Middle Income Families Spend A LOT On Health Insurance
Sunday, February 15, 2026
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More than half of working-age adults rely on employer-sponsored health insurance, but premium contributions and deductibles total 10% or more of median household income in 19 states, with the highest percentages found in Southern states like Florida, Mississippi, and North Carolina.
The share of median household income spent on family health plans ranges from 5.7% in the District of Columbia to 15.6% in Louisiana, exceeding the federal affordability standard of 8.4% for employer-sponsored health plans in 2024.
According to Kristen Kolb, lead author of the report, "Southern workers face some of the highest cost burdens because wages in the region are lower, so families spend a bigger share of their pay on employer coverage," highlighting the disproportionate impact of health care costs on low-wage families.
