ICHRA savings in Texas
1 Texas counties price individual coverage below small group. Employers there save up to $145 per employee per year.
Last updated: August 16, 2026 · plan-year 2026, lowest-cost silver (age 50), same year both markets.
Top Texas counties by savings
Monthly benchmark premiums: individual vs small group, 2026 plan year.
| County | Individual /mo | Small group /mo | You save | Annual / employee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso County | $608 | $621 | 1.9% | $145 |
The Texas picture
Texas may be the clearest counterexample on this site: across 254 counties, exactly one qualifies on 2026 silver-plan data — El Paso County, at an estimated $12 per employee per month, about 1.9% below comparable small-group coverage. Texas small-group coverage is priced competitively against the individual market almost everywhere in the state this plan year on the silver-at-50 benchmark, so a savings-driven ICHRA rarely pencils here in 2026, and pretending otherwise would not serve anyone. Insurers have filed for a proposed average individual-market increase of 13.1% in 2027; that is market news, not an input to these estimates.
For employers in Houston, Dallas–Fort Worth, Austin, or San Antonio, the honest 2026 answer is that the premium comparison alone does not make the case — and the county estimator will show that plainly for your ZIP. Yet Texas remains a state where ICHRAs get adopted for other reasons: companies scaling headcount fast want benefits spend fixed per employee, and firms hiring remote staff in states with wide estimated gaps can fund one arrangement that captures those differences where they exist, even though they do not exist at home.
Texas ICHRA FAQs
How much can employers save with an ICHRA in Texas?
Across 1 qualifying Texas counties, the 2026 gap between small-group and individual silver coverage averages 2% — up to $145 per employee per year in the strongest county. Figures are plan-year-2026 estimates (lowest-cost silver, age 50, same year both markets), not quotes.
Which Texas county has the biggest ICHRA savings?
El Paso County currently shows the widest 2026 spread in Texas: individual $608/mo vs small group $621/mo — about 1.9% ($145/employee/year, estimated).
Does every Texas county qualify for ICHRA savings?
No. Only counties where the individual market prices below small group make the list — 1 in Texas for plan year 2026. In other counties a savings-driven ICHRA usually is not the right move, and an analysis will say so.
Where does this Texas data come from?
Individual-market premiums come from the CMS Marketplace Public Use Files and small-group benchmarks from Ideon — lowest-cost silver plan, age 50, same county and same plan year (2026) on both sides.
Why does only one Texas county qualify for estimated ICHRA savings when Texas is such a large insurance market?
Because the comparison is relative, not absolute. Our benchmark asks whether a county's lowest-cost individual-market silver plan at age 50 priced below comparable small-group coverage in the 2026 plan year — and in Texas, small-group rates are competitive enough that the individual market undercuts them only in El Paso County, and only by an estimated $12 per month there. Large market size does not create a gap; relative pricing between the two markets does. Texas employers can still use an ICHRA for budget control or multi-state workforces, but on 2026 data the savings case is essentially confined to El Paso, and modest even there.
Ready to capture Texas ICHRA savings?
Get a free, no-obligation analysis for your county and employee count.
See what your company could save
County-specific 2026 numbers, about 30 seconds, no contact info needed.
How many employees do you have?
See What My Company Could Save →30-second estimate. No contact info needed.