The 5 states with the best healthcare in America — and the 5 with the worst

U.S. healthcare spending reached a whopping $4.9 trillion in 2023, which translates to $14,670 per capita. But despite the thousands spent on each American, many people still don’t feel like they’re receiving good care. And without guaranteed access to healthcare, tens of millions of people in the country are uninsured.

WalletHub set out to find the states with the best and worst healthcare in 2025.

“Health care has two crucial components, cost and quality. The best health care in the nation isn’t helpful if it bankrupts the people who try to get it, and cheap health care isn’t worth paying for if it provides subpar or ineffective treatment,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "Therefore, the best states for health care are those that make high-quality care affordable, on top of providing many options for doctors and making insurance easily accessible.”

To make its determination, WalletHub looked at a series of factors, including across three main categories: cost, access, and outcomes. It considered everything from mortality rates across demographics, doctors per capita, and the average cost of insurance premiums. 

Continue reading to see which states ranked the best and the worst.

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Massachusetts healthcare isn't cheap, coming in 33rd on WalletHub's ranking. But the state has the highest outcomes in the country and ranks sixth in access, helping it secure fifth place.

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Iowa ranked fourth thanks to getting the top spot in WalletHub's "cost rank," meaning it has the cheapest overall care. While it did rank 29th in access, its 12th-place finish in the "outcomes rank" helped it land high on the charts.

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With the highest number of convenient care clinics per capita, Minnesota took second place. "It’s also relatively inexpensive to get health care in the state, as Minnesota has the 13th-lowest average out-of-pocket medical spending and the eighth-lowest average monthly insurance premium," WalletHub said. "Minnesota also has the eighth-best public hospital system in the country, and residents have the fifth-highest life expectancy."

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Rhode Islanders spent the least on out-of-pocket medical expenses in the country — just 5.6% of their income. "In addition, 94% of adults and 97% of children in Rhode Island have health insurance, the fourth-highest and fifth-highest percentages in the country, respectively," WalletHub said. That's why the state was ranked second-best.

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New Hampshire topped the charts thanks to its high-quality and affordable care. Residents of the Granite State have the lowest average monthly premiums. "People with immediate but less dire issues can also benefit from the fact that New Hampshire has the most urgent care centers per capita that are certified by the Urgent Care Association of America," WalletHub said.

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Healthcare in Texas was ranked the fifth worst, with the fourth highest costs and the worst access anywhere in the country.

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Georgians have to spend a lot on healthcare, which isn't the best. WalletHub ranked the state fourth worst due to high costs that don't make up for outcomes or access.

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Alabama was ranked the third-worst state for healthcare, after it was given second-to-last place for access and third-to-last place for outcomes.

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Alaska received average scores for access and outcomes, at 27th and 33rd, respectively, but it ranked the worst in cost. WalletHub put it second-to-last on its ranking.

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Mississippi doesn't have the most expensive care, falling in the middle at 29th place, but it came in dead last for outcomes and 41st for outcomes. All told, it took the last spot, with the worst healthcare in the country.