NC · Healthcare shortage profile
Avery County, NC
Designation volume is the standout signal for Avery County: 8 active HPSA records, above 73% of real US counties. Population 17,806.
- Active HPSAs
- 8
- Population
- 17,806
- Peak shortage score
- 16.0
- MUA Index
- 61.6
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Avery County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 8 active HPSA designations, more than 73% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 8
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Dental shortages
- 16
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 27%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Avery 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.
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Closing Avery County's active designations would take about 4.8 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.1 primary care, 1.5 mental health, 1.1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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37.5% of Avery County's 8 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 8).
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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.
Avery County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
13 Census ZCTAs intersect Avery 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.
Corpus placement
Designated volume without a high-priority score
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Avery County carries 8 active designations, above 73% 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. Avery County falls in the upper quarter of NC counties by active-designation volume, at rank 25 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: 37011. Population: 17,806.
Below high-priority line
Avery County is designated, but no active score clears 17
8 active designations sit on this FIPS (3 primary care, 3 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
Peak severity 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 8 active (designated) HPSAs in Avery County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI - Avery County | dental | 16.0 |
| LI - Avery County | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Avery-Mitchell Correctional Institution | mental_health | 12.0 |
| LI-Avery County | mental_health | 12.0 |
| Mountain View Correctional Institution | mental_health | 12.0 |
| Avery-Mitchell Correctional Institution | primary_care | 6.0 |
| Mountain View Correctional Institution | primary_care | 6.0 |
| Avery-Mitchell Correctional Institution | dental | 3.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Avery County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Avery County: 8 active HPSA records, above 73% of real US counties. Dental care carries Avery County's deepest shortage reading, 16.0 on HRSA's 0–26 dental scale, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Primary care reads 14.0 of 25; Mental health reads 12.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 61.6, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Avery County above 73% of real US counties (8 active designations: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 2 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 16.0. The table on this page lists the highest-severity records first so a reader can see which named facilities, geographies, or population groups drive that burden without treating the county total as a personal appointment forecast.
Avery County falls in the upper quarter of NC counties by active-designation volume, at rank 25 of 100. Heavy-burden counties are where NHSC placement, Community Health Center grant geography, and related federal instruments concentrate; eligibility still follows the designated area and provider type, not the county boundary alone.
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Avery County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Avery County's active designations: about 4.8 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
High-volume peers of Avery County (8 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 8 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Avery County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Avery County carries an MUA designation (index 61.6; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- What makes up Avery County's 8 active HPSA designations?
- 8 Designated rows (3 primary care, 3 mental health, 2 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "LI - Avery County" (score 16.0; dental; 1,573 people in the service area; ~1 FTE still needed on the record; designated 09/29/2000). Also active: "LI - Avery County", "Avery-Mitchell Correctional Institution", "LI-Avery County". Above 73% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Avery County?
- Peak active score 16.0 in dental care stays under the 17-point line while volume sits at 8 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Avery County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 4.8 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "LI - Avery County" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Avery County's designation volume?
- 8 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, by designated area and provider type, not by county line alone.
- How does Avery County's volume compare inside NC?
- 8 active HPSA rows · peak 16.0. Avery County falls in the upper quarter of NC counties by active-designation volume, at rank 25 of 100. Score-nearest counties on this release include Elko County, NV and Stokes County, NC.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 37011. 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 37011 (Avery County, NC), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 8; peak score 16.0; signature 8 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.