Okeechobee County

Okeechobee County Driving Statistics and Analysis

Around 34,963 personal and commercial vehicles registered in Okeechobee County consider its highways their home. This figure constitutes approximately 0.19% of all vehicles registered in the entire state of Florida.

Over 81% of adult drivers in Okeechobee County travel to their place of employment unaccompanied and over a quarter of those commutes last for over 30 minutes.

With an estimated 20% of Florida drivers uninsured, over 7,000 vehicles in Okeechobee County alone could be uninsured or underinsured.

Roughly every fifth crash in Okeechobee County is a hit-and-run.

Motor Vehicle Crashes in Okeechobee County

In Okeechobee County, automobile fatalities statistically happen at a rate of 28.92 per 100,000 vehicles on the road: roughly 10 fatal crashes each year.

In 2021, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) reported over 741 crashes in Okeechobee County: 17 fatal crashes, with a resultant 19 deaths (including 2 motorcyclists). Alcohol is determined as the main factor for the fatal crashes in Okeechobee County in an estimated 29% of all driving fatalities.

Auto Insurance Analysis

1. Over 30 thousand vehicles registered in Okeechobee 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, Temporary car insurance, and so on.
2. The amount of vehicles on the roads keeps going up every year, and with nearly every fifth crash as a hit-and-run and with 1 out of 5 drivers uninsured, Uninsured Driver Coverage remains important for Okeechobee County residents.

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

Okeechobee County Housing Statistics and Analysis

The majority of Okeechobee County's 18,979 homes are owner-inhabited (72%), while 28% are occupied by renters. Looking at its immediate neighbors, Glades County is observed to have the highest owner-occupied rate in the region, with 80%, while Osceola County, on the other hand, posts the highest percentage of rentals, at 38% — closer to the Florida State average of 35%.
Across Florida, Sumter County has the most homes occupied by owners (nearly 90%) while Miami-Dade County offers the highest percentage of its real estate as rentals (49%).
Problems with plumbing, overcrowding, and kitchen issues affect approximately 14% of the residences in Okeechobee County. In around 1 in 4 homes, residents spend more than half of their income on housing.

Housing Insurance Analysis

1. Nearly 19 thousand housing units in Okeechobee 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 over 5,000 housing units in Okeechobee 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.
3. Renters insurance Okeechobee: Tenants buy Renters Insurance coverage to protect their belongings from possible damage or loss. Average renters’ insurance is inexpensive and usually covers the tenant's property from theft and damages caused by fire, smoke, water, and vandalism. Some landlords in Okeechobee 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 Okeechobee 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 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)

Okeechobee County Health Statistics and Analysis

In Okeechobee County, about 27% of adult residents lack proper health insurance coverage, which is significantly higher than the Florida average (≈19%). Other neighboring counties' uninsured rate from lowest to highest: Osceola County is tied with Martin County (over 18%), Polk County (over 19%), Indian River County is tied with St. Lucie County (over 21%), and Glades County (over 30%). The highest uninsured adult rate in the state of Florida 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 4 adults (or about 12,000 residents) in Okeechobee County report problems with health.
Nearly 37% of the Okeechobee County population do not participate in physical exercise activities.
Due to the lack of physical exercise, approximately 34% of the Okeechobee County residents are considered obese (with a BMI of 30 or more), which is higher than the Florida average of over 27%. Among the neighboring counties, Martin County reports the lowest – at over 20% of the residents, while the highest adult obesity rate is from Glades County at 39%.
As of 2022, there were 14 health insurers in Okeechobee 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, and over 9 thousand residents of Okeechobee County lack this necessity.
2. Florida is among the states that allow the sale of multiple types of health insurance and supplemental products. This makes it easier for Okeechobee County residents to obtain coverage that fits their specific needs (both medically and financially): Marketplace ACA health insurance, Various types of Short-term insurance (up to 3 years in coverage), Hospital Indemnity, Accident & Health, etc.
3. Low-income health insurance: If health insurance is not being purchased due to unaffordability, low-income consumers 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 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 Okeechobee 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 assists you with the application process, and at any time you need to make a change to the policy, or shop for replacement coverage.

Okeechobee County End of Life Statistics and Analysis

Okeechobee County has the shortest life expectancy in the region, with an average age of 76.4 years. This is considerably shorter than the state average of 80 years. Among the neighboring counties, Glades County posts the longest life spans at over 84.1 years old, followed by Martin County, with 82.3 years.
The lowest life span in Florida is seen in Union County, at under 69 years old, while the highest is in Collier County at 86 years.
In 2022 there were approximately 8,580 seniors (65 and older) residing in Okeechobee County.

Life Insurance Facts

1. In 2022, 47% of Americans did not have an active life insurance policy of any type.
2. Life insurance premiums are based on the age of the insured when the policy begins, among other factors. That is why young adults are generally advised to take out a policy while they are still young and healthy, to save money on premiums over the course of the policy.
3. Nearly 26% of the adults in Okeechobee County smoke, and this habit will likely affect the life insurance costs of about 8,700 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 people who do not smoke.
4. Permanent Life Insurance also has a cash value component, which can be used while the insured is still alive: to borrow against, for emergency expenses, or as a tax-free retirement income.

Okeechobee County Final Expenses Statistics and Analysis

A traditional funeral in Florida can cost between $5,000 and $11,000, while the average across the state is around $5,900. This cost usually includes basic service fees, casket, embalming, transportation, viewing, and burial. Among the neighbors of Okeechobee County, Indian River County has the lowest average funeral cost of almost $4,800, while Osceola County posts the most expensive funeral average in the region, at $7,300.

Life Insurance Analysis

1. With 46% of Americans dying with savings of less than $10,000. The families and friends of a deceased Okeechobee County resident may need to shoulder the funeral expenses. Instead of grieving their loss, the family must concentrate on finding a way to pay. (Note: If using senior life insurance as payment for the funeral services, most funeral homes require the policy to be “assignable”)
2. Besides the burial costs, the deceased frequently leave taxes and other debt behind for the family to take care of. Discuss your senior life insurance options with licensed Florida professionals.
3. The most frequently used life insurance policies to cover “final expenses” up to $50,000 are: Term Life Insurance and Final Expense Insurance.
4. 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 Okeechobee County, speak with a knowledgeable state-licensed and experienced life insurance professional who has access to multiple insurers and plan types for comparison.

Okeechobee County - Business

Commercial insurance needs vary between each of the nearly 1,065 business establishments in Okeechobee County. The three largest job-creating sectors, accounting for nearly 54% of all employment in the county in 2021 were:

• Trade, Transportation and Utilities (21.5%)
• Government (17.5%)
• Education and Health Services (14.6%)

Commercial Insurance Analysis

1. Retail businesses typically insure all business-owned or leased property and the employees. Besides that, every customer-facing operation typically requires liability insurance, in case the visitor gets hurt on the premises or by using the product. If the business stores and transports goods, it needs inventory insurance and inland marine coverage.
2. Health care professionals can benefit from Medical malpractice coverage, which protects both the patients and the insured medical professionals.
   To assess your business insurance needs in Okeechobee 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. Always try to compare at least 2 or 3 options before deciding on the coverage.