MI · Healthcare shortage profile
Muskegon County, MI
Designation volume is the standout signal for Muskegon County: 17 active HPSA records, above 93% of real US counties. Population 175,824.
- Active HPSAs
- 17
- Population
- 175,824
- Peak shortage score
- 23.0
- MUA Index
- MUA
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Muskegon County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 17 active HPSA designations, more than 93% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 17
- Active HPSA designations
- 6
- Mental-health shortages
- 23
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 7%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Muskegon 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 Muskegon 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): 9.6 primary care, 4.7 mental health, 1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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35.3% of Muskegon County's 17 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 6 primary care, 6 mental health, 5 dental (denominator 17).
Dense ZCTA lattice over Muskegon County
Muskegon County intersects 21 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
9 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.
Muskegon County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
17 Top 7% higher than 93% 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. Muskegon County falls in the upper quarter of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 16 of 83. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 26121. Population: 175,824.
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 17 active (designated) HPSAs in Muskegon County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Hackley Community Care Center Inc | mental_health | 23.0 |
| Mgh Family Health Center | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Hackley Community Care Center Inc | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Mgh Family Health Center | mental_health | 20.0 |
| Mgh Family Health Center | dental | 19.0 |
| Hackley Community Care Center Inc | dental | 19.0 |
| Mercy Health Physician Partners Lakeshore Medical | mental_health | 16.0 |
| LI - Muskegon County | mental_health | 16.0 |
| Mercy Health Physician Partners Lakeshore Medical | primary_care | 15.0 |
| LI-Muskegon County | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Mercy Health Physician Partners Lakeshore Medical | dental | 13.0 |
| CF-Earnest C. Brooks | primary_care | 12.0 |
| CF-Earnest C. Brooks | mental_health | 12.0 |
| CF-Muskegon | dental | 12.0 |
| CF-Muskegon | primary_care | 6.0 |
| CF-Muskegon | mental_health | 6.0 |
| CF-Earnest C. Brooks | dental | 3.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Muskegon County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Muskegon County: 17 active HPSA records, above 93% of real US counties. Muskegon County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 23.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 21.0 of 25; Dental care reads 19.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, a separate HRSA designation from the HPSA records above.
Volume places Muskegon County above 93% of real US counties (17 active designations: 6 primary care, 6 mental health, 5 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.
Muskegon County falls in the upper quarter of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 16 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.
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Muskegon County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Muskegon County's active designations: about 15 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 Muskegon 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
Muskegon County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Muskegon County's 17 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 Mental Health Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Muskegon County's 23.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with El Paso County, CO and Horry County, SC.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Muskegon County (17 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 17 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Muskegon County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Muskegon County carries an MUA designation in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- What makes up Muskegon County's 17 active HPSA designations?
- 17 Designated rows (6 primary care, 6 mental health, 5 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "HACKLEY COMMUNITY CARE CENTER INC" (score 23.0; mental health; 41,415 people in the service area; designated 01/07/1994). Also active: "MGH FAMILY HEALTH CENTER", "HACKLEY COMMUNITY CARE CENTER INC", "MGH FAMILY HEALTH CENTER". Above 93% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Muskegon County?
- Peak active score 23.0 in mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 17 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Muskegon County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 15 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "HACKLEY COMMUNITY CARE CENTER INC" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Muskegon County's designation volume?
- 17 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 Muskegon County's volume compare inside MI?
- 17 active HPSA rows · peak 23.0. Muskegon County falls in the upper quarter of MI counties by active-designation volume, at rank 16 of 83. Score-nearest counties on this release include El Paso County, CO and Horry County, SC.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 26121. 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 26121 (Muskegon County, MI), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 17; peak score 23.0; signature 17 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.