Union density and Medicaid expansion by state
| State | Medicaid expansion (as of 2019) | Union density (2015–19 avg) | Medicaid expansion ind |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | Yes | 24.7% | 1 |
| Hawaii | Yes | 23.0% | 1 |
| Alaska | Yes | 19.9% | 1 |
| Washington | Yes | 19.5% | 1 |
| Connecticut | Yes | 17.3% | 1 |
| Rhode Island | Yes | 17.3% | 1 |
| New Jersey | Yes | 16.8% | 1 |
| California | Yes | 16.7% | 1 |
| Michigan | Yes | 15.8% | 1 |
| Oregon | Yes | 15.6% | 1 |
| Nevada | Yes | 15.5% | 1 |
| Illinois | Yes | 15.3% | 1 |
| Minnesota | Yes | 15.2% | 1 |
| Maine | Yes | 13.9% | 1 |
| Ohio | Yes | 13.7% | 1 |
| Massachusetts | Yes | 13.6% | 1 |
| Montana | Yes | 13.5% | 1 |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | 13.3% | 1 |
| Vermont | Yes | 12.6% | 1 |
| Maryland | Yes | 12.2% | 1 |
| West Virginia | Yes | 12.1% | 1 |
| Kentucky | Yes | 11.8% | 1 |
| New Hampshire | Yes | 11.7% | 1 |
| Washington D.C. | Yes | 11.2% | 1 |
| Delaware | Yes | 11.2% | 1 |
| Missouri | No | 10.7% | 0 |
| Colorado | Yes | 10.6% | 1 |
| Indiana | Yes | 10.3% | 1 |
| Kansas | No | 10.3% | 0 |
| Alabama | No | 9.6% | 0 |
| Iowa | Yes | 9.6% | 1 |
| Wisconsin | No | 9.0% | 0 |
| Nebraska | No | 8.8% | 0 |
| New Mexico | Yes | 8.3% | 1 |
| Wyoming | No | 7.7% | 0 |
| Mississippi | No | 7.5% | 0 |
| Oklahoma | No | 7.3% | 0 |
| Florida | No | 7.3% | 0 |
| North Dakota | Yes | 6.9% | 1 |
| South Dakota | No | 6.8% | 0 |
| Idaho | Yes | 6.3% | 1 |
| Tennessee | No | 6.2% | 0 |
| Arizona | Yes | 6.1% | 1 |
| Virginia | Yes | 5.9% | 1 |
| Louisiana | Yes | 5.8% | 1 |
| Arkansas | No | 5.8% | 0 |
| Utah | No | 5.6% | 0 |
| Texas | No | 5.5% | 0 |
| Georgia | No | 5.1% | 0 |
| North Carolina | No | 3.9% | 0 |
| South Carolina | No | 3.2% | 0 |
Notes: Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, and Montana expanded Medicaid in 2019 and so are listed under the “Expanded Medicaid” category. Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Utah expanded Medicaid in 2020 or 2021 and so they are listed in the “Did Not Expand Medicaid” category to be consistent with the fact that we report union density data from 2019 and earlier. Union density is defined as the share of workers in the state who are represented by a union, including union members and other workers who are covered by a union contract, based on the variable “union” from EPI extracts of CPS-ORG microdata.
Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, and Montana expanded Medicaid in 2019 and so are listed under the “Expanded Medicaid” category. Arkansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Utah expanded Medicaid in 2020 or 2021 and so they are listed in the “Did Not Expand Medicaid” category to be consistent with the fact that we report union density data from 2019 and earlier. Union density is defined as the share of workers in the state who are represented by a union, including union members and other workers who are covered by a union contract, based on the variable “union” from EPI extracts of CPS-ORG microdata. We average union density data across 2015 to 2019 for each state to give a more accurate estimate of states’ typical unionization rates over time. We do not include data beyond 2019 in our averages, to avoid any potential distortions related to the 2020–2021 COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing recession.
Sources: EPI analysis of 2015–2019 Current Population Survey Outgoing Rotation Group (CPS-ORG) microdata for all workers ages 16 and older; Kaiser Family Fund, “Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions: Interactive Map,” September 8, 2021.
This chart appears in:
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- Unions are not only good for workers, they’re good for communities and for democracy: High unionization levels are associated with positive outcomes across multiple indicators of economic, personal, and democratic well-being
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