TX · Healthcare shortage profile
McLennan County, TX
Peak severity leads this reading: McLennan County's highest active HPSA score is 23.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 260,579.
- Active HPSAs
- 5
- Population
- 260,579
- Peak shortage score
- 23.0
- MUA Index
- 49.9
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, McLennan County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 5 active HPSA designations, more than 47% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 5
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Dental shortages
- 23
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 53%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over McLennan County
McLennan County intersects 29 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
17 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 McLennan 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 23.0 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 McLennan County's active designations would take about 7.5 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 3.1 primary care, 4.4 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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40% of McLennan County's 5 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 5).
McLennan County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
5 Top 53% higher than 47% 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. McLennan County falls in the upper half of TX counties by active-designation volume, at rank 74 of 254. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 48309. Population: 260,579.
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 5 active (designated) HPSAs in McLennan County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Heart OF Texas Community Health Center Inc | dental | 23.0 |
| Heart OF Texas Community Health Center Inc | mental_health | 22.0 |
| LI - McLennan County | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Heart OF Texas Community Health Center Inc | primary_care | 11.0 |
| LI-McLennan | primary_care | 9.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for McLennan County
Peak severity leads this reading: McLennan County's highest active HPSA score is 23.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries McLennan County's deepest shortage reading, 23.0 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; Mental health reads 22.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 49.9, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
McLennan County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 47% of counties) with 5 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/1) before assuming every care category is equally short.
McLennan County falls in the upper half of TX counties by active-designation volume, at rank 74 of 254. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
McLennan 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
2 designations
- Dental
Dental
1 designations
Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for McLennan County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for McLennan County's active designations: about 7.5 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 McLennan County, TX · 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 McLennan County's designations
McLennan County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- McLennan County's 5 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 TX before you draw conclusions from a single score. TX 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.
Nearby dental score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active dental HPSA score to McLennan County's 23.0. Open Spartanburg County, SC or Cumberland County, PA next.
Showing 3 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near McLennan County's dental score of 23.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 23.0 (severity lead on this page is “HEART OF TEXAS COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER INC”).
Spartanburg County, SC
23.0 dental score · 327,997 pop.
Cumberland County, PA
23.0 dental score · 259,469 pop.
Bayamon County, PR
23.0 dental score · 185,187 pop.
Johnson County, IN
23.0 dental score · 161,765 pop.
Kennebec County, ME
23.0 dental score · 123,642 pop.
Kent County, MI
23.0 dental score · 657,974 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does McLennan County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - McLennan County carries an MUA designation (index 49.9; 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 McLennan County's peak score of 23.0?
- "HEART OF TEXAS COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER INC" leads the active set (score 23.0; dental; 77,252 people in the service area; designated 12/02/2003). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 5 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under McLennan County's severity reading?
- After "HEART OF TEXAS COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER INC", the next active names on this release are "HEART OF TEXAS COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER INC", "HEART OF TEXAS COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER INC", "LI - McLennan County" and "HEART OF TEXAS COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER INC". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~7.5 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow McLennan County's high-severity geography?
- McLennan County's 5 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 "HEART OF TEXAS COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER INC".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 48309. 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 48309 (McLennan County, TX), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 5; peak score 23.0; signature peak score 23.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.