Erie County
Erie County - Driving Statistics and Analysis
There are around 555,851 private and commercial automobiles registered in Erie County. This number represents roughly 5% of all registered vehicles in New York state.
Around 8 out of 10 adults driving in Erie County travel to and from work alone, and almost a quarter of those daily trips last more than half an hour.
Motor Vehicle Crashes in Erie County
According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV-NY) and the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research (ITSMR), this number recently grew. Between 2018 and 2021 there were 82,619 crashes in Erie County: with 181 of them being deadly. Property damage occured in 69.83% of those crashes, while personal injury was sustained in 29.94% cases.
Motorcycles in Erie County accounted for an average of 233 crashes annually: with personal injury as a result in 80.80% of cases and property damage in 15.93%.
Auto Insurance Analysis
Over half a million automobiles registered in Erie County need insurance coverage: No-Fault Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage, and Property Damage and Bodily Injury Liability are required for all motor vehicles on the road. Depending on the type of vehicle and its use (commercial or private), the additional required insurance may be: Private Auto, Comprehensive Auto, Collision Coverage, Non-owners car insurance, Commercial Transportation, Inland Marine, Gap, Ride-sharing, Short-term car insurance, and so on.
Since New York is a no-fault state, the bodily injuries you sustain in an accident are covered by your own insurance - regardless of fault. If the bills for the treatment exceed your coverage limits, you can get the overage from the guilty party. Meanwhile, property damage is paid by the at-fault party.
The number of automobiles on the roads of Erie County keeps going up year after year, and even though the uninsured rate of drivers across the state of New York remains at under 5 percent, the fact that there is a high volume of motor vehicles on the road raises the need for Uninsured Motorist coverage. You simply never know how much coverage the car next to you will have.
To know more about your auto insurance needs and to find affordable car insurance in Erie County, contact a knowledgeable Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance agent licensed in the state of New York.
Erie County - Housing Statistics and Analysis
| NEIGHBORING COUNTIES | Homeowners | Renters |
| Erie County | 65% | 35% |
| Niagara County | 71% | 29% |
| Genesee County | 72% | 28% |
| Wyoming County | 77% | 23% |
| Cattaraugus County | 72% | 28% |
| Chautauqua County | 69% | 31% |
While most of the New York state’s residences are almost equally divided between homeowners and renters, the majority of the estimated 434,374 homes in Erie County are owner-occupied. In the area, Wyoming County has the most owner-occupied homes, followed by Genesee County and Cattaraugus County.
Across the state of New York, the highest proportion of owner-occupied homes is found in Hamilton County, around 87%, while Bronx County has the highest proportion of residences for rent (80%).
In Erie County, there are approximately 15 percent of homes that encounter housing problems, poor plumbing, overcrowding, or issues with the kitchen. In nearly 1 out of 7 dwellings, residents spend over half of their earnings just on housing.
Housing Insurance Analysis
Over 430 thousand residences in Erie 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.
With over 150 thousand housing units in Erie County for rent, landlords obtain Landlord Insurance, which covers the property itself and from the possible liability claims arising from the tenants and their guests.
Renters insurance Buffalo: Tenants buy Renters Insurance coverage to protect their belongings from possible damage or loss while living in a rented space. Average renters’ insurance is affordable and usually covers the tenant's property from theft and damages caused by fire, smoke, water, and vandalism. Most landlords in Erie County will require Renters insurance as a condition of the lease.
For discussion and advice about Homeowners, Renters, Condo, Flood, and other types of insurance in Erie County, contact a Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance agent licensed by the state of New York.
A New York 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.
Erie County - Health Statistics and Analysis
| NEIGHBORING COUNTIES | Uninsured Adults |
| Erie County | 5% |
| Niagara County | 5% |
| Genesee County | 5% |
| Wyoming County | 6% |
| Cattaraugus County | 8% |
| Chautauqua County | 6% |
About 5 percent of adults living in Erie County under the age of 65 do not have proper health insurance. This is below the New York state average of 8 percent, and is also one of the lowest among its neighbors. In the region, Niagara County and Genesee County have the same figure as Erie County, while the highest uninsured rate in the area is in Cattaraugus County.
Queens County has the highest uninsured adult rate in the entire New York state, while the lowest, at under 5%, is in Saratoga County.
17 percent of adults in Erie County report health problems. Around 24 percent of the Erie County population do not exercise regularly. Roughly 30 percent of adults living in Erie County are obese (with a BMI of 30 or more), which is higher than the state average of 26 percent. Among the neighboring counties, all of them are also above the state average. Cattaraugus County has the highest average in the area, where almost 39 percent of adults may be considered obese, followed by Wyoming County at 38 percent.
In 2022, 203,526 Erie County residents were registered in Medicare, with the following utilization:
| Erie COUNTY - MEDICARE | Usage |
| Original Medicare | 33% |
| Medicare Advantage | 67% |
| Original Medicare Part A and Part B | 24% |
| Medicare Advantage and Other Health Plan Part A and Part B Beneficiaries | 66% |
| Medicare Part D | 25% |
| Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan | 59% |
In 2022, there were 12 health insurers in Erie County, offering inexpensive and frequently subsidized ACA health insurance on the New York State of Health marketplace.
Health Insurance Analysis
Health insurance is the most essential insurance coverage, and over 28,000 adults living in Erie County lack this necessity.
Even though New York is among the states that do not allow the selling of multiple types of alternative health insurance options, Erie County residents can shop for the choice of their plans on a state-run health care exchange. While Group or Individual Marketplace ACA health insurance are the staples of coverage for Buffalo residents, supplementary options can also be purchased. For example, Hospital Indemnity insurance and Accident & Health insurance can help cover the out-of-pocket expenses such as deductibles, copay, and coinsurance, in case of emergency.
Low-income health insurance: If health insurance is not being purchased due to unaffordability, low-income residents of Erie County are generally advised to apply for government health insurance subsidies, which can substantially lower the health insurance cost.
Discuss your health insurance needs with a knowledgeable state-licensed New York health insurance professional with access to a variety of health insurance plans available to Erie County residents. Offerings of health insurance coverage and its pricing may vary between zip codes.
A New York 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.
Erie County - End of Life Statistics and Analysis
| NEIGHBORING COUNTIES | Average Life Expectancy |
| Erie County | 78.6 |
| Niagara County | 78.0 |
| Genesee County | 78.1 |
| Wyoming County | 79.1 |
| Cattaraugus County | 77.5 |
| Chautauqua County | 78.0 |
The residents of Erie County have an average life expectancy of about 79 years old, which is below the New York state average (81.4). In the area, Wyoming County has the highest average life expectancy, while Cattaraugus County is seen to have the lowest in the group.
The lowest average life expectancy in the state of New York is found in Chemung County, at under 77 years, while the longest life span is in New York County (85.2).
In 2022 there were approximately 168,534 seniors (65 and older) living in Erie County.
Life Insurance Facts
In 2022, 47% of Americans did not have an active life insurance policy of any type.
Life insurance premiums are based on the age of the insured when the policy begins, among other factors. The younger you are when you get it, the more you save in premiums over the span of the policy.
Nearly 19% of the adults in Erie County smoke, and this habit will likely affect the life insurance prices of close to 140,000 adults by up to 4 times compared to non-smokers. A smoker’s life expectancy is considered shorter, making them more of a risk than people who do not smoke.
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 even used as a source of tax-free retirement income.
Erie County - Funeral Expenses Statistics and Analysis
The average price of a funeral in Erie County is around $4,900, which is significantly lower than the New York state average (of $6,500) and also the lowest among all its neighboring counties. The highest average cost for a burial in the area is in Wyoming County, closer to $6,800, followed by Genesee County at $6,200. Suffolk County tends to have the most expensive funerals in the state of New York, (≈ $10,500), while Erie County is the least expensive.
Life Insurance Analysis
- With 46% of Americans dying with savings of less than $10,000, roughly 78,000 seniors living in Erie County 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 often 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”)
Besides the burial costs, the deceased frequently leave taxes and other liabilities behind for the family to take care of. Discuss your senior life insurance options with a licensed New York life insurance professional.
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).
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, Final Expense (FE), and multiple Universal Life insurance policies.
The most commonly used life insurance for tax-free retirement funding is Indexed Universal Life (IUL) insurance.
To find out more about life insurance options and to get life insurance quotes in Erie County, speak with a knowledgeable state-licensed and experienced life insurance professional who has access to various insurers and plan types for comparison.
Erie County - Business
Commercial insurance needs differ between each of the nearly 22,000 business establishments in Erie County. The largest job-creating sectors are:
Health Care & Social Assistance
Educational services
Retail Trade.
Commercial Insurance Analysis
Every business in Erie County needs some type of insurance, based on what it does and the amount of people it employs. The coverage mostly falls into: Commercial Property, Business Liability, and Employee Protection and Benefits:
Health insurance,
Life insurance,
Disability insurance,
Workers’ Compensation insurance, and
Unemployment insurance.
Health care professionals can benefit from Medical malpractice coverage, which protects both the patients and the insured medical professionals.
At a minimum, retail establishments typically get Property insurance, Business liability, Business income, and Workers’ compensation insurance.
To evaluate your business insurance needs in Erie County and to get a commercial insurance quote, speak with a knowledgeable New York-licensed commercial insurance agent with access to various insurers and premium financing options. Always try to compare at least 2 or 3 options before deciding on the coverage.
