VA · Healthcare shortage profile
Hanover County, VA
Home to 109,979 residents, with 1 active HRSA shortage designation.
- Active HPSAs
- 1
- Population
- 109,979
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- -
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Hanover County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 1 active HPSA designation, more than 2% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 1
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Mental-health shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 98%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Hanover County, VA 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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100% of Hanover County's 1 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental (denominator 1).
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Closing Hanover County's active designations would take about 1 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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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.
Hanover County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
1 Top 98% higher than 2% 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. Hanover County falls in the lower half of VA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 120 of 133. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 51085. Population: 109,979.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only · mental health only on this FIPS. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Hanover 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 1 active (designated) HPSAs in Hanover County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI - Hanover County Mhca 18 | mental_health | 18.0 |
Light-burden reading for Hanover County
Hanover 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. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Hanover County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Hanover County carries 1 active designation and sits below the national mid-pack (above 2% 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.
Hanover County falls in the lower half of VA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 120 of 133. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.
Acting on Hanover County's high-priority mental health
Hanover County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Hanover County's high-priority mental health designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's mental health burden compares with the rest of VA before drawing conclusions from a single score. VA 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 Hanover County: active designation volume and primary-care HPSA score, ranked across the national county corpus.
Similar designation volume
Nearest active designation count (1 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many healthcare shortage areas does Hanover County have?
Hanover County, VA has 1 Health Professional Shortage Area designation: 0 in primary care, 1 in mental health, and 0 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
Is Hanover County a Medically Underserved Area?
Hanover 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 Hanover County's HPSA score of 18.0 mean?
18.0 in mental health 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: 51085. This county’s designations come from 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.