Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

signal status listen live donate
listen live donate signal status
listen live donate signal status
  • News
    • topics
    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
  • Music
    • genres
    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic
    • Daily Playlist
  • Programs + Podcasts
    • news
    • Morning Edition
    • All Things Considered
    • Marketplace
    • Insight With Vicki Gonzalez
    • music
    • Acid Jazz
    • At the Opera
    • Classical Music
    • Connections
    • Excellence in Jazz
    • Hey, Listen!
    • K-ZAP on CapRadio
    • Mick Martin's Blues Party
    • Programs A-Z
    • Podcast Directory
  • Schedules
    • News
    • Music
    • ClassicalStream
    • JazzStream
    • Weekly Schedule
    • Daily Playlist
  • Community
    • Events Calendar
    • CapRadio Garden
    • CapRadio Reads
    • Ticket Giveaways
  • Support
    • Evergreen Gift
    • One-Time Gift
    • Corporate Support
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Gift
    • Legacy Gift
    • Endowment Gift
    • Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • e‑Newsletter
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
  • State Government
  • Health Care
  •  

California's Uninsured Rate Falls But Poverty Rate Still High

  •  Ben Adler 
Tuesday, September 13, 2016 | Sacramento, CA
melfoody / Flickr
 

melfoody / Flickr

California has the highest poverty rate of any state in the nation when cost of living is taken into account – but it’s cut the number of medically uninsured residents nearly in half.

Those are among the takeaways from new U.S. Census data out Tuesday.

The report on each state's uninsured population shows California has cut more than 3.1 million people, or 8.6 percent of the state's population, off the rolls of the uninsured. That’s largely due to the state’s active participation in the Affordable Care Act, including Medi-Cal expansioin.

California doesn't just lead the nation in the sheer number of people who are now insured – which would be predictable, given that California has by far the state’s most residents. It’s also reduced its uninsured population by a greater percent than any other state in the nation.

Meanwhile, the Census Bureau also released poverty rates. Its traditional measurement pegs California’s poverty rate at 15 percent – roughly in the middle of the pack.

But when the state’s high cost of living is factored in, California’s rate is more than 20 percent. Only Washington, DC is higher.


Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

 poverty

Ben Adler

Director of Programming and Audience Development

Director of Programming and Audience Development Ben Adler first became a public radio listener in the car on his way to preschool — though not necessarily by choice.  Read Full Bio 

Sign up for ReCap and never miss the top stories

Delivered to your inbox every Friday.

 

Check out a sample ReCap newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

Thank you for signing up for the ReCap newsletter! We'll send you an email each Friday with the top stories from CapRadio.

Browse all newsletters

More State Government Stories

Andrew Nixon / CapRadio

In California, abortion could become a constitutional right. So could birth control.

August 7, 2022

Rich Pedroncelli / AP Photo

California unemployment program too focused on fraud, failed to timely provide hundreds of millions of dollars, report finds

August 8, 2022

Most Viewed

A California man’s ‘painful and terrifying’ road to a monkeypox diagnosis

North Sacramento residents push back on affordable housing, say city ‘dumping’ homelessness solutions in neighborhood

California coronavirus updates: Flushed with cash from COVID-19 treatments, Pfizer buys another drug maker

Abortion is still legal in California. Here are answers to questions about access in the state.

Northern California wildfires: Where to find updates on air quality, evacuations, and official information

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

A California man’s ‘painful and terrifying’ road to a monkeypox diagnosis

North Sacramento residents push back on affordable housing, say city ‘dumping’ homelessness solutions in neighborhood

California coronavirus updates: Flushed with cash from COVID-19 treatments, Pfizer buys another drug maker

Abortion is still legal in California. Here are answers to questions about access in the state.

Northern California wildfires: Where to find updates on air quality, evacuations, and official information

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    • (916) 278-8900
    • Toll-free (877) 480-5900
    • Email Us
    • Submit a News Tip
  • Contact Us

  • About Us

    • Contact Us / Feedback
    • Coverage
    • Directions
    • Careers & Internships
    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Press
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile App
    • On Air Schedules
    • Smart Speakers
    • Playlist
    • Podcasts
    • RSS
  • Connect With Us

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2022, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.