NE · Healthcare shortage profile
Cass County, NE
Peak severity leads this reading: Cass County's highest active HPSA score is 13.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 26,598.
- Active HPSAs
- 4
- Population
- 26,598
- Peak shortage score
- 13.0
- MUA Index
- 51.9
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Cass County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 4 active HPSA designations, more than 44% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 4
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Primary-care shortages
- 13
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 56%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Cass County
Cass County intersects 20 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
8 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 Cass County, NE 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.
-
Closing Cass County's active designations would take about 6.5 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 6.5 primary care. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
-
50% of Cass County's 4 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 4).
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Peak HPSA score 13.0 sits below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line.
Below-17 designations still count as shortages for program geography, but they do not clear the high-priority NHSC placement threshold on this release.
Corpus placement
Designated volume without a high-priority score
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Cass County carries 4 active designations, above 44% of real US counties. None of those scores clear HRSA's high-priority line of 17 on this release, so the page leads with severity reading rather than a national distribution chart.
State peer position. Cass County falls in the upper half of NE counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 92. 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: 31025. Population: 26,598.
Below high-priority line
Cass County is designated, but no active score clears 17
4 active designations sit on this FIPS (2 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental), and the peak severity is 13.0. That is a formal shortage footprint without HRSA's high-priority (≥17) tier, so NHSC placement geography is usually weaker here than on counties whose lead score clears the line.
Medically Underserved Area
Active HPSA 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 4 active (designated) HPSAs in Cass County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Cass County | primary_care | 13.0 |
| Weeping Water Medical Center | dental | 13.0 |
| Weeping Water Medical Center | mental_health | 9.0 |
| Weeping Water Medical Center | primary_care | 8.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Cass County
Peak severity leads this reading: Cass County's highest active HPSA score is 13.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Cass County's shortage runs equally deep in primary care and dental care: both scored 13.0 by HRSA, still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Mental health reads 9.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 51.9, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Cass County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 44% of counties) with 4 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/1/1) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Cass County falls in the upper half of NE counties by active-designation volume, at rank 41 of 92. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Counties near Cass County's primary score of 13.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 13.0 (severity lead on this page is “Cass County”).
Miami County, IN
13.0 primary score · 35,962 pop.
Lafayette County, LA
13.0 primary score · 241,753 pop.
Randolph County, NC
13.0 primary score · 144,171 pop.
Lycoming County, PA
13.0 primary score · 114,188 pop.
Anderson County, TN
13.0 primary score · 77,123 pop.
Livingston County, NY
13.0 primary score · 61,834 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Cass County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Cass County carries an MUA designation (index 51.9; 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 Cass County's peak score of 13.0?
- "Cass County" leads the active set (score 13.0; primary care; 3,938 people in the service area; ~6.5 FTE still needed on the record; designated 10/29/2025). Below 17 the shortage is formal but outside HRSA's high-priority NHSC tier. Discipline mix across 4 active rows: 2 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Cass County's severity reading?
- After "Cass County", the next active names on this release are "Cass County", "WEEPING WATER MEDICAL CENTER", "WEEPING WATER MEDICAL CENTER" and "WEEPING WATER MEDICAL CENTER". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~6.5 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Cass County's high-severity geography?
- Cass County's 4 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 "Cass County".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 31025. 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 31025 (Cass County, NE), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 4; peak score 13.0; signature peak score 13.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.