Everything's bigger in Texas—including the state's uninsured rate.
More than a quarter (26.3 percent) of Texans don't have health insurance, giving the state the lowest rate of insureds residents in the nation, according to data released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Also on the low end of the spectrum are Florida (25.3 percent), Nevada (25.1 percent) and New Mexico (22.6 percent).
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Massachusetts—in part due to Gov. Mitt Romney's state health reform—has the country's best rate of insured individuals, with just a 5.2 percent uninsured rate. That's significantly lower than the other best states, Hawaii (8.9 percent), the District of Columbia (9 percent) and Vermont (9.7 percent).
Overall, there are 50.7 million uninsured Americans as of the 2010 census. The majority of the highest share of residents without health insurance is in states in the South and Southwest. The U.S. Census Bureau's Small Area Health Insurance Estimates study was based on demographic population estimates, federal tax returns and Medicare and Medicaid participation records, as well as other sources.
The state breakdowns aren't particularly surprising; results from the 2010 census are similar to previous years. Texas, for example, has had the worst uninsured rate since 2006.
The Census Bureau notes the PPACA will extend coverage through Medicaid to more low income people, and this study will show the impact in future years.
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