The rate started to fall between 2013 and 2014, when most of the provisions in the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, began to take effect. Experts claim most of the benefits came from extending Medicaid coverage and providing subsidies for low-income residents.
Still, there's a large gap between the insured and uninsured.
Sorted by age, 25- to 34-year-olds are the most likely to be uninsured. The ACA mandated that children could stay on their parents' plan until they reach age 25.
"Most people in this age group are typically healthy, and prior to the mandate certainly, many felt that they didn’t need health insurance, particularly for the price. Some referred to this group as the 'young invincibles'; they take their chances that illness or an accident will not happen to them," said Margaret Koller, executive director of the Rutgers Center for State Health Policy, via email.
Minorities and low-income residents are less likely to have insurance, and foreign-born and those without a high school degree are roughly four times more likely to be uninsured.
"New Jersey has a large immigrant population, and in addition, there is an issue with undocumented aliens who may not qualify for public benefits," Koller said. "The enrollment process for programs and benefits can be difficult and confusing. There may be language barriers which can lead to people being intimidated by the process."
A note about the data: The town-by-town estimates are based on the 2012-2016 American Community Survey values. Towns with a high margin of error were excluded.