TX · Healthcare shortage profile
Travis County, TX
Peak severity leads this reading: Travis County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 1,290,188.
- Active HPSAs
- 7
- Population
- 1,290,188
- Peak shortage score
- 25.0
- MUA Index
- 56.8
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Travis County carries a heavier shortage burden than most US counties - 7 active HPSA designations, more than 70% of the 3,289 real US counties, with mental health the deepest gap.
- 7
- Active HPSA designations
- 2
- Dental shortages
- 25
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 30%
- US counties by volume
Dense ZCTA lattice over Travis County
Travis County intersects 63 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
51 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 Travis 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 25.0 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 Travis County's active designations would take about 13 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 13 mental health. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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42.9% of Travis County's 7 active designations are mental health.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 3 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 7).
Travis County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
7 Top 30% higher than 70% 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. Travis County falls in the upper quarter of TX counties by active-designation volume, at rank 22 of 254. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 48453. Population: 1,290,188.
Medically Underserved Area
Peak severity 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 7 active (designated) HPSAs in Travis County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Travis County Healthcare District | dental | 25.0 |
| Peoples Community Clinic | dental | 23.0 |
| Travis County Healthcare District | primary_care | 19.0 |
| Peoples Community Clinic | primary_care | 17.0 |
| Travis County Healthcare District | mental_health | 15.0 |
| LI - Mhca - Integral Care - Travis County | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Peoples Community Clinic | mental_health | 14.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Travis County
Peak severity leads this reading: Travis County's highest active HPSA score is 25.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Dental care carries Travis County's deepest shortage reading, 25.0 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 19.0 of 25; Mental health reads 15.0 of 25. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 56.8, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Travis County above 70% of real US counties (7 active designations: 2 primary care, 3 mental health, 2 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 25.0. The table on this page lists the highest-severity records first so a reader can see which named facilities, geographies, or population groups drive that burden without treating the county total as a personal appointment forecast.
Travis County falls in the upper quarter of TX counties by active-designation volume, at rank 22 of 254. Heavy-burden counties are where NHSC placement, Community Health Center grant geography, and related federal instruments concentrate; eligibility still follows the designated area and provider type, not the county boundary alone.
Travis County designations by care type
Active Health Professional Shortage Area designations in the county, by provider category (high-priority disciplines emphasized).
- Primary care
Primary care
2 designations
- Dental
Dental
2 designations
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) + Medically Underserved Areas/Populations (MUA/P) HPSA primary-care, mental-health, and dental designations for Travis 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 a heavy-burden county
Travis County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Travis County's 7 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 mental health 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.
Counties With a Similar Dental Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA dental HPSA score is closest to Travis County's 25.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Montgomery County, MD and Milwaukee County, WI.
Showing 6 of 2744 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
Counties near Travis County's dental score of 25.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active dental HPSA score to 25.0 (severity lead on this page is “Travis County Healthcare District”).
Montgomery County, MD
25.0 dental score · 1,062,061 pop.
Milwaukee County, WI
25.0 dental score · 939,489 pop.
Hamilton County, OH
25.0 dental score · 830,639 pop.
Miami-Dade County, FL
25.0 dental score · 2,701,767 pop.
Tarrant County, TX
25.0 dental score · 2,110,640 pop.
Philadelphia County, PA
25.0 dental score · 1,603,797 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Travis County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Travis County carries an MUA designation (index 56.8; 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 Travis County's peak score of 25.0?
- "Travis County Healthcare District" leads the active set (score 25.0; dental; 688,990 people in the service area; designated 02/01/2002). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 7 active rows: 2 primary care, 3 mental health, 2 dental.
- Which other active designations sit under Travis County's severity reading?
- After "Travis County Healthcare District", the next active names on this release are "Travis County Healthcare District", "PEOPLES COMMUNITY CLINIC", "Travis County Healthcare District" and "PEOPLES COMMUNITY CLINIC". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~13 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
- Which federal pathways follow Travis County's high-severity geography?
- Travis County's 7 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 "Travis County Healthcare District".
- How does Travis County's peak severity sit inside TX?
- Travis County holds 7 active HPSA rows with peak 25.0. Travis County falls in the upper quarter of TX counties by active-designation volume, at rank 22 of 254. Score-nearest national peers appear below when the peer module renders. Score-nearest counties on this release include Montgomery County, MD and Milwaukee County, WI.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 48453. 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 48453 (Travis County, TX), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 7; peak score 25.0; signature peak score 25.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.