Medically Underserved Area Designated · below priority line

IA · Healthcare shortage profile

Benton County, IA

Designation volume is the standout signal for Benton County: 13 active HPSA records, above 89% of real US counties. Population 25,575.

Active HPSAs
13
Population
25,575
Peak shortage score
16.0
MUA Index
61.0

Heavy-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Benton County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 13 active HPSA designations, more than 89% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

13
Active HPSA designations
4
Mental-health shortages
16
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 11%
US counties by volume

Dense ZCTA lattice over Benton County

Benton County intersects 24 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

12 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 Benton 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. Closing Benton County's active designations would take about 3.6 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.6 primary care. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  2. 38.5% of Benton County's 13 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 5 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental (denominator 13).

  3. 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, Benton County carries 13 active designations, above 89% 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. Benton County sits among the top three county rank positions in IA, at rank 3 of 99. 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: 19011. Population: 25,575.

Below high-priority line

Benton County is designated, but no active score clears 17

13 active designations sit on this FIPS (5 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental), and the peak severity is 16.0. That is a formal shortage footprint without HRSA's high-priority (≥17) tier, so NHSC placement geography is usually weaker here than on counties whose lead score clears the line.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 61.0

Peak severity scores

Primary Care 14.0
Mental Health 16.0
Dental 15.0

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 13 active (designated) HPSAs in Benton County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Urbana Family Medical Clinic mental_health 16.0
Van Horne Family Medical Clinic mental_health 16.0
Vinton Family Medical Clinic dental 15.0
Van Horne Family Medical Clinic dental 15.0
Urbana Family Medical Clinic dental 15.0
Atkins Family Medical Clinic dental 15.0
Urbana Family Medical Clinic primary_care 14.0
Vinton Family Medical Clinic mental_health 14.0
Vinton Family Medical Clinic primary_care 13.0
Van Horne Family Medical Clinic primary_care 13.0
Atkins Family Medical Clinic primary_care 13.0
Atkins Family Medical Clinic mental_health 13.0
Benton County primary_care 11.0

Heavy-burden reading for Benton County

Designation volume is the standout signal for Benton County: 13 active HPSA records, above 89% of real US counties. Benton County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 16.0 of 25, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Primary care reads 14.0 of 25; Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 61.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Volume places Benton County above 89% of real US counties (13 active designations: 5 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 16.0. 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.

Benton County sits among the top three county rank positions in IA, at rank 3 of 99. 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.

High-volume peers of Benton County (13 active)

One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 13 across the national corpus.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Benton County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Benton County carries an MUA designation (index 61.0; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
What makes up Benton County's 13 active HPSA designations?
13 Designated rows (5 primary care, 4 mental health, 4 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "URBANA FAMILY MEDICAL CLINIC" (score 16.0; mental health; 132,539 people in the service area; designated 08/18/2019). Also active: "VAN HORNE FAMILY MEDICAL CLINIC", "VINTON FAMILY MEDICAL CLINIC", "VAN HORNE FAMILY MEDICAL CLINIC". Above 89% of real US counties by volume.
What does volume-plus-score look like for Benton County?
Peak active score 16.0 in mental health stays under the 17-point line while volume sits at 13 rows.
What clinician need sits behind Benton County's designation volume?
Closing published gaps would take about 3.6 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "URBANA FAMILY MEDICAL CLINIC" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
Which federal programs follow Benton County's designation volume?
13 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 Benton County's volume compare inside IA?
13 active HPSA rows · peak 16.0. Benton County sits among the top three county rank positions in IA, at rank 3 of 99. Score-nearest counties on this release include Roanoke County, VA and Kent County, MI.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 19011. 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 19011 (Benton County, IA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 13; peak score 16.0; signature 13 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.