Research by NIH showed that socioeconomic, demographic, and geographic characteristics all significantly and independently influence the likelihood of one person being uninsured compared to another.

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In this case, we can see many of those factors were in play. Tukwila residents had a median household income 13% lower than the Washington state average, whereas their poverty rate was 25% higher. Only 1 out of 4 Tukwila residents had a Bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 37% in Washington.

All of the above factors are mixed with another striking characteristic of Tukwila - the area is home to many foreign-born people. Noncitizens and immigrants are significantly more likely than their counterparts to be uninsured, according to KKF. Nearly 40% of Tukwila's residents reported a non-US place of birth, which might be another reason for their high uninsured rate.