Health insurance in Merced County, California
11,931 people here have no coverage and earn in the range a premium tax credit is built for — 56% of everyone uninsured in the county.
Source: US Census Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, 2024 release. Income bands are measured against the federal poverty level.
Most of the uninsured here would qualify for help
Of the 21,331 people without coverage in Merced County, 11,931 — 56% — earn inside the premium tax credit range. That is near the 51% national median. Within that band itself, 9.7% have no coverage.
How many people here have no coverage
8.5% of Merced County's 252,216 under-65 residents have no health coverage — 21,331 people. That is above the California rate of 6.9%, and puts Merced County in the lower half of the 3,143 counties measured nationally (1,972nd).
Who falls under the Medicaid line
6,283 of Merced County's uninsured — 29%, close to the 31% typical nationally — earn under $22,025 a year, which in California is Medicaid territory rather than marketplace territory.
The years before Medicare
4,246 people aged 50 to 64 in Merced County have no coverage, a rate of 9.5% — close to the 8.5% across all under-65 residents here. Age-rated premiums make this the most expensive group to cover before Medicare.
Merced County against California
Merced County is the 22nd largest of the 34 California counties we publish. Its uninsured rate runs 1.6 points higher than California overall and 4 points more of its uninsured sit in the subsidy band than statewide. Coverage among 50 to 64 year olds is worse here than across California.
| Merced County | California | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uninsured, under 65 | 8.5% | 6.9% | 9.8% |
| Uninsured in the subsidy band | 11,931 | 1,173,956 | — |
| Subsidy band as a share of uninsured | 56% | 52% | 51% |
| At or below 138% of poverty | 29% | 25% | 31% |
| Uninsured, 50 to 64 | 9.5% | 6.6% | 8.1% |
Counties of a similar size
| County | Uninsured | In the subsidy band | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Luis Obispo County | 6.0% | 6,022 | 49% |
| Santa Cruz County | 6.1% | 6,092 | 50% |
| Marin County | 5.0% | 4,448 | 47% |
| Yolo County | 5.4% | 4,682 | 48% |
All California counties · How the credit works · Enrollment dates