Houston company boasting 18,000-percent growth scores top spot on coveted Inc. 5000 list

winner, winner

The sweaters may be ugly, but the success of Specialty1's team is gorgeous. Specialty1/Facebook

Dozens of Houston-based companies have undergone explosive growth in revenue over the last few years, with one such business landing near the top of the prestigious 2023 Inc. 5000 list.

One Houston-based company, Specialty1 Partners, ranked No. 15 nationally, boasting an unimaginable 18,747 percent growth rate from 2019 to 2022. Founded in 2019 by a group of doctors, Specialty1 Partners is a specialty dental services provider focusing on endodontics, oral surgery, and periodontics.

In a press release celebrating their No. 15 spot, the company says it now has more than 350 specialists across 27 states, and over 220 practices.

"We are honored to be recognized by Inc. 5000 for our 3rd consecutive year," stated Daryl Dudum, founder and co-CEO of Specialty1 Partners. "Our tremendous growth reflects our core mission in serving our dental surgical specialists by providing the clinical autonomy they deserve and the business support they need."

While being No. 1 in Houston, Specialty1 Partners is also the fifth highest-ranked Texas business on the list, and No. 1 in the national dental industry. Austin-based CharterUp, an online marketplace specializing in real-time instant transportation booking, ranked No. 2 nationally and No. 1 in the state.

It's not the first award that Specialty1 Partners is celebrating this year. Dudum and his co-founder and co-CEO, Matthew Hadda, were named regional winners for the 2023 EY Entrepreneurs of the Year awards.

Companies on the 2023 Inc. 5000, released August 15, are ranked by percentage growth in revenue from 2019 to 2022. To qualify for the list, a company must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2019. The company also must have been U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent as of December 31, 2022. The minimum revenue required for 2019 was $100,000; the minimum for 2022 was $2 million.

In all, 482 Texas-based companies made this year’s list, and 95 of those are Houston-based. The report says eight businesses are newly-founded, 59 are repeat honorees, and more than 9,400 jobs were added thanks to these companies.

The 10 remaining Houston-area businesses ranking among the top 500 include:

  • No. 81 – Hawthorne Capital, 5,574 percent growth rate
  • No. 89 – Valiant Capital, 5,223 percent growth rate
  • No. 162 – Intervene K-12, 3,207 percent growth rate
  • No. 205 – Mission Driven Meat & Seafood, 2,720 percent growth rate
  • No. 292 – BODY20, 1,931 percent growth rate
  • No. 360 – Cobalt Engineering and Inspections, La Marque, 1,588 percent growth rate
  • No. 383 – Jess Lea Boutique, Magnolia, 1,519 percent growth rate
  • No. 393 – Gasochem International, 1,469 percent growth rate
  • No. 441 – Supreme Jewelers, Friendswood, 1,315 percent growth rate
  • No. 489 – Just Made Foods LLC, 1,198 percent growth rate

Here are the other Texas companies appearing in the state’s top 20 are:

  • No. 2 – CharterUp, Austin, 111,130 percent growth rate
  • No. 4 – Green Light Distribution, Coppell, 41,090 percent growth rate
  • No. 13 – Blue Hammer Roofing, Dallas, 19,510 percent growth rate
  • No. 14 – eTrueNorth, Mansfield, 19,130 percent growth rate
  • No. 19 – Publishing.com, Austin, 16,497 percent growth rate
  • No. 85 – Archer Review, Dallas, 5,378 percent growth rate
  • No. 90 – Norwood, Austin, 5,189 percent growth rate
  • No. 104 – 24HourNurse Staffing, Pittsburg, 4,520 percent growth rate
  • No. 110 – Advantis Medical Staffing, Dallas, 4,302 percent growth rate
  • No. 112 – CloudServus, Austin, 4,215 percent growth rate
  • No. 144 – Maveneer, Dallas, 3,630 percent growth rate
  • No. 145 – Ashland Greene, Dallas, 3,617 percent growth rate
  • No. 152 – Physical Therapy Biz, Dallas, 3,542 percent growth rate
  • No. 155 – Curis Functional Health, Dallas, 3,444 percent growth rate
  • No. 175 – TimelyCare, Fort Worth, 3,015 percent growth rate
  • No. 180 – LeasePoint Funding Group, Austin, 2,920 percent growth rate
The full list of businesses can be found on inc.com.

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This article originally ran on CultureMap.

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GoExpedi, an e-commerce software company, represents Houston's tech and startup ecosystem on this year's Inc. 5000. Image courtesy of GoExpedi

Houston e-commerce startup cracks Inc. 5000 — here's who makes the 2022 list

by the numbers

In the latest edition of its roundup of fastest growing privately held companies, Inc. magazine has recognized dozens of Houston organizations.

Houston startup GoExpedi, an industrial supply chain and analytics company, is the highest ranking local tech company on the list. GoExpedi ranked No. 675 in the 2022 edition of Inc. 5000, with a 924 percent growth rate between 2018 and 2021.

"The team at GoExpedi is honored to rank number 675 among America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies on the Inc. 5000 Annual List," says Tim Neal, CEO of GoExpedi, in a news release. "GoExpedi has grown exponentially since launching in 2017 due to our forward-thinking and innovative supply chain solutions."

Real estate firm Disrupt Equity is the overall top Houston performer, and the sole Houston company to break the top 200 in the report. The company charted an impressive 2,975 percent growth rate between 2018 and 2021. The firm pushes complete multifamily real estate investment offerings that are earmarked as able to achieve and even exceed projections, clearly a safe haven in one of the biggest — and hottest — real estate markets in the entire nation.

Disrupt claims an impressive ROI for clients: The company boasts a "proven track record with over a dozen full cycle exits averaging over 36 percent annualized return to investors," director of investor relations, Tarek Moussa, tells CultureMap.

"We could not be more ecstatic to hear that Disrupt Equity has been announced as the fastest growing company in Houston by Inc 5000," says Feras Moussa, Disrupt's managing partner, in a statement. "We believe success in real estate, especially in today's economic environment, comes from being a great operator and having a strong team behind you. We believe this has been a large contributor to our success and helps us to continue to provide incredible passive real estate investment opportunities to our investors."

Speaking of real estate, another Houston firm performed well. Construction Concepts, which specializes in commercial design and build in Houston and Austin, ranked No. 497 overall, with 1,251 percent growth over three years. 5111 VENTURES, listed as a full-service real estate brokerage firm specializing in technology-driven residential and commercial sales and consulting services, was No. 558 with 1125 percent growth over three years.

In all, 468 Texas-based companies made this year’s Inc. 5000. Dallas-Fort Worth firms performed especially well:

  • No. 13 StaffDNA, Plano, 19,699 percent growth rate
  • No. 17 Blue Hammer Roofing, Dallas, 15,911 percent growth rate
  • No. 116 TimelyMD, Fort Worth, 3,852 percent growth rate
  • No. 142 Curis Functional Health, Farmers Branch, 3,380 percent growth rate
  • No. 148 SmartLight Analytics, Plano, 3,317 percent growth rate
  • No. 168 Digital Thrive, Dallas, 3,056 percent growth rate
  • No. 172 Forester Haynie, Dallas, 2,984 percent growth rate

Here are the other Texas companies appearing in the state’s top 20 and in the top 500 overall.

  • No. 60 AdOutreach, Austin, 6,052 percent growth rate
  • No. 62 Webforce, Austin, 6,009 percent growth rate
  • No. 117 Homestead Brands, Austin, 3,839 percent growth rate
  • No. 174 Disrupt Equity, Houston, 2,975 percent growth rate
  • No. 188 24HourNurse Staffing, Pittsburg, 2,801 percent growth rate
  • No. 201, Everly Health, Austin, 2,643 percent growth rate
  • No. 209, Texas Solar Integrated, San Antonio, 2,559 percent growth rate
  • No. 212, Apple Blvd Boutique, Frisco, 2,555 percent growth rate
  • No. 285 Element 26, Austin, 1,948 percent growth rate
  • No. 312 Boostlingo, Austin, 1,820 percent growth rate
  • No. 317 Cover Desk, Austin, 1,800 percent growth rate
  • No. 325 Canopy Management, Austin, 1,758 percent growth rate
  • No. 497 Construction Concepts, Houston, 1,251 percent growth rate

Companies on the 2022 Inc. 5000 are ranked by percentage growth in revenue from 2018 to 2021. To qualify for the list, a company must have been founded and been generating revenue by March 31, 2018. The company also must have been U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent as of December 31, 2021. The minimum revenue required for 2018 was $100,000; the minimum for 2021 was $2 million.

"The accomplishment of building one of the fastest-growing companies in the U.S., in light of recent economic roadblocks, cannot be overstated," says Scott Omelianuk, editor in chief of Inc. "Inc. is thrilled to honor the companies that have established themselves through innovation, hard work, and rising to the challenges of today."

A total of 90 Houston-area companies made the list last year, including Homestead Brands, Onit, GoCo.io, Velentium, Softeq, Poetic, Techwave, and more.

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This article originally ran on CultureMap. Steven Devadanam and Natalie Harms also contributed to this story.

This Houston company is among the fastest-growing businesses in the state. Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Houston e-commerce company ranks as one of fastest-growing business in Texas, says Inc.

A Houston-based company is among the 100 fastest growing businesses in the nation.

Homestead Brands, an e-commerce business comprised of the Lori Wall Beds and Organic Swings brands, grew 3,916 percent from 2017 to 2020, according to the newly released Inc. 5000 list. That makes the Humble-based business the eighth-fastest-growing private company in Texas and the 98th nationally.

"We are a team of A players determined to build the kind of company we all wish we could have worked at from the start of our careers: a place where everybody is valued, challenged, and comes to work with a sense of purpose," Homestead Brands says on its website.

A total of 90 Houston-area companies made the list. Other tech companies making the cut includes Onit, GoCo.io, Velentium, Softeq, Poetic, Techwave, and more.

Companies on the 2021 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage growth in revenue from 2017 to 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2017. They also must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent. The minimum revenue threshold for 2017 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $2 million. Among the 5,000 companies on the list, the average median three-year growth rate stood at 543 percent, and median revenue reached $11.1 million.

"The 2021 Inc. 5000 list feels like one of the most important rosters of companies ever compiled," Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc., says in an August 17 news release. "Building one of the fastest-growing companies in America in any year is a remarkable achievement. Building one in the crisis we've lived through is just plain amazing. This kind of accomplishment comes with hard work, smart pivots, great leadership, and the help of a whole lot of people."

San Antonio-based Texas Solar Integrated took the top spot statewide and ranked 11th nationally with a growth rate of 22,381 percent. The company installs commercial and residential solar energy systems.

"At Texas Solar, we treat our customers like family. We believe that successful relationships with partners and homeowners alike develop through transparency and the trust for doing things right the first time," the company says on its website.

The top-ranked company from the Austin area is Empowering a Billion Women, landing at No. 28. The company, which does business as EBW Worldwide, focuses on social, health, and economic empowerment of women. The company saw three-year revenue growth of 10,676 percent.

"Access to opportunity, education, and a support system for success is key to breaking the historical biases that have previously held women back from reaching their fullest social, health, and economic potential," says Linda Pringle Evans, dean of The EBW Business School for Women.

In Dallas-Fort Worth, Pomerenke Holdings is the top-ranked company on the Inc. 5000. Holding down the No. 73 spot, the automotive remarketer grew 5,164 percent from 2017 to 2020.

"Being ranked 73rd in a tough economic year for so many demonstrates the outstanding work and dedication of our team and partners," says Joey Pomerenke, founder and CEO of Pomerenke Holdings.

Following are other Texas companies that made the top 200 in the Inc. 5000, along with their three-year growth rates:

49. Residential real estate platform OJO Labs, Austin, 6,767 percent
77. Book club operator Literati, Austin, 4,898 percent
79. Tea-by-the-box purveyor Sips by, Austin, 4,754 percent
87. YouTube ad platform AdOutreach, Austin, 4,515 percent
120. Staffing agency Rayne Staffing, Houston, 3,390 percent
141. Dental services provider Endo1 Partners, Houston, 2,936 percent
165. Healthcare consulting firm ReMedi Health Solutions, Houston, 2,547 percent
169. Mortgage lender NXT Mortgage, Coppell, 2,496 percent
196. Software provider Noblesoft Technologies, Irving, 2,200 percent

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This article originally ran on CultureMap.

From Houston heating up as a startup city to a new startup accelerator program launching, here are this week's top stories. Photo by Tim Leviston/Getty Images

5 most popular innovation stories in Houston this week

What's trending

Editor's note: It's hot in Houston — like, really hot. It's hard to think of doing anything, much less hustling like any good startup leader and entrepreneur. But of course, the startup show must go on. Top stories this week include some of those entrepreneurs, a new nonprofit accelerator program for women in health care, and more.

3 female Houston innovators to know this week

This week's innovators to know are all female leaders in different industries within Houston innovation. Courtesy photos

Female leaders play a huge role in the Houston innovation ecosystem. This week's innovators to know are all women — and are each representatives for different industries. From health care and nonprofits to education, meet this week's who's who of Houston innovation. Continue reading.

Houston oil and gas software exec eyes M&A activity following private equity deal

Travis Parigi, CEO of LiquidFrameworks, is excited about the new doors that have been opened for his company. Courtesy of LiquidFrameworks

Travis Parigi has built his software within his own company for about 14 years. Now, he's in a position to further develop his product at a faster rate.

In January, LiquidFrameworks entered into a partnership with private equity firm, Luminate Capital. The new financial partner has opened doors for Parigi and LiquidFrameworks — including putting merger and acquisition activity on the table.

"I have historically written stuff from the ground up, and we're going to continue to do that, but we want to give our customers more than that," Parigi tells InnovationMap. "And I've never had the opportunity to go out and strategically target opportunities where it makes sense to compliment the product. And I think that's going to be a very exciting thing to do." Continue reading.

Houston nonprofit launches accelerator program to give women-led startup a leg up within health care

Ignite Healthcare Network has hosted a pitch competition for a few years now, but this is the first year for its mini-accelerator program. Courtesy of Ignite

Within health care, female consumers make 80 percent of the buying power while women hold 65 percent of the workforce's jobs, according to a recent study. However, when you look at the C-suites in the industry, those percentages fall drastically, says Ayse McCracken.

"For as many women as there are involved in health care, it's not reflected in leadership," says McCracken, founder of Ignite Healthcare Network. "That's what brought us together."

Just 30 percent of health care C-suites are women — and only 13 percent have female CEOs, per the report by Oliver Wyman. Houston-based nonprofit Ignite is an organization comprised of over 150 of these rare female health care execs and focused on clearing a path for future female leaders in the industry. Continue reading.

Overheard: Experts weigh in on what the energy industry will look like in 2050 at Houston summit

From fossil fuels to clean and sustainable energy, here's what experts postulate the industry will look like in 2050. Natalie Harms/InnovationMap

There are a lot of things up in the air within the energy industry when you look at the next 40 years — clean energy, regulation regarding fossil fuels, carbon footprint, and so much more.

At the Society of Petroleum Engineers' inaugural SPE Dot Energy Leadership Summit, the big question was what does 2050 look like for the industry. Tasked with the discussion were three energy leaders — Deanna Zhang, energy tech investment banking associate at TudorPickering Holt & Co., Lees Rodionov, vice president of Global Stewardship at Schlumberger, and David R. Hall, managing director of Hall Labs — on a panel moderated by Gabriella Rowe, CEO of Station Houston. Continue reading.

National business magazine names Houston one of the 'hottest startup cities'

As a a part of its annual Inc. 5000 findings, the magazine named Houston the ninth hottest startup city in America. Photo by Tim Leviston/Getty Images

It's not just Texas' weather that's hot. Three Lone Star State cities made Inc. magazine's list of hot startups cities — and Houston came in at No. 9.

The list came out of the Inc. 5000 report — the magazine's list of the fastest-growing 5,000 privately-held companies in the United States. The list was ranked by the three-year revenue growth of each of the cities' companies.

Houston had a three-year revenue growth 117 percent with 84 Houston companies on the 2019 Inc. 5000 list. Continue reading.

As a a part of its annual Inc. 5000 findings, the magazine named Houston the ninth hottest startup city in America. Photo by Tim Leviston/Getty Images

National business magazine names Houston one of the 'hottest startup cities'

hot or not

It's not just Texas' weather that's hot. Three Lone Star State cities made Inc. magazine's list of hot startups cities — and Houston came in at No. 9.

The list came out of the Inc. 5000 report — the magazine's list of the fastest-growing 5,000 privately-held companies in the United States. The list was ranked by the three-year revenue growth of each of the cities' companies.

Houston had a three-year revenue growth 117 percent with 84 Houston companies on the 2019 Inc. 5000 list.

"After Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017, the Houston area's construction industry grew tremendously to help rebuild and repair the storm's damage," the short ranking blurb reads, mentioning two Inc. 5000 companies in Houston: oil pipeline services company JP Services (No. 792) and contractor services firm CC&D (No. 1,973).

Houston beat out Dallas (No. 10) by just 4 percent three-year revenue growth and 10 Inc. 5000 companies. The article calls out Dallas for its "low regulations, zero corporate income taxes, and the Dallas Entrepreneur Center, or DEC, which is a nonprofit organization serving as a hub for startup networking, funding, and mentorship."

Meanwhile, Austin, which ranked No. 2 on the list, had a three-year revenue growth 259 percent, and has 87 Inc. 5000 companies this year. Austin was praised for its "high rate of entrepreneurship and job creation" in the article, as well as for having outposts for top tech companies like Amazon, Apple, and Google.

Here's the full list:

  1. San Francisco
  2. Austin
  3. New York City
  4. San Diego
  5. Atlanta
  6. Denver
  7. Los Angeles
  8. Chicago
  9. Houston
  10. Dallas

Earlier this month, Business Facilities magazine named Houston the fourth best startup ecosystem in the U.S., as well as the fourth best city for economic growth potential. Similarly, Commercial Cafe recently named Houston a top large city for early stage startups.

Susan Davenport, senior vice president of economic development for the Greater Houston Partnership, previously told InnovationMap that it's the city's diversity that keeps the city growing and resilient.

"The region's steady population increases, coupled with our relatively low costs of living and doing business, bode well for our economic growth potential reflected in this ranking," Davenport says.

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Texas Space Commission launches, Houston execs named to leadership

future of space

Governor Greg Abbott announced the Texas Space Commission, naming its inaugural board of directors and Texas Aerospace Research and Space Economy Consortium Executive Committee.

The announcement came at NASA's Johnson Space Center, and the governor was joined by Speaker Dade Phelan, Representative Greg Bonnen, Representative Dennis Paul, NASA's Johnson Space Center Director Vanessa Wyche, and various aerospace industry leaders.

According to a news release, the Texas Space Commission will aim to strengthen commercial, civil, and military aerospace activity by promoting innovation in space exploration and commercial aerospace opportunities, which will include the integration of space, aeronautics, and aviation industries as part of the Texas economy.

The Commission will be governed by a nine-member board of directors. The board will also administer the legislatively created Space Exploration and Aeronautics Research Fund to provide grants to eligible entities.

“Texas is home to trailblazers and innovators, and we have a rich history of traversing the final frontier: space,” Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick says in a news release. “Texas is and will continue to be the epicenter for the space industry across the globe, and I have total confidence that my appointees to the Texas Space Commission Board of Directors and the Texas Aerospace Research and Space Economy Consortium Executive Committee will ensure the Texas space industry remains an international powerhouse for cutting-edge space innovation.”

TARSEC will independently identify research opportunities that will assist the state’s position in aeronautics research and development, astronautics, space commercialization, and space flight infrastructure. It also plans to fuel the integration of space, aeronautics, astronautics, and aviation industries into the Texas economy. TARSEC will be governed by an executive committee and will be composed of representatives of each higher education institution in the state.

“Since its very inception, NASA’s Johnson Space Center has been home to manned spaceflight, propelling Texas as the national leader in the U.S. space program,” Abbott says during the announcement. “It was at Rice University where President John F. Kennedy announced that the U.S. would put a man on the moon—not because it was easy, but because it was hard.

"Now, with the Texas Space Commission, our great state will have a group that is responsible for dreaming and achieving the next generation of human exploration in space," he continues. "Texas is the launchpad for Mars, innovating the technology that will colonize humanity’s first new planet. As we look into the future of space, one thing is clear: those who reach for the stars do so from the great state of Texas. I look forward to working with the Texas Space Commission, and I thank the Texas Legislature for partnering with industry and higher education institutions to secure the future of Texas' robust space industry."

The Houston-area board of directors appointees included:

  • Gwen Griffin, chief executive officer of the Griffin Communications Group
  • John Shannon, vice president of Exploration Systems at the Boeing Company
  • Sarah "Sassie" Duggleby, co-founder and CEO of Venus Aerospace
  • Kirk Shireman, vice president of Lunar Exploration Campaigns at Lockheed Martin
  • Dr. Nancy Currie-Gregg, director of the Texas A&M Space Institute

Additionally, a few Houstonians were named to the TARSEC committee, including:

  • Stephanie Murphy, CEO and executive chairman of Aegis Aerospace
  • Matt Ondler, president and former chief technology officer at Axiom Space
  • Jack “2fish” Fischer, vice president of production and operations at Intuitive Machines
  • Brian Freedman, president of the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership and vice chairman of Wellby Financial
  • David Alexander, professor of physics and astronomy and director of the Rice Space Institute at Rice University

To see the full list of appointed board and committee members, along with their extended bios, click here.

City of Houston approves $13M for new security tech at renovated IAH​ terminal

hi, tech

A new terminal currently under construction at George Bush Intercontinental Airport just got the green light for new security technology.

This week, Houston City Council unanimously approved the funding for the new Mickey Leland International Terminal's security equipment. The Mickey Leland International Terminal Project is part of the $1.43 billion IAH Terminal Redevelopment Program, or ITRP, which is expected to be completed by early next year.

This new IAH International Terminal will feature an International Central Processor, or ICP, with state-of-the-art technology in a 17-lane security checkpoint — among the largest in the country — as well as ticket counters and baggage claim.

“Houston Airports strives to get passengers through TSA Security in 20 minutes or less. Today, we meet that goal at Bush Airport more than 90 percent of the time,” Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for Houston Airports, says in a news release. “This investment in innovative technology will enhance our efficiency and ensure that our passengers have a world-class experience each time they visit our airports.”

Going through security at IAH is about to be smoother sailing. Rendering courtesy of Houston Airports

The funding approval came from two ordinances, and the first one appropriates $11.8 million from the Airports Improvement Fund to buy, service, install, and train staff on nine new automated screening lanes, called Scarabee Checkpoint Property Screening Systems, or CPSS.

Per the news release, each of these CCPS automated lanes "is capable of screening more than 100 additional people and bags/hour than existing equipment used today." Currently, Terminal D's TSA is using eight CPSS Lanes, so the additional nine lanes will bring the total to 17 lanes of security.

The other appropriates another $1.2 million from the Airports Improvement Fund to buy, install, maintain, and train staff on six new Advanced Imaging Technology Quick Personnel Security Scanners.

The new scanners, which don't require the traveler to raise their arms, "is capable of screening more than 100 additional people/hour than existing equipment used today," per the release.

“These new security screening machines are faster, have fewer false alarms and have improved detection rates, which creates a safer experience for our passengers and airlines,” Federal Security Director for TSA at IAH Juan Sanchez adds.

The Mickey Leland International Terminal originally opened in 1990 and is currently under renovation. Rendering courtesy of Houston Airports

Texas has the 5th highest health care costs in the nation, Forbes says

dollar signs

A new Forbes Advisor study shedding light on Americans' top financial worries has revealed Texas has the fifth highest health care costs in the nation.

Forbes Advisor's annual report compared all 50 states and Washington, D.C. across nine different metrics to determine which states have the most and least expensive health care costs in 2024.

Factors include the average annual deductibles and premiums for employees using single and family coverage through employer-provided health insurances and the percentage of adults who chose not to see a health care provider due to costs within the last year, among others. Each state was ranked based on its score out of a total 100 possible points.

Texas was No. 5 with a score of 91.38 points. North Carolina was No. 1, followed in order by South Dakota, Nebraska, and Florida.

According to Forbes, out-of-state families considering a move to the Lone Star State should be aware of the state's troubling statistics when it comes to family health care. More specifically, nearly 15 percent of Texas children had families who struggled to pay for their medical bills in the past 12 months, the highest percentage in the nation.

Furthermore, Texans have the highest likelihood in the U.S. to skip seeing a doctor because of cost. The report showed 16 percent of Texas adults chose not to see a doctor in the past 12 months due to the cost of health care.

"Unexpected medical bills and the cost of health care services are the top two financial worries for Americans this year, according to a recent KFF health tracking poll," the report said. "These financial fears have real-world consequences. The high cost of healthcare is leading some Americans to make tough choices—often at the expense of their health."

In the category for the percentage of adults who reported 14 or more "mentally unhealthy" days out of a month, who could not seek health care services due to cost, Texas ranked No. 3 in the U.S. with 31.5 percent of adults experiencing these issues.

The report also highlighted the crystal clear inequality in the distribution of health care costs across the U.S.

"In some states, residents face much steeper health care expenses, including higher premiums and deductibles, which make them more likely to delay medical care due to costs," the report said.

For example, Texas' average annual premiums for both plus-one health insurance coverage ($4,626, according to the study) and family coverage ($7,051.33) through employer-provided policies was the No. 4-highest in the nation.

Elsewhere in the U.S.

The state with the most expensive health care costs is North Carolina, with a score of 100 points. 27 percent of adults in North Carolina reported struggling with their mental health who could not seek a doctor due to cost, and 11.3 percent of all adults in the state chose not to see a doctor within the last 12 months because of costs.

Hawaii (No. 50) is the state with the least expensive health care costs, according to Forbes. Hawaii had the lowest percentages of adults struggling with mental health (11.6 percent) and adults who chose not to see a doctor within the last year (5.7 percent). The average annual premium for employees in Hawaii using a family coverage plan through employer-provided health insurance is $5,373.67, and the average annual deductible for the same family coverage plan is $3,115.

The top 10 states with the most expensive health care are:

  • No. 1 – North Carolina
  • No. 2 – South Dakota
  • No. 3 – Nebraska
  • No. 4 – Florida
  • No. 5 – Texas
  • No. 6 – South Carolina
  • No. 7 – Arizona
  • No. 8 – Georgia
  • No. 9 – New Hampshire
  • No. 10 – Louisiana

The full report and its methodology can be found on forbes.com.

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This article originally ran on CultureMap.

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