Medically Underserved Area Mono-discipline · mental health

IA · Healthcare shortage profile

Plymouth County, IA

Peak severity leads this reading: Plymouth County's highest active HPSA score is 19.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 25,698.

Active HPSAs
1
Population
25,698
Peak shortage score
19.0
MUA Index
58.8
IA state overview → About this data

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Plymouth County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 1 active HPSA designation, more than 2% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.

1
Active HPSA designations
1
Mental-health shortages
19
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 98%
US counties by volume

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Plymouth County, IA 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.

  1. Peak HPSA score 19.0 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.

  2. Closing Plymouth County's active designations would take about 1.3 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.3 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 100% of Plymouth County's 1 active designations are mental health.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental (denominator 1).

Plymouth County's mid-pack ZIP footprint

15 Census ZCTAs intersect Plymouth 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

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.

Plymouth County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

1 Top 98% higher than 2% of 3,289 real US counties

0–20: 3,115 real US counties (95%). This entry sits in this band. 20–40: 128 real US counties (4%). Above this entry. 40–60: 32 real US counties (1%). Above this entry. 60–80: 7 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 80–100: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 100–120: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 120–140: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 140–160: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 160–180: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 180–200: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 200–220: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 220–240: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 240–260: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 260–280: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. This county 0 280 every real US county, bucketed by value

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. Plymouth County falls in the lower half of IA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 80 of 99. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 19149. Population: 25,698.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 58.8

Active HPSA scores

Mental Health 19.0

Current designated records only · mental health only on this FIPS. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?

Highest-severity HPSA designations

All 1 active (designated) HPSAs in Plymouth County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Plymouth County mental_health 19.0

Light-burden reading for Plymouth County

Peak severity leads this reading: Plymouth County's highest active HPSA score is 19.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Plymouth County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 19.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 58.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Plymouth County carries 1 active designation and sits below the national mid-pack (above 2% 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.

Plymouth County falls in the lower half of IA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 80 of 99. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.

Acting on Plymouth County's high-priority mental health

Plymouth County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.

  • Plymouth County's high-priority mental health designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
  • See how the county's mental health burden compares with the rest of IA before drawing conclusions from a single score. IA 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.

Counties near Plymouth County's mental score of 19.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 19.0 (severity lead on this page is “Plymouth County”).

Butte County, CA

19.0 mental score · 211,632 pop.

Stearns County, MN

19.0 mental score · 158,292 pop.

Tompkins County, NY

19.0 mental score · 105,740 pop.

Twin Falls County, ID

19.0 mental score · 90,046 pop.

Davidson County, TN

19.0 mental score · 715,884 pop.

Mercer County, NJ

19.0 mental score · 387,340 pop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Plymouth County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Plymouth County carries an MUA designation (index 58.8; 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 Plymouth County's peak score of 19.0?
"Plymouth County" leads the active set (score 19.0; mental health; 25,317 people in the service area; ~1.3 FTE still needed on the record; designated 10/22/2025). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 1 active rows: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental.
What provider types does Plymouth County's severity cover?
Active rows break down 0 primary care / 1 mental health / 0 dental. Closing published gaps would take about 1.3 additional clinician FTEs on this release.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 19149. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_MH.csv (mental health) — 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 19149 (Plymouth County, IA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 1; peak score 19.0; signature peak score 19.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.