Medically Underserved Area High-priority · mental health only

MO · Healthcare shortage profile

Mercer County, MO

Peak severity leads this reading: Mercer County's highest active HPSA score is 19.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 3,538.

Active HPSAs
6
Population
3,538
Peak shortage score
19.0
MUA Index
30.6
MO state overview → About this data

Mid-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Mercer County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 6 active HPSA designations, more than 54% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

6
Active HPSA designations
2
Mental-health shortages
19
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 46%
US counties by volume

Few Census ZCTAs touch Mercer County

The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 7 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Mercer County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).

Intersecting ZCTA

2 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 Mercer County, MO 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 19.0 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 Mercer County's active designations would take about 6 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1 primary care, 4.3 mental health, 0.7 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 33.3% of Mercer County's 6 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 6).

Mercer County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

6 Top 46% higher than 54% of 3,289 real US counties

0–20: 3,115 real US counties (95%). This entry sits in this band. 20–40: 128 real US counties (4%). Above this entry. 40–60: 32 real US counties (1%). Above this entry. 60–80: 7 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 80–100: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 100–120: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 120–140: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 140–160: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 160–180: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 180–200: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 200–220: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 220–240: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 240–260: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 260–280: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 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. Mercer County falls in the lower half of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 58 of 115. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 29129. Population: 3,538.

Single high-priority discipline

Mercer County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is mental health

Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 2 active mental health designations to Mercer County , with a peak score of 19.0. Other care categories may still be designated here, but none of them clear HRSA's high-priority score line of 17 on the current release, NHSC and related instruments concentrate on the mental health records.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 30.6

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 16.0
Mental Health 19.0
Dental 15.0

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 6 active (designated) HPSAs in Mercer County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Mhca 13 - Chillicothe Service Area mental_health 19.0
Saint Luke's Mercer Clinic mental_health 17.0
Saint Luke's Mercer Clinic primary_care 16.0
Mercer County primary_care 15.0
Mercer County dental 15.0
Saint Luke's Mercer Clinic dental 15.0

Moderate-burden reading for Mercer County

Peak severity leads this reading: Mercer County's highest active HPSA score is 19.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Mercer County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 19.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 16.0 of 25; Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 30.6, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Mercer County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 54% of counties) with 6 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.

Mercer County falls in the lower half of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 58 of 115. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.

Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Mercer County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Mercer County's active designations: about 6 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

Acting on Mercer County's high-priority mental health

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

  • Mercer 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 MO before drawing conclusions from a single score. MO 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.

Nearby mental-health score peers

Closest U.S. counties on active mental-health HPSA score to Mercer County's 19.0. Open Etowah County, AL or Franklin County, OH next.

Showing 3 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.

Etowah County, AL

19.0 score 103,436 pop.

Franklin County, OH

19.0 score 1,323,807 pop.

Douglas County, NE

19.0 score 584,526 pop.

Counties near Mercer County's mental score of 19.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 19.0 (severity lead on this page is “MHCA 13 - Chillicothe Service Area”).

Etowah County, AL

19.0 mental score · 103,436 pop.

Franklin County, OH

19.0 mental score · 1,323,807 pop.

Douglas County, NE

19.0 mental score · 584,526 pop.

Stark County, OH

19.0 mental score · 374,853 pop.

Canyon County, ID

19.0 mental score · 231,105 pop.

Minnehaha County, SD

19.0 mental score · 197,214 pop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Mercer County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Mercer County carries an MUA designation (index 30.6; 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 Mercer County's peak score of 19.0?
"MHCA 13 - Chillicothe Service Area" leads the active set (score 19.0; mental health; 10,500 people in the service area; ~4.3 FTE still needed on the record; designated 02/02/2022). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 6 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental.
Which other active designations sit under Mercer County's severity reading?
After "MHCA 13 - Chillicothe Service Area", the next active names on this release are "MHCA 13 - Chillicothe Service Area", "SAINT LUKE'S MERCER CLINIC", "SAINT LUKE'S MERCER CLINIC" and "Mercer County". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~6 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Which federal pathways follow Mercer County's high-severity geography?
Mercer County's 6 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 "MHCA 13 - Chillicothe Service Area".

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 29129. 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 29129 (Mercer County, MO), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 19.0; signature peak score 19.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.