Medically Underserved Area Two high-priority disciplines

SD · Healthcare shortage profile

Faulk County, SD

Peak severity leads this reading: Faulk County's highest active HPSA score is 19.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 2,125.

Active HPSAs
6
Population
2,125
Peak shortage score
19.0
MUA Index
58.1
SD state overview → About this data

Mid-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Faulk County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 6 active HPSA designations, more than 54% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

6
Active HPSA designations
2
Mental-health shortages
19
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 46%
US counties by volume

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Faulk 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.

  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 Faulk County's active designations would take about 3.2 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.2 primary care, 2.7 mental health, 0.3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 33.3% of Faulk County's 6 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 6).

Faulk County's mid-pack ZIP footprint

10 Census ZCTAs intersect Faulk 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

2 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.

Faulk County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

6 Top 46% higher than 54% 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. Faulk County falls in the upper quarter of SD counties by active-designation volume, at rank 14 of 66. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 46049. Population: 2,125.

2
Mental Health HPSAs
2
Dental HPSAs

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 58.1

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 15.0
Mental Health 19.0
Dental 18.0

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 6 active (designated) HPSAs in Faulk County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Northeastern Mental Health Center Mhca mental_health 19.0
Faulk County dental 18.0
Faulkton Area Medical Center primary_care 15.0
Faulkton Area Medical Center dental 15.0
Faulkton Area Medical Center mental_health 13.0
Faulk County primary_care 11.0

Moderate-burden reading for Faulk County

Peak severity leads this reading: Faulk County's highest active HPSA score is 19.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Faulk 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. Primary care reads 15.0 of 25; Dental care reads 18.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 58.1, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Faulk County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 54% of counties) with 6 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.

Faulk County falls in the upper quarter of SD counties by active-designation volume, at rank 14 of 66. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.

Faulk County designations by care type

Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).

designations
Source HRSA Data Warehouse, designated HPSAs As of 2026

Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Faulk County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Faulk County's active designations: about 3.2 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 Faulk County, SD · 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 Faulk County's designations

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

  • Faulk County's 6 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 SD before you draw conclusions from a single score. SD 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.

Nearby mental-health score peers

Closest U.S. counties on active mental-health HPSA score to Faulk County's 19.0. Open Butte County, CA or Stearns County, MN next.

Showing 3 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.

Butte County, CA

19.0 score 211,632 pop.

Stearns County, MN

19.0 score 158,292 pop.

Tompkins County, NY

19.0 score 105,740 pop.

Counties near Faulk 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 “Northeastern Mental Health Center MHCA”).

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 Faulk County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Faulk County carries an MUA designation (index 58.1; 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 Faulk County's peak score of 19.0?
"Northeastern Mental Health Center MHCA" leads the active set (score 19.0; mental health; 22,500 people in the service area; ~2.7 FTE still needed on the record; designated 03/07/2022). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 6 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental.
Which other active designations sit under Faulk County's severity reading?
After "Northeastern Mental Health Center MHCA", the next active names on this release are "Northeastern Mental Health Center MHCA", "Faulk County", "FAULKTON AREA MEDICAL CENTER" and "FAULKTON AREA MEDICAL CENTER". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~3.2 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Which federal pathways follow Faulk County's high-severity geography?
Faulk County's 6 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 "Northeastern Mental Health Center MHCA".

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 46049. 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 46049 (Faulk County, SD), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 19.0; signature peak score 19.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.