CA · Healthcare shortage profile
Plumas County, CA
Designation volume is the standout signal for Plumas County: 22 active HPSA records, above 96% of real US counties. Population 19,790.
- Active HPSAs
- 22
- Population
- 19,790
- Peak shortage score
- 22.0
- MUA Index
- 48.3
Heavy-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Plumas County ranks among the most underserved counties in the country - 22 active HPSA designations, more than 96% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 22
- Active HPSA designations
- 7
- Mental-health shortages
- 22
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 4%
- US counties by volume
Key findings
What the HRSA Data Warehouse does not surface for Plumas County, CA 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 22.0 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 Plumas County's active designations would take about 4.5 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 2.6 primary care, 1.3 mental health, 0.6 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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36.4% of Plumas County's 22 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 8 primary care, 7 mental health, 7 dental (denominator 22).
Dense ZCTA lattice over Plumas County
Plumas County intersects 18 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
6 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.
Plumas County vs. every real US county
Total active HPSA designations, including counties with none
22 Top 4% higher than 96% 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. Plumas County falls in the upper half of CA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 23 of 58. Ties share a rank; the comparison uses the same current designated records as the national chart.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 06063. Population: 19,790.
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 22 active (designated) HPSAs in Plumas County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Greenville Rancheria Tribal Health Program | mental_health | 22.0 |
| Greenville Rancheria Tribal Health Program | primary_care | 20.0 |
| Plumas County | mental_health | 18.0 |
| Graeagle Medical Clinic Rhc | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Portola Medical/dental Clinic | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Seneca Healthcare District Lake Almanor Clinic | primary_care | 16.0 |
| Mssa 123.2 & 124- Portola and Graeagle | primary_care | 15.0 |
| Portola Medical/dental Clinic | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Seneca Healthcare District Lake Almanor Clinic | mental_health | 15.0 |
| Greenville Rancheria Tribal Health Program | dental | 15.0 |
| Portola Medical/dental Clinic | dental | 15.0 |
| Graeagle Medical Clinic Rhc | dental | 15.0 |
| Mssa 122/125 - Greenville/Chester | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Greenville Rancheria Indian Health | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Graeagle Medical Clinic Rhc | mental_health | 14.0 |
| Greenville Rancheria Indian Health | dental | 14.0 |
| Seneca Healthcare District Lake Almanor Clinic | dental | 13.0 |
| ME-Mssa 124 Portola | dental | 12.0 |
| Greenville Rancheria Indian Health | primary_care | 11.0 |
| Greenville Rancheria Quincy Dental Clinic | primary_care | 9.0 |
| Greenville Rancheria Quincy Dental Clinic | mental_health | 7.0 |
| Greenville Rancheria Quincy Dental Clinic | dental | 7.0 |
Heavy-burden reading for Plumas County
Designation volume is the standout signal for Plumas County: 22 active HPSA records, above 96% of real US counties. Plumas County's severest measured gap is in mental health, scored 22.0 of 25, past the 17-point line HRSA uses to open National Health Service Corps placement and enhanced Medicare reimbursement. Primary care reads 20.0 of 25; Dental care reads 15.0 of 26. The county also sits inside a Medically Underserved Area, indexed at 48.3, and the lower the index, the greater the measured need.
Volume places Plumas County above 96% of real US counties (22 active designations: 8 primary care, 7 mental health, 7 dental). Peak severity on the current designated set is 22.0. 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.
Plumas County falls in the upper half of CA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 23 of 58. 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.
Plumas 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
8 designations
- Mental health
Mental health
7 designations
Heavy-volume FTE gap in Plumas County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Plumas County's active designations: about 4.5 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 Plumas County, CA · 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
Plumas County's shortage designations unlock specific federal programs and comparisons, here is how to act on them.
- Plumas County's 22 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 CA before you draw conclusions from a single score. CA 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 Mental Health Shortage Score
Other U.S. counties whose active HRSA mental-health HPSA score is closest to Plumas County's 22.0. This compares the designation score only, not local appointment availability or care quality. Start with Palm Beach County, FL and Duval County, FL.
Showing 6 of 3081 counties nationally with an active designation this severe.
High-volume peers of Plumas County (22 active)
One peer set for this volume-led county: nearest active designation count to 22 across the national corpus.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does Plumas County's MUA standing sit beside its HPSA records?
- Yes - Plumas County carries an MUA designation (index 48.3; lower = greater measured need) in addition to its HPSA rows. MUA and HPSA are separate HRSA tracks; both can open different federal pathways.
- What makes up Plumas County's 22 active HPSA designations?
- 22 Designated rows (8 primary care, 7 mental health, 7 dental). Highest-scored name on this release: "GREENVILLE RANCHERIA TRIBAL HEALTH PROGRAM" (score 22.0; mental health; 21,677 people in the service area; designated 11/01/2013). Also active: "GREENVILLE RANCHERIA TRIBAL HEALTH PROGRAM", "Plumas County", "GRAEAGLE MEDICAL CLINIC RHC". Above 96% of real US counties by volume.
- What does volume-plus-score look like for Plumas County?
- Peak active score 22.0 in mental health clears the 17-point line while volume sits at 22 rows.
- What clinician need sits behind Plumas County's designation volume?
- Closing published gaps would take about 4.5 additional clinician FTEs (id-de-duped providers_needed). "GREENVILLE RANCHERIA TRIBAL HEALTH PROGRAM" is the severity lead inside that inventory.
- Which federal programs follow Plumas County's designation volume?
- 22 active designations can open NHSC placement, CHC grants, Medicare bonus and J-1 waivers, by designated area and provider type, not by county line alone.
- How does Plumas County's volume compare inside CA?
- 22 active HPSA rows · peak 22.0. Plumas County falls in the upper half of CA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 23 of 58. Score-nearest counties on this release include Palm Beach County, FL and Duval County, FL.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 06063. 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 06063 (Plumas County, CA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 22; peak score 22.0; signature 22 active designations. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.