Boston tops cities for health insurance coverage; Houston in cellar

Boston and Houston have, respectively, the lowest and highest uninsured rates of the nation’s 25 biggest metropolitan areas, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

In a follow-up to its annual survey, released last week on health insurance coverage in the United States, the Census Bureau detailed how coverage varies by metropolitan area.

With an uninsured rate of 3.8% last year, down from 4.2% in 2013, Boston, by far, had the lowest uninsured rate of the largest metropolitan areas, according to the Census Bureau.

By contrast, Houston had the highest uninsured rate — 19.6% — in 2014 of the largest metropolitan areas, down from 22.8% in 2013.

Aside from Boston, metropolitan areas with the lowest uninsured rates in 2014 compared with 2013 include:

• Minneapolis, 5.8%, down from 8.1%

• Baltimore, 6.3%, down from 8.7%

• Pittsburgh, 6.3%, down from 7.5%

• San Francisco, 7.8%, down from 11%

At the other end, metropolitan areas, after Houston, with the highest uninsured rates in 2014 compared with 2013, include:

• Miami, 19.4%, down from 24.8%

• Dallas, 18.2%, down from 21.5%

• San Antonio, 15.8%, down from 19.4%

• Atlanta, 15.4%, down from 18.7%