Dawson County

Driving in Dawson County

Dawson County has an estimated 10,278 registered private and commercial vehicles, accounting for approximately 0.04% of all vehicles registered in Texas.

Almost 77% of adult drivers in Dawson County drive alone to work, with more than one in every five residents commuting for more than 30 minutes five days a week.

An estimated 20% of Texas drivers are uninsured, with over 2,000 vehicles uninsured in Dawson County alone.

Auto Insurance Analysis:

1. Insurance is required for over 10 thousand vehicles registered in Dawson County. This excludes farm auto equipment. The following insurance may be required depending on the type of vehicle and its intended use: Private Auto, Farm Auto, Auto Liability, Inland Marine, and so on..
2. The majority of Dawson County's roads are in rural areas. Rural roads have less traffic and a lower risk of a collision. Meanwhile, animals are more likely to get in the way of moving cars in rural areas. According to statistics, the month of November has the highest number of deer collisions. As a result, Dawson County residents should consider Comprehensive Auto coverage, which aids in the repair of damage caused by an animal collision.
3. Uninsured Driver Coverage is essential for auto insurance because one out of every five drivers in Texas is uninsured. The total cost of paying for both uninsured and underinsured auto coverage by Texans has risen to nearly $900 million per year.

Contact a Texas-licensed Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance agent for consultation and advice on auto insurance in Dawson County.

Dawson County Housing

Dawson County had approximately 5,148 housing units as of 2022. The county's housing market is divided into two segments: homeowners (69%), and renters (31%). The Texas-average is closer to a 62/38 split. The surrounding counties are mostly made up of owner-occupied homes, with Gaines County leading the way with over 77% homeownership and Howard County trailing close behind with only 65%.

Over 11% of Dawson County's housing stock had severe housing issues. The most common problems were related to high housing costs, overcrowding, a lack of plumbing, or kitchen issues.

Housing Insurance Analysis:

1. More than 5,000 housing units in Dawson County require insurance. At a minimum, all owners of these properties should have Homeowners, Condo insurance, and/or Business property insurance (for apartment complexes), to protect the underlying financial investment from possible loss or damage.
2. Landlords are strongly advised to obtain Landlord Insurance for the nearly 1,700 rental units. It protects the landlord and the property from potential liability claims made by their tenants.
3. As for the tenants, they usually get Renters Insurance coverage. The purpose of that coverage is to protect their belongings from possible damage or loss. Additionally, that type of insurance will also cover various types of damages (fire, smoke, water, and vandalism) and theft. Renters Insurance may be required by some landlords in Dawson County as part of their lease conditions.

For consultation and advice about Home Owner insurance (to live-in, or to rent the property out to tenants) in Dawson County, contact a Texas-licensed Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance agent.

A Texas property and casualty insurance agent:

• examines your requirements and constraints,
• investigates the locally available plans that meet your requirements,
• provides you with the coverage options that are available,
• explains how the differences in the options will affect you once you begin using each insurance product
• helps you with the application procedure

This has no bearing on the cost of your insurance. (The insurer usually pays for the agent's services.)

Dawson County Health

Although not the worst when compared to its neighbors in terms of health insurance coverage, almost one out of every four adults (23%) in Dawson County does not have adequate health insurance coverage. Furthermore, approximately 14% of children in Dawson County do not have health insurance coverage. Gaines County has the highest adult uninsured rate among neighboring counties, at nearly 36%, while Borden County has the lowest, at around 12%. In comparison, Gaines County has the highest rate of uninsured adults in Texas, while Loving County has the lowest, at 11%. The average adult uninsured rate in Texas in 2021 was over 20%.

1 in every 3 people in Dawson County report problems related to poor health. 24% of Dawson County residents do not engage in daily physical activities, at least partially contributing to the obesity rate of around 28% (with a BMI of 30 or higher). This is lower than the Texas average of closer to 32%. Among the neighboring counties, Borden County has the lowest obesity rate with 24%, while Terry County leads the way with approximately 37%.

In Dawson County, there are 2 health insurers that offer affordable and frequently subsidized ACA health insurance, both on and off the state marketplace.

Health Insurance Analysis:

1. Unfortunately, around 23% of Dawson County residents lack health insurance coverage, which is considered the most important insurance any person should have.
2. Fortunately enough, Texas allows multiple types of health insurance coverages for its residents, alongside supplemental products coverage. Health insurance plans that can be found in Dawson County include: Marketplace ACA Health Insurance, Short-Term Insurance, Hospital Indemnity, and many other variations.
3. For those Texans who may think they cannot afford to purchase health insurance coverage, there are government subsidies that can help low-income consumers to get health insurance coverage by substantially lowering the costs.
4. If unqualified for subsidies and if you do not have pre-existing conditions, Short term insurance may provide an alternative saving path. (* Some Texas multi-year short term health insurance plans may cover certain pre-existing conditions after a year or more of coverage)

Don’t get caught in a medical emergency without adequate coverage. Contact a Texas state-licensed health insurance agent to discuss your medical needs and to find out what options are available to fill them.

Dawson County Mortality and the End of Life Statistics

The average life expectancy of a Dawson County resident is 75.2 years old, which is lower than the Texas average of 79.2 years old. When compared to its neighboring counties, Dawson County ranked 4th with the longest expected longevity, while the lowest is in Martin County, at 73.5 years old.

In 2022, there were approximately 1,948 senior citizens (65 years old and older) residing in Dawson County.

Life Insurance Facts:

1. 48% of Americans in 2021 did not have life insurance.

2. Life insurance premium heavily depends on the age of the insured when they apply and get accepted for the policy. It is usually best to lock in the premium price at a younger age, as it can provide more savings for the insured over the course of the policy.

Motor Vehicle Fatalities in Dawson County

Motor vehicle fatalities occur at a rate of nearly 20 per 100,000 vehicles on the road in Dawson County: around 2 fatal crashes per year.

In 2020, Texas Department of Transportation (TXDoT) in Dawson County reported 181 crashes, where 2 have been confirmed as fatalities. Alcohol is determined as the main factor for the fatal crashes in Dawson County in every 3rd driving fatality.

Final Expenses - Dawson County Funeral Home Costs

An average traditional funeral in Texas can cost between $5,000 and $12,000, with the price covering basic service fees, casket, embalming, transportation, viewing and burial. The average cost of a funeral in Texas is $6,200, while in Dawson county the average funeral cost is closer to $8,100.

Life Insurance Analysis:

1. 46% of Americans die with less than $10,000 in savings. This can be a major issue because basic funeral costs can be an unexpected and (often) unbearable burden on both family and friends. This prevents them from grieving for their loss and forces them to instead find a way to compensate for it.

2. Aside from burial expenses, the deceased frequently leave unpaid taxes and other debts for the family to deal with.

3. When it comes to covering "final expenses" of up to $50,000, Term Life insurance and Final Expense insurance are the most commonly used types of insurance policies.

4. There are various types of insurance policies that can assist those left behind by the deceased by providing financial assistance. Such life insurance policies can be variations of Term Life Insurance and Cash Value Life Insurance.

For consultation and advice about life insurance in Dawson County, contact a life insurance agent licensed in the state of Texas.