NC · Healthcare shortage profile
Iredell County, NC
Peak severity leads this reading: Iredell County's highest active HPSA score is 16.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 186,693.
- Active HPSAs
- 6
- Population
- 186,693
- Peak shortage score
- 16.0
- MUA Index
- 50.1
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Iredell 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
- Primary-care shortages
- 16
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 46%
- 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.
Dense ZCTA lattice over Iredell County
Iredell County intersects 16 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
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.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Iredell County, NC 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.
-
Closing Iredell County's active designations would take about 9.7 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.8 primary care, 2.1 mental health, 4.8 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
33.3% of Iredell 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).
-
Peak HPSA score 16.0 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, Iredell County carries 6 active designations, above 54% 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. Iredell County falls in the upper half of NC counties by active-designation volume, at rank 28 of 100. 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: 37097. Population: 186,693.
Below high-priority line
Iredell County is designated, but no active score clears 17
6 active designations sit on this FIPS (2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental), and the peak severity is 16.0. That is a formal shortage footprint without HRSA's high-priority (≥17) tier, so NHSC placement geography is usually weaker here than on counties whose lead score clears the line.
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 Iredell County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI-Iredell Mooresville | primary_care | 16.0 |
| LI-Iredell Northern | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI - Iredell Mooresville | dental | 16.0 |
| LI - Iredell Northern | dental | 14.0 |
| LI-Iredell Mooresville | mental_health | 12.0 |
| LI-Iredell Northern | primary_care | 8.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Iredell County
Peak severity leads this reading: Iredell County's highest active HPSA score is 16.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Iredell County's shortage runs equally deep in primary care and mental health and dental care: both scored 16.0 by HRSA, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 50.1, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Iredell 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.
Iredell County falls in the upper half of NC counties by active-designation volume, at rank 28 of 100. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Iredell County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Iredell County's active designations: about 9.7 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Counties near Iredell County's primary score of 16.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 16.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI-Iredell Mooresville”).
Cumberland County, ME
16.0 primary score · 303,069 pop.
Deschutes County, OR
16.0 primary score · 198,253 pop.
Ouachita County, LA
16.0 primary score · 160,368 pop.
Ontario County, NY
16.0 primary score · 112,458 pop.
Maury County, TN
16.0 primary score · 100,974 pop.
Santa Clara County, CA
16.0 primary score · 1,936,259 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Iredell County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Iredell County carries an MUA designation (index 50.1; 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 Iredell County's peak score of 16.0?
- "LI-Iredell Mooresville" leads the active set (score 16.0; primary care; 529 people in the service area; ~1.6 FTE still needed on the record; designated 02/26/2026). Below 17 the shortage is formal but outside HRSA's high-priority NHSC tier. Discipline mix across 6 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Iredell County's severity reading?
- After "LI-Iredell Mooresville", the next active names on this release are "LI-Iredell Mooresville", "LI-Iredell Northern", "LI - Iredell Mooresville" and "LI - Iredell Northern". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~9.7 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Iredell County's high-severity geography?
- Iredell 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 "LI-Iredell Mooresville".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 37097. 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 37097 (Iredell County, NC), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 16.0; signature peak score 16.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.