Employer family health coverage averages $26,281 in 2025, Bendeen Insurance map finds

Bendeen Insurance’s new state-by-state map shows employer-sponsored family health coverage averaged $26,281 in 2025, with costs ranging from $30,132 in Alaska to $21,932 in Mississippi. The analysis highlights sharp state differences, employer-heavy cost sharing and rising deductibles across the U.S.

Why it matters: - Employer-sponsored family health coverage remains one of the biggest line items in worker compensation. - The state-to-state spread is large enough to change annual household costs by thousands of dollars depending on where a family lives and works. - The map gives employers, brokers and reporters a single view of premiums, contributions and deductibles across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

What happened: - Bendeen Insurance released a new state-by-state analysis of 2025 employer health coverage costs. - The Los Angeles-based group health insurance brokerage said the average employer-sponsored family plan cost $26,281 in 2025. - Single coverage averaged $9,025. - The company published an interactive map covering all 50 states and the District of Columbia. - The map also includes employer and employee contributions and deductibles. - The full state rankings, an embeddable map and a downloadable CSV are available at the full state data and map.

The details: - Employers paid $18,967 of the average family premium, or 72%. - Workers paid $7,314 of the average family premium, or 28%. - Alaska had the highest average family premium at $30,132. - New York followed at $29,752. - New Jersey averaged $29,666. - Massachusetts averaged $29,619. - The District of Columbia averaged $29,371. - Mississippi had the lowest average family premium at $21,932. - Montana averaged $21,989. - Arkansas averaged $22,956. - Nevada averaged $23,075. - Arizona averaged $23,143. - A family plan in Alaska cost $8,200 more than the same coverage in Mississippi. - Average family deductibles were $3,997. - Average single deductibles were $2,169.

Between the lines: - The results suggest geography still drives major differences in employer health costs, even before plan design changes are considered. - The employer share remains dominant, but workers still face thousands of dollars in premiums and deductibles. - The data can help employers benchmark renewals and show workers why their costs vary by state and market.

What's next: - Bendeen Insurance says journalists and publishers may use the data and embed the map with credit. - The methodology is based on the 2025 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey – Insurance Component, or MEPS-IC. - The figures come from private-sector establishments that offer health insurance, across all firm sizes. - The survey is fielded by the U.S. Census Bureau and run by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.