Here are the states and cities with the most uninsured residents

Craig Johnson | October 30th, 2018

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Health insurance is one of those things that people can generally agree is a necessity in this day and age. Whether it be a hereditary condition, or a simple flu or cold bug, most of us understand that we’re bound to get sick during any given year, maybe several times. Having adequate health coverage can certainly add to our peace of mind.

What parts of the country have the most uninsured people?

But not everyone can afford health insurance. In fact, one of the biggest issues facing Congress right now is whether lawmakers will repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

A new analysis by personal finance website WalletHub shows that the states with the most uninsured people are primarily located in the South — but there are some surprises. Alaska is second to last when it comes to the percentage of insured citizens, while Kentucky ranks No. 8 in lowest rate of uninsured.

Here is a breakdown of the state’s with the lowest uninsured rates — and the highest:

Lowest uninsured rate: States

Massachusetts (2.54%)
Hawaii (3.53%)
Vermont (3.72%)
Minnesota (4.12%)
Iowa (4.26%)
Rhode Island (4.32%)
Connecticut (4.89%)
Kentucky (5.13%)
Wisconsin (5.26%)
West Virginia (5.32%)

Highest uninsured rate: States

Louisiana (10.26%)
North Carolina (10.43%)
Nevada (11.37%)
Wyoming (11.55%)
Mississippi (11.84%)
Florida (12.54%)
Georgia (12.94%)
Oklahoma (13.77%)
Alaska (14.01%)
Texas (16.60%)

To arrive at the numbers, WalletHub compared 547 cities and 50 states as well as broke it down by income level, race/ethnicity and age.

For cities with the lowest uninsured rate, California had six cities in the top 10. Meanwhile, Texas had eight of 10 cities with the highest percentage of uninsured citizens. Below is the breakdown: