How Texas Ranks For Doctors In 2019

Texas ranks among one of the worst states for doctors to practice in, according to a new report from personal finance website WalletHub. With National Doctor's Day coming up March 30, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 18 metrics, including the average annual wage of physicians, hospitals per capita, and quality of public hospital system, the organization said in a news release.

Data for this report was gleaned from the U.S. Census Bureau, Public Health Accreditation Board, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, among other sources.

Texas ranked 30th while Montana was first. The worst state for doctors was New York.

Here's how doctors fare in Texas compared to other states across different criteria (1=Best, 25=Avg.):

• 31st – Avg. Annual Wage of Physicians (Adjusted for Cost of Living)
• 7th – Avg. Monthly Starting Salary of Physicians (Adjusted for Cost of Living)
• 28th – Hospitals per Capita
• 51st – Insured Population Rate
• 48th – Projected % of Population Aged 65 & Older by 2030
• 16th – Projected Physicians per Capita by 2026
• 25th – Punitiveness of State Medical Board
• 6th – Malpractice Award Payout Amount per Capita
• 13th – Annual Malpractice Liability Insurance Rate

Some more findings from WalletHub:

• Mississippi has the highest average annual wage for surgeons (adjusted for cost of living), $316,828, which is 2.7 times higher than in the District of Columbia, the lowest at $117,763.
• Oklahoma has the lowest number of physicians per 1,000 residents, 0.99, which is 6.3 times lower than in the District of Columbia, the highest at 6.20.
• Florida has the highest projected share of the population aged 65 and older by 2030, 27.08 percent, which is two times higher than in Utah, the lowest at 13.21 percent.
• Nebraska has the lowest annual malpractice liability insurance rate, $4,977, which is 8.2 times lower than in New York, the highest at $40,826.