AL · Healthcare shortage profile
Colbert County, AL
Peak severity leads this reading: Colbert County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 57,227.
- Active HPSAs
- 2
- Population
- 57,227
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- 57.0
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Colbert County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 2 active HPSA designations, more than 10% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 2
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Primary-care shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 90%
- US counties by volume
Few Census ZCTAs touch Colbert County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Colbert 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 Colbert 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 Colbert County's active designations would take about 10 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.3 primary care, 6.7 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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50% of Colbert County's 2 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental (denominator 2).
Colbert County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
2 Top 90% higher than 10% 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. Colbert County falls in the lower half of AL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 45 of 67. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 01033. Population: 57,227.
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 2 active (designated) HPSAs in Colbert County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI-Colbert County | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Riverbend Center Mhca 1 - Colbert/Franklin/Lauderdale Counties | mental_health | 12.0 |
Light-burden reading for Colbert County
Peak severity leads this reading: Colbert County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where Colbert County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 17.0 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 12.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 57.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Colbert County carries 2 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 10% 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.
Colbert County falls in the lower half of AL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 45 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 Colbert County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Colbert County's active designations: about 10 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Colbert County's high-priority primary care
Colbert County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Colbert County's high-priority primary care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's primary care burden compares with the rest of AL before drawing conclusions from a single score. AL 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 Colbert County's primary score of 17.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 17.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI-Colbert County”).
Bell County, TX
17.0 primary score · 370,647 pop.
Dauphin County, PA
17.0 primary score · 286,401 pop.
Butte County, CA
17.0 primary score · 211,632 pop.
Kootenai County, ID
17.0 primary score · 171,362 pop.
Johnson County, IA
17.0 primary score · 152,854 pop.
Middlesex County, MA
17.0 primary score · 1,632,002 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Colbert County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Colbert County carries an MUA designation (index 57.0; 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 Colbert County's peak score of 17.0?
- "LI-Colbert County" leads the active set (score 17.0; primary care; 9,992 people in the service area; ~3.3 FTE still needed on the record; designated 09/01/2022). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 2 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Colbert County's severity reading?
- After "LI-Colbert County", the next active names on this release are "LI-Colbert County" and "Riverbend Center MHCA 1 - Colbert/Franklin/Lauderdale Counties". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~10 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 01033. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_PC.csv (primary care) and 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 01033 (Colbert County, AL), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 2; peak score 17.0; signature peak score 17.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.