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Alachua County

Alachua County Driving Statistics and Analysis

Alachua County is home to an estimated 222,763 private and commercial vehicles. This number accounts for approximately 1.2% of all vehicles registered in the entire state of Florida.

Over 74% of adult drivers in Alachua County commute to work by themselves, and more than one-fourth of those commutes last for over 30 minutes.

With an estimated 20% of Florida drivers uninsured, about 45,000 vehicles in Alachua County alone could be uninsured or underinsured.

Nearly every fourth crash in Alachua County is a hit and run.

Motor Vehicle Crashes in Alachua County

Motor vehicle fatalities in Alachua County statistically occur at a rate of 11.47 per 100,000 vehicles on the road: approximately 26 fatal crashes per year.

In 2021, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) reported 5,192 crashes in Alachua County: 54 fatal crashes, with a resultant 57 deaths (including 6 motorcyclists). Alcohol is determined as the main factor for the fatal crashes in Alachua County in an estimated 29% of all driving fatalities.

Auto Insurance Analysis

  1. Over 220 thousand vehicles registered in Alachua County need insurance coverage. Basic Liability and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverages are required for all vehicles on the road to protect others from the damage you may cause in an accident. Depending on the type of vehicle and its use, the additional required insurance may be: Private Auto, Commercial Auto, Comprehensive Coverage, Commercial Transportation, Inland Marine, Gap, Ride-sharing, and so on.

  2. Longer daily commute of more than 47,000 Alachua County residents raises the cost of auto insurance, because it increases the driver’s time spent on the road, which in return increases the chances of getting into a possible car accident.

  3. The amount of vehicles on the roads keeps going up year after year, and with a fourth of crashes as a hit-and-run and with 1 out of 5 drivers uninsured, Uninsured and Underinsured coverage remains important for Alachua County residents.

To discuss your auto insurance needs and to find affordable car insurance in Alachua County, contact a knowledgeable Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance agent licensed in the state of Florida.

Alachua County Housing Statistics and Analysis

Unlike the majority of Florida, where the homes are mostly (65%) owner-occupied, Alachua County’s estimated 126,090 housing unit market is split almost evenly between Homeowner-occupied and Renters (55% to 45%). Nearly every other residence is a rental unit. Except for Alachua County, all other neighboring counties largely consist of dwelling units occupied by owners. Gilchrist County leads with more than 83%, followed by Levy County with 78%.

Nearly 21% of housing units in Alachua County experience housing problems, overcrowding, poor plumbing, or issues with the kitchen. In 1 out of 4 homes, residents spend more than 50% of their income on housing.

Housing Insurance Analysis

  1. Over 126 thousand housing units in Alachua County need insurance coverage. At a minimum, all owners of these properties should have Homeowners, Condo insurance, and/or Business property insurance (for apartment complexes), to protect the underlying financial investment from possible loss or damage.

  2. With nearly 57,000 housing units in Alachua County as rentals, landlords obtain Landlord Insurance, which covers the property itself and from the possible liability claims arising from the tenants and their guests. If you rent your home, your insurer must know about it or your claims can be denied.

  3. To protect their belongings from damage or loss, tenants buy Renters Insurance coverage. On average, it is inexpensive and it usually covers the tenant's property from theft and damages caused by fire, smoke, water, and vandalism. Some landlords in Alachua County may require Renters insurance as a condition of the lease.

For consultation and to get a quote on Homeowners, Renters, Condo, Flood, and other types of insurance in Alachua County, contact a Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance agent licensed in the state of Florida.

A Florida P&C insurance agent:

  • analyzes your needs and restrictions,

  • reviews your current policy, to make sure that the coverages are reflective of the current needs and housing market - helps to update, if needed,

  • researches the locally available plans that fit your needs and is usually able to find a better deal than a consumer can find on their own,

  • checks for available savings and bundling discounts,

  • 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)

Alachua County Health Statistics and Analysis

Over 13% of adult residents in Alachua County lack proper health insurance coverage, which is lower than the state average (≈19%), and the lowest among its peer neighboring counties. Looking at its neighbors, Putnam County (over 22%) has the highest uninsured adult rate; followed by Levy County and Marion County (over 21%) where both are above the state average.

In 2021, the average adult uninsured rate in Florida was around 19.2%. Hendry County has the highest uninsured adult rate with 35% of residents uninsured, while St. Johns County has the lowest rate with under 13% of its adult residents uninsured in the state.

Less than 1 in 5 adults (or more than 49,000 residents) in Alachua County report problems with health.

Approximately 23% of the Alachua County population do not participate in physical exercise activities.

More than 27% of the Alachua County residents are considered obese (with a BMI of 30 or more), which is similar to the Florida average of over 27%. The rest of the neighboring counties are above the state-average: Putnam County reports the highest – at nearly 39% of the residents, next to it is Gilchrist County with close to 38% of adult residents considered as obese.

In 2022, there were 14 health insurers in Alachua County, offering affordable and frequently subsidized ACA health insurance on the Florida health marketplace.

Health Insurance Analysis

  1. Health insurance is the most important insurance coverage. However, about 36 thousand residents of Alachua County lack this necessity.

  2. Florida residents have the ability to purchase multiple types of major medical health insurance and supplemental plans that pick up the slack for the main policy. This makes it easier for Alachua County residents to obtain coverage that fits each individual’s specific needs (both medically and financially): Group or Individual Marketplace ACA health insurance, Various types of Short Term insurance (up to 3 years in coverage), Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness, Accident & Health, etc.

  3. Low-income health insurance: If health insurance is not being purchased due to unaffordability, low-income residents are generally advised to apply for government subsidies, which can substantially lower the cost of insurance.

  4. If you do not have pre-existing conditions, short-term health insurance may provide an alternative saving path. (* Some Florida multi-year short-term health insurance plans may cover certain pre-existing conditions after a year or more of coverage).

Discuss your health insurance needs with a knowledgeable state-licensed Florida health insurance professional with access to a variety of health insurance plans available to Alachua County residents. Offerings of health insurance coverage and its pricing may differ between zip codes.

A Florida health insurance agent: analyzes your health needs and restrictions, researches the locally available plans that fit your needs, provides you with the available options of coverage, and explains how the differences between the options affect you once you start using each insurance product. The agent researches the available discounts and bundling options, assists you with the application process, and at any time you need to make a change to the policy, or shop for replacement coverage.

Alachua County End of Life Statistics and Analysis

Average life expectancy for the residents of Alachua County is between 79 and 80 years old, which is similar to the state average in Florida (80 years old). Alachua County shows the longest life span among its neighboring counties. Meanwhile, Union County has the lowest average life expectancy at 68 to 69 years old, in the region and in the state of Florida. Collier County has the highest average life expectancy at over 86 years old in Florida.

In 2022 there were approximately 40,000 seniors (65 and older) residing in Alachua County.

Life Insurance Facts

  1. In 2022, 47% of Americans did not own any type of active life insurance policy.

  2. Life insurance premiums factor in the age of the insured when the policy begins, among other things. The younger you are when you lock in the life insurance rate, the more you save in premiums over the course of the policy.

  3. Nearly 18% of the adults in Alachua County smoke, and this habit will likely affect the life insurance costs of more than 40,000 adults by up to 4 times compared to non-smokers. A smoker’s life expectancy is deemed shorter, making them more of a risk than non-smokers.

  4. Besides the death benefit, Cash Value life insurance can be used for Living Benefits by the insured while they are still alive, to borrow against it, or used as a source of tax-free retirement income.

Alachua County - Funeral Expenses Statistics and Analysis

Funeral services usually include basic service fees, casket, embalming, transportation, viewing, and burial. The average price of a funeral in Alachua County is around $5,700, which is in line with the average cost in Florida ($5,900). Among the neighbors of Alachua County, Clay County has the highest average funeral cost of around $7,100, while Putnam County has the lowest average burial expenses at $4,600.

In fact, Putnam County is tied with DeSoto County for having the lowest funeral cost averages in the state of Florida, while Collier County’s $9,600 average tends to be the most expensive.

Life Insurance Analysis

  1. With 46% of Americans dying with savings of less than $10,000, over 18 thousand Alachua County senior residents could be placing the unnecessary and frequently unbearable financial burden on family and friends. While grieving their loss, not only does the family need to plan the funeral, but quite frequently it also needs to pay for it too.

(Note: If using life insurance as payment for the funeral services, most funeral homes require the policy to be “assignable”)

  1. Apart from the burial costs, the family has to pay for taxes and other debts incurred by the deceased.

  2. The most frequently used life insurance policies to cover “final expenses” up to $50,000 are: Term Life Insurance and Final Expense (also known as Burial insurance).

  3. The most commonly used life insurance policies to leave money to the family are the variations of: Term Life Insurance and Cash Value insurance, such as Whole Life insurance, Indexed Universal Life (IUL) insurance, and Final Expense (FE).

To find out more about life insurance options and to get life insurance quotes in Alachua County, speak with a knowledgeable state-licensed and experienced life insurance professional who has access to multiple insurers and plan types for comparison.

Alachua County - Business

Commercial insurance needs vary among each of the nearly 8,000 business establishments in Alachua County. The three largest job-creating sectors, accounting for over 63% of all employment in the county in 2020 were:

  • Government (28%)

  • Professional and Business Services (20.1%)

  • Manufacturing (15%)

Commercial Insurance Analysis

  1. Over 2,500 professional services and consulting businesses in the county can benefit from professional liability insurance, also known as Errors and Omissions insurance (E&O insurance), that protects their clients in case the professional advice they give causes damages or losses.

  2. Manufacturing businesses usually require insurance coverage for:

    • Production facilities and property

    • Employees’ health and safety

    • Product liability coverage to protect the company itself if their product hurts the consumer, etc.

To assess your business insurance needs in Alachua County and to get a commercial insurance quote, speak with a knowledgeable Florida-licensed commercial insurance agent with access to multiple insurers and premium finance options.