Medicare in Galveston County by the numbers
| Galveston County | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents age 65 and older | 58,751 | 4,188,063 statewide |
| Share of residents age 65+ | 16.2% | 13.7% statewide |
| People with Medicare | 70,861 | 5,048,909 statewide |
| Enrolled in Medicare Advantage | 39,768 | 2,770,279 statewide |
| Medicare Advantage share | 56.1% | 54.9% statewide |
Figures come from the Census Bureau and CMS (September 2026).
Among Texas’s 254 counties, Galveston County comes in 14th for residents age 65 and up (58,751). Older adults make up 16.2% of the population here; the state figure is 13.7%. About 23,693 more people are 60 to 64 and are heading toward Medicare; our turning 65 guide explains their first steps. By age, the 65-and-older group splits 62% ages 65 to 74, 29% ages 75 to 84 and 9% age 85 and up (Census 2023). Medicare Advantage enrollment in Galveston County is 56.1% of people with Medicare, close to the Texas average of 54.9%. What most people do in a county is less important than what fits you. We weigh Medicare Advantage against Original Medicare with Medigap using your doctors, your drugs and your budget.
Who has Medicare in Galveston County
Galveston County sits in a metro area, which the USDA defines as counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more. That usually means more doctors, more hospitals and more plan choices in the area.
CMS counts 67,275 Medicare beneficiaries in Galveston County (2023). Their average age is 73, about the same as the Texas average of 73. About 9% are “dual eligible,” meaning they have both Medicare and Medicaid, lower than the state figure of 11%.
Among people in Original Medicare in Galveston County, CMS reported about 585 emergency room visits and 251 inpatient hospital stays per 1,000 beneficiaries in 2023, which is close to the state average for emergency visits (580) and close to it for hospital stays (226). About 8% received home health care. These figures describe how people use care under Original Medicare; they do not show what any plan covers or costs.
Sources: CMS Medicare Geographic Variation, 2023; USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Codes, 2023.
Medicare Advantage and Part D plan availability and provider networks are set county by county, so the plans open to you in Galveston County may differ from those in a neighboring county. We are not based in Galveston County; we help Galveston County residents by phone or video call.
Hospitals located in Galveston County
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) lists these hospitals in Galveston County:
- Shriners Hospitals for Children — Galveston (children's; nonprofit; no emergency department)
- University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston — Galveston (acute care; government-owned; emergency services; CMS overall rating 3 of 5)
Being located in the county is not the same as being in your plan’s network. Each Medicare Advantage plan builds its own network, so we confirm that your hospital and your doctors are included before you choose. Ratings are CMS Care Compare overall hospital star ratings; they describe the hospital, not whether a plan covers it. Source: CMS Hospital General Information.
Galveston County: communities and ZIP codes
The largest communities in Galveston County by 2023 Census population estimates are League City (113,792), Texas City (56,609), Galveston (53,237), Friendswood (30,477), Dickinson (21,834), La Marque (19,605). Each figure counts only the people living inside the county.
ZIP codes that fall mostly inside Galveston County include 77510, 77517, 77518, 77539, 77546, 77550, 77551, 77554, 77555, 77563, 77565, 77568, 77573, 77590 and 4 more. Plan availability can change by ZIP code, so have yours ready when we compare plans.
Questions about Medicare in Galveston County?
Reach out to us: fill out our short form or call (571) 354-0146, and a licensed agent will compare the plans available to you, check your doctors and drugs, and stay with you each year at renewal. For general Medicare information, the federal helpline is 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
Medicare resources from official sources
- Medicare Plan Finder on Medicare.gov, searchable by ZIP code.
- HealthCare.gov if you are not yet on Medicare.
- Medicare Care Compare for hospitals and doctors.
- Social Security: Medicare to enroll or check status.
- Texas Department of Insurance: Texas’s insurance regulator, including agent license lookup.
Coverage we offer Galveston County residents
We work with many carriers, which lets us compare more than one option for Galveston County households, including annuities, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement (Medigap), Part D drug plans, ACA health insurance, ICHRA, group health insurance, life insurance and final expense insurance.
Let’s check your Galveston County options together
We confirm your doctors and prescriptions before you enroll, at no cost to you.
Get my plan comparisonPlain-English Medicare answers
- Why a Medicare Advantage plan drops a doctor or drug
- When can you switch Medicare plans? Every enrollment window
- Medicare Advantage vs. Medigap: how to choose
- Medicare Parts A, B, C and D explained
Galveston County compared with similar Texas counties
| County | Residents 65+ | Medicare Advantage share | Dual eligible share | Area type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nueces County | 57,765 | 65.1% | 13% | Metro |
| Cameron County | 61,905 | 75.0% | 32% | Metro |
| Brazoria County | 52,042 | 57.2% | 10% | Metro |
| Bell County | 47,818 | 52.3% | 10% | Metro |
| Lubbock County | 43,685 | 52.5% | 10% | Metro |
| Smith County | 43,372 | 50.0% | 9% | Metro |
See every Texas county in our Texas directory or go to our Texas Medicare hub.