NY · Healthcare shortage profile
Columbia County, NY
Peak severity leads this reading: Columbia County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 61,570.
- Active HPSAs
- 2
- Population
- 61,570
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- 61.3
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Columbia County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 2 active HPSA designations, more than 10% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 2
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Primary-care shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 90%
- 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.
Dense ZCTA lattice over Columbia County
Columbia County intersects 38 Census ZCTAs, above the 15-ZIP dense-tercile cut. Shortage designations still attach at the county (or smaller HPSA) grain; the ZIP list is geography, not a second severity score.
Largest land-share ZCTAs in this county
26 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.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Columbia County, NY 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.
-
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.
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Closing Columbia County's active designations would take about 6.6 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.5 primary care, 4 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
50% of Columbia County's 2 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 0 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 2).
Columbia County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
2 Top 90% higher than 10% 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. Columbia County falls in the lower half of NY counties by active-designation volume, at rank 53 of 62. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 36021. Population: 61,570.
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 2 active (designated) HPSAs in Columbia County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI-Hudson | primary_care | 17.0 |
| ME - Columbia County | dental | 16.0 |
Light-burden reading for Columbia County
Peak severity leads this reading: Columbia County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where Columbia County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 17.0 of 25, the county's highest severity reading and past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Dental care reads 16.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 61.3, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Columbia County carries 2 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 10% 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.
Columbia County falls in the lower half of NY counties by active-designation volume, at rank 53 of 62. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.
Light-volume FTE gap for Columbia County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Columbia County's active designations: about 6.6 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Columbia County's high-priority primary care
Columbia County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Columbia County's high-priority primary care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's primary care burden compares with the rest of NY before drawing conclusions from a single score. NY 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.
Counties near Columbia County's primary score of 17.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 17.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI-Hudson”).
Hawaii County, HI
17.0 primary score · 200,629 pop.
Kent County, RI
17.0 primary score · 170,363 pop.
Brunswick County, NC
17.0 primary score · 136,693 pop.
Norfolk County, MA
17.0 primary score · 725,981 pop.
Genesee County, MI
17.0 primary score · 406,211 pop.
San Juan County, PR
17.0 primary score · 342,259 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Columbia County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Columbia County carries an MUA designation (index 61.3; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- Which record sets Columbia County's peak score of 17.0?
- "LI-Hudson" leads the active set (score 17.0; primary care; 808 people in the service area; ~2.5 FTE still needed on the record; designated 03/25/2026). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 2 active rows: 1 primary care, 0 mental health, 1 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Columbia County's severity reading?
- After "LI-Hudson", the next active names on this release are "LI-Hudson" and "ME - Columbia County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~6.6 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 36021. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_PC.csv (primary care) 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 36021 (Columbia County, NY), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 2; peak score 17.0; signature peak score 17.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.