NC · Healthcare shortage profile
Clay County, NC
MUA standing opens this profile: Clay County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 30.9 (lower index = greater measured need). Population 11,089.
- Active HPSAs
- 6
- Population
- 11,089
- Peak shortage score
- 16.0
- MUA Index
- 30.9
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Clay 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.
Few Census ZCTAs touch Clay County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 5 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Clay County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
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 Clay 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 Clay County's active designations would take about 2.5 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.3 primary care, 0.3 mental health, 1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Clay 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).
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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.
Corpus placement
Designated volume without a high-priority score
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Clay 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. Clay 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: 37043. Population: 11,089.
Below high-priority line
Clay 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 Clay County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Murphy Group Practice Hayesville | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Murphy Group Practice Hayesville | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI - Clay County | dental | 16.0 |
| LI-Clay County | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Murphy Group Practice Hayesville | dental | 15.0 |
| LI - Clay County | mental_health | 11.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Clay County
MUA standing opens this profile: Clay County sits inside a Medically Underserved Area indexed at 30.9 (lower index = greater measured need). Clay 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 30.9, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Clay 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.
Clay 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 Clay County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Clay County's active designations: about 2.5 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Score neighbours for Clay County's MUA-led profile
One peer set beside the MUA standing: nearest primary-care HPSA score (16.0 here).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Clay County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Clay County carries an MUA designation (index 30.9; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- How do Clay County's HPSA rows sit beside the MUA?
- 6 active HPSA designations (2 primary care / 2 mental health / 2 dental); highest-scored active name is "MURPHY GROUP PRACTICE HAYESVILLE" (score 16.0; primary care; 36,610 people in the service area; designated 08/06/2021). MUA and HPSA are separate tracks, one does not substitute for the other.
- What does the 16.0 HPSA score mean next to the MUA?
- 16.0 sits below the 17-point high-priority HPSA line. MUA index 30.9 remains a separate need measure.
- Which programs can Clay County's dual standing open?
- Active HPSA geography can open NHSC/CHC/Medicare-bonus/J-1 routes by provider type; MUA standing can open additional underserved-area pathways. Eligibility is record-specific, read the designated area, not the county boundary alone.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 37043. 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 37043 (Clay County, NC), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 16.0; signature MUA index 30.9. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.