Health Insurance as a share of median income by U.S. State

You're probably wondering why Vermont's average cost of insurance per household in almost 20% of their income? A bunch of reasons.

• Vermont has a small population which means they don't have the buying power of larger states.

• Their population is older than most, meaning higher medical costs.

• And Bernie requires health insurers to provide more comprehensive benefits including mental health, substance abuse, maternity care and preventive services. So the cost of the plans goes up.

Spritzler Media employees are invited to "self insure" because we offer no benefits except our week Zumba classes.

Health Insurance as a Share of Median Income by U.S. State

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Key Takeaways

Vermont tops the list, with insurance costing 19.6% of median income.

New Hampshire residents spend just 4% of their income on health insurance, the lowest in the nation.

Americans pay wildly different amounts for health insurance depending on where they live. This map shows which states pay the most (and least) when health insurance costs are measured as a share of median income.

The data for this visualization comes from WalletHub. It analyzed silver-tier health plan premiums in all 50 states and compared them to local median incomes to determine cost burdens.

Vermont and West Virginia Lead in Cost Burden

In Vermont, residents spend 19.6% of their monthly income on health insurance, the highest share in the country. West Virginia follows closely at 18.8%.

The South and Mountain West Feel the Pinch

Many Southern and Mountain West states, like Mississippi, Wyoming, and Louisiana, also rank high in insurance cost burden. These regions tend to have poorer health outcomes and lower median incomes, exacerbating affordability issues. As Brookings notes, Medicaid expansion status and rural demographics heavily influence insurance markets in these areas.

New Hampshire and the Northeast Are Least Burdened

New Hampshire residents spend just 4% of their income on health insurance, the lowest in the nation.

Massachusetts, Maryland, and Minnesota also enjoy low cost burdens. These states often have robust state-run exchanges, higher incomes, and broader Medicaid expansion, all of which help reduce costs.