Medically Underserved Area Two high-priority disciplines

TN · Healthcare shortage profile

McNairy County, TN

Peak severity leads this reading: McNairy County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 25,866.

Active HPSAs
3
Population
25,866
Peak shortage score
18.0
MUA Index
61.0

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, McNairy 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
Primary-care shortages
18
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 80%
US counties by volume

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for McNairy County, TN 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 McNairy County's active designations would take about 7 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.8 primary care, 2.9 mental health, 1.4 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 33.3% of McNairy 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).

McNairy County's mid-pack ZIP footprint

15 Census ZCTAs intersect McNairy 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

7 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.

McNairy 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

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. McNairy County falls in the upper half of TN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 95. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 47109. Population: 25,866.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 61.0

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 18.0
Mental Health 17.0
Dental 16.0

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 3 active (designated) HPSAs in McNairy County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
LI-McNairy County primary_care 18.0
LI - Mhca 24 mental_health 17.0
LI-McNairy County dental 16.0

Light-burden reading for McNairy County

Peak severity leads this reading: McNairy County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where McNairy County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 18.0 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 17.0 of 25; Dental care reads 16.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 61.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

McNairy 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.

McNairy County falls in the upper half of TN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 95. 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 McNairy County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for McNairy County's active designations: about 7 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 McNairy County, TN · 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 McNairy County's designations

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

  • McNairy 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 TN before you draw conclusions from a single score. TN 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 McNairy County's primary score of 18.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 18.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI-McNairy County”).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does McNairy County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - McNairy County carries an MUA designation (index 61.0; 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 McNairy County's peak score of 18.0?
"LI-McNairy County" leads the active set (score 18.0; primary care; 1,530 people in the service area; ~2.8 FTE still needed on the record; designated 04/05/2022). 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.
Which other active designations sit under McNairy County's severity reading?
After "LI-McNairy County", the next active names on this release are "LI-McNairy County", "LI - MHCA 24" and "LI-McNairy County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~7 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 47109. 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 47109 (McNairy County, TN), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 3; peak score 18.0; signature peak score 18.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.