Henrico health insurance coverage outpaces statewide rate, Census data suggests
But 7.7% of county residents 65 and younger – more than 21,000 in total – lacked coverage, according to new federal estimates
About 21,200 Henrico County residents younger than 65 lacked health insurance in 2024, according to newly released estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Census Bureau's Small Area Health Insurance Estimates program estimated that 21,219 of Henrico's 273,865 residents under age 65 were uninsured – a rate of 7.7%.
That was slightly below Virginia's statewide rate of 8.1%, meaning a slightly higher percentage of Henrico residents had health insurance than did their counterparts statewide.
Henrico also compared favorably with some of its largest Richmond-area neighbors. Chesterfield County's uninsured rate was 7.9%, while the city of Richmond's was 9.8%. Hanover County's rate, however, was lower than Henrico's, at 6.4%.
Nationally, the median uninsured rate among counties was 9.8% in 2024, according to the Census Bureau.
The data also offered a look at the income levels of Henrico residents who lacked coverage.
An estimated 10,824 uninsured Henrico residents – about 51% of the county's uninsured population younger than 65 – had household incomes between 138% and 400% of the federal poverty level.
Another 5,523 uninsured residents, or about 26% of Henrico's uninsured population, had incomes at or below 138% of the poverty level.
The income categories are included in the Census estimates because they correspond with income thresholds used in determining eligibility for various federal and state health-coverage assistance programs, though an individual's eligibility depends upon other factors as well.
Among Henrico residents ages 50 through 64, an estimated 3,980 lacked insurance in 2024, representing 6.4% of residents in that age group.
The Census Bureau released the 2024 figures Aug. 6 through its Small Area Health Insurance Estimates program, known as SAHIE. It is the only Census product that provides single-year health insurance estimates for all 3,143 U.S. counties.
The estimates combine survey information with administrative records and other Census data to produce model-based county and state estimates. County results can be examined by age, sex and several income ranges.
Nationally, the Census Bureau found that uninsured rates increased significantly in 427 counties and decreased significantly in 65 counties between 2023 and 2024.
The median county uninsured rate increased from 9.3% in 2023 to 9.8% in 2024, and the percentage of counties with uninsured rates below 10% declined from 46.3% to 41.4%.
The 2024 release also marks the first time the Census Bureau has published SAHIE estimates specifically for people ages 21 through 29.
