NC · Healthcare shortage profile
McDowell County, NC
Designation volume is the standout signal for McDowell County: 17 active HPSA records, above 93% of real US counties. Population 44,578.
- Active HPSAs
- 17
- Population
- 44,578
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- 60.8
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, McDowell County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 17 active HPSA designations, more than 93% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 17
- Active HPSA designations
- 6
- Primary-care shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 7%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for McDowell 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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Peak HPSA score 17.0 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 McDowell County's active designations would take about 10 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 4.6 primary care, 1.6 mental health, 3.8 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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35.3% of McDowell County's 17 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 6 primary care, 6 mental health, 5 dental (denominator 17).
Few Census ZCTAs touch McDowell County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting McDowell County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
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.
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, McDowell County carries 17 active designations, above 93% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. McDowell County sits among the top three county rank positions in NC, at rank 3 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: 37111. Population: 44,578.
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 17 active (designated) HPSAs in McDowell County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI - McDowell County | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Health Plus OF The Mcdowell Hosp | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Mission Health Center | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Family Medicine-Nebo | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Health Plus OF The Mcdowell Hosp | dental | 17.0 |
| Mission Health Center | dental | 17.0 |
| Family Medicine-Nebo | dental | 17.0 |
| Mcdowell Ob/gyn Mcdowell Internal Medicine | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI - McDowell County | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI - McDowell County | dental | 16.0 |
| Family Medicine-Nebo | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Mission Health Center | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Health Plus OF The Mcdowell Hosp | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Mcdowell Ob/gyn Mcdowell Internal Medicine | dental | 15.0 |
| Mcdowell Ob/gyn Mcdowell Internal Medicine | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Marion Correctional Center | mental_health | 12.0 |
| Marion Correctional Center | primary_care | 6.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for McDowell County
Designation volume is the standout signal for McDowell County: 17 active HPSA records, above 93% of real US counties. McDowell County's shortage runs equally deep in primary care and mental health and dental care: both scored 17.0 by HRSA, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 60.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places McDowell County above 93% of real US counties (17 active designations: 6 primary care, 6 mental health, 5 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 17.0. 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.
McDowell County sits among the top three county rank positions in NC, at rank 3 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.
McDowell 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
6 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
6 designations
- Dental
Dental
5 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in McDowell County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for McDowell County's active designations: about 10 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 McDowell County, NC · 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 a heavy-burden county
McDowell County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- McDowell County's 17 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 NC before you draw conclusions from a single score. NC 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 With a Similar Primary Care Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA primary-care HPSA score is closest to McDowell County's 17.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Black Hawk County, IA and Providence County, RI.
Showing 6 of 2932 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of McDowell County (17 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 17 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does McDowell County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - McDowell County carries an MUA designation (index 60.8; 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 McDowell County's 17 active HPSA designations?
- 17 Designated rows (6 primary care, 6 mental health, 5 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "LI - McDowell County" (score 17.0; primary care; 3,746 people in the service area; ~4.1 FTE still needed on the record; designated 08/19/2025). Also active: "HEALTH PLUS OF THE MCDOWELL HOSP", "MISSION HEALTH CENTER", "FAMILY MEDICINE-NEBO". Above 93% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for McDowell County?
- Peak active score 17.0 in primary care and mental health and dental care clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 17 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind McDowell County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 10 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "LI - McDowell County" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow McDowell County's designation volume?
- 17 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 McDowell County's volume compare inside NC?
- 17 active HPSA rows · peak 17.0. McDowell County sits among the top three county rank positions in NC, at rank 3 of 100. Score-nearest counties on this release include Black Hawk County, IA and Providence County, RI.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 37111. 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 37111 (McDowell County, NC), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 17; peak score 17.0; signature 17 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.