Health insurance in Benton County, Washington
9,052 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
Of the 17,620 people without coverage in Benton County, 9,052 — 51% — earn inside the premium tax credit range. That is near the 51% national median. Within that band itself, 12.5% have no coverage.
How many people here have no coverage
9.7% of Benton County's 181,860 under-65 residents have no health coverage — 17,620 people. That is above the Washington rate of 7.8%, and puts Benton County in the lower half of the 3,143 counties measured nationally (1,619th).
Who falls under the Medicaid line
4,661 of Benton County's uninsured — 26%, close to the 31% typical nationally — earn under $22,025 a year, which in Washington is Medicaid territory rather than marketplace territory.
The years before Medicare
2,991 people aged 50 to 64 in Benton County have no coverage, a rate of 8.5% — close to the 9.7% across all under-65 residents here. Age-rated premiums make this the most expensive group to cover before Medicare.
Benton County against Washington
Benton County is the 10th largest of the 14 Washington counties we publish. Its uninsured rate runs 1.9 points higher than Washington overall and its subsidy-band share matches the state. Coverage among 50 to 64 year olds is worse here than across Washington.
| Benton County | Washington | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uninsured, under 65 | 9.7% | 7.8% | 9.8% |
| Uninsured in the subsidy band | 9,052 | 256,620 | — |
| Subsidy band as a share of uninsured | 51% | 50% | 51% |
| At or below 138% of poverty | 26% | 25% | 31% |
| Uninsured, 50 to 64 | 8.5% | 6.5% | 8.1% |
Counties of a similar size
| County | Uninsured | In the subsidy band | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whatcom County | 8.8% | 8,190 | 50% |
| Yakima County | 15.3% | 17,871 | 55% |
| Kitsap County | 6.1% | 6,863 | 51% |
| Thurston County | 7.1% | 8,588 | 50% |
All Washington counties · How the credit works · Enrollment dates