IN · Healthcare shortage profile
Benton County, IN
Peak severity leads this reading: Benton County's highest active HPSA score is 14.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 8,719.
- Active HPSAs
- 2
- Population
- 8,719
- Peak shortage score
- 14.0
- MUA Index
- -
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Benton County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 2 active HPSA designations, more than 10% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 2
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Dental shortages
- 14
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 90%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Benton County, IN 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.
-
Closing Benton County's active designations would take about 8 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 7.6 mental health, 0.5 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
50% of Benton County's 2 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 2).
-
Peak HPSA score 14.0 sits below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line.
Below-17 designations still count as shortages for program geography, but they do not clear the high-priority NHSC placement threshold on this release.
Benton County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
11 Census ZCTAs intersect Benton 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.
Corpus placement
Designated volume without a high-priority score
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Benton County carries 2 active designations, above 10% of real US counties. None of those scores clear HRSA's high-priority line of 17 on this release, so the page leads with severity reading rather than a national distribution chart.
State peer position. Benton County falls in the lower half of IN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 61 of 92. 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: 18007. Population: 8,719.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Benton County in the current HRSA release, federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone. 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 Benton County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI - Benton County | dental | 14.0 |
| Region 30 Mental Health | mental_health | 9.0 |
Light-burden reading for Benton County
Peak severity leads this reading: Benton County's highest active HPSA score is 14.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Benton County's deepest shortage reading, 14.0 on HRSA's 0–26 dental scale, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Mental health reads 9.0 of 25. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Benton County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Benton 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.
Benton County falls in the lower half of IN counties by active-designation volume, at rank 61 of 92. 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 Benton County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Benton County's active designations: about 8 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Counties near Benton County's dental score of 14.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 14.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI - Benton County”).
Ellis County, KS
14.0 dental score · 28,934 pop.
Parke County, IN
14.0 dental score · 16,156 pop.
Morrow County, OR
14.0 dental score · 12,186 pop.
San Miguel County, CO
14.0 dental score · 8,072 pop.
Washington County, CO
14.0 dental score · 4,817 pop.
Lawrence County, PA
14.0 dental score · 86,070 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Benton County's peak score of 14.0?
- "LI - Benton County" leads the active set (score 14.0; dental; 1,324 people in the service area; ~0.5 FTE still needed on the record; designated 11/15/2024). Below 17 the shortage is formal but outside HRSA's high-priority NHSC tier. Discipline mix across 2 active rows: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental.
- Why is Benton County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Benton County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- Which other active designations sit under Benton County's severity reading?
- After "LI - Benton County", the next active names on this release are "LI - Benton County" and "Region 30 Mental Health". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~8 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 18007. This county’s designations come from 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 18007 (Benton County, IN), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 2; peak score 14.0; signature peak score 14.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.