA's high-priority line of 17 on this release, so the page leads with severity reading rather than a national distribution chart.
State peer position. Wise County falls in the upper half of TX counties by active-designation volume, at rank 92 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: 48497. Population: 68,632.
Below high-priority line
Wise County is designated, but no active score clears 17
4 active designations sit on this FIPS (1 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental), and the peak severity is 16.0. That is a formal shortage footprint without HRSA's high-priority (≥17) tier, so NHSC placement geography is usually weaker here than on counties whose lead score clears the line.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Wise 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 4 active (designated) HPSAs in Wise County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Fch Rural Health Clinic Alvord | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Wise County | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Fch Rural Health Clinic Alvord | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Fch Rural Health Clinic Alvord | dental | 15.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Wise County
Peak severity leads this reading: Wise County's highest active HPSA score is 16.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where Wise County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 16.0 of 25, the county's highest severity reading and still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Mental health reads 15.0 of 25; Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Wise County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Wise County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 44% of counties) with 4 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (1/2/1) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Wise County falls in the upper half of TX counties by active-designation volume, at rank 92 of 254. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Counties near Wise County's primary score of 16.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 16.0 (severity lead on this page is “FCH RURAL HEALTH CLINIC ALVORD”).
Madera County, CA
16.0 primary score · 156,255 pop.
Hardin County, KY
16.0 primary score · 110,702 pop.
Garland County, AR
16.0 primary score · 100,180 pop.
San Francisco County, CA
16.0 primary score · 873,965 pop.
Clackamas County, OR
16.0 primary score · 421,401 pop.
Norfolk City County, VA
16.0 primary score · 238,005 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Wise County's peak score of 16.0?
- "FCH RURAL HEALTH CLINIC ALVORD" leads the active set (score 16.0; primary care; 37,091 people in the service area; designated 11/05/2024). Below 17 the shortage is formal but outside HRSA's high-priority NHSC tier. Discipline mix across 4 active rows: 1 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental.
- Why is Wise County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Wise 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 Wise County's severity reading?
- After "FCH RURAL HEALTH CLINIC ALVORD", the next active names on this release are "FCH RURAL HEALTH CLINIC ALVORD", "Wise County", "FCH RURAL HEALTH CLINIC ALVORD" and "FCH RURAL HEALTH CLINIC ALVORD". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~2.5 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Wise County's high-severity geography?
- Wise County's 4 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 "FCH RURAL HEALTH CLINIC ALVORD".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 48497. 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 48497 (Wise County, TX), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 4; peak score 16.0; signature peak score 16.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.