Uninsured rates by state: percentages versus people
Texas has an uninsured estimate of 17.1%, representing 5,085,788 civilian noninstitutionalized residents in the 2020–2024 ACS. California’s share is 6.6%, representing 2,557,944 residents. A percentage describes prevalence within the covered universe; a count describes its scale.
Editorial date:
· First published September 30, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026
Data reviewed September 30, 2026; definition labels reviewed October 1,
2026 · American Public Data
A large state can have a large count without a high rate
The percentage divides uninsured residents by the corresponding civilian noninstitutionalized population. A larger state can have more uninsured residents than a smaller state even when its rate is lower. Switch the display below between the percentage and the uninsured count to see that distinction using identical source observations. The count is the numerator of the displayed rate, rather than a calculation using a separate population product.
The all-age universe is part of the figure
This insurance measure covers civilian noninstitutionalized people of all ages. Active-duty Armed Forces members and people living in institutions are outside its universe. Using the annual PEP population estimate as its denominator would combine different products, dates and coverage. The source-defined denominator belongs beside the percentage so a report can say who was counted.
Do not compare an all-age rate with an under-65 rate
A state can have different coverage patterns by age. ACS and SAHIE products may offer related but differently defined measures, and some commonly cited uninsured statistics focus on people under 65. Substituting one into an all-age ranking would create a false comparison. This release integrates the all-age ACS definition and does not manufacture subgroup breakdowns absent from its approved indicator.
Explore the figures behind this comparison
Change the measure or switch a percentage to its source count
. The table and download update together. The United States is a separate
benchmark; selected states are examples, rather than a complete ranking.
Uninsured people as a share of the civilian noninstitutionalized population, across all ages. Reference period: 2020–2024. Institutionalized people and active-duty military are outside this universe. Coverage does not establish access to care or personal health.
Residents without health insurance·
2020–2024· U.S. Census
Bureau
Source counts and periods come from snapshot apd-2026-10-01-r3. Derived percentage
uncertainty is not calculated; direct margins of error remain in the
indicator download.
Insurance coverage is distinct from access to care
Massachusetts has an uninsured point estimate of 2.6%, compared with the national 8.4%. A low uninsured percentage does not establish that appointments are timely, providers accept every plan or care is affordable. Coverage, capacity, utilization and out-of-pocket expense require separate datasets. A provider count would not substitute for patients served or appointments available.
The five-year period limits present-day interpretations
These values pool the 2020–2024 survey period. They are not a September 2026 coverage measurement or a causal evaluation of a recent policy. The calendar year at the end of an ACS five-year product is a product label, not a claim that every observation occurred during that year. Use a compatible annual product for a question explicitly about one year and retain its uncertainty.
Write a sourced statement with its denominator
A reproducible sentence identifies the state, all-age civilian noninstitutionalized universe, estimated share or count, full period and source table. The interactive export includes these fields and the frozen release. Derived percentage margins of error are not calculated here, so close differences should not be described as confirmed statistical ranks. Population coverage statistics cannot be translated into an individual’s health condition or personal risk.
Source tables and calculation record
Original producer: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey, 2024 five-year detailed tables, describing 2020–2024.
Website data snapshot: apd-2026-10-01-r3. The article arithmetic uses retained
observations and documented indicator definitions; displayed percentages
are rounded, while exports preserve their underlying precision.
Census comparison guidance
explains why source product and sampling uncertainty belong in a survey
comparison.
Population Estimates Program documentation
explains the estimate framework and vintage revisions. The article
examples do not imply household-level links between separate state
totals.
Explore New York’s no-vehicle households alongside public transit and driving commute shares. Understand household and worker denominators in Census data.
Compare residents age 65 and older by percentage and count. Maine and Florida illustrate how service planning differs from a demographic share comparison.
Colorado leads the state work-from-home point estimates. Explore the worker universe, five-year period and why usual commuting does not measure hybrid schedules.
