Medically Underserved Area High-priority · mental health only

SD · Healthcare shortage profile

Custer County, SD

Peak severity leads this reading: Custer County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 8,318.

Active HPSAs
2
Population
8,318
Peak shortage score
18.0
MUA Index
45.0
SD state overview → About this data

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Custer County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 2 active HPSA designations, more than 10% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health 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 Custer County

The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 9 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Custer County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).

Intersecting ZCTA

4 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 Custer 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 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.

  2. Closing Custer County's active designations would take about 11 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 10 mental health, 0.8 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 50% of Custer County's 2 active designations are mental health.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 2).

Custer 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

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. Custer 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: 46033. Population: 8,318.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 45.0

Active HPSA scores

Mental Health 18.0
Dental 13.0

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 2 active (designated) HPSAs in Custer County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Behavior Management Systems Mhca mental_health 18.0
Custer County dental 13.0

Light-burden reading for Custer County

Peak severity leads this reading: Custer County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Custer 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. Dental care reads 13.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 45.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Custer 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.

Custer 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 Custer County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Custer County's active designations: about 11 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

Acting on Custer County's high-priority mental health

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

  • Custer 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 Custer 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 “Behavior Management Systems MHCA”).

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 Custer County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Custer County carries an MUA designation (index 45.0; 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 Custer County's peak score of 18.0?
"Behavior Management Systems MHCA" leads the active set (score 18.0; mental health; 76,000 people in the service area; ~10 FTE still needed on the record; designated 10/12/2021). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 2 active rows: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental.
Which other active designations sit under Custer County's severity reading?
After "Behavior Management Systems MHCA", the next active names on this release are "Behavior Management Systems MHCA" and "Custer County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~11 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 46033. This county’s designations come from 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 46033 (Custer 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.