Medically Underserved Area Mono-discipline · mental health

WI · Healthcare shortage profile

Eau Claire County, WI

Home to 105,710 residents, with 1 active HRSA shortage designation.

Active HPSAs
1
Population
105,710
Peak shortage score
17.0
MUA Index
60.8

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Eau Claire 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
17
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 98%
US counties by volume

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Eau Claire 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.

  1. 100% of Eau Claire 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).

  2. Closing Eau Claire County's active designations would take about 0.9 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.9 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 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.

Eau Claire 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

0–20: 3,115 real US counties (95%). This entry sits in this band. 20–40: 128 real US counties (4%). Above this entry. 40–60: 32 real US counties (1%). Above this entry. 60–80: 7 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 80–100: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 100–120: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 120–140: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 140–160: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 160–180: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 180–200: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 200–220: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 220–240: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 240–260: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 260–280: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. This county 0 280 every real US county, bucketed by value

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. Eau Claire County falls in the lower half of WI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 55 of 71. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 55035. Population: 105,710.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 60.8

Active HPSA scores

Mental Health 17.0

Current designated records only · mental health only on this FIPS. 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 Eau Claire County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
LI-City of Eau Claire mental_health 17.0

Light-burden reading for Eau Claire County

Eau Claire County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 17.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 60.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Eau Claire 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.

Eau Claire County falls in the lower half of WI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 55 of 71. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.

Acting on Eau Claire County's high-priority mental health

Eau Claire County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.

  • Eau Claire 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 WI before drawing conclusions from a single score. WI 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 Eau Claire County: active designation volume and primary-care HPSA score, ranked across the national county corpus.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Eau Claire County a Medically Underserved Area?

Yes, Eau Claire County is designated as a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) by HRSA. The MUA Index for this county is 60.8. MUA designation qualifies the area for enhanced federal funding and provider incentive programs.

How many healthcare shortage areas does Eau Claire County have?

Eau Claire County, WI has 1 Health Professional Shortage Area designation: 0 in primary care, 1 in mental health, and 0 in dental care, according to HRSA data.

What does Eau Claire County's HPSA score of 17.0 mean?

17.0 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: 55035. 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.