Health insurance in Union County, North Carolina
4 insurers sell 68 marketplace plans here, and 9.0% of under-65 residents have no coverage at all.
Source: CMS Marketplace Open Enrollment Public Use Files and US Census Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, 2026 release.
Who sells here, and how much choice that gives
4 insurers sell marketplace plans in Union County, offering 68 plans between them, roughly 17 each. The number has not changed since the previous plan year.
How many people here have no coverage
9.0% of Union County's 224,411 under-65 residents have no health coverage — 20,207 people. That is close to the North Carolina rate of 10.2%, and puts Union County in the middle half of the 1,817 counties on this site (1240th).
How much the marketplace is used
23,640 Union County residents selected a marketplace plan for 2026: 105 per thousand under-65 residents, 725th of 1,817. That is above the 78 per thousand typical of published counties. 3,131 of them — 13% — were new rather than renewing.
Union County against North Carolina
Union County is the 7th largest of the 24 North Carolina counties we publish. Its uninsured rate runs 1.2 points lower than North Carolina overall and its 4 insurers sit between the state's 2 and 6. Marketplace use is close to the North Carolina rate.
| Union County | North Carolina | Published median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uninsured, under 65 | 9.0% | 10.2% | 9.9% |
| Insurers selling | 4 | 2–6 | 4 |
| Plans offered | 68 | — | 57 |
| Selections per 1,000 | 105 | 87 | 78 |
| New rather than renewing | 13% | 17% | 15% |
Counties of a similar size nearby
| County | Under 65 | Uninsured | Insurers | Plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buncombe County | 213,948 | 11.7% | 5 | 59 |
| Johnston County | 212,182 | 10.5% | 4 | 44 |
| Gaston County | 197,709 | 11.1% | 3 | 60 |
Buncombe County has 5 insurers against this county's 4 — a reminder that the county line, not the state line, is what decides your options.
68 plans is a lot to work through. Start with network type, then the metal tiers. Other North Carolina counties.