WI · Healthcare shortage profile
Buffalo County, WI
Home to 13,317 residents, with 8 active HRSA shortage designations.
- Active HPSAs
- 8
- Population
- 13,317
- Peak shortage score
- 16.0
- MUA Index
- 52.7
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Buffalo County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 8 active HPSA designations, more than 73% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 8
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Mental-health shortages
- 16
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 27%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Buffalo 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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37.5% of Buffalo County's 8 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 8).
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Closing Buffalo County's active designations would take about 3.1 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.2 primary care, 0.9 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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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, Buffalo County carries 8 active designations, above 73% 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. Buffalo County falls in the upper half of WI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 21 of 71. 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: 55011. Population: 13,317.
Below high-priority line
Buffalo County is designated, but no active score clears 17
8 active designations sit on this FIPS (3 primary care, 3 mental health, 2 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.
Medically Underserved Area
Peak severity 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 8 active (designated) HPSAs in Buffalo County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo County | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Mayo Clinic HS Oakridge IN Mondovi | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Gundersen St Elizabeths Hsptl & Clinics Alma | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Gundersen St Elizabeths Hsptl & Clinics Alma | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Gundersen St Elizabeths Hsptl & Clinics Alma | dental | 15.0 |
| Mayo Clinic HS Oakridge IN Mondovi | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Buffalo County | primary_care | 12.0 |
| Mayo Clinic HS Oakridge IN Mondovi | dental | 11.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Buffalo County
Buffalo County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 16.0 of 25, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Primary care reads 15.0 of 25; Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 52.7, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Buffalo County above 73% of real US counties (8 active designations: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 2 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 16.0. The table on this page lists the highest-severity records first so a reader can see which named facilities, geographies, or population groups drive that burden without treating the county total as a personal appointment forecast.
Buffalo County falls in the upper half of WI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 21 of 71. Heavy-burden counties are where NHSC placement, Community Health Center grant geography, and related federal instruments concentrate; eligibility still follows the designated area and provider type, not the county boundary alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Buffalo County a Medically Underserved Area?
Yes, Buffalo County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 52.7. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.
How many healthcare shortage areas does Buffalo County have?
Buffalo County, WI has 8 Health Professional Shortage Area designations: 3 in primary care, 3 in mental health, and 2 in dental care, according to HRSA data.
What does Buffalo County's HPSA score of 16.0 mean?
16.0 in mental health falls under 17, so the shortage is formally designated but outside HRSA's high-priority tier.
What healthcare providers are needed in Buffalo County?
Based on HRSA shortage designations, Buffalo 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.
Which federal programs do Buffalo County's designations unlock?
Buffalo County's 8 active designations open NHSC placement, Community Health Center grants, the Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, but eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not the county line.
How does Buffalo County compare to other counties in WI?
Buffalo County has 8 total HPSA designations with a peak shortage score of 16.0. You can compare shortage levels across all counties in WI on the state overview page, or view national county rankings to see where Buffalo County stands relative to the rest of the country. Score-nearest counties on this release include Wichita County, TX and Terrebonne County, LA.
Next read: The Mental-Health Provider Shortage · WI state overview · NHSC loan repayment
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 55011. 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 55011 (Buffalo 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.