WI · Healthcare shortage profile
Ashland County, WI
Home to 16,027 residents, with 5 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 5
- Population
- 16,027
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- -
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Ashland County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 5 active HPSA designations, more than 47% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 5
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Mental-health shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 53%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Ashland County, WI 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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40% of Ashland County's 5 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 5).
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Closing Ashland County's active designations would take about 5.8 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 5.4 mental health, 0.3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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Peak HPSA score 17.0 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.
Ashland 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. Ashland County falls in the lower half of WI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 38 of 71. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 55003. Population: 16,027.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Ashland 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 Ashland County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Bad River Health Services | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Ashland/Bayfield/Douglas/Iron/Sawyer/Washburn Counties | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Bad River Health Services | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Bad River Health Services | dental | 15.0 |
| LI - Ashland County | dental | 11.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Ashland County
Ashland County's shortage runs equally deep in primary care and mental health: both scored 17.0 by HRSA, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Ashland County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Ashland 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 (1/2/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Ashland County falls in the lower half of WI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 38 of 71. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Ashland 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
- Primary care
Primary care
1 designations
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Ashland County, WI · 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 Ashland County's designations
Ashland County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Ashland 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 mental health burden compares with the rest of WI before you draw conclusions from a single score. WI 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 Ashland County's 17.0. Open Fairfax County, VA or Forsyth County, NC next.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many healthcare shortage areas does Ashland County have?
Ashland County, WI has 5 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 1 in primary care, 2 in mental health, and 2 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
Is Ashland County a Medically Underserved Area?
Ashland 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 Ashland County's HPSA score of 17.0 mean?
17.0 in primary care and mental health clears 17, HRSA's high-priority line, which is what makes providers here eligible for NHSC placement and enhanced reimbursement.
What healthcare providers are needed in Ashland County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, Ashland County needs additional providers in primary care (family physicians, internists, pediatricians), mental health (psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers), and dental care (dentists, dental hygienists). The National Health Service Corps offers loan repayment and scholarship programs for providers who serve in designated shortage areas.
Next read: The Mental-Health Provider Shortage · WI state overview · NHSC loan repayment
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 55003. 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.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the HRSA Data Warehouse. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →
Every figure on PlainHealthAccess is rendered directly from HRSA source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page counts active HPSA rows for FIPS 55003 (Ashland County, WI) from the current HRSA release and places that total among all real US counties. Designations describe federal shortage criteria, not appointment availability or care quality for any person. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, review the public data changelog, or report a data issue for this page. Data current as of 2026-08-15.