MI · Healthcare shortage profile
Bay County, MI
Peak severity leads this reading: Bay County's highest active HPSA score is 16.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 103,856.
- Active HPSAs
- 3
- Population
- 103,856
- Peak shortage score
- 16.0
- MUA Index
- -
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Bay 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
- Dental shortages
- 16
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 80%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Bay County
Bay County intersects 17 Census ZCTAs, above the 15-ZIP dense-tercile cut. Shortage designations still attach at the county (or smaller HPSA) grain; the ZIP list is geography, not a second severity score.
Largest land-share ZCTAs in this county
5 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.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Bay County, MI 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 Bay County's active designations would take about 15 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 6.7 primary care, 3 mental health, 5.8 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Bay 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).
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Peak HPSA score 16.0 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.
Corpus placement
Designated volume without a high-priority score
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Bay County carries 3 active designations, above 20% 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. Bay County falls in the lower half of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 62 of 83. 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: 26017. Population: 103,856.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Bay 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 3 active (designated) HPSAs in Bay County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI - Bay County | dental | 16.0 |
| LI - Bay County | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Bay/Arenac Counties | mental_health | 8.0 |
Light-burden reading for Bay County
Peak severity leads this reading: Bay County's highest active HPSA score is 16.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Bay County's deepest shortage reading, 16.0 on HRSA's 0–26 dental scale, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Primary care reads 14.0 of 25; Mental health reads 8.0 of 25. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Bay County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Bay 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.
Bay County falls in the lower half of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 62 of 83. 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 Bay County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Bay County's active designations: about 15 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Counties near Bay County's dental score of 16.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 16.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI - Bay County”).
Fulton County, NY
16.0 dental score · 53,324 pop.
Callaway County, MO
16.0 dental score · 44,283 pop.
Wharton County, TX
16.0 dental score · 41,570 pop.
Randolph County, NC
16.0 dental score · 144,171 pop.
Roanoke County, VA
16.0 dental score · 96,929 pop.
Shiawassee County, MI
16.0 dental score · 68,094 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Bay County's peak score of 16.0?
- "LI - Bay County" leads the active set (score 16.0; dental; 8,738 people in the service area; ~5.8 FTE still needed on the record; designated 09/22/2022). Below 17 the shortage is formal but outside HRSA's high-priority NHSC tier. Discipline mix across 3 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental.
- Why is Bay County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Bay 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 Bay County's severity reading?
- After "LI - Bay County", the next active names on this release are "LI - Bay County", "LI - Bay County" and "Bay/Arenac Counties". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~15 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 26017. 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 26017 (Bay County, MI), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 3; peak score 16.0; signature peak score 16.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.