VA · Healthcare shortage profile
Hanover County, VA
Peak severity leads this reading: Hanover County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 109,979.
- Active HPSAs
- 1
- Population
- 109,979
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- -
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Hanover 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
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 98%
- 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.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Hanover County, VA 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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Peak HPSA score 18.0 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 Hanover County's active designations would take about 1 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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100% of Hanover 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).
Hanover County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
12 Census ZCTAs intersect Hanover County, between the 9 and 15 ZIP cuts across published counties: neither a postage-stamp footprint nor a metro-scale lattice.
Largest land-share ZCTAs
4 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.
Hanover 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
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. Hanover County falls in the lower half of VA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 120 of 133. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 51085. Population: 109,979.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only · mental health only on this FIPS. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Hanover County in the current HRSA release, federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone. 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 Hanover County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI - Hanover County Mhca 18 | mental_health | 18.0 |
Light-burden reading for Hanover County
Peak severity leads this reading: Hanover County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Hanover County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 18.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Hanover County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Hanover 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.
Hanover County falls in the lower half of VA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 120 of 133. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.
Acting on Hanover County's high-priority mental health
Hanover County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Hanover 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 VA before drawing conclusions from a single score. VA 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 Hanover County's mental score of 18.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 18.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI - Hanover County MHCA 18”).
Hendricks County, IN
18.0 mental score · 174,788 pop.
Berrien County, MI
18.0 mental score · 154,316 pop.
Skagit County, WA
18.0 mental score · 129,523 pop.
Northwest Hills County, CT
18.0 mental score · 112,696 pop.
Will County, IL
18.0 mental score · 696,355 pop.
Galveston County, TX
18.0 mental score · 350,682 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Hanover County's peak score of 18.0?
- "LI - Hanover County MHCA 18" leads the active set (score 18.0; mental health; 15,226 people in the service area; ~1 FTE still needed on the record; designated 06/02/2023). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 1 active rows: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental.
- Why is Hanover County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Hanover County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- What provider types does Hanover County's severity cover?
- Active rows break down 0 primary care / 1 mental health / 0 dental. Closing published gaps would take about 1 additional clinician FTEs on this release.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 51085. 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.
HRSA Data Warehouse HPSA + MUA/P records for FIPS 51085 (Hanover County, VA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 1; peak score 18.0; signature peak score 18.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.