WV · Healthcare shortage profile
Hancock County, WV
Peak severity leads this reading: Hancock County's highest active HPSA score is 21.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 29,095.
- Active HPSAs
- 6
- Population
- 29,095
- Peak shortage score
- 21.0
- MUA Index
- MUA
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Hancock 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
Few Census ZCTAs touch Hancock County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 5 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Hancock County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
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 Hancock County, WV 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 Hancock County's active designations would take about 4.9 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.5 primary care, 1.4 mental health, 1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Hancock 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).
Hancock 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. Hancock County falls in the upper half of WV counties by active-designation volume, at rank 17 of 55. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 54029. Population: 29,095.
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 Hancock County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Change Inc | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Change Inc | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Change Inc | dental | 17.0 |
| LI-Hancock County | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Hancock County | mental_health | 14.0 |
| LI-Hancock | dental | 12.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Hancock County
Peak severity leads this reading: Hancock County's highest active HPSA score is 21.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Hancock County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 21.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 17.0 of 25; Dental care reads 17.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, a separate HRSA designation from the HPSA records above.
Hancock 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.
Hancock County falls in the upper half of WV counties by active-designation volume, at rank 17 of 55. 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 Hancock County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Hancock County's active designations: about 4.9 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 Hancock County, WV · 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 Hancock County's designations
Hancock County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Hancock 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 WV before you draw conclusions from a single score. WV 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 Hancock County's 21.0. Open Pinellas County, FL or Ocean County, NJ next.
Showing 3 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Hancock County's mental score of 21.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 21.0 (severity lead on this page is “CHANGE INC”).
Pinellas County, FL
21.0 mental score · 959,107 pop.
Ocean County, NJ
21.0 mental score · 637,229 pop.
Greenville County, SC
21.0 mental score · 525,534 pop.
Pinal County, AZ
21.0 mental score · 425,264 pop.
Lancaster County, NE
21.0 mental score · 322,608 pop.
Erie County, PA
21.0 mental score · 270,876 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Hancock County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Hancock County carries an MUA designation in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- Which record sets Hancock County's peak score of 21.0?
- "CHANGE INC" leads the active set (score 21.0; mental health; 26,640 people in the service area; designated 07/11/2007). 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 Hancock County's severity reading?
- After "CHANGE INC", the next active names on this release are "CHANGE INC", "CHANGE INC", "CHANGE INC" and "LI-Hancock County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~4.9 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Hancock County's high-severity geography?
- Hancock 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 "CHANGE INC".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 54029. 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 54029 (Hancock County, WV), 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.