AR · Healthcare shortage profile
Pope County, AR
Peak severity leads this reading: Pope County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 63,381.
- Active HPSAs
- 2
- Population
- 63,381
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- 59.1
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Pope 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
- Dental shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 90%
- 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 Pope County, AR 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 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.
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Closing Pope County's active designations would take about 7.8 additional clinician FTEs, with dental the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.1 primary care, 5.7 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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50% of Pope County's 2 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 0 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 2).
Pope County's mid-pack ZIP footprint
14 Census ZCTAs intersect Pope 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.
Pope 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
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. Pope County falls in the lower half of AR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 67 of 75. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 05115. Population: 63,381.
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 2 active (designated) HPSAs in Pope County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI - Pope County | dental | 17.0 |
| LI - Pope County | primary_care | 11.0 |
Light-burden reading for Pope County
Peak severity leads this reading: Pope County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Pope County's deepest shortage reading, 17.0 on HRSA's 0–26 dental scale, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 11.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 59.1, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Pope 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.
Pope County falls in the lower half of AR counties by active-designation volume, at rank 67 of 75. 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 Pope County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Pope County's active designations: about 7.8 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Acting on Pope County's high-priority dental care
Pope County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Pope County's high-priority dental care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's dental care burden compares with the rest of AR before drawing conclusions from a single score. AR 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 Pope County's dental score of 17.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 17.0 (severity lead on this page is “LI - Pope County”).
Will County, IL
17.0 dental score · 696,355 pop.
Jackson County, MI
17.0 dental score · 160,366 pop.
Florence County, SC
17.0 dental score · 137,059 pop.
Calhoun County, AL
17.0 dental score · 116,441 pop.
Story County, IA
17.0 dental score · 98,537 pop.
Elmore County, AL
17.0 dental score · 87,977 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Pope County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Pope County carries an MUA designation (index 59.1; 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 Pope County's peak score of 17.0?
- "LI - Pope County" leads the active set (score 17.0; dental; 2,140 people in the service area; ~5.7 FTE still needed on the record; designated 03/05/2014). 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, 0 mental health, 1 dental.
- What provider types does Pope County's severity cover?
- Active rows break down 1 primary care / 0 mental health / 1 dental. Closing published gaps would take about 7.8 additional clinician FTEs on this release.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 05115. This county’s designations come from BCD_HPSA_FCT_DET_PC.csv (primary care) 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 05115 (Pope County, AR), 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.