Wharton County
Driving in Wharton County
Wharton County has an estimated 32,741 vehicles registered for both commercial and private use. These registered vehicles account for an estimate of 0.14% of all registered vehicles in Texas.
Over 87% of Wharton County drivers commute to work daily, and nearly one-third of those commutes last more than 30 minutes.
More than 20% of Texas vehicles are uninsured, implying just about 7,000 Wharton County vehicles are either uninsured or underinsured.
Car insurance is required in Texas as "proof of financial responsibility," and driving without it is illegal.
Auto Insurance Analysis:
Wharton County has over 30,000 registered vehicles that require auto insurance. Private automobile insurance, commercial or farm automobile insurance, commercial inland marine insurance, and other forms of insurance are all required. Auto insurance may also be affected by the type of vehicle and its intended use. Liability coverage is required for all vehicles on the road.
Longer daily commutes may raise auto insurance rates because they increase the amount of time a driver spends behind the wheel. The more time a driver spends behind the wheel, the more likely he or she will be involved in a car accident. To summarize, the cost of auto insurance is influenced by the level of risk.
Wharton County residents drive alone the vast majority of the time, which contributes to traffic congestion and raises insurance premiums.
Uninsured driver coverage is becoming increasingly important in Texas, where one out of every five drivers is uninsured or underinsured. In Texas, the annual cost of uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage exceeds $900 million.
If you need advice or assistance with Wharton County auto insurance, contact a Property & Casualty insurance agent who is licensed in Texas.
Wharton County Housing
Similarly to the Texas average, the approximately 18,109 housing units in Wharton County are mostly owner occupied. Wharton County has twice the amount of owners (67%), compared to renters.
The surrounding counties are all mostly owner-occupied homes as well, ranging between 66 and 82 percent: Colorado County homes are 82% owner-occupied, followed by Fort Bend County with over 77%. Wharton County has the highest percentage (33%) of real estate for rent in the area.
More than 1 in 6 housing units in Wharton County are experiencing housing issues such as; overcrowding, a lack of plumbing, and/or poor kitchen conditions.
Housing Insurance Analysis:
Wharton County needs to insure more than 18,000 housing units. All housing units should be covered by homeowner's insurance to protect the owner's property from loss or damage (Homeowners or Condo). Apartment complexes and condo associations are covered by Business Property insurance.
Landlord Insurance should be obtained by property owners in Wharton County, which has nearly 6,000 rental units. Landlord insurance protects both the property and its owner from potential liabilities.
Tenants typically purchase renters insurance to protect their belongings from potential damage or loss. The standard Renter's Insurance policy covers theft as well as damage caused by water, fire, smoke, and vandalism. Landlords may require renter's insurance as a condition of the lease.
Because of its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, Wharton County is one of the most likely to be impacted by a stray hurricane. Wharton County residents must understand how this risk of hurricanes affects their home insurance coverage and be prepared for it.
If you need consultation and advice on Homeowners or Renters insurance, contact a Wharton County Property & Casualty insurance agent who is licensed in Texas and has access to multiple insurers.
Wharton County Health
Wharton County's health insurance rating is one of the worst-rated among the state of Texas, and it is the worst-rated among its neighboring counties. Uninsured adults and children account for approximately 26% of the residents. This figure beats the Texas state average of 20.7% (in 2021) by a large margin. Among the neighboring counties, Colorado County ranks second, behind Wharton County in terms of residents without health insurance, with an uninsured rate of around 25%, while Fort Bend County has the lowest percentage of uninsured residents (15%). Gaines County has the highest uninsured adult rate in Texas, approaching 36%, while Loving County has the lowest, around 11%.
More than 1 in every 4 adults in Wharton County have a health problem. Almost a quarter of the population is physically inactive, contributing to a 37% obesity rate, which is higher than the Texas average of 32%. Wharton County, tailed by Matagorda County has the highest obesity rate of any peer county, at approaching 37%, while Colorado County has the lowest obesity rate in the area, at closer to 25%.
Wharton County has at least 5 insurers that offer affordable and regularly subsidized ACA health insurance, both in and out of the state marketplace.
Health Insurance Analysis:
Almost 9,000 Wharton County residents, adults including children do not have health insurance, which is the most important type of insurance.
Texas is one of the states that offers a wider range of health insurance and supplemental product options, making Texas healthcare more accessible: ACA-compliant: Group and Individual marketplace health insurance, various types of short-term insurance (up to three years in coverage), hospital indemnity, accident and health, and so on.
Because health insurance can be prohibitively expensive, particularly for low-income county residents, they should apply for government subsidies to significantly reduce the cost of insurance. If you do not have any pre-existing conditions, short-term insurance may be an option. (Note: After a full year of coverage, some multi-year short-term plans may cover specific pre-existing conditions.)
If you need advice or assistance on Wharton County health insurance, contact a knowledgeable Texas-licensed health insurance agent with access to different insurers and plans.
Wharton County Mortality and the End of Life Statistics
The average life expectancy in Wharton County is estimated to be 77.3 years old, which is lower than the Texas state average of over 79 years old. Fort Bend County has the highest life expectancy among neighboring counties, at 83 years old. Matagorda County, contrarstingly seems to have the lowest life expectancy of under 76 years old. Presidio County has the longest average life expectancy rate in the state, at 88.8 years. At 72.8 years old, Donley County has the shortest life expectancy.
In 2022 more than 7,000 seniors(65 years old and older) resided in Wharton County.
Life Insurance Facts:
In 2021, 48% of Americans did not have any type of active life insurance policy.
Premiums for life insurance are calculated based on the insured's age at the start of the policy, so the younger you are when you buy it, the less you will have to pay in premiums over the policy period.
Motor Vehicle Fatalities in Wharton County
Annually, the fatal crash rate on Wharton County roads is 17.88 per 100,000 vehicles, resulting in 5-6 fatal crashes.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDoT), in 2020 Wharton County experienced 756 crashes, where 20 people were killed in 14 collisions. More than one in every seven traffic fatalities were caused by alcohol.
Final Expenses - Wharton County Funeral Home Cost
Funeral costs in and around Wharton County range from $5,000 to $7,500. The average funeral cost in Wharton County is reported to be closer to $5,300, making it second of the most affordable in the surrounding area. Among Wharton County's neighbors, Matagorda County has the most expensive funeral cost of more than $7,000. On the contrary, Fort Bend County has the most affordable funeral home cost closer to $6,200, similar to the Texas state average (near $6,200).
Life Insurance Analysis:
Nearly 46% of Americans die with less than $10,000 in life savings, which means that over 3,000 Wharton County senior residents may be burdening their family and friends with basic funeral expenses. Instead of mourning the loss of a loved one, the family will need to consider how to pay.
In addition to burial costs, the deceased may have left behind taxes and debts for the surviving family to deal with.
The most common life insurance policies that cover "final expenses" up to $50,000 are Term life insurance and Final Expense insurance.
The most common life insurance policies that allow money to be left to family members are Term Life Insurance and Cash Value Life, such as Whole Life Insurance, Indexed Universal Life (IUL) Insurance, and Final Expenses.
If you need life insurance consultation and advice in Wharton County, contact a Texas-licensed knowledgeable life insurance agent with access to multiple insurers and plan types.
