Highlands County
Highlands County Driving Statistics and Analysis
An estimated 88,335 private and commercial vehicles call the roads of Highlands County their home. This number accounts for nearly 0.49% of all vehicles registered in the entire state of Florida.
Over 79% of adult drivers in Highlands County commute to work by themselves, and one-fifth of those commutes last for over 30 minutes.
With an estimated 20% of Florida drivers uninsured, about 18,000 vehicles in Highlands County alone could be uninsured or underinsured.
Approximately every sixth crash in Highlands County is a hit and run.
Motor Vehicle Crashes in Highlands County
Motor vehicle fatalities in Highlands County statistically occur at a rate of 22.93 per 100,000 vehicles on the road: approximately 20 fatal crashes per year.
In 2021, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) reported over 1,289 crashes in Highlands County: 30 fatal crashes, with a resultant 39 deaths (including 2 motorcyclists). Alcohol is determined as the main factor for the fatal crashes in Highlands County in over 24% of all driving fatalities.
Auto Insurance Analysis
Over 88 thousand vehicles registered in Highlands 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.
With every sixth crash as a hit-and-run and 1 out of 5 drivers uninsured, Uninsured Driver Coverage remains important for Highlands County residents.
To discuss your auto insurance needs in Highlands County, contact a knowledgeable Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance agent licensed in the state of Florida.
Highlands County Housing Statistics and Analysis
Majority (65%) of homes in the state of Florida are owner-occupied. Similarly, Highlands County’s estimated 56,742 housing unit market is split between Homeowner-occupied at 75% and Rentals at nearly 25%.
All neighboring counties are also dominated by owner-occupied homes, with Charlotte County and Glades County having the highest figures in the group with nearly 80% of its homes inhabited by the owners, the latter with a rate just 0.03% lower than the former.
Over 14% of housing units in Highlands County experience housing problems, overcrowding, poor plumbing, or kitchen-related issues. In 1 out of 4 homes, residents spend more than 50% of their income on housing.
Housing Insurance Analysis
Nearly 57 thousand housing units in Highlands 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.
Renters insurance Sebring: With over 14,000 housing units in Highlands 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.
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 Highlands County may require Renters insurance as a condition of the lease.
For consultation and advice about Homeowners, Renters, Condo, Flood, and other types of insurance in Highlands 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,
researches the locally available plans that fit your needs,
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,
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)
Highlands County Health Statistics and Analysis
In Highlands County, over 23% of adult residents lack proper health insurance coverage, which is higher than Florida’s average (≈19%), but not the highest among its surrounding counties. Looking at its neighbors, DeSoto County and Glades County (nearly 30%) have the highest uninsured adult rate while Charlotte County and Osceola County (18%) have the lowest uninsured adult rate.
In 2021, the average adult uninsured rate in Florida was around 19.2%. The highest uninsured adult rate in the state is in Hendry County, with 35% of residents uninsured, while the lowest rate is observed in St. Johns County at under 13% of the adult residents.
More than 1 in 5 adults (or nearly 25,000 residents) in Highlands County report problems with health.
Over 34% of the Highlands County population do not participate in physical exercise activities.
Around 30% of the Highlands County residents are considered obese (with a BMI of 30 or more), which is higher than the Florida average of over 27%. The neighboring counties’ obesity rates are all above the state-average: Hardee County reports the highest at nearly 40% of the adult residents, while Charlotte County has the lowest rate of almost 28% of adults who may be considered obese.
As of 2022, there were 14 health insurers in Highlands County, offering affordable and frequently subsidized ACA health insurance on the Florida health marketplace.
Health Insurance Analysis
Health insurance is the most important insurance coverage. However, over 16 thousand residents of Highlands County lack this necessity.
Florida is among the states that allow the sale of multiple types of health insurance and supplemental products. This makes it easier for Floridians to obtain coverage that fits their specific needs (both medically and financially): Marketplace ACA health insurance, Various types of Short Term health insurance (up to 3 years in coverage), Hospital Indemnity, Accident & Health, etc.
To be able to secure health insurance coverage, low income residents are generally advised to apply for government subsidies, which can substantially lower the cost of insurance.
If you do not have pre-existing conditions, short-term 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 options available to Highlands County residents.
A Florida 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, and explains how the differences between the options affect you once you start using each insurance product. The agent assists you with the application process, and at any time you need to make a change to the policy, or shop for replacement coverage.
Highlands County End of Life Statistics and Analysis
Average life expectancy for the residents of Highlands County is between 78 and 79 years old, which is lower than the state average in Florida (80). Among the neighboring counties, Glades County shows longer life spans at 84, adding 5 more years on top of Highlands County and 4 more years than the state average. On the other hand, Okeechobee County is observed as having the lowest average life expectancy at 76.
In the state of Florida, Collier County has the highest average life expectancy at over 86 years old, while Union County reports the lowest life span at under 69 years old.
In 2022, there were nearly 39,000 seniors (65 and older) residing in Highlands County.
Life Insurance Facts
In 2022, 47% of Americans do not own any type of active life insurance policy.
Life insurance premiums factor in the age of the insured when the policy begins, among other things. The younger you get life insurance, the more you save in premiums over the course of the policy.
More than 22% of the adults in Highlands County smoke, and this habit will definitely increase the life insurance premiums of nearly 20,000 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.
Permanent Life Insurance also has a cash value component, which can be used as a Living Benefit, while the insured is still alive: to borrow against, for emergency expenses, or as a tax-free retirement income.
Highlands County Final Expenses Statistics and Analysis
The average price of a funeral in Highlands County is around $5,400, which is lower than the Florida state average of $5,900. This cost usually includes basic service fees, casket, embalming, transportation, viewing, and burial. Among its neighbors, Osceola County has the highest average funeral cost of around $7,300, while DeSoto County’s basic burial services cost the lowest at $4,600.
DeSoto County is tied with Putnam County for having the lowest funeral cost average in Florida, while Collier County has the most expensive average at $9,600.
Life Insurance Analysis
- With 46% of Americans dying with savings of less than $10,000, close to 18 thousand Highlands County senior residents could be placing the unnecessary and frequently unbearable financial burden on family and friends. While trying to grieve their loss, the family must plan the funeral and find a way to pay.
Note: If using life insurance as payment for the funeral services, most funeral homes require the policy to be “assignable”.
Apart from the burial costs, the family has to pay for taxes and other debts incurred by the deceased.
Term Life Insurance and Final Expense Insurance are the most frequently used life policies to cover “final expenses” up to $50,000.
The usual life insurance policies to leave money to the family are 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 in Highlands County, speak with a knowledgeable state-licensed and experienced life insurance professional who has access to multiple insurers and plan types for comparison.
Highlands County - Business
Commercial insurance needs vary among each of the over 2,400 business establishments in Highlands County. The three largest job-creating sectors, accounting for over 59% of all employment in the county in 2020 were:
Professional and Business Services (22.9%)
Manufacturing (20.4%)
Government (15.7%)
Commercial Insurance Analysis
An estimated 400 professional services and consulting businesses in the county can benefit from the 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.
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 Highlands County, speak with a knowledgeable Florida-licensed commercial insurance agent with access to multiple insurers and premium financing options.
