Zapata County
Driving in Zapata County
Zapata County has roughly 11,127 vehicles registered for personal and commercial use. This figure represents around 0.04% of all registered automobiles in Texas.
Nearly 68% of adult drivers in this county drive to and from work alone, and approximately 1 out of 5 of those commutes take half an hour or more to complete.
Over 2,200 vehicles in Zapata County may not have any kind of auto insurance coverage since 20% of the vehicles in Texas are uninsured.
Auto Insurance Analysis:
Zapata County has nearly 11 thousand registered cars, and they all need at least one type of insurance coverage. On top of the minimum mandatory, Ride-Sharing Coverage, Comprehensive Auto, Inland Marine, and Commercial Transportation are only a few of the options that car owners can choose from, depending on the type of vehicle and its utilization.
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 importance is gradually 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 on Uninsured and Underinsured Auto Coverage costs.
To get auto insurance advice in Zapata County, contact an experienced Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance agent licensed in the state of Texas.
Zapata County Housing
Zapata County has over 6,631 housing properties that are mostly inhabited by the owners. Approximately 75% of the homes are owner-occupied, and this figure is considerably higher than the Texas average (≈62%). Among the neighboring counties, Starr County has the highest owner-occupied rate at 75%, while Webb County has the lowest at 62%.
Approximately 1 out of 5 homes in Zapata County experiences various housing problems such as overcrowding, substandard plumbing, or kitchen issues. In nearly 15% of homes, residents allocate half of their income to housing expenses.
Housing Insurance Analysis:
Almost 7 thousand homes in Zapata 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 2 thousand housing units in Zapata County listed for rent, landlords purchase Landlord Insurance, which protects the property and the owner from 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 inexpensive, and it covers the tenant's property from theft and damages caused by fire, smoke, water, and vandalism. Many landlords in Zapata 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 Zapata 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 in 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)
Zapata County Health
In Zapata County, 29% of the residents (including children) do not have proper health insurance coverage, a much higher percentage compared to the state average of 21%. When compared to the other counties in its region, Zapata County ranks 3rd in this category. Starr County has the highest figure at 31%, while Jim Hogg County has the lowest number at 18%.
In the entire state, Gaines County has the highest figure for this demographic, and on the other end of the spectrum is Loving County, with only 11% of its residents not having health insurance. In 2021, the average adult uninsured rate in Texas was approximately 20.7%.
Nearly 2 out of 5 Zapata County residents report problems with their health — this translates to over 3,700 adults.
Despite the fact that only 18% of Zapata County residents do not participate in physical exercises, 30% of the population is considered obese (with a BMI of 30 or more). Zapata County’s obesity rate is quite close to the Texas average of 31%.
Looking at the neighboring counties, Webb County has the highest obesity rate at 37%, while Jim Hogg County has the lowest figure at 23%. It’s interesting how Jim Hogg County has the least number of obese residents in the region, but they have the highest percentage when it comes to residents having proper health coverage.
There is at least 1 health insurer in Zapata County that offers 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, well over 3 thousand residents of Zapata 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.
Individuals who cannot afford health insurance coverage can apply for government subsidies which usually bring down or almost eliminate the costs of insurance.
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 Zapata 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)
Zapata County Mortality and the End of Life Statistics
Zapata County’s average life expectancy age is 79.5 years old, which is almost the same as the Texas average (79.2). Among the next-door neighbors, Webb County has the longest life expectancy with an average of 80.5 years, while Jim Hogg County has the shortest with an average of 76.7 years old.
Statewide, Presidio County has the highest average at 89 years, and Donley County has the shortest life expectancy rate at 73 years old.
In 2022, there were approximately 1,862 seniors (65 and older) living in Zapata County.
Life Insurance Facts:
In 2022, 47% of Americans did not own any kind of life insurance coverage.
Taking out a life insurance policy may not be among young adults’ priorities, but doing so at a young age can actually save you money in the long run. Getting life insurance at a younger age means that the insured can lock in affordable premiums.
Roughly 1 out of 5 Zapata County residents smoke, and this habit will likely spike up the premiums of almost 2 thousand adults in the county. 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.
Whole Life Insurance also has a cash value component, meaning that after a stated period, the policyholder can borrow against the funds and use it as they wish.
Motor Vehicle Fatalities in Zapata County
Motor vehicle fatalities in Zapata County occur at a rate of 14.98 per 100,000 vehicles on the road, averaging almost 2 fatal crashes per year.
In 2020, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDoT) reported 94 crashes in Zapata County, with no fatalities. Approximately 1 out of 4 of the fatal car crashes that occurred in Zapata County involve alcohol.
Final Expenses – Zapata County Funeral Home Cost
A funeral in Zapata County can be costly, and it is estimated that nearly $8,000 is spent by families on the funeral of a loved one. This amount is considerably more expensive than the average funeral cost in Texas at approximately $6,200.
Compared to its adjacent counties, Zapata County has the most expensive funeral cost, while Jim Hogg and Webb Counties are tied in second place with an average of $5,300. Starr County is found at the bottom of this list with a funeral cost average of $4,200.
Statewide, 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 a thousand Zapata 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 Zapata 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.
