TX · Healthcare shortage profile
Colorado County, TX
Peak severity leads this reading: Colorado County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 20,557.
- Active HPSAs
- 4
- Population
- 20,557
- Peak shortage score
- 17.0
- MUA Index
- -
Mid-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Colorado County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 4 active HPSA designations, more than 44% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 4
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Mental-health shortages
- 17
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 56%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Colorado County
Colorado County intersects 19 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
7 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 Colorado 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 Colorado County's active designations would take about 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 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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50% of Colorado County's 4 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 4).
Colorado County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
4 Top 56% higher than 44% 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. Colorado County falls in the upper half of TX counties by active-designation volume, at rank 92 of 254. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 48089. Population: 20,557.
Single high-priority discipline
Colorado County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is mental health
Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 2 active mental health designations to Colorado County , with a peak score of 17.0. Other care categories may still be designated here, but none of them clear HRSA's high-priority score line of 17 on the current release, NHSC and related instruments concentrate on the mental health records.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Colorado 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 4 active (designated) HPSAs in Colorado County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus Medical Clinic | mental_health | 17.0 |
| Columbus Medical Clinic | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Colorado County | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Columbus Medical Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
Moderate-burden reading for Colorado County
Peak severity leads this reading: Colorado County's highest active HPSA score is 17.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Colorado 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 16.0 of 25; Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Colorado County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Colorado 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 (1/2/1) before assuming every care category is equally short.
Colorado County falls in the upper half of TX counties by active-designation volume, at rank 92 of 254. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.
Acting on Colorado County's high-priority mental health
Colorado County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Colorado 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 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.
Nearby mental-health score peers
Closest U.S. counties on active mental-health HPSA score to Colorado County's 17.0. Open Lafourche County, LA or Dane County, WI next.
Showing 3 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Colorado 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 “COLUMBUS MEDICAL CLINIC”).
Lafourche County, LA
17.0 mental score · 97,557 pop.
Dane County, WI
17.0 mental score · 561,504 pop.
McHenry County, IL
17.0 mental score · 310,229 pop.
Clay County, MO
17.0 mental score · 253,335 pop.
Dorchester County, SC
17.0 mental score · 161,540 pop.
Flagler County, FL
17.0 mental score · 115,378 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Colorado County's peak score of 17.0?
- "COLUMBUS MEDICAL CLINIC" leads the active set (score 17.0; mental health; 65,776 people in the service area; designated 11/24/2025). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 4 active rows: 1 primary care, 2 mental health, 1 dental.
- Why is Colorado County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Colorado County has no MUA designation on this release. Federal shortage support here runs through the active HPSA record set alone.
- Which other active designations sit under Colorado County's severity reading?
- After "COLUMBUS MEDICAL CLINIC", the next active names on this release are "COLUMBUS MEDICAL CLINIC", "COLUMBUS MEDICAL CLINIC", "Colorado County" and "COLUMBUS MEDICAL CLINIC". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~1 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Colorado County's high-severity geography?
- Colorado 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 "COLUMBUS MEDICAL CLINIC".
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 48089. 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 48089 (Colorado County, TX), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 4; peak score 17.0; signature peak score 17.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.