About this application: This application provides summary profiles showing frequently requested data items from various US Census Bureau programs. Profiles are available for the nation, states, and counties.
Persons without health insurance, under age 65 years, percent - (Percent)
County
Value
Barnstable
3.5
Berkshire
3.3
Bristol
3.7
Dukes
4.7
Essex
3.8
Franklin
3.1
Hampden
3.6
Hampshire
2.8
Middlesex
3.0
Nantucket
4.4
Norfolk
2.3
Plymouth
2.8
Suffolk
4.2
Worcester
3.2
Value for Massachusetts (Percent): 3.2%
Data item: Persons without health insurance, under age 65 years, percent
QuickFacts uses data from the following sources: National level - Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC); State level - American Community Survey (ACS), one-year estimates; County level - The Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE), one-year estimates;Sub-county level: Cities, towns and census designated places; - ACS, five-year estimates;Puerto Rico and its municipios (county-equivalents for Puerto Rico) and its sub-counties (zonas urbanas and comunidades); Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS), five-year estimates.
The Census Bureau produces health insurance data from three surveys and one model-based program. Depending on your needs, one data source may be more suitable than another data source. A chart summarizing the recommendations at various geographic levels is located on this page: Guidance for Data Users Included in this chart is the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), a longitudinal survey (changes in health status for the same household over time).
The following links are very useful for an overview of heath insurance:
Data at a National level - Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC)
The Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS ASEC) provides annual, calendar-year, national estimates of health insurance coverage. The Census Bureau conducts the ASEC over a 3 month period, in February, March, and April, with most data collection occurring in the month of March. The CPS, sponsored jointly by the Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, is the country's primary source of labor force statistics for the civilian, non-institutional population.
Data at the state level - American Community Survey (ACS), one-year estimates
The ACS is a nationwide survey designed to provide communities with reliable and timely demographic, social, economic and housing estimates every year. The PRCS is part of the Census Bureau's ACS, customized for Puerto Rico. The ACS is a nationwide survey designed to provide communities with reliable and timely demographic, social, economic and housing estimates every year. The ACS provides a wide range of important statistics about people and housing for every community across the United States and Puerto Rico, of which this Fact is one. These surveys are the only source of local estimates for most of the 40 topics it covers such as education, occupation, language, ancestry, and housing costs, and provides information for even the smallest communities. Estimates are available for the nation, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, every congressional district, every metropolitan area, and all counties and places with populations of 65,000 or more. One-year estimate includes information collected from independent monthly samples from the previous 12 months.
Data at a county level - Small Area Health Insurance Estimates (SAHIE)
The U.S. Census Bureau's SAHIE program produces timely estimates for all counties and states by detailed demographic and income groups. SAHIE is only source of single-year health insurance coverage estimates for all U.S. counties. The SAHIE program models health insurance coverage by combining survey data with population estimates and administrative records from the following sources: American Community Survey (ACS); demographic population estimates; aggregated federal tax returns; participation records for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); County Business Patterns; Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) participation records; and Census 2010.
Data at a sub-county level - American Community Survey (ACS) and Puerto Rico Community Survey (PRCS), five year estimates
The ACS is a nationwide survey designed to provide communities with reliable and timely demographic, social, economic and housing estimates every year. The PRCS is part of the Census Bureau's ACS, customized for Puerto Rico. The ACS produces estimates for numerous social, economic and housing characteristics including language, education, the commute to work, employment, mortgage status and rent, as well as income, poverty and health insurance. A multi-year estimate is simply a period estimate that encompasses more than one calendar year. In the case of ACS multi-year estimates, the period is either three or five calendar years. While a one-year estimate includes information collected from independent monthly samples over a 12-month period, a five-year estimate includes information collected over a 60-month period. These estimates are available for all areas regardless of population size, down to the block group.