Fort Bend County
Driving in Fort Bend County
Fort Bend County has an estimated 680,595 private and commercial vehicles registered, accounting for approximately 3% of all vehicles registered in Texas.
Over 430,000 adult drivers in Fort Bend County commute to work every day, with more than two out of every three commutes lasting more than 30 minutes.
More than 20% of Texas vehicles are uninsured, which means that there could be over 130,000 uninsured and underinsured vehicles in Fort Bend County alone.
Auto Insurance Analysis:
In Fort Bend County, nearly 700,000 vehicles are required to have insurance. Depending on the type of vehicle and its use, the required insurance may be for Private Auto, Commercial or Farm Auto, Commercial Inland Marine, and so on. Auto Liability is a requirement for all vehicles on the road.
Longer daily commutes can raise the cost of auto insurance because they increase the amount of time a driver spends on the road. The more time spent on the road, the more likely it is that you will be involved in a car accident.
In Texas, one out of every five drivers is uninsured or underinsured, making Uninsured Driver Coverage almost mandatory. Texans spend more than $900 million per year on Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist coverage.
If you have any questions or need advice about Fort Bend County auto insurance, contact a Property & Casualty insurance agent who is licensed in the state of Texas.
Fort Bend County Housing
Fort Bend County has approximately 300,187 housing units, with the majority of them owned rather than rented. Owners live in their homes in 77% of cases, the highest rate among neighboring counties. The Texas-average is closer to a 3 to 2 split between homeowners and renters respectively.
The neighboring counties are mostly made up of owner-occupied homes, with Austin County having the second highest rate of homeownership at over 76%. Harris County, on the other hand, has the fewest live-in home owners in the region, with more than 45% of housing available for rent.
Overcrowding, a lack of plumbing, and/or poor kitchen conditions are reported in more than one in every seven housing units in Fort Bend County.
Housing Insurance Analysis:
Fort Bend County has over 300,000 housing units that require insurance coverage. Homeowner's insurance should cover all of the owner's property to protect it from loss or damage (Homeowners or Condo). Apartment complexes and condo associations are covered by Business Property insurance.
With an estimated 69,000 rental units in Fort Bend County, landlords are advised to have Landlord Insurance, which covers the property as well as the tenants' potential liability.
Tenants typically obtain Renters Insurance to protect their belongings from potential damage or loss. A typical Renter's Insurance policy protects the property from theft as well as damage caused by water, smoke, fire, and vandalism. Renters Insurance may also be required by landlords as a condition of lease.
Because of its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, Fort Bend County is one of the most likely to be impacted by a stray hurricane. In addition to being prepared and knowing what to do in the event of a hurricane, residents of Fort Bend County should understand how this risk affects their home insurance coverage.
Contact a Property & Casualty insurance agent licensed in the state of Texas for consultation and advice on Homeowners insurance or Renters insurance in Fort Bend County.
Fort Bend County Health
In terms of residents with health insurance, Fort Bend County is one of the best rated counties in Texas. An estimated 15% of adults under the age of 65, including children, do not have health insurance coverage, which is nearly 6% lower than the state average of 20.7% reported in 2021.
Wharton County has the highest uninsured rate among its peer counties, at nearly 26%, while Fort Bend has the lowest. Gaines County has the highest uninsured adult rate in Texas, at nearly 36%, and Loving County has the lowest, at around 11%.
In Fort Bend County, nearly one out of every seven adults (nearly 90,000 people) report health problems. Over 18% of the population does not engage in frequent physical activity, resulting in one-fourth (over 160,000 residents) of the population being obese, which is lower than the Texas average of around 31%. Wharton County has the highest obesity rate among its neighbors, hovering around 37%. According to reports, Fort Bend has the lowest adult obesity rate.
At least 4 health insurers in Fort Bend County offer affordable and frequently subsidized ACA health insurance, on and off the state marketplace.
Health Insurance Analysis:
Health insurance is the most important type of insurance, and more than 100,000 people in Fort Bend do not have it.
Texas is one of the states in the United States that allows for multiple types of health insurance and supplemental products, making it easier for residents to obtain coverage through: Marketplace ACA health insurance, Various types of Short-term insurance (up to 3 years in coverage), Hospital indemnity, Accident & Health, and so on.
If low-income residents are unable to obtain health insurance due to the high cost, they should apply for government subsidies, which can significantly reduce the cost of insurance. If you do not have any pre-existing conditions, short-term insurance may be an option (Note: some multi-year short-term Texas plans may cover selective pre-existing conditions after a full year of coverage).
Contact a Texas-licensed health insurance agent for consultation and advice on health insurance in Fort Bend County.
Fort Bend County Mortality and the End of Life Statistics
Fort Bend County residents have a life expectancy of around 83 years old, which is higher than the Texas average of 79.2 years old. Fort Bend County has the longest life expectancy among neighboring counties, while Wharton County has the shortest, with an end life expectancy of 77.3 years old.
In comparison, Presidio County has the highest life expectancy in Texas, with an average lifespan of 88.8 years. Donley County has the shortest life expectancy, at 72.8 years.
Fort Bend County is expected to have more than 100,000 senior (65 and older) residents by 2023.
Life Insurance Facts:
In 2021, approximately 48% of Americans did not have any type of active life insurance policy.
Life insurance premiums are calculated based on the insured's age at the start of the policy, so the younger you are when you get it, the less you will pay in premiums over the course of the policy's life.
Motor Vehicle Fatalities in Fort Bend County
Approximately 46 fatal crashes occur on Fort Bend County roads each year, at a rate of 6.88 per 100,000 vehicles on the road.
In 2020, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDoT) reported 8,027 total crashes in Fort Bend County, with 31 fatalities. Alcohol has been determined to be a factor in more than 26% of all driving fatalities in the county.
Fort Bend County Funeral Home Cost
In Texas, a traditional funeral can cost between $5,000 and $12,000, which includes basic service fees, transportation, casket, embalming, viewing, and burial. The average funeral in Texas costs around $6,200, which is comparable to the average service in Fort Bend County, which costs more than $6,200. Wharton County funeral homes tend to be the most affordable, with prices starting around $5,300, while Harris County funeral homes tend to be the most expensive, with prices averaging more than $8,200.
Life Insurance Analysis:
Approximately 46% of Americans die with life savings of less than $10,000, which means that over 46,000 Fort Bend County seniors may be putting an unnecessary burden on their family and friends to cover the basic funeral costs. Instead of mourning their loss, the family must focus on finding a way to pay.
Aside from the burial costs, the deceased may have left other debts and taxes for the family to deal with.
Term Life Insurance and Final Expense Insurance are the most commonly used life insurance policies that cover "final expenses" up to $50,000.
The most common life insurance policies used to leave money to family members are: Term Life Insurance and Cash Value Life, such as Whole Life Insurance, Indexed Universal Life (IUL) Insurance, and Final Expense.
For consultation and advice on life insurance in Fort Bend County, contact an experienced Texas-licensed life insurance agent, who has access to multiple insurers and can offer multiple options of coverage
