Missouri Ranks 23rd For Best/Worst States For Healthcare In 2026

With Americans spending more than $15,000 per year on healthcare, the personal finance website WalletHub.com put together a study of the best and worst states when it comes to healthcare in 2026.

The study, which took into account 44 key metrics including cost, access and outcomes, ranked Missouri 23^rd in the study just ahead of California and just behind Virginia.

The worst states for healthcare, according to WalletHub.com, are Georgia, Mississippi and Alaska while the best states are Iowa, Minnesota and New Hampshire.

Full Report:

With the average American spending nearly $15,500 per year on healthcare, the personal-finance company WalletHub today released its report on the States With the Best & Worst Healthcare in 2026, as well as expert commentary, to identify where Americans receive the highest-quality services at the best prices.

WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 44 key measures of healthcare cost, accessibility and outcomes. The data set ranges from the average monthly insurance premium to physicians per capita to the share of the population with health insurance.

Best vs. Worst

• New Hampshire has the lowest average monthly health-insurance premium, which is 2.5 times lower than in West Virginia, the highest.
• California has the highest retention rate for medical residents, which is 4.9 times higher than in the District of Columbia, the lowest.
• New Hampshire has the lowest number of infant mortalities (per 1,000 live births), which is 3.3 times lower than in Mississippi, the highest.
• Mississippi and Louisiana has the lowest share of at-risk adults without a routine doctor visit in the past two years, which is 1.6 times lower than in New Mexico, the highest.

To view the full report and your state or the District’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/states-with-best-healthcare/23457