AL · Healthcare shortage profile
Fayette County, AL
Peak severity leads this reading: Fayette County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 16,321.
- Active HPSAs
- 3
- Population
- 16,321
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- -
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Fayette 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
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.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Fayette County, AL 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 Fayette County's active designations would take about 5.2 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.3 primary care, 3.8 mental health, 1.1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Fayette 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).
Fayette County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
10 Census ZCTAs intersect Fayette County, between the 9 and 15 ZIP cuts across published counties: neither a postage-stamp footprint nor a metro-scale lattice.
Largest land-share ZCTAs
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.
Fayette 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. Fayette County falls in the upper half of AL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 29 of 67. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 01057. Population: 16,321.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Fayette County in the current HRSA release, federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone. 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 Fayette County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI Mhca-4 | mental_health | 17.0 |
| LI - Fayette County | dental | 17.0 |
| Fayette | primary_care | 11.0 |
Light-burden reading for Fayette County
Peak severity leads this reading: Fayette County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Fayette County's shortage runs equally deep in mental health and dental care: both scored 17.0 by HRSA, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 11.0 of 25. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Fayette County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Fayette 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.
Fayette County falls in the upper half of AL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 29 of 67. 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 Fayette County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Fayette County's active designations: about 5.2 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 Fayette County, AL · 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 Fayette County's designations
Fayette County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Fayette County's 3 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 AL before you draw conclusions from a single score. AL 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 near Fayette 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 MHCA-4”).
Lafourche County, LA
17.0 mental score · 97,557 pop.
Dane County, WI
17.0 mental score · 561,504 pop.
McHenry County, IL
17.0 mental score · 310,229 pop.
Clay County, MO
17.0 mental score · 253,335 pop.
Dorchester County, SC
17.0 mental score · 161,540 pop.
Flagler County, FL
17.0 mental score · 115,378 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Fayette County's peak score of 17.0?
- "LI MHCA-4" leads the active set (score 17.0; mental health; 2,160 people in the service area; ~3.8 FTE still needed on the record; designated 04/04/2023). 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.
- Why is Fayette County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Fayette County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- Which other active designations sit under Fayette County's severity reading?
- After "LI MHCA-4", the next active names on this release are "LI MHCA-4", "LI - Fayette County" and "Fayette". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~5.2 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 01057. 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 01057 (Fayette County, AL), 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.