Medically Underserved Area Primary · mental · dental footprint

IL · Healthcare shortage profile

Sangamon County, IL

Peak severity leads this reading: Sangamon County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 196,343.

Active HPSAs
9
Population
196,343
Peak shortage score
25.0
MUA Index
53.2

Heavy-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Sangamon County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 9 active HPSA designations, more than 75% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.

9
Active HPSA designations
2
Dental shortages
25
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 25%
US counties by volume

Dense ZCTA lattice over Sangamon County

Sangamon 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 Sangamon 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 25.0 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 Sangamon County's active designations would take about 46 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 11 primary care, 35 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 44.4% of Sangamon County's 9 active designations are mental health.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 4 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 9).

Corpus placement

Active-designation volume placement

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Sangamon County carries 9 active designations, above 75% of real US counties. Use the state peer line below before treating the national percentile as a local access verdict.

State peer position. Sangamon County falls in the upper quarter of IL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 22 of 102. Ties share a rank.

Computed from current designated HPSA rows for every five-digit county FIPS. See the placement methodology.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 17167. Population: 196,343.

2
Dental HPSAs
4
Mental Health HPSAs
3
Primary Care HPSAs

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 53.2

Peak severity scores

Primary Care 22.0
Mental Health 20.0
Dental 25.0

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 9 active (designated) HPSAs in Sangamon County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Southern Illinois University School OF Medicine dental 25.0
Central Counties Health Centers primary_care 22.0
Southern Illinois University School OF Medicine primary_care 21.0
Central Counties Health Centers dental 21.0
Southern Illinois University School OF Medicine mental_health 20.0
Central Counties Health Centers mental_health 20.0
LI Central Area Mhca mental_health 18.0
ME - Sangamon County primary_care 15.0
McFarland Mental Health Center mental_health 8.0

Heavy-burden reading for Sangamon County

Peak severity leads this reading: Sangamon County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Sangamon County's deepest shortage reading, 25.0 on HRSA's 0–26 dental scale, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 22.0 of 25; Mental health reads 20.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 53.2, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Volume places Sangamon County above 75% of real US counties (9 active designations: 3 primary care, 4 mental health, 2 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 25.0. 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.

Sangamon County falls in the upper quarter of IL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 22 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.

Sangamon County designations by care type

Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).

designations
Source HRSA Data Warehouse, designated HPSAs As of 2026

Heavy-volume FTE gap in Sangamon County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Sangamon County's active designations: about 46 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 Sangamon 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

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

  • Sangamon County's 9 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 Dental Shortage Score

Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to Sangamon County's 25.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Cook County, IL and Riverside County, CA.

Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.

Counties near Sangamon County's dental score of 25.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 25.0 (severity lead on this page is “SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE”).

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Sangamon County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Sangamon County carries an MUA designation (index 53.2; 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 Sangamon County's peak score of 25.0?
"SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE" leads the active set (score 25.0; dental; 123,145 people in the service area; designated 06/01/2012). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 9 active rows: 3 primary care, 4 mental health, 2 dental.
Which other active designations sit under Sangamon County's severity reading?
After "SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE", the next active names on this release are "SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE", "CENTRAL COUNTIES HEALTH CENTERS", "SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE" and "CENTRAL COUNTIES HEALTH CENTERS". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~46 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Which federal pathways follow Sangamon County's high-severity geography?
Sangamon County's 9 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 "SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE".
How does Sangamon County's peak severity sit inside IL?
Sangamon County holds 9 active HPSA rows with peak 25.0. Sangamon County falls in the upper quarter of IL counties by active-designation volume, at rank 22 of 102. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Cook County, IL and Riverside County, CA.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 17167. 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 17167 (Sangamon County, IL), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 9; peak score 25.0; signature peak score 25.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.