Medically Underserved Area Mono-discipline · mental health

IL · Healthcare shortage profile

McHenry County, IL

The clinician FTE gap is the sharpest number here: closing McHenry County's active designations would take about 36 additional FTEs on HRSA's providers_needed estimate. Population 310,229.

Active HPSAs
1
Population
310,229
Peak shortage score
17.0
MUA Index
MUA

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, McHenry 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
17
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 98%
US counties by volume
A
Healthcare Access Score
86/100
McHenry County, IL

Based on HRSA primary/mental/dental shortage severity, Medically Underserved Area status, and estimated unmet provider need -- not patient outcomes, insurance access, facility quality, or wait times.

Primary care A+
No active shortage
Primary care shortage severity (HPSA score)
Mental health C+
17.0 of 25
Mental health shortage severity (HPSA score)
Dental A+
No active shortage
Dental shortage severity (HPSA score)
Underserved status N/A
N/A
Index of Medical Underservice (designated MUA, index not on file)
Provider gap B+
1.2 per 10K
Unmet provider need (HRSA-estimated) per 10,000 residents

Dense ZCTA lattice over McHenry County

McHenry County intersects 24 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

12 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 McHenry County, IL 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 17.0 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 McHenry County's active designations would take about 36 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 36 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 100% of McHenry 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).

McHenry 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

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. McHenry County falls in the lower half of IL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 96 of 102. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 17111. Population: 310,229.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated

Active HPSA scores

Mental Health 17.0 High priority

Current designated records only · mental health only on this FIPS. 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 McHenry County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
LI-Northern IL Mhca mental_health 17.0

Light-burden reading for McHenry County

The clinician FTE gap is the sharpest number here: closing McHenry County's active designations would take about 36 additional FTEs on HRSA's providers_needed estimate. McHenry County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 17.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, a separate HRSA designation from the HPSA records above.

McHenry 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.

McHenry County falls in the lower half of IL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 96 of 102. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.

Acting on McHenry County's high-priority mental health

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

  • McHenry 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 IL before drawing conclusions from a single score. IL 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 with a matching designation count to McHenry County's 1

One peer set for this FTE-led county: nearest active designation count to 1 - the inventory behind the ~36 FTE published need.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does McHenry County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - McHenry County carries an MUA designation in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
Where is the largest clinician FTE gap inside McHenry County?
Id-de-duped providers_needed across active HPSAs totals ~36 FTE, with mental health the largest slice (36). "LI-Northern IL MHCA" is the highest-scored active row (score 17.0; mental health; 149,146 people in the service area; ~36 FTE still needed on the record; designated 02/18/2026). This is HRSA's published gap, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Which named designations drive McHenry County's FTE reading?
Active names on this release include "LI-Northern IL MHCA". Discipline counts: 0 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental across 1 designated rows.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 17111. 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 17111 (McHenry County, IL), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 1; peak score 17.0; signature 36 FTE gap. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.