Special Report

The States Spending The Most On Health Care

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24/7 Wall St. Insights

  • The average American spends $9,130 on health care per year.
  • Health care costs vary from state to state, ranging from $6,833 to $13,015 per year.
  • While health care costs track with cost of living, there are several outliers where residents in otherwise affordable states have outsized health care costs.
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Over the past 10 years, health care costs have soared past overall inflation. In 2023, Americans spent a combined $3.1 trillion on health care, up 64.1% from 2013. While health care expenditures average out to $9,130 per American, they vary widely from state to state.

Health care expenditures range from $6,833 per year in the highest spending state to $13,015 in the lowest spending state. And while health care expenditures tend to correlate with overall cost of living, the states spending the most on clothes are a mix of expensive and inexpensive places to live. A closer look at the data reveals the states spending the most on health care.

To determine the states spending the most on clothes, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on personal consumption expenditures from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. States were ranked based on annual personal expenditure on health care per capita in 2023. Expenditure totals were adjusted for population using data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

50. Utah

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $6,833 per capita
  • Cost of living: -5.0% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $23.4 billion
  • Total population: 3.4 million
  • Other major spending categories: Recreational goods and vehicles, furnishings and durable household equipment, motor vehicles and parts, transportation services, gasoline and other energy goods, housing and utilities

49. Nevada

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $7,198 per capita
  • Cost of living: -3.0% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $23.0 billion
  • Total population: 3.2 million
  • Other major spending categories: Furnishings and durable household equipment, groceries, recreation services, housing and utilities, food services and accommodations, financial services and insurance

48. South Carolina

  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $7,244 per capita
  • Cost of living: -6.8% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $38.9 billion
  • Total population: 5.4 million
  • Other major spending categories: Gasoline and other energy goods, motor vehicles and parts, clothing and footwear, groceries, housing and utilities, food services and accommodations

47. Texas

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $7,411 per capita
  • Cost of living: -2.8% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $226.1 billion
  • Total population: 30.5 million
  • Other major spending categories: Motor vehicles and parts, clothing and footwear, recreation services, financial services and insurance, food services and accommodations, recreational goods and vehicles

46. Alabama

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $7,505 per capita
  • Cost of living: -10.0% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $38.3 billion
  • Total population: 5.1 million
  • Other major spending categories: Motor vehicles and parts, gasoline and other energy goods, clothing and footwear, recreational goods and vehicles, groceries, furnishings and durable household equipment

45. Idaho

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $7,508 per capita
  • Cost of living: -8.6% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $14.8 billion
  • Total population: 2.0 million
  • Other major spending categories: Recreational goods and vehicles, gasoline and other energy goods, motor vehicles and parts, housing and utilities, furnishings and durable household equipment, transportation services

44. Mississippi

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $7,645 per capita
  • Cost of living: -12.7% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $22.5 billion
  • Total population: 2.9 million
  • Other major spending categories: Gasoline and other energy goods, clothing and footwear, motor vehicles and parts, groceries, food services and accommodations

43. Arizona

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $7,943 per capita
  • Cost of living: +1.1% more than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $59.0 billion
  • Total population: 7.4 million
  • Other major spending categories: Housing and utilities, transportation services, food services and accommodations, furnishings and durable household equipment, motor vehicles and parts, recreation services

42. New Mexico

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $7,998 per capita
  • Cost of living: -9.6% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $16.9 billion
  • Total population: 2.1 million
  • Other major spending categories: Gasoline and other energy goods, food services and accommodations, motor vehicles and parts, groceries, housing and utilities

41. Georgia

  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $8,008 per capita
  • Cost of living: -3.3% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $88.3 billion
  • Total population: 11.0 million
  • Other major spending categories: Transportation services, clothing and footwear, groceries, motor vehicles and parts, gasoline and other energy goods, recreation services

40. Arkansas

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $8,098 per capita
  • Cost of living: -13.5% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $24.8 billion
  • Total population: 3.1 million
  • Other major spending categories: Gasoline and other energy goods, financial services and insurance, clothing and footwear, furnishings and durable household equipment, recreational goods and vehicles

39. North Carolina

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $8,166 per capita
  • Cost of living: -5.9% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $88.5 billion
  • Total population: 10.8 million
  • Other major spending categories: Recreational goods and vehicles, furnishings and durable household equipment, motor vehicles and parts, clothing and footwear, groceries, recreation services

38. Iowa

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $8,224 per capita
  • Cost of living: -11.2% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $26.4 billion
  • Total population: 3.2 million
  • Other major spending categories: Gasoline and other energy goods, motor vehicles and parts, groceries, recreational goods and vehicles, transportation services

37. Tennessee

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $8,244 per capita
  • Cost of living: -7.5% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $58.8 billion
  • Total population: 7.1 million
  • Other major spending categories: Clothing and footwear, food services and accommodations, financial services and insurance, gasoline and other energy goods, motor vehicles and parts, furnishings and durable household equipment

36. Oklahoma

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $8,381 per capita
  • Cost of living: -11.7% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $34.0 billion
  • Total population: 4.1 million
  • Other major spending categories: Motor vehicles and parts, gasoline and other energy goods, clothing and footwear, food services and accommodations, recreational goods and vehicles

35. Michigan

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $8,381 per capita
  • Cost of living: -5.8% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $84.1 billion
  • Total population: 10.0 million
  • Other major spending categories: Financial services and insurance, gasoline and other energy goods, recreational goods and vehicles, groceries, clothing and footwear, housing and utilities

34. Colorado

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $8,415 per capita
  • Cost of living: +1.4% more than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $49.5 billion
  • Total population: 5.9 million
  • Other major spending categories: Furnishings and durable household equipment, recreation services, housing and utilities, food services and accommodations, recreational goods and vehicles, clothing and footwear

33. Virginia

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $8,434 per capita
  • Cost of living: +0.7% more than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $73.5 billion
  • Total population: 8.7 million
  • Other major spending categories: Recreation services, clothing and footwear, housing and utilities, recreational goods and vehicles, groceries, food services and accommodations

32. Kansas

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $8,523 per capita
  • Cost of living: -10.0% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $25.1 billion
  • Total population: 2.9 million
  • Other major spending categories: Groceries, motor vehicles and parts, financial services and insurance, furnishings and durable household equipment, gasoline and other energy goods

31. Maryland

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $8,838 per capita
  • Cost of living: +4.0% more than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $54.6 billion
  • Total population: 6.2 million
  • Other major spending categories: Clothing and footwear, housing and utilities, recreation services, recreational goods and vehicles, transportation services, food services and accommodations

30. Florida

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $8,996 per capita
  • Cost of living: +3.5% more than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $203.4 billion
  • Total population: 22.6 million
  • Other major spending categories: Furnishings and durable household equipment, housing and utilities, financial services and insurance, food services and accommodations, recreational goods and vehicles, groceries

29. Washington

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $9,013 per capita
  • Cost of living: +8.6% more than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $70.4 billion
  • Total population: 7.8 million
  • Other major spending categories: Transportation services, recreational goods and vehicles, recreation services, housing and utilities, furnishings and durable household equipment, groceries

28. Wyoming

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $9,050 per capita
  • Cost of living: -9.2% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $5.3 billion
  • Total population: 584,057
  • Other major spending categories: Financial services and insurance, clothing and footwear, motor vehicles and parts, gasoline and other energy goods, groceries, transportation services

27. Montana

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $9,081 per capita
  • Cost of living: -9.8% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $10.3 billion
  • Total population: 1.1 million
  • Other major spending categories: Motor vehicles and parts, groceries, recreation services, gasoline and other energy goods, transportation services, recreational goods and vehicles

26. Hawaii

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $9,107 per capita
  • Cost of living: +8.6% more than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $13.1 billion
  • Total population: 1.4 million
  • Other major spending categories: Groceries, food services and accommodations, housing and utilities, transportation services, recreation services, clothing and footwear

25. Oregon

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $9,155 per capita
  • Cost of living: +4.7% more than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $38.8 billion
  • Total population: 4.2 million
  • Other major spending categories: Furnishings and durable household equipment, recreational goods and vehicles, groceries, clothing and footwear, food services and accommodations, housing and utilities

24. Illinois

  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $9,238 per capita
  • Cost of living: -1.1% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $115.9 billion
  • Total population: 12.5 million
  • Other major spending categories: Clothing and footwear, transportation services, recreational goods and vehicles, financial services and insurance, food services and accommodations, furnishings and durable household equipment

23. Rhode Island

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $9,280 per capita
  • Cost of living: +1.4% more than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $10.2 billion
  • Total population: 1.1 million
  • Other major spending categories: Transportation services, food services and accommodations, recreation services, groceries, housing and utilities

22. Missouri

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $9,374 per capita
  • Cost of living: -8.2% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $58.1 billion
  • Total population: 6.2 million
  • Other major spending categories: Gasoline and other energy goods, motor vehicles and parts, financial services and insurance, recreation services, transportation services

21. Wisconsin

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $9,413 per capita
  • Cost of living: -6.9% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $55.6 billion
  • Total population: 5.9 million
  • Other major spending categories: Gasoline and other energy goods, motor vehicles and parts, recreational goods and vehicles, financial services and insurance, furnishings and durable household equipment

20. Kentucky

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $9,463 per capita
  • Cost of living: -9.5% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $42.8 billion
  • Total population: 4.5 million
  • Other major spending categories: Gasoline and other energy goods, groceries, motor vehicles and parts, recreation services, food services and accommodations

19. Ohio

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $9,520 per capita
  • Cost of living: -8.2% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $112.2 billion
  • Total population: 11.8 million
  • Other major spending categories: Recreational goods and vehicles, groceries, gasoline and other energy goods, recreation services, furnishings and durable household equipment

18. Nebraska

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $9,572 per capita
  • Cost of living: -9.6% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $18.9 billion
  • Total population: 2.0 million
  • Other major spending categories: Motor vehicles and parts, gasoline and other energy goods, financial services and insurance, transportation services, recreational goods and vehicles

17. Louisiana

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $9,576 per capita
  • Cost of living: -11.7% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $43.8 billion
  • Total population: 4.6 million
  • Other major spending categories: Motor vehicles and parts, gasoline and other energy goods, clothing and footwear, food services and accommodations, financial services and insurance

16. Pennsylvania

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $9,609 per capita
  • Cost of living: -2.5% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $124.5 billion
  • Total population: 13.0 million
  • Other major spending categories: Recreational goods and vehicles, financial services and insurance, furnishings and durable household equipment, gasoline and other energy goods, clothing and footwear

15. New Jersey

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $9,762 per capita
  • Cost of living: +8.9% more than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $90.7 billion
  • Total population: 9.3 million
  • Other major spending categories: Clothing and footwear, furnishings and durable household equipment, housing and utilities, financial services and insurance, recreation services

14. Minnesota

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $9,839 per capita
  • Cost of living: -1.6% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $56.5 billion
  • Total population: 5.7 million
  • Other major spending categories: Recreational goods and vehicles, motor vehicles and parts, financial services and insurance, gasoline and other energy goods, clothing and footwear

13. New Hampshire

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $9,886 per capita
  • Cost of living: +5.3% more than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $13.9 billion
  • Total population: 1.4 million
  • Other major spending categories: Motor vehicles and parts, groceries, furnishings and durable household equipment, financial services and insurance, housing and utilities, clothing and footwear

12. Maine

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $10,062 per capita
  • Cost of living: -2.9% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $14.0 billion
  • Total population: 1.4 million
  • Other major spending categories: Groceries, gasoline and other energy goods, recreation services, food services and accommodations, motor vehicles and parts

11. Connecticut

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $10,103 per capita
  • Cost of living: +3.7% more than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $36.5 billion
  • Total population: 3.6 million
  • Other major spending categories: Financial services and insurance, transportation services, furnishings and durable household equipment, recreation services, housing and utilities, clothing and footwear

10. Indiana

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $10,342 per capita
  • Cost of living: -7.8% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $71.0 billion
  • Total population: 6.9 million
  • Other major spending categories: Gasoline and other energy goods, motor vehicles and parts, recreational goods and vehicles, groceries, furnishings and durable household equipment

9. California

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $10,373 per capita
  • Cost of living: +12.6% more than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $404.2 billion
  • Total population: 39.0 million
  • Other major spending categories: Clothing and footwear, recreation services, food services and accommodations, housing and utilities, transportation services

8. Vermont

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $10,438 per capita
  • Cost of living: -3.4% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $6.8 billion
  • Total population: 647,464
  • Other major spending categories: Groceries, motor vehicles and parts, food services and accommodations, recreation services, gasoline and other energy goods

7. North Dakota

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $11,084 per capita
  • Cost of living: -11.4% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $8.7 billion
  • Total population: 783,926
  • Other major spending categories: Recreational goods and vehicles, financial services and insurance, motor vehicles and parts, clothing and footwear, furnishings and durable household equipment

6. West Virginia

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $11,089 per capita
  • Cost of living: -10.2% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $19.6 billion
  • Total population: 1.8 million
  • Other major spending categories: Gasoline and other energy goods, groceries, motor vehicles and parts, financial services and insurance, housing and utilities

5. Delaware

  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $11,091 per capita
  • Cost of living: -0.7% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $11.4 billion
  • Total population: 1.0 million
  • Other major spending categories: Furnishings and durable household equipment, food services and accommodations, gasoline and other energy goods, housing and utilities, clothing and footwear

4. New York

Yellow taxis driving through the busy intersection of 5th Avenue and 23rd Street in Manhattan, New York City USA
Ryan DeBerardinis / Shutterstock.com

  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $11,343 per capita
  • Cost of living: +7.6% more than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $222.0 billion
  • Total population: 19.6 million
  • Other major spending categories: Clothing and footwear, financial services and insurance, food services and accommodations, transportation services, housing and utilities

3. Massachusetts

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $11,354 per capita
  • Cost of living: +8.2% more than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $79.5 billion
  • Total population: 7.0 million
  • Other major spending categories: Transportation services, housing and utilities, financial services and insurance, recreation services, food services and accommodations

2. South Dakota

  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $11,511 per capita
  • Cost of living: -11.9% less than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $10.6 billion
  • Total population: 919,318
  • Other major spending categories: Furnishings and durable household equipment, recreation services, transportation services, clothing and footwear, food services and accommodations

1. Alaska

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  • Personal health care expenditure, adjusted for population: $13,015 per capita
  • Cost of living: +1.7% more than national average
  • Total health care expenditure: $9.5 billion
  • Total population: 733,406
  • Other major spending categories: Recreation services, recreational goods and vehicles, transportation services, food services and accommodations, furnishings and durable household equipment

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