Medically Underserved Area Mono-discipline · mental health

GA · Healthcare shortage profile

Columbia County, GA

Peak severity leads this reading: Columbia County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 156,010.

Active HPSAs
1
Population
156,010
Peak shortage score
18.0
MUA Index
54.8
GA state overview → About this data

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Columbia County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 1 active HPSA designation, more than 2% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.

1
Active HPSA designations
1
Mental-health shortages
18
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 98%
US counties by volume

Few Census ZCTAs touch Columbia County

The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 7 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Columbia County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).

Intersecting ZCTA

2 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 Columbia 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.

  1. Peak HPSA score 18.0 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.

  2. Closing Columbia County's active designations would take about 8.4 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 8.4 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 100% of Columbia County's 1 active designations are mental health.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental (denominator 1).

Columbia County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

1 Top 98% higher than 2% of 3,289 real US counties

0–20: 3,115 real US counties (95%). This entry sits in this band. 20–40: 128 real US counties (4%). Above this entry. 40–60: 32 real US counties (1%). Above this entry. 60–80: 7 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 80–100: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 100–120: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 120–140: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 140–160: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 160–180: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 180–200: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 200–220: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 220–240: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 240–260: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 260–280: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. This county 0 280 every real US county, bucketed by value

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. Columbia County falls in the lower half of GA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 102 of 159. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 13073. Population: 156,010.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 54.8

Active HPSA scores

Mental Health 18.0

Current designated records only · mental health only on this FIPS. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?

Highest-severity HPSA designations

All 1 active (designated) HPSAs in Columbia County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
LI-Community Service Board of East Central Georgia mental_health 18.0

Light-burden reading for Columbia County

Peak severity leads this reading: Columbia County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Columbia County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 18.0 of 25, 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 54.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Columbia County carries 1 active designation and sits below the national mid-pack (above 2% 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.

Columbia County falls in the lower half of GA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 102 of 159. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.

Acting on Columbia County's high-priority mental health

Columbia County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.

  • Columbia 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 GA before drawing conclusions from a single score. GA 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 Columbia County's mental score of 18.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 18.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI-Community Service Board of East Central Georgia”).

Jasper County, MO

18.0 mental score · 122,761 pop.

Cuyahoga County, OH

18.0 mental score · 1,264,817 pop.

Adams County, CO

18.0 mental score · 519,572 pop.

Cumberland County, NC

18.0 mental score · 334,728 pop.

Clay County, FL

18.0 mental score · 218,245 pop.

Indian River County, FL

18.0 mental score · 159,788 pop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Columbia County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Columbia County carries an MUA designation (index 54.8; 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 Columbia County's peak score of 18.0?
"LI-Community Service Board of East Central Georgia" leads the active set (score 18.0; mental health; 7,234 people in the service area; ~8.4 FTE still needed on the record; designated 09/08/2021). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 1 active rows: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental.
What provider types does Columbia County's severity cover?
Active rows break down 0 primary care / 1 mental health / 0 dental. Closing published gaps would take about 8.4 additional clinician FTEs on this release.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 13073. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_MH.csv (mental health) — 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 13073 (Columbia County, GA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 1; peak score 18.0; signature peak score 18.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.