10 US States With the Most Affordable Healthcare

When searching for somewhere to call home, you might consider costs for necessities like housing and food. But healthcare is also an important area to consider, with U.S. per-capita spending on healthcare being higher than in any other developed country, according to a World Economic Forum and Statista analysis of OECD data.

However, these high costs include a mix of government, private, and voluntary healthcare spending, and within the U.S., you’ll find that some states have much lower healthcare costs than others. In other words, you don’t necessarily have to spend a ton of money on healthcare while still having necessities like health insurance. If you’re looking to save money, consider the following states with the lowest healthcare costs, based on GOBankingRates research:

With an average annual employee contribution of $4,307 for a family health insurance premium for employer-based health insurance, Kentucky has the lowest healthcare cost of living in the U.S. If you live in Kentucky and are looking for great healthcare too, you might visit the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital in Lexington. It’s nationally ranked in several categories, such as ranking seventh in the U.S. for Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Next on the list, Arkansas has an average annual employee contribution of $4,471 for family health insurance. Yet lower costs don’t always mean residents can afford coverage; 8.4% of Arkansas’ population was without health care coverage in 2022, higher than the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

This state on the Eastern Seaboard has an annual average annual employee contribution of $4,781 for family health insurance. Plus, it’s home to one of the top hospitals in the country, Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, based on U.S. News & World Report rankings.

At $4,885 for an annual average annual employee contribution for family health insurance, Alabama’s annual healthcare costs are one of the lowest in the U.S. However, Alabama is home to some of the unhealthiest cities in the U.S., like Montgomery and Mobile, according to a WalletHub report.

Another southern state also makes the list, with Tennessee’s average annual employee contribution for family health insurance at $4,901. Although these costs are low, 9.3% of the population in Tennessee are uninsured, above the national average, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sooner State has an average annual employee contribution for family health insurance of $4,972, which is lower than most U.S. states. They boast the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health, which has earned high marks in the  U.S. News and World Report’s rankings, such as for Pediatric Cardiology & Heart Surgery.

Just surpassing the $5,000 mark, Utah’s average annual employee contribution for family health insurance comes to $5,010. In addition to having some of the lowest annual healthcare costs in the nation, Utah is home to five national parks — the third most of any state in the country — which can give residents a healthy outlet. However, Utah has the lowest number of primary care physicians per 100,000 residents, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).

While Missouri’s healthcare costs are relatively low, with an average annual employee contribution for family health insurance at $5,032, keep in mind that 111 of Missouri’s 114 counties are considered to be partial health professional shortage areas, according to the Cicero Institute. Translation: costs may be lower compared to other states, but finding care might be challenging in some instances.

Idaho’s average annual employee contribution for family health insurance is $5,076, but this is another state facing a shortage of healthcare workers. According to the AAMC, Idaho has the lowest number of physicians per 100,000 residents, compared to every other state.

At an average annual employee contribution for family health insurance of $5,158, Georgia ranks #10 on the list of states with the lowest healthcare costs. However, Georgia has the second highest rate in the nation of uninsured adults under age 65, at 19.2% of the population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.