PA · Healthcare shortage profile
Northumberland County, PA
Designation volume is the standout signal for Northumberland County: 7 active HPSA records, above 70% of real US counties. Population 91,647.
- Active HPSAs
- 7
- Population
- 91,647
- Peak shortage score
- 16.0
- MUA Index
- 57.1
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Northumberland County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 7 active HPSA designations, more than 70% of the 3,289 real US counties, with dental the deepest gap.
- 7
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Dental shortages
- 16
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 30%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Northumberland County
Northumberland County intersects 28 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
16 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 Northumberland County, PA 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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Closing Northumberland County's active designations would take about 9.3 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.3 primary care, 1.6 mental health, 6.3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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42.9% of Northumberland County's 7 active designations are dental.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 7).
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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, Northumberland County carries 7 active designations, above 70% 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. Northumberland County falls in the upper half of PA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 19 of 67. 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: 42097. Population: 91,647.
Below high-priority line
Northumberland County is designated, but no active score clears 17
7 active designations sit on this FIPS (2 primary care, 2 mental health, 3 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 7 active (designated) HPSAs in Northumberland County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI- Northumberland/Montour | dental | 16.0 |
| Miller Donmoyer Family Health Center | dental | 15.0 |
| Miller Donmoyer Family Health Center | mental_health | 14.0 |
| CF-State Correctional Institution - Coal Township | mental_health | 12.0 |
| Miller Donmoyer Family Health Center | primary_care | 6.0 |
| CF-State Correctional Institution - Coal Township | primary_care | 6.0 |
| CF-State Correctional Institution - Coal Township | dental | 3.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Northumberland County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Northumberland County: 7 active HPSA records, above 70% of real US counties. Dental care carries Northumberland County's deepest shortage reading, 16.0 on HRSA's 0–26 dental scale, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Primary care reads 6.0 of 25; Mental health reads 14.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 57.1, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Northumberland County above 70% of real US counties (7 active designations: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 3 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.
Northumberland County falls in the upper half of PA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 19 of 67. 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.
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Northumberland County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Northumberland County's active designations: about 9.3 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
High-volume peers of Northumberland County (7 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 7 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Northumberland County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Northumberland County carries an MUA designation (index 57.1; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- What makes up Northumberland County's 7 active HPSA designations?
- 7 Designated rows (2 primary care, 2 mental health, 3 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "LI- Northumberland/Montour" (score 16.0; dental; 11,464 people in the service area; ~5.5 FTE still needed on the record; designated 10/22/2000). Also active: "MILLER DONMOYER FAMILY HEALTH CENTER", "MILLER DONMOYER FAMILY HEALTH CENTER", "CF-State Correctional Institution - Coal Township". Above 70% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Northumberland County?
- Peak active score 16.0 in dental care stays under the 17-point line while volume sits at 7 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Northumberland County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 9.3 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "LI- Northumberland/Montour" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Northumberland County's designation volume?
- 7 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, by designated area and provider type, not by county line alone.
- How does Northumberland County's volume compare inside PA?
- 7 active HPSA rows · peak 16.0. Northumberland County falls in the upper half of PA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 19 of 67. Score-nearest counties on this release include Somerset County, NJ and Schuylkill County, PA.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 42097. 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 42097 (Northumberland County, PA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 7; peak score 16.0; signature 7 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.