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Healthcare Cost by State 2026 (Index Rankings)

Healthcare cost index for all 50 states. See which states have the cheapest and most expensive healthcare.

87
Best (Mississippi)
136
Worst (Alaska)
101
Average
99
Median

Top 5 States

#1 Mississippi87
#2 Arkansas88
#3 Kentucky88
#4 West Virginia89
#5 Alabama91

Bottom 5 States

#50 Alaska136
#49 Massachusetts118
#48 Connecticut116
#47 Vermont113
#46 Rhode Island113

All 50 States — Healthcare Index

#State Healthcare Index VisualIncome COL Grade
#1Mississippi87
$46,50083A+
#2Arkansas88
$52,10084A+
#3Kentucky88
$55,60087A+
#4West Virginia89
$48,00084A+
#5Alabama91
$56,20087A+
#6Tennessee91
$59,70091A+
#7Oklahoma92
$55,80086A+
#8Utah92
$75,600103A+
#9Louisiana93
$52,30091A+
#10Missouri93
$61,00088A+
#11New Mexico93
$53,00091A+
#12Ohio93
$59,30089A+
#13Arizona95
$65,600103A
#14Georgia95
$63,40093A
#15Michigan95
$63,40089A
#16Texas95
$67,30093A
#17Idaho96
$62,30097A
#18Indiana96
$58,60090A
#19Virginia96
$80,600103A
#20Nevada97
$64,200104A
#21North Carolina97
$61,00095A
#22South Carolina97
$56,20092A
#23Florida98
$63,100103A
#24Illinois99
$72,20093A
#25Kansas99
$62,10089A
#26Nebraska99
$66,50091A
#27Pennsylvania99
$67,60094A
#28Wisconsin100
$64,80093A
#29Iowa101
$63,20090A
#30Minnesota102
$77,70097B+
#31Colorado103
$80,200105B+
#32Maryland103
$90,200118B+
#33Oregon105
$71,200113B+
#34South Dakota106
$62,10091B+
#35Washington106
$82,100115B+
#36Montana107
$60,600103B+
#37New York107
$75,900139B+
#38California108
$84,900142B+
#39New Jersey108
$87,700121B+
#40Delaware109
$69,100102B+
#41North Dakota109
$64,80093B+
#42Wyoming110
$65,00095B
#43New Hampshire111
$83,300112B
#44Hawaii112
$84,900190B
#45Maine113
$63,200109B
#46Rhode Island113
$71,200109B
#47Vermont113
$63,400110B
#48Connecticut116
$83,800121B
#49Massachusetts118
$89,700135C
#50Alaska136
$77,800127F

Key Takeaways

Based on our analysis of healthcare spending across all 50 states, Mississippi ranks #1 with 87, while Alaska ranks last at 136. The national average is 101.

States with no income tax (Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming) generally perform well on affordability metrics due to higher effective take-home pay.

The gap between the best and worst state is significant: 49. This means your choice of state can make a dramatic difference in your healthcare spending. Use our budget planner calculator to run the numbers for your specific situation.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What state has the best healthcare spending?

Mississippi ranks #1 with 87. Arkansas and Kentucky round out the top 3.

What state has the worst healthcare spending?

Alaska ranks last (#50) with 136. Massachusetts and Connecticut are also among the worst.

What is the national average for healthcare spending?

The average across all 50 states is 101. The median is 99.

How is this data calculated?

This data is calculated using the latest available median income, housing prices, cost of living indices, tax rates, and expense data for each state. Our methodology uses consistent formulas applied to all 50 states for fair comparison.

Data & Research

State RankingsSalary DataFinancial by AgeMortgage DataInsurance DataCredit Card DataTax Brackets 2026Minimum Wage

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