MO · Healthcare shortage profile
Benton County, MO
Designation volume is the standout signal for Benton County: 9 active HPSA records, above 75% of real US counties. Population 19,394.
- Active HPSAs
- 9
- Population
- 19,394
- Peak shortage score
- 18.0
- MUA Index
- 44.9
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Benton 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 primary care the deepest gap.
- 9
- Active HPSA designations
- 3
- Mental-health shortages
- 18
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 25%
- US counties by volume
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.
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Benton 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.
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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 Benton County's active designations would take about 9.6 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.6 primary care, 5.2 mental health, 1.9 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Benton County's 9 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental (denominator 9).
Benton County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
13 Census ZCTAs intersect Benton 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
5 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.
Benton County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
9 Top 25% higher than 75% 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. Benton County falls in the upper half of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 115. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 29015. Population: 19,394.
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 9 active (designated) HPSAs in Benton County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Bothwell Health Center - Truman Lake | mental_health | 18.0 |
| LI-Mhca 8 (Nevada Catchment Area) | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Golden Valley Medical - Warsaw | mental_health | 18.0 |
| LI-Benton County | dental | 18.0 |
| Bothwell Health Center - Truman Lake | dental | 17.0 |
| Golden Valley Medical - Warsaw | dental | 17.0 |
| LI - Benton County | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Bothwell Health Center - Truman Lake | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Golden Valley Medical - Warsaw | primary_care | 15.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Benton County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Benton County: 9 active HPSA records, above 75% of real US counties. Benton County's shortage runs equally deep in mental health and dental care: both scored 18.0 by HRSA, 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. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 44.9, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Benton County above 75% of real US counties (9 active designations: 3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 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.
Benton County falls in the upper half of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 115. 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.
Benton County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Mental health
Mental health
3 designations
- Dental
Dental
3 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Benton County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Benton County's active designations: about 9.6 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 Benton County, MO · 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
Benton County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Benton 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 primary care burden compares with the rest of MO before you draw conclusions from a single score. MO 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 Benton County's 18.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Clackamas County, OR and Weber County, UT.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Benton County (9 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 9 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Benton County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Benton County carries an MUA designation (index 44.9; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- What makes up Benton County's 9 active HPSA designations?
- 9 Designated rows (3 primary care, 3 mental health, 3 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "BOTHWELL HEALTH CENTER - TRUMAN LAKE" (score 18.0; mental health; 53,781 people in the service area; designated 04/22/2021). Also active: "LI-MHCA 8 (Nevada Catchment Area)", "GOLDEN VALLEY MEDICAL - WARSAW", "LI-Benton County". Above 75% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Benton County?
- Peak active score 18.0 in mental health and dental care clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 9 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Benton County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 9.6 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "BOTHWELL HEALTH CENTER - TRUMAN LAKE" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Benton County's designation volume?
- 9 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, by designated area and provider type, not by county line alone.
- How does Benton County's volume compare inside MO?
- 9 active HPSA rows · peak 18.0. Benton County falls in the upper half of MO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 115. Score-nearest counties on this release include Clackamas County, OR and Weber County, UT.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 29015. 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 29015 (Benton County, MO), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 9; peak score 18.0; signature 9 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.