GA · Healthcare shortage profile
Cobb County, GA
Peak severity leads this reading: Cobb County's highest active HPSA score is 20.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 766,149.
- Active HPSAs
- 4
- Population
- 766,149
- Peak shortage score
- 20.0
- MUA Index
- 62.0
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Cobb County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 4 active HPSA designations, more than 44% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 4
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Primary-care shortages
- 20
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 56%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Cobb County
Cobb County intersects 25 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
13 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 Cobb County, GA 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.
-
Peak HPSA score 20.0 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.
-
50% of Cobb County's 4 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 4).
Corpus placement
Active-designation volume placement
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Cobb County carries 4 active designations, above 44% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.
State peer position. Cobb County falls in the upper quarter of GA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 35 of 159. 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: 13067. Population: 766,149.
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 4 active (designated) HPSAs in Cobb County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Wellstar Northwest Women | primary_care | 20.0 |
| Good Samaritan Health Center of Cobb, Inc. | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Good Samaritan Health Center of Cobb, Inc. | dental | 19.0 |
| Good Samaritan Health Center of Cobb, Inc. | mental_health | 18.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Cobb County
Peak severity leads this reading: Cobb County's highest active HPSA score is 20.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where Cobb County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 20.0 of 25, the county's highest severity reading and past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Mental health reads 18.0 of 25; Dental care reads 19.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 62.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Cobb County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 44% of counties) with 4 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/1/1) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Cobb County falls in the upper quarter of GA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 35 of 159. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Cobb 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
2 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
1 designations
- Dental
Dental
1 designations
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Cobb County, GA · 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 Cobb County's designations
Cobb County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Cobb County's 4 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 GA before you draw conclusions from a single score. GA 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.
Nearby primary-care score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active primary-care HPSA score to Cobb County's 20.0. Open Polk County, FL or Monterey County, CA next.
Showing 3 of 2932 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Cobb County's primary score of 20.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 20.0 (severity lead on this page is “Wellstar Northwest Women”).
Polk County, FL
20.0 primary score · 725,046 pop.
Monterey County, CA
20.0 primary score · 439,035 pop.
Merced County, CA
20.0 primary score · 281,202 pop.
Johnston County, NC
20.0 primary score · 215,999 pop.
Mesa County, CO
20.0 primary score · 155,703 pop.
San Diego County, CA
20.0 primary score · 3,298,634 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Cobb County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Cobb County carries an MUA designation (index 62.0; 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 Cobb County's peak score of 20.0?
- "Wellstar Northwest Women" leads the active set (score 20.0; primary care; designated 09/08/2009). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 4 active rows: 2 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Cobb County's severity reading?
- After "Wellstar Northwest Women", the next active names on this release are "Wellstar Northwest Women", "Good Samaritan Health Center of Cobb, Inc.", "Good Samaritan Health Center of Cobb, Inc." and "Good Samaritan Health Center of Cobb, Inc.". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~0 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Cobb County's high-severity geography?
- Cobb County's 4 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 "Wellstar Northwest Women".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 13067. 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 13067 (Cobb County, GA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 4; peak score 20.0; signature peak score 20.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.