Medically Underserved Area Primary · mental · dental footprint

FL · Healthcare shortage profile

Gadsden County, FL

Designation volume is the standout signal for Gadsden County: 16 active HPSA records, above 92% of real US counties. Population 43,826.

Active HPSAs
16
Population
43,826
Peak shortage score
21.0
MUA Index
53.7

Heavy-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Gadsden County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 16 active HPSA designations, more than 92% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.

16
Active HPSA designations
6
Mental-health shortages
21
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 8%
US counties by volume

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Gadsden County, FL 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 21.0 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 Gadsden County's active designations would take about 17 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 6.7 primary care, 3.4 mental health, 7.3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 37.5% of Gadsden County's 16 active designations are mental health.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 5 primary care, 6 mental health, 5 dental (denominator 16).

Few Census ZCTAs touch Gadsden County

The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 7 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Gadsden 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.

Gadsden County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

16 Top 8% higher than 92% 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. Gadsden County falls in the upper quarter of FL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 7 of 67. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 12039. Population: 43,826.

6
Mental Health HPSAs
5
Primary Care HPSAs
5
Dental HPSAs

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 53.7

Peak severity scores

Primary Care 21.0
Mental Health 21.0
Dental 20.0

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 16 active (designated) HPSAs in Gadsden County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
CF-Gadsden Re-Entry Center primary_care 21.0
Gadsden County mental_health 21.0
LI/MFW-Gadsden County dental 20.0
Quincy Medical Group primary_care 19.0
Quincy Medical Group mental_health 19.0
CF-Gadsden Re-Entry Center mental_health 18.0
CF-Quincy Annex mental_health 18.0
Quincy Medical Group dental 18.0
Gadsden County primary_care 17.0
CF-Quincy Annex primary_care 15.0
CF-Gadsden Correctional Facility mental_health 15.0
CF-Gadsden Correctional Facility primary_care 12.0
Florida State Hospital mental_health 12.0
CF-Gadsden Re-Entry Center dental 12.0
CF-Quincy Annex dental 6.0
CF-Gadsden Correctional Facility dental 3.0

Heavy-burden reading for Gadsden County

Designation volume is the standout signal for Gadsden County: 16 active HPSA records, above 92% of real US counties. Gadsden County's shortage runs equally deep in primary care and mental health: both scored 21.0 by HRSA, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Dental care reads 20.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 53.7, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Volume places Gadsden County above 92% of real US counties (16 active designations: 5 primary care, 6 mental health, 5 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 21.0. 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.

Gadsden County falls in the upper quarter of FL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 7 of 67. 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.

Heavy-volume FTE gap in Gadsden County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Gadsden County's active designations: about 17 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 Gadsden County, FL · 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

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

  • Gadsden County's 16 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 mental health burden compares with the rest of FL before you draw conclusions from a single score. FL 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 Mental Health Shortage Score

Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Gadsden County's 21.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Pinellas County, FL and Ocean County, NJ.

Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.

High-volume peers of Gadsden County (16 active)

One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 16 across the national corpus.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Gadsden County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Gadsden County carries an MUA designation (index 53.7; 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 Gadsden County's 16 active HPSA designations?
16 Designated rows (5 primary care, 6 mental health, 5 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "CF-Gadsden Re-Entry Center" (score 21.0; primary care; 597 people in the service area; ~0.6 FTE still needed on the record; designated 05/11/2022). Also active: "Gadsden County", "LI/MFW-Gadsden County", "QUINCY MEDICAL GROUP". Above 92% of real US counties by volume.
What does volume-plus-score look like for Gadsden County?
Peak active score 21.0 in primary care and mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 16 rows.
What clinician need sits behind Gadsden County's designation volume?
Closing published gaps would take about 17 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "CF-Gadsden Re-Entry Center" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
Which federal programs follow Gadsden County's designation volume?
16 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 Gadsden County's volume compare inside FL?
16 active HPSA rows · peak 21.0. Gadsden County falls in the upper quarter of FL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 7 of 67. Score-nearest counties on this release include Pinellas County, FL and Ocean County, NJ.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 12039. 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 12039 (Gadsden County, FL), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 16; peak score 21.0; signature 16 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.