Medically Underserved Area High-priority · mental health only

NE · Healthcare shortage profile

Boyd County, NE

Peak severity leads this reading: Boyd County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 1,810.

Active HPSAs
2
Population
1,810
Peak shortage score
17.0
MUA Index
51.0
NE state overview → About this data

Light-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Boyd County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 2 active HPSA designations, more than 10% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

2
Active HPSA designations
1
Mental-health shortages
17
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 90%
US counties by volume

Few Census ZCTAs touch Boyd County

The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 5 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Boyd County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).

Intersecting ZCTA

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 Boyd 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.

  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 Boyd County's active designations would take about 8.1 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, 7.1 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 50% of Boyd County's 2 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental (denominator 2).

Boyd County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

2 Top 90% higher than 10% 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. Boyd County falls in the lower half of NE counties by active-designation volume, at rank 56 of 92. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 31015. Population: 1,810.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 51.0

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 13.0
Mental Health 17.0

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 2 active (designated) HPSAs in Boyd County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Catchment Area 4 mental_health 17.0
LI - Greater Sandhills primary_care 13.0

Light-burden reading for Boyd County

Peak severity leads this reading: Boyd County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Boyd 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 13.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 51.0, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Boyd County carries 2 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 10% 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.

Boyd County falls in the lower half of NE counties by active-designation volume, at rank 56 of 92. 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 Boyd County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Boyd County's active designations: about 8.1 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

Acting on Boyd County's high-priority mental health

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

  • Boyd 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 NE before drawing conclusions from a single score. NE 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 Boyd 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 “Catchment Area 4”).

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

Does Boyd County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Boyd County carries an MUA designation (index 51.0; 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 Boyd County's peak score of 17.0?
"Catchment Area 4" leads the active set (score 17.0; mental health; 90,750 people in the service area; ~7.1 FTE still needed on the record; designated 07/21/1978). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 2 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental.
Which other active designations sit under Boyd County's severity reading?
After "Catchment Area 4", the next active names on this release are "Catchment Area 4" and "LI - Greater Sandhills". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~8.1 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 31015. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_PC.csv (primary care) and BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_MH.csv (mental health) — 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 31015 (Boyd County, NE), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 2; peak score 17.0; signature peak score 17.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.