- Washington tops the list, spending 11.86% of its yearly mean wage on personal healthcare
- Colorado and Utah follow, spending 11.93% and 12.32% of their yearly mean wage on personal healthcare
- West Virginia ranks highest, spending 24.46% of its yearly mean wage on personal healthcare
New research reveals that Washington is the U.S. state that spends the lowest proportion of its annual wage on healthcare.
isBrave, a prosthetic solutions guide, analyzed personal healthcare spending per capita in each state and compared it to the average annual wage. States were then ranked by the percentage of wages spent on healthcare, from lowest to highest.
Washington tops the list with personal healthcare spending accounting for 11.86% of the state’s annual mean wage of $78,130, the highest wage of the top ten. This translates to $9,265 per capita.
With 11.93% of the state’s annual mean wage spent on personal healthcare, Colorado places second. Coloradans spend $8,583 of their $71,960 annual mean wage on personal healthcare per capita.
Utah ranks third, with 12.32% of its $61,070 annual mean wage allocated to personal healthcare, or $7,522 per capita.
Virginia places fourth, where 13.13% of its annual mean wage of $70,050, or $9,195 per capita, is spent on personal healthcare.
In fifth place, California spends 13.38% of its annual mean wage of $76,960 on personal healthcare. This translates to $10,299 per capita, the highest personal healthcare spending figure of the top ten.
With 13.73% of the state’s annual mean wage spent on personal healthcare, Texas ranks sixth. The state has an annual mean wage of $61,240 and spends $8,406 of it on personal healthcare per capita.
Arizona ranks seventh, with personal healthcare expenditure accounting for 13.89% of its annual mean wage, which is $63,040. The southwestern state spends $8,756 per capita on personal healthcare.
Nevada ranks eighth, with personal healthcare spending accounting for 14.17% of annual mean wage. Georgia follows in ninth place with 14.30%, and Idaho rounds out the top ten with 14.64%.
Jonas Torrang, Co-founder of isBrave, commented on the findings,
“In today’s world, saving for anything meaningful is a challenge when a large portion of income goes toward essential expenses like rent, food, and healthcare.
“That said, healthcare should always be a top priority. Staying on top of your health is crucial to prevent more serious issues down the road.
“The states that rank highly, such as Washington and Colorado, enjoy relatively high incomes, whereas others, like Utah, demonstrate that even with lower wages, healthcare spending can remain proportionally manageable.”
Full list: U.S. states that spend the lowest portion of their salary on healthcare
| Ranking | State | % Spent of Mean Wage |
| 1 | Washington | 11.86% |
| 2 | Colorado | 11.93% |
| 3 | Utah | 12.32% |
| 4 | Virginia | 13.13% |
| 5 | California | 13.38% |
| 6 | Texas | 13.73% |
| 7 | Arizona | 13.89% |
| 8 | Nevada | 14.17% |
| 9 | Georgia | 14.30% |
| 10 | Idaho | 14.64% |
| 11 | Maryland | 14.72% |
| 12 | North Carolina | 14.93% |
| 13 | Oregon | 15.10% |
| 14 | Illinois | 15.18% |
| 15 | New Mexico | 15.48% |
| 16 | Hawaii | 15.83% |
| 17 | New Jersey | 16.04% |
| 18 | South Carolina | 16.16% |
| 19 | Minnesota | 16.26% |
| 20 | Michigan | 16.33% |
| 21 | Florida | 16.38% |
| 22 | Massachusetts | 16.58% |
| 23 | Tennessee | 16.66% |
| 24 | Kansas | 16.72% |
| 25 | Wisconsin | 16.78% |
| 26 | Connecticut | 16.94% |
| 27 | Missouri | 17.23% |
| 28 | Iowa | 17.36% |
| 29 | Alabama | 17.38% |
| 30 | Ohio | 17.50% |
| 31 | Rhode Island | 17.56% |
| 32 | Oklahoma | 17.67% |
| 33 | New York | 17.82% |
| 34 | New Hampshire | 17.84% |
| 35 | Nebraska | 18.10% |
| 36 | Arkansas | 18.22% |
| 37 | Montana | 18.26% |
| 38 | Indiana | 18.64% |
| 39 | Pennsylvania | 18.74% |
| 40 | Wyoming | 18.97% |
| 41 | Kentucky | 18.98% |
| 42 | North Dakota | 19.14% |
| 43 | Alaska | 19.52% |
| 44 | Delaware | 19.55% |
| 45 | Louisiana | 19.68% |
| 46 | Mississippi | 19.75% |
| 47 | Maine | 20.13% |
| 48 | Vermont | 20.32% |
| 49 | South Dakota | 23.47% |
| 50 | West Virginia | 24.46% |
Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash
Mike Kieffer is an IT geek by hobby and trade, with a BS in Information Systems & Technology. He is a proud father of 10, a grandpa, an author, a journalist, and internet publisher. His motto is to “Elevate, Inspire and Inform”, and he is politically conservative and a Christian. Mike has a passion for technology, writing, and helping others. With a wealth of experience, he is committed to sharing his knowledge with others to help them reach their full potential. He is known for his jackassery or his form of self-expression that encourages boldness, creativity, and risk-taking. It can be a way to push the boundaries and challenge traditional norms, leading to creative solutions and positive change.