MI · Healthcare shortage profile
Kent County, MI
Peak severity leads this reading: Kent County's highest active HPSA score is 23.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 657,974.
- Active HPSAs
- 11
- Population
- 657,974
- Peak shortage score
- 23.0
- MUA Index
- 59.5
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Kent 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
- 3
- Dental shortages
- 23
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 16%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Kent County
Kent County intersects 39 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
27 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 Kent 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 23.0 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 Kent County's active designations would take about 7.3 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 5.6 primary care, 1.7 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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36.4% of Kent 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).
Kent 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. Kent County falls in the upper half of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 27 of 83. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 26081. Population: 657,974.
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 Kent County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Cherry Street Services Inc | dental | 23.0 |
| Catherines Health Center | dental | 21.0 |
| Nhbp Grand Rapids | dental | 20.0 |
| Nhbp Grand Rapids | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Cherry Street Services Inc | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Catherines Health Center | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Nhbp Grand Rapids | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Cherry Street Services Inc | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Catherines Health Center | mental_health | 13.0 |
| LI-Grand Rapids | primary_care | 12.0 |
| LI-Grand Rapids | mental_health | 10.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Kent County
Peak severity leads this reading: Kent County's highest active HPSA score is 23.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Kent County's deepest shortage reading, 23.0 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 18.0 of 25; Mental health reads 16.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 59.5, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Kent 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 23.0. 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.
Kent County falls in the upper half of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 27 of 83. 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.
Kent County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Primary care
Primary care
4 designations
- Dental
Dental
3 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Kent County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Kent County's active designations: about 7.3 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 Kent County, MI · 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
Kent County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Kent 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 MI before you draw conclusions from a single score. MI 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 Dental Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to Kent County's 23.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Peoria County, IL and Monroe County, MI.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Kent County's dental score of 23.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 23.0 (severity lead on this page is “CHERRY STREET SERVICES INC”).
Peoria County, IL
23.0 dental score · 181,830 pop.
Monroe County, MI
23.0 dental score · 154,809 pop.
Henderson County, NC
23.0 dental score · 116,281 pop.
Richmond County, NY
23.0 dental score · 495,747 pop.
San Juan County, PR
23.0 dental score · 342,259 pop.
Ingham County, MI
23.0 dental score · 284,900 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Kent County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Kent County carries an MUA designation (index 59.5; 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 Kent County's peak score of 23.0?
- "CHERRY STREET SERVICES INC" leads the active set (score 23.0; dental; 128,008 people in the service area; designated 10/26/2002). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 11 active rows: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 3 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Kent County's severity reading?
- After "CHERRY STREET SERVICES INC", the next active names on this release are "CHERRY STREET SERVICES INC", "CATHERINES HEALTH CENTER", "NHBP GRAND RAPIDS" and "NHBP GRAND RAPIDS". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~7.3 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Kent County's high-severity geography?
- Kent County's 11 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 "CHERRY STREET SERVICES INC".
- How does Kent County's peak severity sit inside MI?
- Kent County holds 11 active HPSA rows with peak 23.0. Kent County falls in the upper half of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 27 of 83. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Peoria County, IL and Monroe County, MI.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 26081. 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 26081 (Kent County, MI), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 11; peak score 23.0; signature peak score 23.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.