Queens County

Queens County - Driving Statistics and Analysis

Queens County (Queens Borough) residents registered a total of approximately 1,336,031 private and commercial vehicles, which constitutes 11.44% of all registered vehicles in the state of New York.

Although it is true that the majority of Queens residents prefer commuting via public transportation to and from their workplace, about 32% of adult drivers in Queens County opt to drive by themselves. Because of traffic congestion, more than half of those drivers are on the road for 30 minutes - a statistic closely mirrored by all neighboring NYC boroughs.

Motor Vehicle Crashes in Queens County

According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV-NY) and Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research (ITSMR), between 2018 and 2021 there were 145,568 crashes in Queens County: with 269 of them fatal. Property damage occured in 59.87% of those crashes, while personal injury was sustained in 39.93% cases.

Motorcycles in Queens County accounted for an average of 607 crashes annually: with personal injury as a result in 77.19% of cases and property damage in 19.66%.

Auto Insurance Analysis

1. More than 1.3 million vehicles registered in Queens County need insurance coverage: No-Fault Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage, and Property Damage and Bodily Injury Liability are required for all vehicles on the road. Depending on the type of vehicle and its use (commercial or private), the additional required insurance may be: Comprehensive Auto, Collision Coverage, Gap, Non-owners car insurance, Commercial Transportation, Inland Marine, Ride-sharing, Temporary car insurance, and so on.

2. Since New York is a no-fault state, the bodily injuries you sustain in an accident are paid by your own insurance carrier - regardless of who’s at fault for the traffic accident. 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.

3. The total number of vehicles in Queens County keeps going up annually, and even though the uninsured rate of drivers across the New York metropolitan area is below 5 percent, the mere fact that this amount of vehicles share heavily congested roads indicates the need for Uninsured Motorist coverage. You simply never know how much coverage the car next to you will have.

If you have questions about your auto insurance coverage in Queens County, speak with a knowledgeable Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance agent who is licensed in the state of New York.

Queens County - Housing Statistics and Analysis

The majority of New York state’s residential marketplace is split almost evenly between homeowners and renters (54% to 46%), and this is also true for Queens County. But in Queens County’s case, there are more rental units at 55%, while 45% of its estimated 886,170 housing units are inhabited by the owners themselves. Nassau County has the highest owner-occupied rate at 45%, while Bronx County has the lowest at 20%.

Statewide, Hamilton County has the highest homeownership rate, with just 13% of homes for rent, while The Bronx is the state leader with the highest percentage of its real estate for rent.

Around 32% of housing units in Queens County experience housing problems, overcrowding, substandard plumbing, or kitchen issues. In almost 1 out of 4 homes, residents spend more than 50% of their income on housing.

Housing Insurance Analysis

1. Nearly 900 thousand housing units in Queens 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 almost half a million housing units in Queens 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 Queens: Tenants take out Renters Insurance coverage to protect their possessions from possible damage or loss while residing in a rental unit. 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 Queens County will require Renters insurance as a condition of the lease.

4. Queens County is located on the coast, not far from one of the main hurricane formation areas in the Atlantic Ocean. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the recent increase in temperatures creates favorable conditions for the formation of strong storms. Up to 10 of the annually projected 20 storms in the Atlantic have a chance of turning into hurricanes, bringing in primarily wind and flood damage. The highest probability of a hurricane occurrence in Queens County is between early June and the end of November. Every New York area resident should be aware of the procedures and safeguards set in place by the local city, county and State agencies. All homeowners, landlords, and renters in Queens 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 insurance in Queens 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.

Queens County - Health Statistics and Analysis

Approximately 12% of the Queens County adult population do not have proper health insurance coverage and this figure is the highest in its region and the entire state of New York. Among its neighbors, Nassau County has the lowest percentage at 6%, followed by New York County - both are lower than the New York state average of around 8%.

While Queens County has the highest uninsured adult rate in the state of New York, the lowest rate is observed in Saratoga County, at under 5% of the adult residents.

About 19% (≈400,000) of Queens County residents experience health problems, and this is partially due to the fact that 14% of its adults smoke, 16% consume too much alcohol, 2 in 5 residents have insufficient sleep, and about 600,000 residents do not exercise regularly.

More than half a million residents being physically inactive contributes to the fact that 24% of the adult residents of Queens County are considered obese (with a BMI of 30 or more) - 2 percentage points lower than the New York state average of 26%. Bronx County has the highest obesity rate at 29%, while New York County has the lowest at 16%.

In 2022, 377,187 Queens County residents were enrolled in Medicare, with the following utilization:

In 2022, there were 12 health insurers in Queens County, offering affordable and frequently subsidized ACA health insurance on the New York State of Health marketplace.

Health Insurance Analysis

1. Health insurance is the most important insurance coverage, and nearly 170 thousand adult Queens County residents lack this necessity.

2. Even though New York is among the states that do not allow the sale of multiple types of alternative health insurance options, Queens 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 Queens 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.

3. Low-income health insurance: Some Queens County residents may not have the funds to purchase health insurance due to financial constraints. These low-income residents are usually advised to apply for government subsidies that could potentially lower or even almost eliminate the out-of-pocket costs of health insurance.

Discuss your health insurance needs with a knowledgeable state-licensed New York health insurance professional with access to a variety of health insurance options available to Queens County residents. Offerings of health insurance coverage and its pricing may differ 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.

Queens County - End of Life Statistics and Analysis

Queens County residents have an average life expectancy of 84.1 years old. This average is the second-highest in its immediate area, while New York County has the highest figure at 85.3 years. Bronx County, on the other hand, has the shortest life expectancy average of 80.9 - which is comparable to the New York state average (≈81.4).

While New York County has the highest average life expectancy, the lowest life span in New York state is seen in Chemung County, at under 77 years old.

There were around 360,009 seniors (65 and older) residing in Queens County in 2022.

Life Insurance Facts

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

2. Age weighs heavily on life insurance premium rates. The greater the age, the more expensive the policy will be. This is why young adults are generally advised to secure a life insurance policy while they are still young and healthy to save a significant sum in the long run.

3. Roughly 14% of the adults in Queens County smoke, and this habit will likely affect the life insurance costs of more than 247,000 adults by up to 4 times compared to non-smokers. A smoker is more susceptible to developing fatal diseases which increases the possibility of premature death.

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, to use as a source of tax-free retirement income, or to pay for insurance premiums.

Queens County - Funeral Expenses Statistics and Analysis

A traditional funeral in Queens County could cost around $7,700, which is more expensive than the New York state average of $6,500. Looking at the peer counties, Nassau County has the most expensive funeral cost average at $8,500, while Bronx County has the most affordable with an average of $6,400.

Statewide, Suffolk County’s $10,500 average is the most expensive in New York, while Erie County’s less than $5,000 funeral cost average is the most affordable.

Life Insurance Analysis

1. Since 46% of Americans pass away with savings of less than $10,000, over 166 thousand Queens County senior residents could be placing the unnecessary and frequently unbearable financial burden on family and friends. While mourning their loss, they have to make sure that the funeral is well-planned and paid for.

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

2. On top of the funeral expenses, the family usually inherits unsettled taxes and other debts. Discuss your senior life insurance options with a licensed New York life insurance professional.

3. 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).

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, Final Expense (FE) and multiple Universal Life insurance policies.

5. 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 in Queens County, speak with a knowledgeable state-licensed and experienced life insurance professional who has access to multiple insurers and plan types for comparison.

Queens County - Business

Commercial insurance needs vary between each of the nearly 50 thousand business establishments in Queens County. The largest job-creating sectors are:

• Health Care & Social Assistance

• Accommodation and Food Services

• Retail Trade.

Commercial Insurance Analysis

1. Every business in Queens 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, Business Interruption, and Employee Protection and Benefits:

   • Health insurance,

   • Life insurance,

   • Disability insurance,

   • Workers’ Compensation insurance, and

   • Unemployment insurance.

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 Queens County, speak with a knowledgeable New York-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.