Travis County
Driving in Travis County
Travis County is estimated to have approximately 1,043,118 registered vehicles, meaning that the county roads and highways are busy places. This number accounts for approximately 4.46% of all vehicles registered in the entire state of Texas.
74% of adult drivers in Travis County use their vehicles for commuting. Only a small percentage of vehicles are utilized solely for different purposes. The major function of "commuter vehicles" is to transport workers to and from work. On average, less than half of Travis County's commuter vehicles spend at least 30 minutes on the road each working day.
It is unlawful to drive in Travis County, as well as the entire state of Texas, without car insurance, which serves as "proof of financial responsibility." As approximately 20% of Texas drivers are uninsured, over 200,000 vehicles in Travis County are believed to be uninsured.
Auto Insurance Analysis:
In Travis County, there are over 1 million vehicles registered, all of which require some form of insurance coverage. In accordance with the type of vehicle and its intended usage, the following insurance coverages may be required: Collision Coverage, Gap Coverage, Ride-Sharing Coverage, Comprehensive Coverage, Commercial Transportation, Inland Marine, etc.
One of the reasons that auto premium costs in Travis County tend to be higher than in less densely populated counties is that over 670,000 drivers commute every day. Because most people drive their own vehicle, there are more vehicles on the road, which increases the risk of a traffic collision. As the level of risk increases, so do the rates of insurance premiums.
With one out of every five drivers in Texas being uninsured, it is important to have Uninsured Driver Coverage. Texans spend around $900 million each year on Uninsured and Underinsured Auto Coverage. By driving uninsured, such high-risk drivers shift the cost of damage liability to other road users. If you are caught driving without insurance, you will be fined, your vehicle will often be impounded, and your license may be suspended.
Consultation and advice concerning insurance in Travis County are available by contacting a licensed Texas Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance agent.
Travis County Housing
Travis County has approximately 604,769 housing units, with around 52% of those units being occupied by homeowners, while renters occupy the remaining space at a nearly 48% rate. This indicates that the distribution of housing is fairly balanced, in contrast to the majority of other counties in Texas, where owners constitute an overwhelming majority of occupants. The neighboring counties largely consist of homes occupied by owners, with Blanco County leading by an almost 79% owner-occupied rate, which is much higher than the Texas average of around 62%, while Travis County is listed to have the lowest homeownership rate, among its neighboring counties.
In Travis County, about 1 out of 5 housing units is having serious housing problems, such as the following:
- Increasing housing cost
- Lack of plumbing facilities
- Overcrowding, or
- Lack of proper kitchen facilities
Housing Insurance Analysis:
- Travis County has over 600,000 housing units that require insurance coverage. At the very least, all owners of these properties should acquire Homeowners, Condo insurance, and/or Business property insurance (for apartment complexes), to safeguard the underlying financial investment against loss or damage.
- Almost 290,000 housing units in Travis County are for rent. Landlords of these properties are strongly advised to acquire Landlord Insurance to protect their investments. In the event that a tenant files a liability claim against the landlord, the policy will cover the property as well as the landlord.
- Tenants can also protect themselves by purchasing Renters Insurance Coverage, which is far less expensive than homeowner's insurance. Renters insurance protects against property theft/loss and damage caused by vandalism, smoke, sewer backup, flooding, or fire. Additionally, it assists in insulating a renter from liability in the event that an individual sustains an injury on the property. Usually, Travis County landlords will request renters insurance prior to signing the lease.
Consultation and advice concerning insurance coverage types in Travis County are available by contacting a Texas licensed Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance agent.
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
- does not affect your cost of insurance. (agent’s service is usually paid by the insurer)
Travis County Health
Proper health insurance coverage rate in Travis County is higher than the Texas state average. Nearly 1 out of 6 adults and more than 8% of all children do not have health insurance coverage. Caldwell County has the highest adult uninsured rate (26%) among the neighboring counties. Williamson County, on the other hand, has the lowest rate of adult uninsured residents in the area, with near 12%. With a rate of 36% among adults under the age of 65, Gaines County has the highest uninsured rate in the state, while the lowest is found in Loving County (11.4%). The average rate of uninsured residents under the age of 65 in Texas is approximately 20.7%.
More than 1 in 6 adults (over 169,000) in Travis County report having health difficulties.
15% of the population of Travis County does not engage in any form of physical activity on a regular basis.
Around 23% of Travis County residents are considered obese (with a BMI of 30 or more), which is significantly lower than the Texas average of 31.4%. Among the neighboring counties, Blanco County reports the lowest obesity rate (22%), while almost 42% of adults from Bastrop County and 39% from Caldwell County may be considered obese.
At least 6 health insurers in Travis County offer affordable and frequently subsidized ACA health insurance, on and off the state marketplace.
Health Insurance Analysis:
Health insurance is the most critical type of insurance coverage, yet nearly 200,000 people in Travis County do not have this essential coverage.
Texas is one of the states that permits the sale of a variety of health insurance and supplemental products. This makes it easier for Texans to find coverage that meets their individual requirements (both medically and financially): Marketplace ACA health insurance, various types of Short-term insurance (up to three years of coverage), Hospital Indemnity, Accident & health insurance, and so forth.
If low-income consumers are unable to obtain health insurance due to financial constraints, they are recommended to apply for government subsidies, which can significantly reduce the cost of insurance.
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)
Consultation, advice, and assistance in purchasing health insurance in Travis County are available by discussing it with a health insurance agent licensed in the state of Texas.
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
- Assisting you with the application process does not affect your cost of insurance. (agent’s service is usually paid by the insurer)
Travis County Mortality and the End of Life Statistics
Travis County has a life expectancy rate of 81.9 years, which is higher than the Texas state average of 79.2 years. Williamson County has the longest life expectancy among the neighboring counties, at 82.1 years, while Caldwell County (77.3) has the shortest. Presidio County has the highest life expectancy in the state, with an average age of 88.8 years, while Donley County has the lowest, with an average age of 72.8 years.
In 2022 there were almost 135,000 seniors (65 and older) residing in Travis County.
Life Insurance Facts:
According to research in 2021, about 48% of U.S citizens did not have any life insurance coverage.
Premiums for life insurance are determined by the insured's age at the time the policy begins. This means that the younger you are when you get coverage, the more money you can save in the long run on premiums.
Basic life insurance is relatively inexpensive and ensures that the individual's beneficiaries receive the agreed-upon death benefit.
Motor Vehicle Fatalities in Travis County
Traffic fatalities in Travis County occur at a statistically significant rate of 9.79 per 100,000 vehicles on the road, resulting in an annual total of around 102 fatal crashes.
Over 15,900 crashes were reported in Travis County by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDoT) in 2020, with a total of 142 fatalities as a result. The primary contributing factor in fatal crashes in Travis County was confirmed to be alcohol in more than 23% of all driving deaths in the county.
Final Expenses – Travis County Funeral Home Cost
Funeral expenses differ from county to county based on issues such as the transportation of remains, cost of a casket, and the chosen service. In 2022, the total cost of a funeral in Travis county was estimated at $6,800, which is above the state average of $6,200. Among the neighbors of Travis County, Williamson county reports the highest average funeral cost of over $7,200, while Caldwell County funeral homes may be found for nearly the same price as the state’s average of $6,200. Hays and Burnet County is reported to have the lowest average cost in the area at approximately $5,900.
Life Insurance Analysis:
Almost 60,000 senior citizens in Travis County could be inflicting an unwanted and often unbearable financial burden on their families and loved ones because 46% die with savings of less than $10,000. The family's focus should be on finding a solution to pay rather than mourning their loss. (Note: If using life insurance as payment for the funeral services, most funeral homes require the policy to be “assignable”)
In addition to the cost of the funeral, the deceased often leave their loved ones with the financial weight of unpaid taxes and bills.
Term Life Insurance and Final Expense Insurance are two basic life insurance policies that can help you cover “final expenses”, usually as high as $50,000.
For common insurance policies that ensure you leave some money behind for your relatives, consider Term Life Insurance, Whole Life insurance, Indexed Universal Life (IUL) insurance.
Speak with a licensed Texas insurance professional about life insurance options in Travis County.
The use of a Texas insurance agent typically does NOT incur additional costs to the insured.
