Medically Underserved Area Primary · mental · dental footprint

CO · Healthcare shortage profile

Otero County, CO

Peak severity leads this reading: Otero County's highest active HPSA score is 21.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 18,690.

Active HPSAs
6
Population
18,690
Peak shortage score
21.0
MUA Index
56.9
CO state overview → About this data

Mid-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Otero County holds a moderate federal shortage burden - 6 active HPSA designations, more than 54% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.

6
Active HPSA designations
2
Mental-health shortages
21
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 46%
US counties by volume

Few Census ZCTAs touch Otero County

The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 7 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Otero County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).

Intersecting ZCTA

2 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 Otero County, CO 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.

  1. Peak HPSA score 21.0 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.

  2. Closing Otero County's active designations would take about 6.9 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.9 primary care, 2.9 mental health, 1.1 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 33.3% of Otero County's 6 active designations are primary care.

    Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental (denominator 6).

Otero County vs. every real US county

Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none

6 Top 46% higher than 54% of 3,289 real US counties

0–20: 3,115 real US counties (95%). This entry sits in this band. 20–40: 128 real US counties (4%). Above this entry. 40–60: 32 real US counties (1%). Above this entry. 60–80: 7 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 80–100: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 100–120: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 120–140: 2 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 140–160: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 160–180: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 180–200: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 200–220: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 220–240: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 240–260: 0 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. 260–280: 1 real US counties (0%). Above this entry. This county 0 280 every real US county, bucketed by value

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. Otero County falls in the upper quarter of CO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 15 of 64. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.

Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 08089. Population: 18,690.

2
Mental Health HPSAs
2
Primary Care HPSAs
2
Dental HPSAs

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 56.9

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 18.0
Mental Health 21.0
Dental 19.0

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 6 active (designated) HPSAs in Otero County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Southeastern Mental Health Catchment Area mental_health 21.0
Rocky Ford Family Health Center dental 19.0
LI-Bent/Crowley/Otero primary_care 18.0
Rocky Ford Family Health Center primary_care 18.0
Rocky Ford Family Health Center mental_health 18.0
LI - Otero County dental 17.0

Moderate-burden reading for Otero County

Peak severity leads this reading: Otero County's highest active HPSA score is 21.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Otero County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 21.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 18.0 of 25; Dental care reads 19.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 56.9, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Otero County sits in the middle of the national designation-volume distribution (above 54% of counties) with 6 active records. That is enough for a formal shortage footprint without landing in the heaviest US tier. Compare the three discipline counts (2/2/2) before assuming every care category is equally short.

Otero County falls in the upper quarter of CO counties by active-designation volume, at rank 15 of 64. For moderate counties, the useful move is usually a state peer check plus the score cards above, not a national superlative claim.

Mid-pack clinician FTE gap for Otero County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Otero County's active designations: about 6.9 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 Otero County, CO · 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 Otero County's designations

Otero County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.

  • Otero County's 6 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 CO before you draw conclusions from a single score. CO 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 mental-health score peers

Closest U.S. counties on active mental-health HPSA score to Otero County's 21.0. Open Pinellas County, FL or Ocean County, NJ next.

Showing 3 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.

Pinellas County, FL

21.0 score 959,107 pop.

Ocean County, NJ

21.0 score 637,229 pop.

Greenville County, SC

21.0 score 525,534 pop.

Counties near Otero County's mental score of 21.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 21.0 (severity lead on this page is “Southeastern Mental Health Catchment Area”).

Pinellas County, FL

21.0 mental score · 959,107 pop.

Ocean County, NJ

21.0 mental score · 637,229 pop.

Greenville County, SC

21.0 mental score · 525,534 pop.

Pinal County, AZ

21.0 mental score · 425,264 pop.

Lancaster County, NE

21.0 mental score · 322,608 pop.

Erie County, PA

21.0 mental score · 270,876 pop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Otero County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Otero County carries an MUA designation (index 56.9; 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 Otero County's peak score of 21.0?
"Southeastern Mental Health Catchment Area" leads the active set (score 21.0; mental health; 42,739 people in the service area; ~2.9 FTE still needed on the record; designated 04/09/2021). Clearing 17 opens NHSC high-priority placement for the matching provider type on the designated geography. Discipline mix across 6 active rows: 2 primary care, 2 mental health, 2 dental.
Which other active designations sit under Otero County's severity reading?
After "Southeastern Mental Health Catchment Area", the next active names on this release are "Southeastern Mental Health Catchment Area", "ROCKY FORD FAMILY HEALTH CENTER", "LI-Bent/Crowley/Otero" and "ROCKY FORD FAMILY HEALTH CENTER". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~6.9 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Which federal pathways follow Otero County's high-severity geography?
Otero County's 6 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 "Southeastern Mental Health Catchment Area".

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 08089. 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 08089 (Otero County, CO), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 21.0; signature peak score 21.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.