SD · Healthcare shortage profile
Pennington County, SD
Peak severity leads this reading: Pennington County's highest active HPSA score is 23.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 109,222.
- Active HPSAs
- 11
- Population
- 109,222
- Peak shortage score
- 23.0
- MUA Index
- 47.4
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Pennington County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 11 active HPSA designations, more than 84% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 11
- Active HPSA designations
- 4
- Mental-health shortages
- 23
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 16%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Pennington County
Pennington County intersects 20 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
8 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 Pennington 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.
-
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.
-
Closing Pennington County's active designations would take about 13 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.1 primary care, 10 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
36.4% of Pennington County's 11 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 11).
Pennington County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
11 Top 16% higher than 84% 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. Pennington County falls in the upper quarter of SD counties by active-designation volume, at rank 6 of 66. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 46103. Population: 109,222.
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 11 active (designated) HPSAs in Pennington County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Community Health Center OF The Black Hills, Inc. | mental_health | 23.0 |
| Native Women's Health Care | mental_health | 21.0 |
| Community Health Center OF The Black Hills, Inc. | dental | 21.0 |
| Oyate Health Center | mental_health | 20.0 |
| Community Health Center OF The Black Hills, Inc. | primary_care | 18.0 |
| Behavior Management Systems Mhca | mental_health | 18.0 |
| LI - Rapid City | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Native Women's Health Care | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Oyate Health Center | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Native Women's Health Care | dental | 10.0 |
| Oyate Health Center | dental | 8.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Pennington County
Peak severity leads this reading: Pennington County's highest active HPSA score is 23.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Pennington 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 18.0 of 25; Dental care reads 21.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 47.4, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Pennington County above 84% of real US counties (11 active designations: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 3 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.
Pennington County falls in the upper quarter of SD counties by active-designation volume, at rank 6 of 66. 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 Pennington County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Pennington County's active designations: about 13 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 Pennington 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 a heavy-burden county
Pennington County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Pennington County's 11 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.
Counties With a Similar Mental Health Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Pennington County's 23.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Greenwood County, SC and Santa Clara County, CA.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Pennington County's mental score of 23.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 23.0 (severity lead on this page is “COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER OF THE BLACK HILLS, INC.”).
Greenwood County, SC
23.0 mental score · 69,351 pop.
Santa Clara County, CA
23.0 mental score · 1,936,259 pop.
Hamilton County, OH
23.0 mental score · 830,639 pop.
Mobile County, AL
23.0 mental score · 414,809 pop.
Yakima County, WA
23.0 mental score · 256,728 pop.
Porter County, IN
23.0 mental score · 173,215 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Pennington County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Pennington County carries an MUA designation (index 47.4; 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 Pennington County's peak score of 23.0?
- "COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER OF THE BLACK HILLS, INC." leads the active set (score 23.0; mental health; 25,794 people in the service area; designated 08/29/2003). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 11 active rows: 4 primary care, 4 mental health, 3 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Pennington County's severity reading?
- After "COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER OF THE BLACK HILLS, INC.", the next active names on this release are "COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER OF THE BLACK HILLS, INC.", "Native Women's Health Care", "COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER OF THE BLACK HILLS, INC." and "OYATE HEALTH CENTER". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~13 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Pennington County's high-severity geography?
- Pennington County's 11 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 "COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER OF THE BLACK HILLS, INC.".
- How does Pennington County's peak severity sit inside SD?
- Pennington County holds 11 active HPSA rows with peak 23.0. Pennington County falls in the upper quarter of SD counties by active-designation volume, at rank 6 of 66. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Greenwood County, SC and Santa Clara County, CA.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 46103. 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 46103 (Pennington County, SD), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 11; peak score 23.0; signature peak score 23.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.