Northeast Health Care Costs: From Burden to Breakthrough – What the Study Reveals

Many residents in the Northeast are finding that health insurance costs consume a significant part of their salaries, whereas others are experiencing smaller financial impacts, according to a recent report.

WalletHub has published its 2025 ranking of Top and Bottom States for Health Insurance Spending On Thursday, July 10, the research evaluated all 50 states based on the percentage of median household income that residents allocate toward silver-level health insurance policies.

Individual plan premiums increased by 6% and family plan premiums by 7% in 2024, following a pattern of significant rises.

In recent years, inflation has caused health insurance rates to rise substantially, increasing the difficulty for many Americans in affording adequate healthcare," noted WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "Lacking coverage poses an additional risk since medical bills are among the leading causes of personal bankruptcies. Individuals living in specific states experience higher premium costs compared to those in other areas, with expenses reaching up to 20% of the average income in some regions and only around 4% in others.

New Yorkers allocate 10.87% of their monthly family earnings toward health insurance costs — placing them fifth nationally. In Connecticut, this figure stands at 8.45%, positioning the state as number 19 nationwide.

Massachusetts placed close to last, ranking 46th, as residents spent only 4.96% of their income on premiums. Virginia and Maryland performed slightly worse, sitting at positions 48th and 49th, with healthcare expenses accounting for 4.85% and 4.27% of their budgets, respectively.

Pennsylvania and New Jersey were in the mid-range. The states placed at No. 33 and No. 43, respectively, with insurance costs taking up 6.96% and 5.72% of household incomes.

The study examined median earnings against typical rates for silver-level plans, which are often selected due to their balanced cost and benefits.

Currently, there is significant uncertainty regarding whether the Trump administration and Congress will reduce funds for Medicaid and assistance with premiums in the marketplaces," stated Paul Shafer, co-director of the Medicaid Policy Lab at the Boston University School of Public Health. "The previously known One Big Beautiful Bill Act is expected to result in approximately 11 million additional Americans being without coverage. This could greatly affect the cost of health insurance and healthcare going forward, so if you're obtaining health insurance via Medicaid, HealthCare.gov, or your state’s health insurance exchange, this is certainly something worth monitoring.

You can click here To view WalletHub's complete research about the States where individuals spend the highest and lowest amounts on health insurance.