0 High-priority · mental health only

MO · Healthcare shortage profile

Cooper County, MO

Peak severity leads this reading: Cooper County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 17,103.

Active HPSAs
3
Population
17,103
Peak shortage score
17.0
MUA Index
-
MO state overview → About this data

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Cooper County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 3 active HPSA designations, more than 20% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

3
Active HPSA designations
1
Mental-health shortages
17
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 80%
US counties by volume

Key findings

What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Cooper 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 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 Cooper County's active designations would take about 11 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 0.7 primary care, 7.4 mental health, 3 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

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

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 3).

Cooper County's mid-pack ZIP footprint

14 Census ZCTAs intersect Cooper County, between the 9 and 15 ZIP cuts across published counties: neither a postage-stamp footprint nor a metro-scale lattice.

Largest land-share ZCTAs

6 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.

Cooper County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

3 Top 80% higher than 20% 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. Cooper County falls in the lower half of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 89 of 115. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 29053. Population: 17,103.

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 7.0
Mental Health 17.0
Dental 15.0

Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Cooper 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 3 active (designated) HPSAs in Cooper County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
LI - Mhca 12 Columbia mental_health 17.0
LI - Cooper / Moniteau / Howard Counties dental 15.0
Cooper / Moniteau Counties primary_care 7.0

Light-burden reading for Cooper County

Peak severity leads this reading: Cooper County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Cooper 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. Primary care reads 7.0 of 25; Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Cooper County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.

Cooper County carries 3 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 20% 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.

Cooper County falls in the lower half of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 89 of 115. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.

Light-volume FTE gap for Cooper County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Cooper County's active designations: about 11 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

Acting on Cooper County's high-priority mental health

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

  • Cooper 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.

Counties near Cooper County's mental score of 17.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 17.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI - MHCA 12 Columbia”).

Thurston County, WA

17.0 mental score · 294,793 pop.

Boone County, MO

17.0 mental score · 183,610 pop.

Hampton City County, VA

17.0 mental score · 137,148 pop.

Cowlitz County, WA

17.0 mental score · 110,730 pop.

Cleveland County, NC

17.0 mental score · 99,519 pop.

Cape May County, NJ

17.0 mental score · 95,263 pop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which record sets Cooper County's peak score of 17.0?
"LI - MHCA 12 Columbia" leads the active set (score 17.0; mental health; 2,520 people in the service area; ~7.4 FTE still needed on the record; designated 07/29/2022). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 3 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental.
Why is Cooper County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
Cooper County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
Which other active designations sit under Cooper County's severity reading?
After "LI - MHCA 12 Columbia", the next active names on this release are "LI - MHCA 12 Columbia", "LI - Cooper / Moniteau / Howard Counties" and "Cooper / Moniteau Counties". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~11 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 29053. 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 29053 (Cooper County, MO), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 3; peak score 17.0; signature peak score 17.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.