St. Lucie County
Driving in St. Lucie County
St. Lucie County’s roads are home to an estimated 288,119 private and commercial vehicles, and this figure accounts for 1.59% of all the registered vehicles in Florida.
Approximately 4 out of 5 adult drivers in St. Lucie County commute to and from their places of work alone, and 41% of these drivers are behind the wheel for more than 30 minutes for each trip.
About 1 in 5 Florida-based drivers do not have auto insurance coverage, and this implies that around 63,000 vehicles in St. Lucie County could possibly be uninsured or underinsured. On top of this, around every 4th traffic accident in St. Lucie County is a hit and run.
Motor Vehicle Crashes in St. Lucie County
Deaths caused by vehicular collisions in St. Lucie County statistically occur at a rate of 14.12 per 100,000 vehicles on the road: approximately 40 fatal crashes per year.
In 2021, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) reported 5,549 crashes in St. Lucie County: 43 fatal crashes that caused 50 deaths (including 7 motorcyclists). Studies have shown that in 26% of traffic-related fatalities, alcohol was a significant factor.
Auto Insurance Analysis
Roughly 288 thousand vehicles registered in St. Lucie County are required to have at least the mandatory coverages. 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. Aside from the mandatory minimum, the vehicle type and its use may prompt vehicle owners to purchase additional coverage such as: Comprehensive, Collision, Non-owners car insurance, Gap, Ride-sharing, Commercial Transportation, and so on.
About 154 thousand individuals operating a separate vehicle in one area increases insurance premium rates. Given the fact that thousands of cars are sharing the roads of St. Lucie County at the same time, the chances of a vehicular collision taking place are more likely.
Roughly 79 thousand St. Lucie County residents are on the road for extended periods, which increases their auto insurance premiums. The more time a driver spends on the road, the higher the possibility of getting involved in a traffic accident.
With every 4th crash as a hit-and-run and with 20% of drivers uninsured, Uninsured Driver Coverage remains essential for St. Lucie County residents.
To discuss your auto insurance needs in St. Lucie County, contact a knowledgeable Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance agent licensed in the state of Florida.
St. Lucie County Housing
In Florida, 65% of the housing properties are inhabited by their owners, and this is also true for St. Lucie County's estimated 155,346 homes. Roughly 73% of the residential properties here are owner-occupied. St. Lucie County’s neighboring counties are also above the Florida average, in terms of their owner-occupied rates. From highest to lowest: Indian River County (79%), Martin County (78%), and Okeechobee County (72%). In this group of counties, around 2-3 homes in every 10 are rentals.
About 19% of the homes in St. Lucie County encounter housing problems, overcrowding, substandard plumbing, or kitchen problems. In 1 out of 4 homes, residents dedicate more than 50% of their income to housing expenses.
Housing Insurance Analysis
Around 155 thousand residential units in St. Lucie County need insurance coverage. At a minimum, all owners of these properties ought to have Homeowners, Condo insurance, and/or Business property insurance (for apartment complexes) to protect the underlying financial investment from possible loss or damage.
With approximately 42 thousand homes in St. Lucie County as rentals, landlords take out Landlord Insurance, which covers the property itself and the possible liability claims arising from the tenants and their guests.
Renters insurance Lucie: Tenants buy Renters Insurance coverage to protect their belongings from possible damage or loss. Typically, renters’ insurance is affordable and usually covers the tenant's property from theft and damages caused by fire, smoke, water, and vandalism. Some landlords in St. Lucie County may require Renters Insurance before putting pen to paper on a lease.
St. Lucie County is located on the coast, not far from one of the main hurricane formation areas in the Atlantic Ocean. Hurricanes bring in primarily wind and flood damage. The highest probability of a hurricane occurrence in St. Lucie County is between early June and the end of November. Every Florida resident should be aware of the procedures and safeguards set in place by the local County and State agencies. All homeowners, landlords, and renters in St. Lucie County need to maintain appropriate insurance coverage to protect their property against possible loss and damage from wind and water damage.
For consultation and advice about Homeowners, Renters, Condo, Flood, and other types of property insurance in St. Lucie 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,
checks for available savings and bundling discounts,
researches the locally available plans that fit your needs,
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)
St. Lucie County Health
Close to 21% of St. Lucie County’s adult residents do not have proper health insurance coverage, which is the highest rate in its area, tied with Indian River County. Within the group, Okeechobee County has the highest uninsured adult rate at 27%, while Martin County’s 18% is the only percentage below the Florida average of 19%.
Across Florida, Hendry County has the highest figure at 35%, while St. Johns County has the lowest rate at 13%.
Approximately 1 out of 5 (≈74,000) St. Lucie County residents experience health issues. This is partially due to the fact that among the adult population, 20% smoke, 19% drink too much alcohol, and around 29% of the residents do not exercise regularly, even though 78% of the population have access to places where physical exercise can be done.
Lack of regular exercise will naturally contribute to the fact that 31% of St. Lucie County adults are obese (BMI of 30 or more) — this rate is higher than the Florida average of 27%. Looking at the neighbors, Okeechobee County has the highest obesity rate at 34%, and Martin County has the lowest at 20%.
In 2022, there were 14 health insurers in St. Lucie County offering affordable and frequently subsidized ACA health insurance on the Florida health marketplace.
Health Insurance Analysis
Health insurance is the most important type of insurance coverage as its function is to pay for expenses that keep you alive and healthy. But despite this fact, over 58 thousand residents (below 65 years old) of St. Lucie County do not have proper health insurance coverage.
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 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.
Due to financial constraints, low-income St. Lucie County residents may opt to forego securing health insurance coverage. These individuals are generally advised to apply for government subsidies to bring down the total out-of-pocket cost of health 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 St. Lucie County residents. Offerings of health insurance may differ between zip codes.
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.
St. Lucie County Mortality and the End of Life Statistics
The average life expectancy in Florida is 80.1 years old, which is comparable to St. Lucie County’s average of 80.4 years. Martin County has the longest life span among the group, with an average of 82.2 years old, while Okeechobee County has the shortest at 76.3 years.
In Florida, Collier County has the longest life expectancy average at 86 years old, and Union County has the shortest at 69 years.
In 2022 there were approximately 85,000 seniors (65 and older) residing in St. Lucie County.
Life Insurance Facts
In 2022, 47% of Americans did not have an active life insurance policy of any type.
The age of the life insurance applicant greatly affects the premiums. The older the applicant is, the more expensive their expected premiums are. But securing a policy as early as possible is a way to save a significant sum over the course of the policy.
Over 21% of the adults in St. Lucie County smoke, and this habit will likely negatively affect the life insurance premiums of over 55,000 adults by up to 4 times compared to non-smokers. A smoker is considered more susceptible to developing fatal diseases that make them a higher risk to life insurance carriers.
Permanent Life Insurance also has a cash value component, which can be used while the insured is still alive. The Living Benefits allow you to borrow against the policy for emergency expenses, to draw on as a tax-free retirement income, or to pay for insurance premiums.
St. Lucie County - Funeral Expenses Statistics and Analysis
A traditional funeral in St. Lucie County can cost around $5,800 — the second-highest when compared to its neighboring counties. Among the peer counties, Indian River County residents could possibly spend around $4,800 for a funeral, while Martin County families are expected to pay around $5,900, more or less. This funeral cost average is at par with the Florida average (≈$5,900).
Across Florida, Collier County has the most expensive funeral cost average at $9,600, while Putnam County and DeSoto County have the lowest, both at $4,600.
Life Insurance Analysis
With 46% of Americans dying with savings of less than $10,000, the family and friends of approximately 39 thousand St. Lucie County senior residents may have to put their grief on hold to make sure that the funeral expenses will be settled. (Note: If using life insurance as payment for the funeral services, most funeral homes require the policy to be “assignable”)
Aside from the funeral cost, the departed often leave outstanding loans and taxes for the family to deal with, which adds more to the family’s financial worries.
In most cases, Term Life Insurance and Final Expense Insurance can help cover “final expenses” with a death benefit of up to $50,000.
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, Index Universal Life (IUL) insurance, and Final Expense (FE).
To get advice regarding life insurance in St. Lucie County and help lighten the load for your family after your passing - reach out to a Florida-licensed, knowledgeable life insurance professional who has access to multiple insurers and plan types for comparison on a case-by-case basis.
St. Lucie County - Business
Commercial insurance needs vary between each of the over 7 thousand business establishments in St. Lucie County. The three largest job-creating sectors, accounting for approximately 55% of all employment in 2020 were:
Manufacturing (21.8%)
Professional and Business Services (16.5%)
Government (16.3%)
Commercial Insurance Analysis
Manufacturing businesses usually require insurance coverage for:
Employees’ health and welfare
Production facilities, tools, supplies, and other property
Product liability coverage to protect the company itself if their product hurts the consumer, etc.
More than 1 thousand professional services and consulting businesses in St. Lucie County can benefit from professional liability insurance, also known as Errors and Omissions insurance (E&O insurance). E&O insurance protects their clients in case the professional advice they give causes damages or losses.
To assess your business insurance needs in St. Lucie County, speak with a knowledgeable Florida-licensed commercial insurance agent with access to multiple insurers and premium financing options.
