Gaines County
Driving in Gaines County
Gaines County has approximately 17,697 vehicles registered for personal and commercial use. This figure represents around 0.08% of all registered automobiles in Texas.
It is estimated that 20% of the drivers in Texas are uninsured, and over 3,500 vehicles in Gaines County alone may not have any kind of auto insurance coverage.
Nearly three out of four adult drivers in this county drive to and from work alone, and approximately 21% of those individuals are behind the wheel for around 30 minutes or more.
Auto Insurance Analysis:
Gaines County has nearly 18 thousand registered automobiles, and they all need at least one type of insurance coverage as required by law. Collision Coverage, Gap Coverage, Comprehensive Auto, and Farm Transportation are only a few of the options that car owners can choose from depending on what vehicles they own and how they utilize them.
At least Liability Coverage is required from every vehicle owner in Texas. This would cover the costs for the repair of the other driver’s vehicle and/or hospital bills if you were proven to be at fault for the accident.
More and more importance is being given to Uninsured Driver Coverage since 20% of the drivers in Texas don’t have auto insurance. Texans spend a total of almost $900 million every year for Uninsured and Underinsured Auto Coverage costs.
Most of the roads in Gaines County are rural, and these kinds of roads have less traffic and less potential for vehicular collision. Meanwhile, rural areas are more prone to animals getting in the way of moving cars. The majority of crashes into animals in Texas peak twice a day: 5-8 AM, and predominantly 6 PM to midnight. The highest potential of a collision with a deer is in November. Due to this, Gaines county residents should consider Comprehensive Auto Coverage, which helps with the cost of repairing the car after hitting an animal. Take note that Liability Coverage does not cover this type of incident.
To get auto insurance advice in Gaines County, contact an experienced Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance agent licensed in the state of Texas.
Gaines County Housing
Gaines County has over 6,597 properties in its housing market, and 77% of these homes are occupied by the owners themselves. Gaines County has a higher homeowner-occupied rate than the majority of Texas, with an average of 62%.
The surrounding counties’ respective housing markets are also dominated by homes inhabited by the owners. Gaines County has the second-highest rate, while Yoakum County leads the group, with almost four in five homes being owner-occupied. Dawson and Terry Counties are found at the bottom of the list with homeowner-occupied rates of 69.3% and 69.6%, respectively.
Approximately 11% of the homes in Gaines County experience various housing issues like overcrowding, substandard plumbing, or kitchen problems. In nearly 15% of homes, residents allocate half of their income on housing expenses.
Housing Insurance Analysis:
Almost seven thousand homes in Gaines County need insurance coverage. All owners of these properties should have at least Homeowners, Condo insurance, and/or Business property insurance (for apartment complexes) to protect the underlying financial investment from damage or even loss.
With nearly two thousand housing units in Gaines County listed for rent, landlords purchase Landlord Insurance, which covers the property and any possible liability claims coming from the tenants.
Tenants, on the other hand, obtain Renters Insurance to protect their belongings from damage or loss. The average cost of this coverage is usually cheap, and it covers the tenant's property from theft and damages caused by fire, smoke, water, and vandalism. Many landlords in Gaines County include Renters Insurance as a requirement of the lease.
Contact a Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance agent licensed in the state of Texas for advice and consultation about Homeowners, Renters, Flood, Condo, and other kinds of home insurance in Gaines County.
A Texas P&C Insurance Agent:
- analyzes what you need and what your restrictions are,
- researches the right plans that will address your needs,
- provides you with the available options of coverage,
- highlights the differences of the options’ effects once you start using each insurance product
- helps with the application process
- does not affect your cost of insurance. (agent’s service is usually paid by the insurer)
Gaines County Health
In Gaines County, 36% of the residents (including children) do not have proper health insurance coverage, while the state average for uninsured individuals is reported to be around 21%.
The gap between the two figures is significant, and in fact, Gaines County has the highest figure in Texas for this demographic. On the other end of the spectrum is Loving County, with only 11% of its residents not having health insurance.
As of 2021, the average adult uninsured rate in Texas was approximately 20.7%.
Looking at Gaines County’s neighbors, Yoakum and Terry Counties come in second place both at 26%, while Martin County has the lowest figure at 20%.
Approximately 27% of the adults in Gaines County report problems with their health. This percentage translates to almost 4,000 people. This is probably due to the fact that the percentage of physically inactive residents is also 27%.
More than one out of three adults in Gaines County are considered obese (with BMI of 30 or more), which is quite a high percentage given that the state average is only 31%. However, Terry County has the biggest obesity problem, with 37% of its adult residents affected by it. Dawson County, on the other hand, has an average of 28%, which is the lowest among the neighbors.
There are at least two health insurers in Gaines County that offer affordable and frequently subsidized ACA health insurance on and off the state marketplace.
Health Insurance Analysis:
Health insurance is the most vital insurance coverage, but despite this fact, more than seven thousand residents of Gaines County lack proper coverage.
The sale of multiple types of health insurance and supplemental products is permitted in Texas, which makes the shopping process for the best coverage that fits your specific needs (both medically and financially) much easier. Texans can get coverage through Group or Individual Marketplace ACA health insurance, Various types of Short-term insurance (up to 3 years in coverage), Hospital Indemnity, Accident & Health, etc.
Low-income families who cannot afford health insurance coverage can apply for government subsidies which usually bring down the total costs of insurance for the insured.
Short-term Insurance is another way to save money if you do not have any pre-existing conditions. (If you have had your policy for a year or more, pre-existing conditions may be covered by some Texas multi-year short-term health insurance.)
Discuss your health insurance needs with a state-licensed Texas health insurance professional to go over your best health insurance options in Gaines County.
A Texas Health Insurance Agent:
- analyzes what you need and what your restrictions are,
- researches the right plans that will address your needs,
- provides you with the available options of coverage,
- highlights the differences of the options’ effects once you start using each insurance product
- helps with the application process
- does not affect your cost of insurance. (agent’s service is paid by the insurer)
Gaines County Mortality and the End of Life Statistics
Gaines County’s average life expectancy age is 79 years old, which is the same as the Texas average. Among the next-door neighbors, Yoakum County is in second place with an average of 78 years, while Martin County has the lowest life expectancy rate at around 74 years old.
Statewide, Presidio County has the highest average at 89 years, and Donley County has the lowest life expectancy rate at 73 years old.
In 2022, there were approximately 1,996 seniors (65 and older) living in Gaines County.
Life Insurance Facts:
In 2021, 48% of Americans did not own any kind of life insurance coverage.
It is a misconception that young adults do not need life insurance. Getting a policy at a young age, while the potential policyholder is still healthy and unlikely to pass away, can save them a lot of money. Premiums for life insurance tend to get more expensive as the potential policyholder gets older.
More or less 22% of Gaines County residents smoke, and this habit will spike up the premiums of almost three thousand residents. A smoker’s life insurance premiums can be up to four times more expensive than a non-smoker's, as their life expectancy is deemed shorter unless they change their habits.
Whole Life Insurance also has a cash value component, meaning that after a stated period, the policyholder can use the funds to cover insurance premiums, for emergency use, to borrow against, and even to use as tax-free income during the retirement years.
Motor Vehicle Fatalities in Gaines County
Motor vehicle fatalities in Gaines County occur at a rate of 28.89 per 100,000 vehicles on the road, averaging five fatal crashes per year.
In 2020, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDoT) reported 217 crashes in Gaines County, which led to eight deaths. Around 16% of the fatal car crashes in Gaines County involved alcohol.
Final Expenses – Gaines County Funeral Home Cost
The average cost of a modest funeral in Texas is around $6,200, and Gaines County is not too far from that figure, with an average of $5,800. Andrews County, which is one of Gaines County’s neighbors, has a much more affordable average at $3,300-$3,400.
In the entire state of Texas, Polk County has the highest average funeral cost at $10,900, while Kenedy and Willacy Counties have the cheapest average, both at around$3,200.
Life Insurance Analysis:
With 46% of Americans dying with less than $10,000 in assets, the cost of a standard burial for nearly two thousand Gaines County residents could fall on the shoulders of the deceased person’s friends and family. Instead of mourning their loved one’s passing, they may have to focus on figuring out how to pay for the funeral.
On top of burial expenses, the deceased could possibly leave unpaid taxes and unsettled debts, which adds to the mourning family’s woes.
Term Life Insurance and Final Expense Insurance are the most common life insurance policy types to cover "final expenses" up to $50,000.
There are different kinds of insurance policies that can help the bereaved family through financial assistance. Such life insurance policies can be Term Life Insurance and variations of Permanent Life Insurance: Whole, Indexed Universal Life, and others.
To get advice regarding life insurance in Gaines County and help lighten the load for your family - reach out to a Texas-licensed experienced life insurance agent with access to multiple insurers. Such an agent can help you evaluate your needs and then offer you multiple solutions to fill them.
The use of a Texas insurance agent typically does NOT incur additional costs to the insured.
