TX · Healthcare shortage profile
Bell County, TX
The clinician FTE gap is the sharpest number here: closing Bell County's active designations would take about 39 additional FTEs on HRSA's providers_needed estimate. Population 370,647.
- Active HPSAs
- 2
- Population
- 370,647
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- -
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Bell 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
- Primary-care 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.
Dense ZCTA lattice over Bell County
Bell County intersects 23 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
11 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 Bell County, TX 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 Bell County's active designations would take about 39 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 34 primary care, 5.3 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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50% of Bell 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).
Bell 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. Bell County falls in the lower half of TX counties by active-designation volume, at rank 204 of 254. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 48027. Population: 370,647.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Bell 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 2 active (designated) HPSAs in Bell County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| LI-Bell County | primary_care | 17.0 |
| LI-Bell County | mental_health | 12.0 |
Light-burden reading for Bell County
The clinician FTE gap is the sharpest number here: closing Bell County's active designations would take about 39 additional FTEs on HRSA's providers_needed estimate. Primary care is where Bell County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 17.0 of 25, the county's highest severity reading and past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Mental health reads 12.0 of 25. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Bell County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Bell 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.
Bell County falls in the lower half of TX counties by active-designation volume, at rank 204 of 254. 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 Bell County
Signature reading: HRSA providers_needed sums to about 39 FTE across Bell County's active designations (once per HPSA id), a federal gap estimate, not practising headcount.
Acting on Bell County's high-priority primary care
Bell County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Bell County's high-priority primary care designations are where NHSC placement geography concentrates, estimate the award and service terms. NHSC estimator
- See how the county's primary care burden compares with the rest of TX before drawing conclusions from a single score. TX 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 with a matching designation count to Bell County's 2
One peer set for this FTE-led county: nearest active designation count to 2 - the inventory behind the ~39 FTE published need.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where is the largest clinician FTE gap inside Bell County?
- Id-de-duped providers_needed across active HPSAs totals ~39 FTE, with primary care the largest slice (34). "LI-Bell County" is the highest-scored active row (score 17.0; primary care; 27,375 people in the service area; ~34 FTE still needed on the record; designated 07/18/2018). This is HRSA's published gap, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
- Why is Bell County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Bell County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- Which named designations drive Bell County's FTE reading?
- Active names on this release include "LI-Bell County". Discipline counts: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 0 dental across 2 designated rows.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 48027. 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 48027 (Bell County, TX), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 2; peak score 17.0; signature 39 FTE gap. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.