PA · Healthcare shortage profile
Montgomery County, PA
MUA standing opens this profile: Montgomery County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 58.7 (lower index = greater measured need). Population 856,553.
- Active HPSAs
- 3
- Population
- 856,553
- Peak shortage score
- 6.0
- MUA Index
- 58.7
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Montgomery County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 3 active HPSA designations, more than 20% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 3
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Mental-health shortages
- 6
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 80%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Montgomery County
Montgomery County intersects 71 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
59 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 Montgomery 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 Montgomery County's active designations would take about 4.2 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.8 primary care, 1.4 mental health, 1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Montgomery County's 3 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 3).
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Peak HPSA score 6.0 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, Montgomery County carries 3 active designations, above 20% 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. Montgomery County falls in the lower half of PA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 37 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: 42091. Population: 856,553.
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 3 active (designated) HPSAs in Montgomery County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| CF-State Correctional Institution - Phoenix | mental_health | 6.0 |
| CF-State Correctional Institution - Phoenix | primary_care | 3.0 |
| CF-State Correctional Institution - Phoenix | dental | 3.0 |
Light-burden reading for Montgomery County
MUA standing opens this profile: Montgomery County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 58.7 (lower index = greater measured need). Montgomery County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 6.0 of 25, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Primary care reads 3.0 of 25; Dental care reads 3.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 58.7, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Montgomery County carries 3 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 20% 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.
Montgomery County falls in the lower half of PA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 37 of 67. 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 Montgomery County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Montgomery County's active designations: about 4.2 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Score neighbours for Montgomery County's MUA-led profile
One peer set beside the MUA standing: nearest primary-care HPSA score (3.0 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Montgomery County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Montgomery County carries an MUA designation (index 58.7; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- How do Montgomery County's HPSA rows sit beside the MUA?
- 3 active HPSA designations (1 primary care / 1 mental health / 1 dental); highest-scored active name is "CF-State Correctional Institution - Phoenix" (score 6.0; mental health; 6,267 people in the service area; ~1.4 FTE still needed on the record; designated 10/03/2023). MUA and HPSA are separate tracks, one does not substitute for the other.
- What does the 6.0 HPSA score mean next to the MUA?
- 6.0 sits below the 17-point high-priority HPSA line. MUA index 58.7 remains a separate need measure.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 42091. 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 42091 (Montgomery County, PA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 3; peak score 6.0; signature MUA index 58.7. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.