California · Safety & Health
Uninsured Rate in California
Share of residents under 65 with no health insurance coverage of any kind.
5.9% in 2024
#16 of 50 · Top tier (lower is better)
California is better than the 50-state median (7.3%). That's a gap of 1.4%.
View interactive chart & trend → See full 50-state ranking →
2010 – 2024 · California only · interactive chart with US median overlay →
About uninsured rate
What this measures: Share of residents under 65 with no health insurance coverage of any kind.
Why it matters: The uninsured rate predicts emergency-room costs, preventive-care gaps, and a state's exposure to medical-debt collections.
Watch out: This is a survey estimate. Single-year differences smaller than two percentage points usually fall inside the margin of error.
Recent trend
| Year | California | US median |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 18% | 14% |
| 2015 | 8.6% | 8.6% |
| 2016 | 7.3% | 8.0% |
| 2017 | 7.2% | 8.0% |
| 2018 | 7.2% | 8.0% |
| 2019 | 7.7% | 8.0% |
| 2021 | 7.0% | 7.3% |
| 2022 | 6.5% | 6.8% |
| 2023 | 6.4% | 6.6% |
| 2024 | 5.9% | 7.3% |
California vs. neighboring states
Same metric (uninsured rate), latest year with full state coverage. Click any name for that state's full report.
| State | Uninsured Rate | National rank |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 5.2% | #9 of 50 |
| Nevada | 11% | #47 of 50 |
| Arizona | 10% | #43 of 50 |
How California compares (2024)
Top 5 best
| #1 | Massachusetts | 280% |
| #2 | Hawaiʻi | 350% |
| #3 | Vermont | 420% |
| #4 | New Hampshire | 450% |
| #5 | Rhode Island | 460% |
Source and methodology
Source: Census ACS / KFF · Direction: lower is better · Unit: %
Download raw CSV (all 50 states, all years)