IL · Healthcare shortage profile
Will County, IL
Peak severity leads this reading: Will County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 696,355.
- Active HPSAs
- 7
- Population
- 696,355
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- 60.1
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Will County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 7 active HPSA designations, more than 70% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 7
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Mental-health shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 30%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Will County
Will County intersects 45 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
33 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 Will 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.
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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 Will County's active designations would take about 10 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.6 primary care, 7.1 mental health, 1.7 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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42.9% of Will County's 7 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 3 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 7).
Will County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
7 Top 30% higher than 70% 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. Will County falls in the upper half of IL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 33 of 102. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 17197. Population: 696,355.
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 7 active (designated) HPSAs in Will County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Will County Community Health Center | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Will County Community Health Center | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Will County Community Health Center | dental | 17.0 |
| LI-Joliet Service Area Mhca | mental_health | 11.0 |
| CF-Northern Reception and Classification Center | mental_health | 6.0 |
| CF-Northern Reception and Classification Center | dental | 6.0 |
| CF-Northern Reception and Classification Center | primary_care | 3.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Will County
Peak severity leads this reading: Will County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Will 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. Primary care reads 17.0 of 25; Dental care reads 17.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 60.1, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Will County above 70% of real US counties (7 active designations: 2 primary care, 3 mental health, 2 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 18.0. 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.
Will County falls in the upper half of IL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 33 of 102. 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 Will County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Will County's active designations: about 10 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 Will County, IL · 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
Will County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Will County's 7 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 IL before you draw conclusions from a single score. IL 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 Will County's 18.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Loudoun County, VA and Jefferson County, TX.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Will 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 “Will County Community Health Center”).
Loudoun County, VA
18.0 mental score · 420,959 pop.
Jefferson County, TX
18.0 mental score · 256,526 pop.
Washington County, UT
18.0 mental score · 180,279 pop.
Canadian County, OK
18.0 mental score · 154,405 pop.
Washington County, RI
18.0 mental score · 129,839 pop.
Wayne County, NC
18.0 mental score · 117,333 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Will County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Will County carries an MUA designation (index 60.1; 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 Will County's peak score of 18.0?
- "Will County Community Health Center" leads the active set (score 18.0; mental health; 73,415 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 7 active rows: 2 primary care, 3 mental health, 2 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Will County's severity reading?
- After "Will County Community Health Center", the next active names on this release are "Will County Community Health Center", "Will County Community Health Center", "Will County Community Health Center" and "LI-Joliet Service Area MHCA". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~10 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Will County's high-severity geography?
- Will County's 7 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 "Will County Community Health Center".
- How does Will County's peak severity sit inside IL?
- Will County holds 7 active HPSA rows with peak 18.0. Will County falls in the upper half of IL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 33 of 102. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Loudoun County, VA and Jefferson County, TX.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 17197. 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 17197 (Will County, IL), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 7; peak score 18.0; signature peak score 18.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.