WV · Healthcare shortage profile
Wetzel County, WV
Peak severity leads this reading: Wetzel County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 14,442.
- Active HPSAs
- 3
- Population
- 14,442
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- 57.1
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Wetzel 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
- Primary-care shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 80%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Wetzel County, WV 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 Wetzel County's active designations would take about 3.7 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.9 primary care, 0.4 mental health, 1.4 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Wetzel 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).
Wetzel County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
13 Census ZCTAs intersect Wetzel 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
5 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.
Wetzel County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
3 Top 80% higher than 20% 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. Wetzel County falls in the lower half of WV counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 55. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 54103. Population: 14,442.
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 Wetzel County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI - Wetzel County | primary_care | 18.0 |
| LI-Wetzel County | dental | 18.0 |
| LI - Wetzel County | mental_health | 13.0 |
Light-burden reading for Wetzel County
Peak severity leads this reading: Wetzel County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Wetzel County's shortage runs equally deep in primary care and dental care: both scored 18.0 by HRSA, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Mental health reads 13.0 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.
Wetzel 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.
Wetzel County falls in the lower half of WV counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 55. 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 Wetzel County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Wetzel County's active designations: about 3.7 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 Wetzel County, WV · 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 Wetzel County's designations
Wetzel County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Wetzel County's 3 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 WV before you draw conclusions from a single score. WV 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.
Counties near Wetzel County's primary score of 18.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 18.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI - Wetzel County”).
Whatcom County, WA
18.0 primary score · 226,847 pop.
Pitt County, NC
18.0 primary score · 170,243 pop.
Rock Island County, IL
18.0 primary score · 144,672 pop.
Ventura County, CA
18.0 primary score · 843,843 pop.
Douglas County, NE
18.0 primary score · 584,526 pop.
Lane County, OR
18.0 primary score · 382,971 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Wetzel County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Wetzel 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.
- Which record sets Wetzel County's peak score of 18.0?
- "LI - Wetzel County" leads the active set (score 18.0; primary care; 5,744 people in the service area; ~1.9 FTE still needed on the record; designated 03/14/2017). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 3 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Wetzel County's severity reading?
- After "LI - Wetzel County", the next active names on this release are "LI - Wetzel County", "LI-Wetzel County" and "LI - Wetzel County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~3.7 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 54103. 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 54103 (Wetzel County, WV), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 3; peak score 18.0; signature peak score 18.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.