VA · Healthcare shortage profile
Accomack County, VA
Peak severity leads this reading: Accomack County's highest active HPSA score is 21.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 33,413.
- Active HPSAs
- 6
- Population
- 33,413
- Peak shortage score
- 21.0
- MUA Index
- 50.5
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Accomack County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 6 active HPSA designations, more than 54% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 6
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Dental shortages
- 21
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 46%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Accomack County
Accomack County intersects 33 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
21 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 Accomack 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 21.0 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 Accomack County's active designations would take about 8.1 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.6 primary care, 3 mental health, 2.6 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Accomack County's 6 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 6).
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Accomack County carries 6 active designations, above 54% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Accomack County falls in the upper quarter of VA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 21 of 133. 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: 51001. Population: 33,413.
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 6 active (designated) HPSAs in Accomack County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Shore Rural Health System, Incorporated | dental | 21.0 |
| Eastern Shore Rural Health System, Incorporated | mental_health | 20.0 |
| Eastern Shore Service Area | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Eastern Shore Rural Health System, Incorporated | primary_care | 18.0 |
| LI - Accomack/Northampton Counties | dental | 18.0 |
| LI-Accomack/Northampton Counties | primary_care | 17.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Accomack County
Peak severity leads this reading: Accomack County's highest active HPSA score is 21.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Accomack County's deepest shortage reading, 21.0 on HRSA's 0–26 dental scale, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 18.0 of 25; Mental health reads 20.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 50.5, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Accomack County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 54% of counties) with 6 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Accomack County falls in the upper quarter of VA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 21 of 133. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Accomack County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Primary care
Primary care
2 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
2 designations
- Dental
Dental
2 designations
Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Accomack County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Accomack County's active designations: about 8.1 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Accomack County, VA · 2026 HRSA designation data updated quarterly; HPSA scores 0-25 (primary/mental) and 0-26 (dental); higher = greater shortage severity. Coverage tiers from U.S. Census ACS PUMS + KFF state tracker.
Acting on Accomack County's designations
Accomack County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Accomack County's 6 active designations make providers here eligible for National Health Service Corps loan repayment, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's primary care burden compares with the rest of VA before you draw conclusions from a single score. VA overview
- Check whether an area clears HRSA's 3,500:1 population-to-provider threshold with the provider-to-population ratio behind an HPSA score. 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.
Nearby dental score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active dental HPSA score to Accomack County's 21.0. Open Oconee County, SC or Duplin County, NC next.
Showing 3 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Accomack County's dental score of 21.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 21.0 (severity lead on this page is “EASTERN SHORE RURAL HEALTH SYSTEM, INCORPORATED”).
Oconee County, SC
21.0 dental score · 78,607 pop.
Duplin County, NC
21.0 dental score · 48,715 pop.
Webster County, IA
21.0 dental score · 36,999 pop.
Lancaster County, PA
21.0 dental score · 552,984 pop.
Hamilton County, IN
21.0 dental score · 347,467 pop.
Calhoun County, MI
21.0 dental score · 134,310 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Accomack County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Accomack County carries an MUA designation (index 50.5; 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 Accomack County's peak score of 21.0?
- "EASTERN SHORE RURAL HEALTH SYSTEM, INCORPORATED" leads the active set (score 21.0; dental; 13,836 people in the service area; designated 10/26/2002). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 6 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Accomack County's severity reading?
- After "EASTERN SHORE RURAL HEALTH SYSTEM, INCORPORATED", the next active names on this release are "EASTERN SHORE RURAL HEALTH SYSTEM, INCORPORATED", "EASTERN SHORE RURAL HEALTH SYSTEM, INCORPORATED", "Eastern Shore Service Area" and "EASTERN SHORE RURAL HEALTH SYSTEM, INCORPORATED". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~8.1 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Accomack County's high-severity geography?
- Accomack County's 6 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not merely the county line around "EASTERN SHORE RURAL HEALTH SYSTEM, INCORPORATED".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 51001. 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 51001 (Accomack County, VA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 21.0; signature peak score 21.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.