MT · Healthcare shortage profile
Dawson County, MT
Peak severity leads this reading: Dawson County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 8,940.
- Active HPSAs
- 1
- Population
- 8,940
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- -
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Dawson County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 1 active HPSA designation, more than 2% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 1
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Mental-health shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 98%
- US counties by volume
Few Census ZCTAs touch Dawson County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 8 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Dawson 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 Dawson County, MT 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 Dawson County's active designations would take about 4.3 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 4.3 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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100% of Dawson County's 1 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental (denominator 1).
Dawson County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
1 Top 98% higher than 2% 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. Dawson County falls in the lower half of MT counties by active-designation volume, at rank 53 of 56. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 30021. Population: 8,940.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only · mental health only on this FIPS. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Dawson County in the current HRSA release, federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone. Scores range 0–25 (primary/mental health), 0–26 (dental). Higher = greater need. What counts as a high score?
Highest-severity HPSA designations
All 1 active (designated) HPSAs in Dawson County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern Montana | mental_health | 18.0 |
Light-burden reading for Dawson County
Peak severity leads this reading: Dawson County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dawson 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. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Dawson County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Dawson County carries 1 active designation and sits below the national mid-pack (above 2% 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.
Dawson County falls in the lower half of MT counties by active-designation volume, at rank 53 of 56. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.
Acting on Dawson County's high-priority mental health
Dawson County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Dawson 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 MT before drawing conclusions from a single score. MT 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 Dawson 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 “Eastern Montana”).
Hendricks County, IN
18.0 mental score · 174,788 pop.
Berrien County, MI
18.0 mental score · 154,316 pop.
Skagit County, WA
18.0 mental score · 129,523 pop.
Northwest Hills County, CT
18.0 mental score · 112,696 pop.
Will County, IL
18.0 mental score · 696,355 pop.
Galveston County, TX
18.0 mental score · 350,682 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Dawson County's peak score of 18.0?
- "Eastern Montana" leads the active set (score 18.0; mental health; 18,000 people in the service area; ~4.3 FTE still needed on the record; designated 12/19/1980). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 1 active rows: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental.
- Why is Dawson County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Dawson County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- What provider types does Dawson County's severity cover?
- Active rows break down 0 primary care / 1 mental health / 0 dental. Closing published gaps would take about 4.3 additional clinician FTEs on this release.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 30021. This county’s designations come from 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 30021 (Dawson County, MT), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 1; peak score 18.0; signature peak score 18.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.