At 10.3%, the uninsured rate among under-65 residents in Richland County is effectively the South Carolina average of 11.2% — about 34,627 people out of 335,221. It is the 11th lowest of the 46 counties in South Carolina. A county sitting on its state's average is the most ordinary case there is, which makes the state's own rules the thing worth reading rather than anything local.
Richland County against South Carolina, and against the counties we cover
| Richland County | South Carolina | Covered counties | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uninsured, under 65 | 10.3% | 11.2% | 13.0% |
| Marketplace enrollees per 1,000 | 138 | — | 127 |
| Insurers selling here | 4 | 4 (median) | 5 |
| Individual plans offered | 60 | — | 84 |
State uninsured rate from the Census SAHIE series; the final column is the median across the 104 counties covered on this site. Enrollment density is CMS plan selections per 1,000 under-65 residents.
What you can actually buy here
4 insurers compete here. That is thin enough that switching carrier usually means switching hospital system too, and wide enough that the premiums genuinely differ. Both things are worth checking before either is dismissed. Between them they offer 60 plans, about 15 for each insurer, which is a normal-sized list to work through once you know which network you need. The count is up from 3 last year. Insurers entering a county usually means they like what they see in the risk pool, and it tends to show up as more aggressive pricing the following year rather than immediately.
46,217 marketplace plan selections were recorded in Richland County for 2026, or 138 per thousand under-65 residents — above the 127 typical of the counties covered here. Enough people locally have done this that the process is not unfamiliar territory. Only 6,042 were new consumers against 40,175 renewals — a 13% new share. A settled, returning population like that means the plans on offer have been chosen by the same people repeatedly, which is a reasonable signal that the networks hold up.
Nearest counties on coverage
The counties we cover in South Carolina whose uninsured rate sits closest to Richland County. Worth a look if you are comparing across a county line or moving.
| County | Uninsured | Insurers | Enrollees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aiken County | 10.4% | 3 | 17,741 |
| Berkeley County | 10.1% | 4 | 26,975 |
| Dorchester County | 10.0% | 4 | 17,934 |
| Lexington County | 10.8% | 3 | 30,689 |
| Charleston County | 9.5% | 4 | 51,103 |
| Anderson County | 11.4% | 3 | 22,487 |
Everything that applies in South Carolina · How COBRA works · Work out your COBRA premium · After a job ends
Common questions
How many people are uninsured in Richland County?
About 34,627 people under 65, out of 335,221 in that age group — 10.3%, the 11th lowest of the 46 counties in South Carolina. The South Carolina average is 11.2%. Census Bureau estimates for 2024, the most recent published.
How many health insurers sell in Richland County?
4 insurers offer individual marketplace plans in Richland County for 2026, up from 3 the year before, and between them they sell 60 individual medical plans. The median across the counties covered on this site is 5 insurers and 84 plans.
How many people in Richland County buy marketplace coverage?
46,217 plan selections for 2026 — 6,042 new consumers and 40,175 renewals. That works out at 138 per thousand under-65 residents, against a median of 127 across the counties covered here. New consumers are the group most likely to have lost a job during the year.
Talk it through with a licensed agent
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Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, 2024 (released August 2026)
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2026 Marketplace Open Enrollment County-Level Public Use File
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2026 Service Area Public Use File
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2026 Plan Attributes Public Use File
- U.S. Department of Labor, FAQs on COBRA Continuation Health Coverage for Workers