SC · Healthcare shortage profile
Fairfield County, SC
Peak severity leads this reading: Fairfield County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 20,948.
- Active HPSAs
- 3
- Population
- 20,948
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- 48.0
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Fairfield 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
- Mental-health shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 80%
- US counties by volume
Few Census ZCTAs touch Fairfield County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Fairfield 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.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Fairfield County, SC 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 Fairfield County's active designations would take about 15 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.8 primary care, 8.2 mental health, 2.9 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Fairfield 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).
Fairfield 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. Fairfield County falls in the lower half of SC counties by active-designation volume, at rank 36 of 46. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 45039. Population: 20,948.
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 Fairfield County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI-Columbia SA | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Fairfield County | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Fairfield County | dental | 14.0 |
Light-burden reading for Fairfield County
Peak severity leads this reading: Fairfield County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Fairfield County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 17.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 15.0 of 25; Dental care reads 14.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 48.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Fairfield 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.
Fairfield County falls in the lower half of SC counties by active-designation volume, at rank 36 of 46. 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 Fairfield County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Fairfield County's active designations: about 15 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Fairfield County's high-priority mental health
Fairfield County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Fairfield County's high-priority mental health designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's mental health burden compares with the rest of SC before drawing conclusions from a single score. SC overview
- Check the provider-to-population ratio behind an HPSA score against HRSA's designation thresholds. 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 Fairfield County's mental score of 17.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 17.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI-Columbia SA”).
Kendall County, IL
17.0 mental score · 131,869 pop.
Matanuska-Susitna County, AK
17.0 mental score · 107,081 pop.
Sevier County, TN
17.0 mental score · 98,380 pop.
Benton County, OR
17.0 mental score · 95,184 pop.
Lake County, FL
17.0 mental score · 383,956 pop.
Frederick County, MD
17.0 mental score · 271,717 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Fairfield County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Fairfield County carries an MUA designation (index 48.0; 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 Fairfield County's peak score of 17.0?
- "LI-Columbia SA" leads the active set (score 17.0; mental health; 26,608 people in the service area; ~8.2 FTE still needed on the record; designated 04/23/2019). 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 Fairfield County's severity reading?
- After "LI-Columbia SA", the next active names on this release are "LI-Columbia SA", "Fairfield County" and "Fairfield County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~15 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 45039. 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 45039 (Fairfield County, SC), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 3; peak score 17.0; signature peak score 17.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.