US Cities with the Most Affordable Healthcare

A lot of attention has been placed on the large variation in healthcare costs across the US. Last May, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a database that revealed that prices didn’t just vary state to state, but costs could vary greatly between towns just a dozen miles apart.

Plan pricing in the insurance markets under the Affordable Care Act also revealed how wide the price disparity is across the country with some regions paying premiums topping $400 a month and others as cheap as $154 a month.

Healthcare expenses have always been difficult for Americans to handle. The doctor’s bill is often one of the last paid and many Americans have admitted to delaying care because they couldn’t afford the costs.

Livability.com has found the top cities that offer some relief. These cities have low healthcare expenses, good access to hospitals, doctors and other providers, and an excellent quality of life.

The site ranked the top cities for affordable health care by considering such factors as average per capita spending on healthcare, number of area hospitals, number of primary care physicians (PCPs) per capita and the number of premature deaths.

Livability.com also considered things like entertainment, dining, recreation, walkability, income and climate, all of which make a city an enjoyable place to live.

10. Burien, Washington

Population: 34,398

Median household income: $52,964

Median home price: $225,000

Cost of heart valve surgery: $54,234

New patient visit (minor problem): $91

Three Tree Point in Burien. Photo by Ryan Lang.

There may be just one major medical center in Burien, but it has a high ratio of PCPs to residents (1:887). Burien is just 15 minutes south of Seattle, which means there’s plenty nearby, but Burien has its own attractions, according to Livability. With regional trails, parks and a community garden, it shouldn’t be tough to stay health in Burien.

9. Grand Rapids, Michigan

Population: 189,296

Median household income: $39,044

Median home price: $81,383

Cost of heart valve surgery: $47,207

New patient visit (minor problem): $80

Downtown. Photo by Rachel Kramer.

The cost for healthcare in Grand Rapids is 31% less than the national average, probably because there’s strong competition in the area with 12 local hospitals (three of which hold national rankings). While the ratio of PCPs to residents isn’t quite as good as Burien’s, it’s still high (1:1,129). Roughly 13% of the population actually doesn’t have health insurance, though. Perhaps they don’t need it, though, since they live several years longer than half of the country’s population. Who wouldn’t, though, in a community that has beaches on Lake Michigan, 1,600 acres of parkland within the city, summer festivals and a vibrant downtown?

8. Lincoln, Nebraska

Population: 266,241

Median household income: $50,398

Median home price: $128,000

Cost of heart valve surgery: $46,672

New patient visit (minor problem): $77

Downtown, Photo by Collin Ulness.

With 30 hospitals, Lincoln has the highest total for a city on the top 10 list. Choice keeps medical expenses low, plus the city has a clean environmental record and recreational activities to make living there enjoyable. Healthcare isn’t the only thing affordable, with a cost of living that’s 6% below the national average, and an unemployment rate at 2.9% Lincoln is a great place to work and live.

7. Albany, New York

Population: 98,047

Median household income: $39,567

Median home price: $145,000

Cost of heart valve surgery: $45,366

New patient visit (minor problem): $79

Ten Broek Triangle in Arbor Hill. CC-BY-SA-3.0/Matt H. Wade at Wikipedia.

With 10 hospitals serving the area, the cost of healthcare in Albany is 22% below the national average. The city has historic charm (buildings in downtown date back to the 1700s) and is located just an hour south of the Adirondacks for those who want to be active. However, New York State has one of the worst tax climates in the country.

6. Charlottesville, Virginia

Population: 46,862

Median household income: $42,483

Median home price: $218,400

Cost of heart valve surgery: $46,721

New patient visit (minor problem): $82

Downtown Mall. Photo by Bobak Ha’Eri.

At 1:392, Charlottesville has the highest ratio in the top 10 of PCPs to residents. Competition is so strong in the Charlottesville area that the average consumer spends 71% less than the nation’s average. The city is home to the University of Virginia, which explains the young vibe (median age is 29) and the many recreational activities regardless of the season: hiking, kayaking, snowboarding, pumpkin picking, and wine tasting are all popular ways to spend the weekends.

Plus, the city is 2 hours south of Washington, D.C. and one hour west of Richmond in case residents feel the need to get out of town.

5. Hartford, Connecticut

Population: 125,736

Median household income: $29,208

Median home price: $110,000

Cost of heart valve surgery: $58,690

New patient visit (minor problem): $90

Downtown

Nearly smack dab in the middle of Boston and New York City (an hour-and-a-half and two hours away, respectively), Hartford has 8 area hospitals, but 17% of the local population is uninsured, according to Livability.com. That high uninsured population might have to do with the city’s young age: like Charlottesville, the median age is 29 years.

4. Portland, Maine

Population: 66,584

Median household income: $44,807

Median home price: $239,375

Cost of heart valve surgery: $49,322

New patient visit (minor problem): $84

Downtown Portland.

Portland has one of the highest ratios of PCPs to residents (1:655), plus 8 hospitals, so residents spend 19% less on healthcare than the rest of the country. Life in Portland means cobblestone streets, ocean views with sunbathing in the summer and skiing in the winter.

3. Mankato, Minnesota

Population: 39,602

Median household income: $40,779

Median home price: $139,500

Cost of heart valve surgery: $46,572

New patient visit (minor problem): $82

Riverfront Drive Commercial District. Photo by Bobak Ha’Eri.

Just about anywhere in Minnesota would mean affordable health care: according to Kaiser Health News, the majority of the state has some of the cheapest health insurance markets. Mankato has 12 area hospitals and a low number of premature death cases, plus residents spend 22% less on care than the national average. If the vibrant downtown doesn’t have enough to do, then there are 60 parks and 50 miles of paved trails in the Greater Mankato area.

2. Morgantown, West Virginia

Population: 31,197

Median household income: $21,519

Median home price: $155,000

Cost of heart valve surgery: $45,138

New patient visit (minor problem): $75

Downtown

With a median age of 24, Morgantown is the youngest city in the top 10. However, it also has the lowest median household income, by far, so it’s a good thing residents spend 34% less on healthcare compared to the national average. The largest healthcare system in the area is affiliated with West Virginia University.

Morgantown stands apart from the rest of the state. A new Gallup poll just revealed that West Virginia is last in well-being, which is measured by six sub-indexes: life evaluation, emotional health, work environment, physicial health, health behaviors and access to basic needs.

1. Iowa City, Iowa

Population: 70,740

Median household income: $41,866

Median home price: $165,000

Cost of heart valve surgery: $47,696

New patient visit (minor problem): $76

Downtown. Photo by Bill Whittaker.

Not only is the ratio of PCPs to residents high (1:634) in Iowa City, but so is the ratio of dentists to residents (1:532). There are 14 hospitals serving the area and residents spend 17% less on healthcare than the rest of the country. Perhaps the reason the cost of care is so low is because the city is health thanks to city parks, trails, the Iowa River and the fact that many businesses offer their employees discounts to fitness facilities.