Survey: Number of Insured Riverside-Area Residents Grows

The number of people with health insurance in the Riverside metropolitan area increased 4.8 percent between 2013 and 2014, according to results of a federal survey.

The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey showed that the expansion of insurance coverage in the county seat and its surrounding communities was among the most significant changes in year-over-year data.

According to figures, the rate of uninsured residents fell from 19.4 percent in 2013 to 14.6 percent in 2014.

“Health insurance is just one of many topics included in the American Community Survey that allows policymakers at both the national and local levels to evaluate laws and policies,” said Census Bureau Director John Thompson.

The survey relies on random sampling of households to derive statistics, which indicate that the number of residents with private health insurance crept up nearly a full percentage point, from 54.5 percent in 2013 to 55.3 percent in 2014.

It was even higher for those with government-sponsored health insurance coverage: 33.4 percent in 2013, compared to 37.4 percent last year.

Data was largely flat in other categories. According to the survey, median household income for the Riverside metropolitan area in 2014 was $54,586, little changed from the $54,108 reported in 2013.

Men continued to lead women in earnings, with a median annual income of $45,224. The median figure for females was $37,108.

According to the Census Bureau, 18.7 percent of residents were living below the poverty level last year, statistically comparable to the 18.2 percent recorded in 2013.

According to the government, the poverty threshold for a single-person household whose occupant was under 65 years old was $12,316. For a four-person household, including two children, it was $24,008.

Data showed that 26 percent of children in the metropolitan area were living below the poverty line, compared to 25.4 percent in 2013.

--City News Service, photo via Pixabay