Health insurance in Union County, New Jersey
33,802 people here have no coverage and earn in the range a premium tax credit is built for — 51% 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.
Half the uninsured here sit in the subsidy range
Union County has 33,802 uninsured residents earning inside the premium tax credit range, 51% of its uninsured total. That is near the 51% national median. Within that income band itself, 19.8% are uninsured — roughly one in 5 of the people the credit was designed for.
Coverage is worse here than across the state
13.5% of Union County's 493,504 under-65 residents have no health coverage — 66,715 people. That is well above New Jersey as a whole at 9.0% — 4.5 points above its own state, and puts Union County in the top quarter of the 3,143 counties measured nationally (686th).
Who falls under the Medicaid line
18,371 of Union County's uninsured — 28%, close to the 31% typical nationally — earn under $22,025 a year, which in New Jersey is Medicaid territory rather than marketplace territory.
Older residents here are better covered
12,060 people aged 50 to 64 in Union County have no coverage, a rate of 10.7% — lower than the 13.5% across all under-65 residents here, which is the usual pattern — people in their fifties and early sixties tend to be more settled in employer coverage. Age-rated premiums make this the most expensive group to cover before Medicare.
Union County against New Jersey
Union County is the 7th largest of the 19 New Jersey counties we publish. Its uninsured rate runs 4.5 points higher than New Jersey overall and 3 points more of its uninsured sit in the subsidy band than statewide. Coverage among 50 to 64 year olds is worse here than across New Jersey.
| Union County | New Jersey | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uninsured, under 65 | 13.5% | 9.0% | 9.8% |
| Uninsured in the subsidy band | 33,802 | 330,684 | — |
| Subsidy band as a share of uninsured | 51% | 48% | 51% |
| At or below 138% of poverty | 28% | 28% | 31% |
| Uninsured, 50 to 64 | 10.7% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
Counties of a similar size
| County | Uninsured | In the subsidy band | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean County | 6.7% | 16,456 | 48% |
| Monmouth County | 6.5% | 14,963 | 45% |
| Camden County | 7.7% | 16,500 | 49% |
| Passaic County | 13.9% | 29,473 | 49% |
With 20% of the subsidy band still uninsured here, how the credit is calculated is the useful place to start. Other New Jersey counties.