Starr County
Driving in Starr County
The number of private and commercial vehicles taking the highways of Starr County is estimated at 50,652. This is approximately 0.22% of all vehicles registered in the state of Texas.
Nearly 70% of adult drivers in Starr County commute to work alone, with about 1 out of 4 driving for more than 30 minutes.
The rate of uninsured drivers throughout Texas is 20%, thus, more than 10,000 vehicles in Starr County alone are possibly not insured.
Auto Insurance Analysis:
Over 50 thousand vehicles registered in Starr County need insurance coverage according to the type of vehicle and its use. Some of the insurance plans on offer are Private Auto, Commercial Auto, Comprehensive Coverage, Commercial Transportation, Inland Marine, etc. Auto Liability is required for all vehicles.
The cost of auto insurance tends to increase when there are more drivers on the road for a longer time. In Starr County, over 9,000 drivers take the long commute daily, putting themselves at a higher risk for vehicular accidents.
Uninsured Driver Coverage is of great importance in Texas, where 1 out of 5 drivers is uninsured. Nearly $900 million annually is spent by Texans on Uninsured and Underinsured Auto Coverage.
For information and guidance on auto insurance in Starr County, contact a Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance agent licensed in the state of Texas.
Starr County Housing
The approximately 20,050 housing units in Starr County are mostly occupied by the owners themselves, rather than tenants, at a rate of 75% to 25%, respectively. This average is way higher than that of the Texas owner-occupied rate of 62%. Among its neighboring counties, Starr County leads the group having the highest percentage of resident-occupied homes ,and Brooks County falls last with the lowest rate of homeownership at 61% and 39% rentals.
Overcrowding, plumbing, and other kitchen issues are among the housing problems experienced by 1 in 5 residences in Starr County. Approximately 15% of households spend over 50% of their income on housing expenditures.
Housing Insurance Analysis:
Insurance coverage for over 20 thousand housing units in Starr County is a necessity. Owners should at least have Homeowners, Condo insurance, and/or Business property insurance (for apartment complexes) to protect their housing investment from certain loss or damage.
With approximately 5,000 rental units in Starr County, landlords are encouraged to acquire Landlord Insurance which covers not only the property itself but also the liability claims the tenants might demand.
Renters Insurance is available for tenants in Starr County, and some landlords require this as a condition for the lease. Average renters’ insurance is inexpensive but already includes coverage of tenant’s belongings from theft, loss, or damages caused by fire, smoke, water, and vandalism.
Contact a Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance agent licensed in the state of Texas for consultation and advice about Homeowners, Renters, Condo, Flood, and other types of insurance in Starr County.
A Texas P&C insurance agent analyzes your needs and restrictions, researches the locally available plans that fit your needs, provides you with the available options of coverage, explains how the differences between the options affect you once you start using each insurance product, assists you with the application process and does not charge additional costs on top of the insurance policy.
Starr County Health
Starr County’s uninsured rate of 31% is above the Texas state average of 21%. In comparison to its peer counties Hidalgo County has the most uninsured residents at 33%, Jim Hogg County has the least at 18%. Approximately 14% of all children in Starr County are not covered by health insurance. Statewide, Gaines County has the highest uninsured rate at nearly 36%, and Loving County has the lowest at 11.4%.
About 17,000 residents or over 2 out of 5 adults in Starr County report health problems, which is the highest percentage in the state of Texas
With 26% of Starr County population lacking physical exercise, around 32% of the residents are considered obese (with BMI of 30 or more). On average, Texas has a 31.4% obesity rate, which is not too far from that of Starr County. In the adjacent counties, Hidalgo County has the most obese adults at 38%, while Jim Hogg County has the least obese residents at 23%.
Starr County has at least 3 health insurers that offer affordable and frequently subsidized ACA health insurance, on and off the state marketplace.
Health Insurance Analysis:
While health insurance is the most essential insurance type, more than 17 thousand residents of Starr County are still uninsured.
Multiple types of health insurance and supplemental products are available in Texas, being among the states that allow its sale. Texans have access to several insurance options such as Marketplace ACA health insurance, Various types of Short-term insurance (up to 3 years in coverage), Hospital indemnity, Accident & Health, etc., to meet their medical needs, and financial capacities.
To minimize insurance expenses, government subsidies are available for low-income consumers who cannot afford health insurance.
Short-Term Insurance is a cost-effective option for residents, provided you do not have any pre-existing conditions. (*Some Texas multi-year short-term health insurance plans provide coverage of certain pre-existing conditions after a year or more of being insured.)
For more information, discuss your health insurance needs with a state-licensed Texas health insurance professional who can offer a variety of health insurance options available in Starr County.
A Texas health insurance agent analyzes your needs and restrictions, researches the locally available plans that fit your needs, provides you with the available options of coverage, explains how the differences between the options affect you once you start using each insurance product, assists you with the application process, and does not charge additional costs for services (agent’s service is paid by the insurer).
Starr County Mortality and the End of Life Statistics
People from Starr County live for about 78 years on average, which is slightly lower than Texas' average of 79.2 years. Among its neighboring counties, Hidalgo County tops the chart with residents reaching 81.9 years, and Brooks County reports the lowest life expectancy age at 74.7 years. In the whole state of Texas, the longest lifespan of 88.8 years is recorded in Presidio County, while the shortest is in Donley County with 72.8 years.
As of 2022, Starr County had over 7,300 senior (65 years and older) residents.
Life Insurance Facts:
Reportedly 48% of Americans were not covered by any life insurance in 2021.
Age matters when it comes to life insurance premiums. Obtaining life insurance at a younger age would mean lower premiums throughout the policy duration.
Motor Vehicle Fatalities in Starr County
Motor vehicle fatalities in Starr County statistically occur at a rate of 13.22 per 100,000 vehicles on the road: approximately 7 fatal crashes per year.
Over 662 accidents with 3 deaths in Starr County were reported by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDoT) in 2020. Driving under the influence of alcohol caused 56% of these driving fatalities in Starr County.
Final Expenses – Starr County Funeral Home Cost
Funeral expenses around Starr County vary extremely. Starr County’s average funeral cost is $4,000, which is the lowest among its immediate neighbors, while Zapata County has the highest average at $9,000, which more than doubles Starr County’s funeral prices. However, if the other counties in the state are considered, Willacy and Kennedy Counties have the cheapest average cost of just a little over $3,000. This is almost half of Texas’ average of $6,200. Polk County, on the other hand, has the most expensive average cost at nearly $11,000.
Life Insurance Analysis:
Given that 46% of Americans die with less than $10,000 savings, there are more than three thousand senior residents in Starr County that would leave behind a financial burden to their families upon their deaths. Bothered by the money constraints, grieving may have to be set aside to look for resources and be able to afford a decent funeral for the departed. (Note: For funerals to be paid by life insurance, the policy must be “assignable” as required by most funeral homes.)
The expenses after a family member’s death may not end after the burial. The deceased, more often than not, will have outstanding payables like taxes and other debts which the bereaved loved ones will have to take care of.
Insurance policies that cover final expenses up to $50,000 include Term Life Insurance and Final Expense Insurance, These are the commonly used life insurance that best covers these final needs.
Term Life Insurance and Cash Value Insurance such as Whole Life Insurance, Indexed Universal Life (IUL) Insurance, and Final Expense are the varieties of life insurance policies frequently used for purposes of leaving money to the bereaved family.
Have a licensed Texas insurance professional discuss with you your life insurance options in Starr County.
