Medically Underserved Area Primary · mental · dental footprint

MS · Healthcare shortage profile

Tunica County, MS

Peak severity leads this reading: Tunica County's highest active HPSA score is 23.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 9,782.

Active HPSAs
6
Population
9,782
Peak shortage score
23.0
MUA Index
30.7

Mid-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Tunica County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 6 active HPSA designations, more than 54% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

6
Active HPSA designations
2
Primary-care shortages
23
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 46%
US counties by volume

Few Census ZCTAs touch Tunica County

The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 5 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Tunica County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).

Intersecting ZCTA

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 Tunica County, MS 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 23.0 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 Tunica County's active designations would take about 21 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.8 primary care, 17 mental health, 2.3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 33.3% of Tunica County's 6 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 6).

Corpus placement

Active-designation volume placement

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Tunica County carries 6 active designations, above 54% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.

State peer position. Tunica County falls in the upper quarter of MS counties by active-designation volume, at rank 20 of 82. Ties share a rank.

Computed from current designated HPSA rows for every five-digit county FIPS. See the placement methodology.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 28143. Population: 9,782.

2
Primary Care HPSAs
2
Mental Health HPSAs
2
Dental HPSAs

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 30.7

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 23.0
Mental Health 19.0
Dental 19.0

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 6 active (designated) HPSAs in Tunica County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
LI -Tunica County primary_care 23.0
Tunica Resorts Medical Clinic primary_care 21.0
Mental Health Catchment Area 6 mental_health 19.0
Tunica Resorts Medical Clinic dental 19.0
Tunica Resorts Medical Clinic mental_health 18.0
Tunica County dental 18.0

Moderate-burden reading for Tunica County

Peak severity leads this reading: Tunica County's highest active HPSA score is 23.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where Tunica County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 23.0 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 19.0 of 25; Dental care reads 19.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 30.7, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Tunica County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 54% of counties) with 6 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.

Tunica County falls in the upper quarter of MS counties by active-designation volume, at rank 20 of 82. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.

Tunica County designations by care type

Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).

designations
Source HRSA Data Warehouse, designated HPSAs As of 2026

Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Tunica County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Tunica County's active designations: about 21 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 Tunica County, MS · 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 Tunica County's designations

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

  • Tunica County's 6 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 MS before you draw conclusions from a single score. MS 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.

Nearby primary-care score peers

Closest U.S. counties on active primary-care HPSA score to Tunica County's 23.0. Open Jackson County, MO or St. Clair County, IL next.

Showing 3 of 2932 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.

Counties near Tunica County's primary score of 23.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 23.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI -Tunica County”).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Tunica County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Tunica County carries an MUA designation (index 30.7; 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 Tunica County's peak score of 23.0?
"LI -Tunica County" leads the active set (score 23.0; primary care; 5,277 people in the service area; ~1.8 FTE still needed on the record; designated 03/03/2022). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 6 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental.
Which other active designations sit under Tunica County's severity reading?
After "LI -Tunica County", the next active names on this release are "LI -Tunica County", "TUNICA RESORTS MEDICAL CLINIC", "Mental Health Catchment Area 6" and "TUNICA RESORTS MEDICAL CLINIC". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~21 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Which federal pathways follow Tunica County's high-severity geography?
Tunica County's 6 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, eligibility follows the designated area and provider type, not merely the county line around "LI -Tunica County".

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 28143. 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 28143 (Tunica County, MS), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 23.0; signature peak score 23.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.