VA · Healthcare shortage profile
Rockbridge County, VA
Peak severity leads this reading: Rockbridge County's highest active HPSA score is 21.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 22,650.
- Active HPSAs
- 6
- Population
- 22,650
- Peak shortage score
- 21.0
- MUA Index
- -
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Rockbridge 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
- Mental-health shortages
- 21
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 46%
- 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.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Rockbridge 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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Peak HPSA score 21.0 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 Rockbridge County's active designations would take about 4.5 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.1 primary care, 0.8 mental health, 1.6 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Rockbridge 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).
Rockbridge County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
13 Census ZCTAs intersect Rockbridge County, between the 9 and 15 ZIP cuts across published counties: neither a postage-stamp footprint nor a metro-scale lattice.
Largest land-share ZCTAs
5 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.
Rockbridge County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
6 Top 46% higher than 54% 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. Rockbridge County falls in the upper quarter of VA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 21 of 133. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 51163. Population: 22,650.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Rockbridge 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 6 active (designated) HPSAs in Rockbridge County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Rockbridge Area Free Clinic | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Rockbridge Area Free Clinic | dental | 21.0 |
| Rockbridge Area Free Clinic | primary_care | 20.0 |
| LI - Rockbridge Service Area | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI - Rockbridge County/Lexington City/BuenaVista City | dental | 15.0 |
| LI - Rockbridge Area | primary_care | 13.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Rockbridge County
Peak severity leads this reading: Rockbridge County's highest active HPSA score is 21.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Rockbridge County's shortage runs equally deep in mental health and dental care: both scored 21.0 by HRSA, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 20.0 of 25. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Rockbridge County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Rockbridge 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.
Rockbridge County falls in the upper quarter of VA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 21 of 133. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Rockbridge County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Rockbridge County's active designations: about 4.5 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 Rockbridge County, VA · 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 Rockbridge County's designations
Rockbridge County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Rockbridge 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 VA before you draw conclusions from a single score. VA 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 Rockbridge County's 21.0. Open Prince William County, VA or Orange County, NY next.
Showing 3 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Rockbridge County's peak score of 21.0?
- "ROCKBRIDGE AREA FREE CLINIC" leads the active set (score 21.0; mental health; 13,149 people in the service area; designated 11/01/2013). 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.
- Why is Rockbridge County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Rockbridge 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 Rockbridge County's severity reading?
- After "ROCKBRIDGE AREA FREE CLINIC", the next active names on this release are "ROCKBRIDGE AREA FREE CLINIC", "LI - Rockbridge Service Area", "LI - Rockbridge County/Lexington City/BuenaVista City" and "LI - Rockbridge Area". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~4.5 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Rockbridge County's high-severity geography?
- Rockbridge 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 "ROCKBRIDGE AREA FREE CLINIC".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 51163. 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 51163 (Rockbridge County, VA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 21.0; signature peak score 21.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.