SD · Healthcare shortage profile
Clay County, SD
Peak severity leads this reading: Clay County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 14,967.
- Active HPSAs
- 2
- Population
- 14,967
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- 48.8
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Clay County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 2 active HPSA designations, more than 10% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 2
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Mental-health shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 90%
- US counties by volume
Few Census ZCTAs touch Clay County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 8 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Clay County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
3 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 Clay County, SD 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 18.0 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 Clay County's active designations would take about 4.1 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1 primary care, 3.1 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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50% of Clay County's 2 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental (denominator 2).
Clay County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
2 Top 90% higher than 10% 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. Clay County falls in the lower half of SD counties by active-designation volume, at rank 45 of 66. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 46027. Population: 14,967.
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 2 active (designated) HPSAs in Clay County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Lewis and Clark Behavioral Health Services - Mhca 12 | mental_health | 18.0 |
| LI-Clay County | primary_care | 15.0 |
Light-burden reading for Clay County
Peak severity leads this reading: Clay County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Clay County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 18.0 of 25, 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. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 48.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Clay County carries 2 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 10% 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.
Clay County falls in the lower half of SD counties by active-designation volume, at rank 45 of 66. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.
Light-volume FTE gap for Clay County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Clay County's active designations: about 4.1 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Clay County's high-priority mental health
Clay County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Clay 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 SD before drawing conclusions from a single score. SD 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 Clay County's mental score of 18.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 18.0 (severity lead on this page is “Lewis and Clark Behavioral Health Services - MHCA 12”).
Clackamas County, OR
18.0 mental score · 421,401 pop.
Weber County, UT
18.0 mental score · 262,223 pop.
Santa Rosa County, FL
18.0 mental score · 188,000 pop.
Washington County, MD
18.0 mental score · 154,705 pop.
Tazewell County, IL
18.0 mental score · 131,343 pop.
Missoula County, MT
18.0 mental score · 117,922 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Clay County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Clay County carries an MUA designation (index 48.8; 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 Clay County's peak score of 18.0?
- "Lewis and Clark Behavioral Health Services - MHCA 12" leads the active set (score 18.0; mental health; 18,750 people in the service area; ~3.1 FTE still needed on the record; designated 05/05/1993). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 2 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Clay County's severity reading?
- After "Lewis and Clark Behavioral Health Services - MHCA 12", the next active names on this release are "Lewis and Clark Behavioral Health Services - MHCA 12" and "LI-Clay County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~4.1 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 46027. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_PC.csv (primary care) and 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 46027 (Clay County, SD), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 2; peak score 18.0; signature peak score 18.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.