Medically Underserved Area Two high-priority disciplines

MS · Healthcare shortage profile

Attala County, MS

Peak severity leads this reading: Attala County's highest active HPSA score is 20.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 17,889.

Active HPSAs
3
Population
17,889
Peak shortage score
20.0
MUA Index
40.5

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Attala 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
20
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 80%
US counties by volume

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Attala 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 20.0 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 Attala County's active designations would take about 18 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.4 primary care, 17 mental health, 0.2 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 33.3% of Attala 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).

Attala County's mid-pack ZIP footprint

11 Census ZCTAs intersect Attala 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

3 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.

Attala 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. Attala County falls in the lower half of MS counties by active-designation volume, at rank 45 of 82. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 28007. Population: 17,889.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 40.5

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 20.0
Mental Health 19.0
Dental 11.0

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 Attala County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
LI - Attala County primary_care 20.0
Mental Health Catchment Area 6 mental_health 19.0
LI-Attala County dental 11.0

Light-burden reading for Attala County

Peak severity leads this reading: Attala County's highest active HPSA score is 20.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where Attala County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 20.0 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 11.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 40.5, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Attala 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.

Attala County falls in the lower half of MS counties by active-designation volume, at rank 45 of 82. 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 Attala County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Attala County's active designations: about 18 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 Attala 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 Attala County's designations

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

  • Attala 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 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.

Counties near Attala County's primary score of 20.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 20.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI - Attala County”).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Attala County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Attala County carries an MUA designation (index 40.5; 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 Attala County's peak score of 20.0?
"LI - Attala County" leads the active set (score 20.0; primary care; 3,480 people in the service area; ~1.4 FTE still needed on the record; designated 08/18/2009). 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 Attala County's severity reading?
After "LI - Attala County", the next active names on this release are "LI - Attala County", "Mental Health Catchment Area 6" and "LI-Attala County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~18 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 28007. 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 28007 (Attala County, MS), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 3; peak score 20.0; signature peak score 20.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.