VA · Healthcare shortage profile
Suffolk City County, VA
Peak severity leads this reading: Suffolk City County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 94,324.
- Active HPSAs
- 2
- Population
- 94,324
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- 53.1
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Suffolk City County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 2 active HPSA designations, more than 10% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 2
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Mental-health shortages
- 18
- 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.
Few Census ZCTAs touch Suffolk City County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 8 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Suffolk City County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
3 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 Suffolk City 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 Suffolk City County's active designations would take about 4 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.5 mental health, 1.5 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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50% of Suffolk City County's 2 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 2).
Suffolk City 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. Suffolk City County falls in the lower half of VA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 102 of 133. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 51800. Population: 94,324.
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 Suffolk City County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| West Tidewater-MHCA | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Suffolk County | dental | 8.0 |
Light-burden reading for Suffolk City County
Peak severity leads this reading: Suffolk City County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Suffolk City 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. Dental care reads 8.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 53.1, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Suffolk City 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.
Suffolk City County falls in the lower half of VA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 102 of 133. 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 Suffolk City County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Suffolk City County's active designations: about 4 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Suffolk City County's high-priority mental health
Suffolk City County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Suffolk City 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 Suffolk City 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 “West Tidewater-MHCA”).
Caguas County, PR
18.0 mental score · 127,244 pop.
Cuyahoga County, OH
18.0 mental score · 1,264,817 pop.
Adams County, CO
18.0 mental score · 519,572 pop.
Cumberland County, NC
18.0 mental score · 334,728 pop.
Clay County, FL
18.0 mental score · 218,245 pop.
Indian River County, FL
18.0 mental score · 159,788 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Suffolk City County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Suffolk City County carries an MUA designation (index 53.1; 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 Suffolk City County's peak score of 18.0?
- "West Tidewater-MHCA" leads the active set (score 18.0; mental health; 37,198 people in the service area; ~2.5 FTE still needed on the record; designated 08/17/2021). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 2 active rows: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Suffolk City County's severity reading?
- After "West Tidewater-MHCA", the next active names on this release are "West Tidewater-MHCA" and "Suffolk County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~4 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 51800. This county’s designations come from 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 51800 (Suffolk City County, VA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 2; peak score 18.0; signature peak score 18.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.