What does ACA health insurance actually cost in your county?
County-level marketplace premiums, metal-tier breakdowns, issuer competition and multi-year trends from CMS Public Use Files across 2,055 US counties.
- $640
- National Silver avg/mo
- 2,055
- Counties tracked
- 183
- Marketplace issuers
- 97,082
- ACA plans
CMS Marketplace data vintage: 2026-08-30 - refreshed when CMS releases a new Public Use File batch. See changelog → My watchlist → Subsidy estimator →
PlainHealthPlan compares ACA marketplace premiums across 2,055 US counties and 30 states using CMS Public Use Files (plan years 2022 to 2026). The national average Silver premium is $640/mo; Bronze averages $476/mo and Gold $661/mo across 97,082 plans from 183 issuers.
- Highest county Silver: Monroe, Florida at $1,318/mo
- Lowest county Silver: Belknap, New Hampshire at $395/mo
- CMS Marketplace PUF corpus years 2022 to 2026
Two boards, two leaders
According to CMS Marketplace Public Use Files, Monroe, Florida leads listed Silver averages at $1,318/mo (#1 of 2,055) while ranking #1,449 of 2,055 by plan count; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas leads issuer footprint at 546 plans (#1 of 183) at average-premium rank #58 of 183.
- $1,318
- Monroe, FL Silver #1 of 2,055
- #1,449 of 2,055
- Monroe plan-count rank
- 546
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas plans #1 of 183
- #58 of 183
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas avg-premium rank
Highest listed Silver average = county #1. Most listed plans = issuer #1. Registry facts from the loaded CMS PUF vintage, not a plan recommendation.
Premium vs deductible: where every ACA metal tier lands
Each bubble is a metal tier's national average across the CMS Marketplace Public Use Files, positioned by average monthly premium (age 40) and average annual deductible, sized by how many plans carry that tier. CMS lists Expanded Bronze separately from Bronze here; county summary cards fold both into the Bronze tier. Bronze-tier bubbles sit upper-left (lower premium, higher deductible); Gold and Platinum sit lower-right (richer benefits, higher premium). The lower-left is the elusive low-premium, low-deductible "best value" zone.
ACA metal tiers: premium vs deductible
How premiums moved, 2022 to 2026
National average monthly premium (age 40) for the three dominant metal tiers, averaged across every reporting county each plan year. Catastrophic and Platinum cover far fewer counties and are excluded here to keep the axis honest; Bronze rose 32% over the period.
National average premium by metal tier
Age-40 monthly premium, CMS Marketplace Public Use Files
Most Expensive Counties (Silver Avg)
| # | County | State | Silver Avg | Plans | Issuers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monroe | Florida | $1,318/mo | 33 | 1 |
| 2 | Hamilton | Florida | $1,189/mo | 52 | 2 |
| 3 | Cabell | West Virginia | $981/mo | 37 | 2 |
| 4 | Mason | West Virginia | $981/mo | 37 | 2 |
| 5 | Putnam | West Virginia | $981/mo | 37 | 2 |
| 6 | Wayne | West Virginia | $981/mo | 37 | 2 |
| 7 | Jackson | West Virginia | $967/mo | 37 | 2 |
| 8 | Pleasants | West Virginia | $967/mo | 37 | 2 |
| 9 | Ritchie | West Virginia | $967/mo | 37 | 2 |
| 10 | Tyler | West Virginia | $967/mo | 37 | 2 |
Most Affordable Counties (Silver Avg)
| # | County | State | Silver Avg | Plans | Issuers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belknap | New Hampshire | $395/mo | 46 | 4 |
| 2 | Hillsborough | New Hampshire | $395/mo | 46 | 4 |
| 3 | Merrimack | New Hampshire | $395/mo | 46 | 4 |
| 4 | Rockingham | New Hampshire | $395/mo | 46 | 4 |
| 5 | Strafford | New Hampshire | $395/mo | 46 | 4 |
| 6 | Carroll | New Hampshire | $412/mo | 39 | 3 |
| 7 | Cheshire | New Hampshire | $412/mo | 39 | 3 |
| 8 | Coos | New Hampshire | $412/mo | 39 | 3 |
| 9 | Grafton | New Hampshire | $412/mo | 39 | 3 |
| 10 | Sullivan | New Hampshire | $412/mo | 39 | 3 |
What this means for you
The gap between counties is real money -- check where your own county lands before assuming a national average applies.
- Monroe, Florida averages $1,318/mo Silver vs $395/mo in Belknap, New Hampshire -- find where your own county lands. Browse all counties
- The national Bronze average has moved +32% over the tracked period -- see the full multi-year trend by tier. See premium trends
- A lower sticker premium does not always mean a lower total cost once subsidies apply -- estimate your own before comparing counties. Estimate your subsidy
County and national figures are CMS Marketplace Public Use File aggregates; your actual premium depends on your age, household income, and chosen plan.
Browse by State
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PlainHealthPlan?
PlainHealthPlan is a free tool that lets you compare ACA (Affordable Care Act) health insurance premiums across every participating US county. We break down costs by metal level (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum), show issuer competition, and track multi-year premium trends.
Where does the data come from?
All data comes from the CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) Health Insurance Marketplace Public Use Files (PUF). This is the official federal dataset of ACA marketplace plans, premiums, and benefits covering plan years 2022 through 2026.
What do the metal levels mean?
ACA plans are categorized by metal level based on how costs are shared between you and the insurer. Bronze plans have lower premiums but higher out-of-pocket costs. Silver plans are moderate and qualify for cost-sharing reductions. Gold plans have higher premiums but lower out-of-pocket costs. Platinum plans have the highest premiums but lowest cost-sharing.
What is the benchmark premium?
The benchmark premium is the second-lowest-cost Silver plan in a county. It is used to calculate premium tax credit (subsidy) amounts for eligible enrollees. A higher benchmark generally means larger subsidies are available.
Is this free to use?
Yes. PlainHealthPlan is completely free to use. No account required. We are supported by advertising.
Understanding ACA Insurance
Guides that explain how CMS files premiums, metal tiers, and listed county benchmarks.
Open Enrollment Checklist
CMS open-enrollment dates, documents, and listed marketplace steps.
Choosing a Metal Level
How CMS files Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum actuarial values and listed cost sharing.
Understanding ACA Subsidies
How listed premium tax credits key off the county benchmark Silver in the CMS PUF.
Disclaimer: PlainHealthPlan is for informational purposes only and does not provide financial or insurance advice. Premiums shown are for reference and may not reflect your actual cost, which depends on age, location, tobacco use, and subsidy eligibility. Always visit HealthCare.gov or your state marketplace for official enrollment and pricing. Data source: CMS Marketplace Public Use Files (PY2022-2026).
Explore the data
Every page is built live from the CMS Marketplace Public Use Files. Start with the view that matches your question.
Download marketplace catalog CSV - county, issuer, and plan-count aggregates from the same rebuild.
Counties
Premiums, issuer counts and metal-tier averages for all 2,055 US counties.
Issuers
Compare all 183 marketplace insurers by footprint, plan count and average premium.
States
State-level premium and competition summaries across 30 states.
Rankings
Cheapest and costliest counties, deductible extremes and the most competitive markets.
Research
Data-driven analyses of the ACA marketplace, with every figure derived directly from the underlying CMS records. See all research.
Marketplace catalog statistics
Citable county, issuer, and plan counts plus metal mix and listed Silver averages from the loaded CMS PUF vintage.
Live rankingsLive county and issuer rankings
Browse live, DB-driven rankings of plans, issuers, and counties, refreshed when new CMS Plan Landscape files are released.
TrendsACA premium trends, 2022–2026
How marketplace premiums have moved across five plan years, by metal level and region.
MethodologyHow we work with CMS data
Sources, refresh cadence, transformation steps, and the limits of every plan-level metric we publish.
About this data
How PlainHealthPlan works, and why you can trust these numbers
What this site is
PlainHealthPlan is a free reference for ACA (Affordable Care Act) marketplace health insurance premiums across every US county on the federal HealthCare.gov exchange. We break down costs by metal level, issuer, and county, with every figure traceable back to the official CMS filing.
Editorial process
- Source. Download the CMS Health Insurance Marketplace Public Use Files (QHP Landscape and Rate/Benefits PUF) for each plan year, 2022 through 2026.
- Verify. Parse plan-level records exactly as CMS publishes them, extract the age-27 benchmark premium (the CMS standard reference age), and compute county-level aggregates directly from the underlying rows.
- Publish. Build a per-county, per-metal-level, and per-issuer page linking back to the source filing so readers can audit our figures against the original CMS data.
Editorial independence & corrections
The PlainHealthPlan editorial process is independent and accepts no payment, sponsorship, or promoted placement from any insurer or agency. Found an error or a stale figure? File a correction via the corrections page; we respond within 72 hours and publish material fixes on the changelog. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
Frequently asked
What is PlainHealthPlan?
PlainHealthPlan is a free tool that lets you compare ACA (Affordable Care Act) health insurance premiums across every participating US county. We break down costs by metal level (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum), show issuer competition, and track multi-year premium trends.
Where does the data come from?
All data comes from the CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) Health Insurance Marketplace Public Use Files (PUF). This is the official federal dataset of ACA marketplace plans, premiums, and benefits covering plan years 2022 through 2026.
What do the metal levels mean?
ACA plans are categorized by metal level based on how costs are shared between you and the insurer. Bronze plans have lower premiums but higher out-of-pocket costs. Silver plans are moderate and qualify for cost-sharing reductions. Gold plans have higher premiums but lower out-of-pocket costs. Platinum plans have the highest premiums but lowest cost-sharing.
What is the benchmark premium?
The benchmark premium is the second-lowest-cost Silver plan in a county. It is used to calculate premium tax credit (subsidy) amounts for eligible enrollees. A higher benchmark generally means larger subsidies are available.
Is this free to use?
Yes. PlainHealthPlan is completely free to use. No account required. We are supported by advertising.
PlainHealthPlan is rendered directly from CMS Health Insurance Marketplace Public Use Files, no number is typed in by an editor. County-level premiums and metal-tier breakdowns are aggregated from the same CMS PUF tables used on every detail page. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.