ND · Healthcare shortage profile
Cass County, ND
Peak severity leads this reading: Cass County's highest active HPSA score is 21.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 184,525.
- Active HPSAs
- 4
- Population
- 184,525
- Peak shortage score
- 21.0
- MUA Index
- 55.2
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Cass County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 4 active HPSA designations, more than 44% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 4
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Primary-care shortages
- 21
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 56%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Cass County
Cass County intersects 30 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
18 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 Cass County, ND 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 21.0 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.
-
50% of Cass County's 4 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 4).
Cass County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
4 Top 56% higher than 44% 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. Cass County falls in the lower half of ND counties by active-designation volume, at rank 27 of 53. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 38017. Population: 184,525.
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 4 active (designated) HPSAs in Cass County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Family Healthcare Center | primary_care | 21.0 |
| Family Healthcare Center | dental | 19.0 |
| Family Healthcare Center | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Southeast Human Service Center | mental_health | 14.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Cass County
Peak severity leads this reading: Cass County's highest active HPSA score is 21.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where Cass County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 21.0 of 25, the county's highest severity reading and past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Mental health reads 15.0 of 25; Dental care reads 19.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 55.2, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Cass County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 44% of counties) with 4 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (1/2/1) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Cass County falls in the lower half of ND counties by active-designation volume, at rank 27 of 53. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Cass County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Primary care
Primary care
1 designations
- Dental
Dental
1 designations
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Cass County, ND · 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 Cass County's designations
Cass County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Cass County's 4 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 mental health burden compares with the rest of ND before you draw conclusions from a single score. ND 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 primary-care score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active primary-care HPSA score to Cass County's 21.0. Open Muskegon County, MI or Dallas County, TX next.
Showing 3 of 2932 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Cass County's primary score of 21.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 21.0 (severity lead on this page is “FAMILY HEALTHCARE CENTER”).
Muskegon County, MI
21.0 primary score · 175,824 pop.
Dallas County, TX
21.0 primary score · 2,613,539 pop.
Montgomery County, MD
21.0 primary score · 1,062,061 pop.
Davidson County, TN
21.0 primary score · 715,884 pop.
Naugatuck Valley County, CT
21.0 primary score · 451,887 pop.
Greene County, MO
21.0 primary score · 298,915 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Cass County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Cass County carries an MUA designation (index 55.2; 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 Cass County's peak score of 21.0?
- "FAMILY HEALTHCARE CENTER" leads the active set (score 21.0; primary care; 48,823 people in the service area; designated 10/26/2002). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 4 active rows: 1 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Cass County's severity reading?
- After "FAMILY HEALTHCARE CENTER", the next active names on this release are "FAMILY HEALTHCARE CENTER", "FAMILY HEALTHCARE CENTER", "FAMILY HEALTHCARE CENTER" and "Southeast Human Service Center". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~0 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Cass County's high-severity geography?
- Cass County's 4 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 "FAMILY HEALTHCARE CENTER".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 38017. 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 38017 (Cass County, ND), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 4; peak score 21.0; signature peak score 21.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.