The U.S. Census Bureau has reported changes in health insurance coverage across the country, based on its latest Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE). The data shows that from 2022 to 2023, the rate of individuals under age 65 without health insurance fell in 194 counties and rose in 85 counties.
SAHIE provides single-year estimates for every county in the United States, covering people under age 65. These statistics are broken down by sex, age groups, and income levels that align with eligibility for programs like Medicaid. State-level data also includes breakdowns by race and Hispanic origin.
In 2023, an estimated 1,455 counties—about 46.3% of all U.S. counties—had uninsured rates below 10%. This is an increase from previous years: in 2022, it was 45.2%, and in 2021 it was 39.2%.
Additional findings from SAHIE include:
– The median county uninsured rate was 9.3% in 2023, compared to 9.4% in the prior year and 10.4% two years earlier.
– Among working-age adults (18 to 64), uninsured rates decreased in 182 counties but increased in another 51.
– For children (ages 0 to 18), uninsured rates dropped in only 27 counties while rising in 89.
– In most counties (62%), working-age women had lower estimated uninsured rates than men.
– For working-age adults living at or below the poverty threshold of 138% of poverty, the median county uninsured rate was down to 17.7%, from higher levels recorded over the past two years.
The Census Bureau encourages users to explore more detailed information through its interactive data and mapping tools at www.census.gov/data-tools/demo/sahie. These resources allow users to generate custom tables, maps, and charts tracking trends from as early as 2006 up through last year.
“SAHIE is the only source for single-year estimates of people under age 65 with health insurance in each of the nation’s 3,143 counties,” according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
