BATON ROUGE — In the list of states spending the most on healthcare, Louisiana is number 10, according to new results from WalletHub.
The only other Deep South state ahead of Louisiana is Mississippi, sitting at number 4. Alaska was number 1, with its residents spending just over 10% of their income on healthcare.
Louisiana residents are spending around 8.13% of their income on healthcare, according to WalletHub’s data ranking.
To determine which U.S. states were spending the most on healthcare, WalletHub analyzed the prices of five components across all 50 states: the costs of doctor visits, cost of dentist visits, cost of optometrist visits, the price of ibuprofen, and the price of Lipitor (a prescription statin medication). WalletHub used data from the Council for Community and Economic Research and the U.S. Census Bureau collected as of April 30, 2026.
In a report published late last year, two Louisiana cities, Baton Rouge and New Orleans, were among the top 10 nationwide where people spent the most amount of their income on healthcare. WalletHub reported that health care services in Baton Rouge cost around 9.01% of the median household income, while costs in New Orleans were around 9.28% of the median income.
In previous WalletHub ranking reports, Louisiana was ranked 41st in states with the best healthcare systems. Louisiana also found itself high on the list of stressed U.S. locations two years in a row: Baton Rouge ranked third most stressed in July 2025 and Louisiana was considered the most stressed state this year.
Healthcare costs in the U.S. have steadily increased over time. For instance, Americans’ average annual out-of-pocket health care spending has risen from $811 to $1,514 over the past 20 years which is outpacing inflation, per WalletHub.
To save on healthcare costs, WalletHub’s panel of experts recommend the following:
- Get health insurance.
- Use preventive care such as an annual physical and having dental checkups every six months.
- Consider health care costs when you make a budget, including insurance premiums but emergency funds for unexpected surgeries or other medical bills.
- Lead a healthy lifestyle when possible, including a healthy diet and exercise.
- Try telehealth options.
- Utilize an HSA, which puts aside pre-tax dollars from your payroll to use for health care.
- Consider using a rewards credit card for paying medical bills. Just be sure to pay off the bill monthly to avoid interest.
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