MS · Healthcare shortage profile
Wilkinson County, MS
Designation volume is the standout signal for Wilkinson County: 11 active HPSA records, above 84% of real US counties. Population 8,587.
- Active HPSAs
- 11
- Population
- 8,587
- Peak shortage score
- 21.0
- MUA Index
- 32.4
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Wilkinson County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 11 active HPSA designations, more than 84% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 11
- Active HPSA designations
- 4
- Mental-health shortages
- 21
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 16%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Wilkinson 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.
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Peak HPSA score 21.0 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 Wilkinson County's active designations would take about 6.9 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, 4.5 mental health, 1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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36.4% of Wilkinson County's 11 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 11).
Few Census ZCTAs touch Wilkinson County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 4 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Wilkinson 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.
Wilkinson County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
11 Top 16% higher than 84% 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. Wilkinson County falls in the upper quarter of MS counties by active-designation volume, at rank 8 of 82. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 28157. Population: 8,587.
Medically Underserved Area
Peak severity 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 11 active (designated) HPSAs in Wilkinson County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (wccf) | mental_health | 21.0 |
| LI - Wilkinson County | dental | 20.0 |
| Mental Health Catchment Area 15 | mental_health | 19.0 |
| Catchings Clinic | dental | 19.0 |
| Centreville Clinic | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Catchings Clinic | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Catchings Clinic | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Centreville Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Centreville Clinic | dental | 17.0 |
| Wilkinson County | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (wccf) | primary_care | 15.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Wilkinson County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Wilkinson County: 11 active HPSA records, above 84% of real US counties. Wilkinson County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 21.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 18.0 of 25; Dental care reads 20.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 32.4, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Wilkinson County above 84% of real US counties (11 active designations: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 3 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 21.0. The table on this page lists the highest-severity records first so a reader can see which named facilities, geographies, or population groups drive that burden without treating the county total as a personal appointment forecast.
Wilkinson County falls in the upper quarter of MS counties by active-designation volume, at rank 8 of 82. Heavy-burden counties are where NHSC placement, Community Health Center grant geography, and related federal instruments concentrate; eligibility still follows the designated area and provider type, not the county boundary alone.
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Wilkinson County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Wilkinson County's active designations: about 6.9 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 Wilkinson 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 a heavy-burden county
Wilkinson County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Wilkinson County's 11 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 With a Similar Mental Health Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Wilkinson County's 21.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Winnebago County, IL and King County, WA.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Wilkinson County (11 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 11 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Wilkinson County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Wilkinson County carries an MUA designation (index 32.4; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- What makes up Wilkinson County's 11 active HPSA designations?
- 11 Designated rows (4 primary care, 4 mental health, 3 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF)" (score 21.0; mental health; 1,682 people in the service area; ~0.8 FTE still needed on the record; designated 12/27/2016). Also active: "LI - Wilkinson County", "Mental Health Catchment Area 15", "CATCHINGS CLINIC". Above 84% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Wilkinson County?
- Peak active score 21.0 in mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 11 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Wilkinson County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 6.9 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "Wilkinson County Correctional Facility (WCCF)" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Wilkinson County's designation volume?
- 11 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, by designated area and provider type, not by county line alone.
- How does Wilkinson County's volume compare inside MS?
- 11 active HPSA rows · peak 21.0. Wilkinson County falls in the upper quarter of MS counties by active-designation volume, at rank 8 of 82. Score-nearest counties on this release include Winnebago County, IL and King County, WA.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 28157. 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 28157 (Wilkinson County, MS), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 11; peak score 21.0; signature 11 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.