WA · Healthcare shortage profile
Wahkiakum County, WA
Peak severity leads this reading: Wahkiakum County's highest active HPSA score is 14.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Population 4,422.
- Active HPSAs
- 3
- Population
- 4,422
- Peak shortage score
- 14.0
- MUA Index
- -
Light-burden verdict
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Wahkiakum County carries a comparatively light shortage burden - 3 active HPSA designations, more than 20% of the 3,289 real US counties, with primary care the deepest gap.
- 3
- Active HPSA designations
- 1
- Primary-care shortages
- 14
- Peak severity score (of 26)
- Top 80%
- US counties by volume
Few Census ZCTAs touch Wahkiakum County
The Census ZCTA-county crosswalk lists only 6 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas intersecting Wahkiakum County, a sparse footprint relative to most US counties in this mirror (at or below the 9-ZIP tercile cut).
Intersecting ZCTA
1 additional ZCTA 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 Wahkiakum County, WA 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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Closing Wahkiakum County's active designations would take about 1.9 additional clinician FTEs, with primary care the largest gap.
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id (no double-count across status rows): 1.3 primary care, 0.2 mental health, 0.4 dental. This is the federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
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33.3% of Wahkiakum County's 3 active designations are primary care.
Discipline mix from designated HPSA records only: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental (denominator 3).
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Peak HPSA score 14.0 sits below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line.
Below-17 designations still count as shortages for program geography, but they do not clear the high-priority NHSC placement threshold on this release.
Corpus placement
Designated volume without a high-priority score
According to current HRSA Data Warehouse records, Wahkiakum County carries 3 active designations, above 20% of real US counties. None of those scores clear HRSA's high-priority line of 17 on this release, so the page leads with severity reading rather than a national distribution chart.
State peer position. Wahkiakum County falls in the lower half of WA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 32 of 39. Ties share a rank.
Computed from current designated HPSA rows for every five-digit county FIPS. See the placement methodology.
Healthcare shortage designations from HRSA. FIPS: 53069. Population: 4,422.
Active HPSA scores
Current designated records only. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Wahkiakum 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 3 active (designated) HPSAs in Wahkiakum County, ranked by HRSA shortage score.
| Name | Type | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Wahkiakum County | primary_care | 14.0 |
| Wahkiakum County | mental_health | 12.0 |
| LI - Cowlitz/Wahkiakum Counties | dental | 7.0 |
Light-burden reading for Wahkiakum County
Peak severity leads this reading: Wahkiakum County's highest active HPSA score is 14.0, still below HRSA's 17-point high-priority line. Primary care is where Wahkiakum County is stretched thinnest: HRSA scores it 14.0 of 25, the county's highest severity reading and still short of the 17-point priority line, though the designation itself is formal. Mental health reads 12.0 of 25; Dental care reads 7.0 of 26. No Medically Underserved Area designation covers Wahkiakum County, so federal support here runs through the HPSA route alone.
Wahkiakum County carries 3 active designations and sits below the national mid-pack (above 20% of counties). A light footprint still matters: a single high-score dental or mental-health record can open program geography even when the county total looks small next to heavy peers.
Wahkiakum County falls in the lower half of WA counties by active-designation volume, at rank 32 of 39. Read the active scores and the deepest-care guide link below before collapsing this county into a "no shortage" story.
Light-volume FTE gap for Wahkiakum County
HRSA providers_needed summed once per HPSA id for Wahkiakum County's active designations: about 1.9 FTE, a federal gap estimate, not a headcount of practising clinicians.
Counties near Wahkiakum County's primary score of 14.0
One peer set for this severity-led county: nearest active primary HPSA score to 14.0 (severity lead on this page is “Wahkiakum County”).
Parker County, TX
14.0 primary score · 148,222 pop.
Bay County, MI
14.0 primary score · 103,856 pop.
Indiana County, PA
14.0 primary score · 83,246 pop.
Hamblen County, TN
14.0 primary score · 64,499 pop.
Campbell County, VA
14.0 primary score · 55,696 pop.
Loudoun County, VA
14.0 primary score · 420,959 pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Which record sets Wahkiakum County's peak score of 14.0?
- "Wahkiakum County" leads the active set (score 14.0; primary care; 4,543 people in the service area; ~1.3 FTE still needed on the record; designated 01/07/2005). Below 17 the shortage is formal but outside HRSA's high-priority NHSC tier. Discipline mix across 3 active rows: 1 primary care, 1 mental health, 1 dental.
- Why is Wahkiakum County not listed as a Medically Underserved Area?
- Wahkiakum 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 Wahkiakum County's severity reading?
- After "Wahkiakum County", the next active names on this release are "Wahkiakum County", "Wahkiakum County" and "LI - Cowlitz/Wahkiakum Counties". Provider need (id-de-duped) totals ~1.9 FTE across disciplines that still carry a gap.
Source: HRSA Data Warehouse. FIPS: 53069. 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 53069 (Wahkiakum County, WA), vintage 2026-08-15. Active designation count 3; peak score 14.0; signature peak score 14.0. This profile is reference material, not professional advice; see methodology.