A recent survey by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality highlights the variances in health insurance premiums by region. This is the first such evidence confirming the long held belief that the region where you lived strongly determined the quality of the healthcare you receive. Please note that this survey was taken on employer-sponsored health insurance.

The premium quoted is based on a single employee with no dependants. With private insurance the premium pricing factors are whether you’re a smoker, age, medical history etc.

It is common knowledge that your homeowners and auto insurance premiums are determined by location. The reason behind this is that health insurance contributions by employers across each region vary.

The cities that ranked higher are those with higher average employee contributions.

Areas with the Highest Premiums

Top Ten Areas with the highest employee contribution

• Pittsburgh, PA - $1,249
• Virginia Beach, VA - $1,172
• Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, NH (NH portion) - $960
• Boston, MA - $949
• Arlington, VA - $940
• Tampa, FL - $939
• Baltimore, MD - $931
• Milwaukee, WI - $916
• Long Island-Northern New Jersey, NJ - $914
• Provo, Utah - $912

Areas with the Lowest Premiums

The Top Ten Areas with the lowest employee contribution

• Boise, ID - $403
• Honolulu, HI - $434
• Portland, OR - $472
• San Antonio, TX - $545
• Las Vegas, NV - $572
• San Jose, CA - $576
• Sacramento, CA - $576
• Burlington, VT - $578
• Tulsa, OK - $590
• Kansas City, MO - $596