MI · Healthcare shortage profile
Hillsdale County, MI
Peak severity leads this reading: Hillsdale County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 45,746.
- Active HPSAs
- 6
- Population
- 45,746
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- 49.8
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Hillsdale 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
- Dental shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 46%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Hillsdale County
Hillsdale County intersects 19 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
7 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 Hillsdale 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.
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Peak HPSA score 17.0 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 Hillsdale County's active designations would take about 7.7 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.7 primary care, 1.5 mental health, 3.6 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Hillsdale 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).
Hillsdale County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
6 Top 46% higher than 54% 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. Hillsdale County falls in the lower half of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 44 of 83. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 26059. Population: 45,746.
Single high-priority discipline
Hillsdale County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is dental care
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 2 active dental care designations to Hillsdale County , with a peak score of 17.0. Other care categories may still be designated here, but none of them clear HRSA's high-priority score line of 17 on the current release, NHSC and related instruments concentrate on the dental care records.
Medically Underserved Area
Active HPSA 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 6 active (designated) HPSAs in Hillsdale County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI-Hillsdale County | dental | 17.0 |
| LI - Hillsdale County | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Hillsdale Medical Associates | dental | 15.0 |
| Hillsdale Medical Associates | primary_care | 14.0 |
| LI/MHCA-Lifeways | mental_health | 12.0 |
| Hillsdale Medical Associates | mental_health | 9.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Hillsdale County
Peak severity leads this reading: Hillsdale County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Hillsdale County's deepest shortage reading, 17.0 on HRSA's 0–26 dental scale, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 15.0 of 25; Mental health reads 12.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 49.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Hillsdale 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.
Hillsdale County falls in the lower half of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 44 of 83. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Hillsdale County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Hillsdale County's active designations: about 7.7 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Hillsdale County's high-priority dental care
Hillsdale County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Hillsdale County's high-priority dental care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's dental care burden compares with the rest of MI before drawing conclusions from a single score. MI overview
- Check the provider-to-population ratio behind an HPSA score against HRSA's designation thresholds. 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 dental score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active dental HPSA score to Hillsdale County's 17.0. Open Bossier County, LA or Woodbury County, IA next.
Showing 3 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Hillsdale County's dental score of 17.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 17.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI-Hillsdale County”).
Bossier County, LA
17.0 dental score · 128,746 pop.
Woodbury County, IA
17.0 dental score · 105,941 pop.
Ashtabula County, OH
17.0 dental score · 97,574 pop.
Rockingham County, VA
17.0 dental score · 83,757 pop.
Lea County, NM
17.0 dental score · 74,455 pop.
Washington County, PA
17.0 dental score · 209,349 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Hillsdale County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Hillsdale County carries an MUA designation (index 49.8; 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 Hillsdale County's peak score of 17.0?
- "LI-Hillsdale County" leads the active set (score 17.0; dental; 2,452 people in the service area; ~3.6 FTE still needed on the record; designated 08/03/2018). 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 Hillsdale County's severity reading?
- After "LI-Hillsdale County", the next active names on this release are "LI-Hillsdale County", "LI - Hillsdale County", "HILLSDALE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES" and "HILLSDALE MEDICAL ASSOCIATES". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~7.7 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Hillsdale County's high-severity geography?
- Hillsdale 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-Hillsdale County".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 26059. 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 26059 (Hillsdale County, MI), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 17.0; signature peak score 17.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.