Medically Underserved Area High-priority · mental health only

CO · Healthcare shortage profile

Archuleta County, CO

Peak severity leads this reading: Archuleta County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 13,359.

Active HPSAs
6
Population
13,359
Peak shortage score
18.0
MUA Index
50.1
CO state overview → About this data

Mid-burden verdict

According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Archuleta 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
18
Peak severity score (of 26)
Top 46%
US counties by volume

Few Census ZCTAs touch Archuleta County

The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 5 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Archuleta County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).

Intersecting ZCTA

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 Archuleta 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 18.0 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 Archuleta County's active designations would take about 9.7 additional clinician FTEs, with mental health the largest gap.

    HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.1 primary care, 8.2 mental health, 0.5 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

  3. 33.3% of Archuleta 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).

Archuleta 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. Archuleta 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: 08007. Population: 13,359.

Single high-priority discipline

Archuleta County's only high-priority (≥17) footprint is mental health

Current HRSA Data Warehouse rows attribute 2 active mental health designations to Archuleta County , with a peak score of 18.0. 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.

Medically Underserved Area

MUA Designated
MUA Index: 50.1

Active HPSA scores

Primary Care 14.0
Mental Health 18.0
Dental 15.0

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 Archuleta County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.

Name Type Score
Axis Health System Mhca mental_health 18.0
Pagosa Mountain Clinic mental_health 16.0
Pagosa Mountain Clinic dental 15.0
Pagosa Mountain Clinic primary_care 14.0
Archuleta County primary_care 11.0
LI - Western Archuleta dental 10.0

Moderate-burden reading for Archuleta County

Peak severity leads this reading: Archuleta County's highest active HPSA score is 18.0, clearing HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Archuleta County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 18.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 14.0 of 25; Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 50.1, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.

Archuleta 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.

Archuleta 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 Archuleta County

HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Archuleta County's active designations: about 9.7 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.

Acting on Archuleta County's high-priority mental health

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

  • Archuleta 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 CO before drawing conclusions from a single score. CO 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 Archuleta County's 18.0. Open Clackamas County, OR or Weber County, UT next.

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

Clackamas County, OR

18.0 score 421,401 pop.

Weber County, UT

18.0 score 262,223 pop.

Santa Rosa County, FL

18.0 score 188,000 pop.

Counties near Archuleta County's mental score of 18.0

One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active mental HPSA score to 18.0 (severity lead on this page is “Axis Health System MHCA”).

Clackamas County, OR

18.0 mental score · 421,401 pop.

Weber County, UT

18.0 mental score · 262,223 pop.

Santa Rosa County, FL

18.0 mental score · 188,000 pop.

Washington County, MD

18.0 mental score · 154,705 pop.

Tazewell County, IL

18.0 mental score · 131,343 pop.

Missoula County, MT

18.0 mental score · 117,922 pop.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Archuleta County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
Yes - Archuleta County carries an MUA designation (index 50.1; 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 Archuleta County's peak score of 18.0?
"Axis Health System MHCA" leads the active set (score 18.0; mental health; 55,500 people in the service area; ~8.2 FTE still needed on the record; designated 10/16/2025). 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 Archuleta County's severity reading?
After "Axis Health System MHCA", the next active names on this release are "Axis Health System MHCA", "PAGOSA MOUNTAIN CLINIC", "PAGOSA MOUNTAIN CLINIC" and "PAGOSA MOUNTAIN CLINIC". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~9.7 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Which federal pathways follow Archuleta County's high-severity geography?
Archuleta 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 "Axis Health System MHCA".

Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 08007. 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 08007 (Archuleta County, CO), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 6; peak score 18.0; signature peak score 18.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.