Seneca County

Seneca County - Driving Statistics and Analysis

An estimated 20,554 private and commercial automobiles are registered in Seneca County. This number accounts for approximately 0.18% of all vehicles listed in the entire state of New York.

Over 80% of adult drivers in Seneca County commute to work by themselves, and more than a quarter of those commutes last for over 30 minutes.

Motor Vehicle Crashes in Seneca County

Motor vehicle fatalities in Seneca County statistically occur at a rate of 9.89 per 100,000 vehicles on the road: approximately 2 fatal crashes yearly.

Between 2018 and 2022, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV-NY) and the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research (ITSMR), reported over 4,518 crashes in Seneca County: with 17 of them fatal.

Auto Insurance Analysis

1. Over 20 thousand automobiles registered in Seneca 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: Private Auto, Commercial Auto, Comprehensive Coverage, Non-owners car insurance, Commercial or Farm Transportation, Inland Marine, Gap, 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 - 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.

3. The amount of vehicles on the roads of Seneca 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 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.

4. As a mostly rural area, Seneca County experiences multiple animal crossings along its roadways. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYS-DOT) reported that despite their best efforts to warn drivers, there are 65,000 deer-vehicle collisions each year, and most of them occur from October to December, a couple of hours before sunrise, and after sunset. Comprehensive auto insurance covers the damages to your vehicle, caused by hitting a deer, moose, or other animals.

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

Seneca County - Housing Statistics and Analysis

Unlike the majority of New York state, where the residential marketplace is split almost evenly between homeowners and renters (54% to 46%), roughly 26% of Seneca County’s estimated 16,527 dwellings in 2022 were rentals. Compared with its neighbors, Yates County has the most homeowners, while Tompkins County has the least (around 55%).

Statewide, Hamilton County has the highest homeownership rate, with just 13% of its homes being rentals, while The Bronx is the state leader with the highest percentage of its real estate for rent (≈80%).

Over 11% of housing units in Seneca County experience housing problems, overcrowding, poor plumbing, or issues with the kitchen. In 1 out of 9 homes, residents spend more than 50% of their income on housing.

Housing Insurance Analysis

1. Nearly 17 thousand housing units in Seneca 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 4,000 housing units in Seneca 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 Seneca Falls: Tenants buy Renters Insurance coverage to protect their belongings from possible damage or loss while residing in a rented space. Average renters’ insurance is inexpensive and usually covers the tenant's property from theft and damages caused by fire, smoke, water, and vandalism. Most landlords in Seneca County will require Renters insurance as a condition of the lease.

For consultation and to get a quote on Homeowners, Renters, Condo, Flood, and other types of insurance in Seneca 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.

Seneca County - Health Statistics and Analysis

In Seneca County, around 6% of adult residents under the age of 65 lack proper health insurance coverage, which is lower than the state average (≈8%), but not the lowest among the neighboring counties. The lowest uninsured rates among the neighbors are found in Tompkins County and Ontario County, while the highest is in Yates County.

The highest uninsured adult rate in the state of New York is in Queens County, around 12%, while the lowest rate is observed in Saratoga County, at under 5% of the adult residents.

Around 19% of adults in Seneca County report problems with health. 30% of the Seneca County population do not participate in physical exercise activities. Over 38% of the Seneca County adult residents are considered obese (with a BMI of 30 or more), which is higher than the New York state average of over 26%. Among the neighboring counties, only Tompkins county is below the state average, where 23% of adults may be considered obese, while all the other neighbors have higher averages than the state of New York.

In 2022, 7,937 Seneca County residents were enrolled in Medicare, with the following utilization:

In 2022, there were 12 health insurers in Seneca 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 over 1 thousand adult Seneca 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, Seneca 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 the residents of Seneca County, 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: If health insurance is not being acquired due to unaffordability, low-income residents of Seneca 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 Seneca 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.

Seneca County - End of Life Statistics and Analysis

Average life expectancy for the residents of Seneca County is nearly 78 years old, which is lower than the state average in New York (81.4). Among the neighboring counties, Tompkins County shows longer life spans, nearly as long as the state average, while Yates County’s average is the lowest of the group.

While New York County (85.2) has the highest average life expectancy, the lowest expected life span in New York state is seen in Chemung County, at under 77 years old.

In 2022 there were an estimated 6,652 seniors (65 and older) residing in Seneca 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. The younger you are when you get it, the more you save in premiums over the course of the policy.

3. Nearly 24% of the adults in Seneca County smoke, and this habit will likely affect the life insurance costs of more than 6,000 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 people who do not smoke.

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, or even used as a source of tax-free retirement income.

Seneca County - Funeral Expenses Statistics and Analysis

Funeral expenses in and around Seneca County are similar. The average price of a funeral in Seneca County is around $5,700, which is lower than the New York state average (of $6,500). Among the neighboring counties, Cayuga County has the highest average cost at nearly $5,800. Suffolk County tends to have the most expensive funerals in New York, (≈ $10,500), while Erie County is the least expensive (under $5,000).

Life Insurance Analysis

1. With 46% of Americans dying with savings of less than $10,000, some Seneca County senior residents 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 frequently 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”)

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 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.

To find out more about life insurance options and to get life insurance quotes in Seneca County, speak with a knowledgeable state-licensed and experienced life insurance professional who has access to multiple insurers and plan types for comparison.

Seneca County - Business

Commercial insurance needs vary between each of the approximately 700 business establishments in Seneca County. The largest job-creating sectors are:

• Health Care & Social Assistance

• Manufacturing

• Retail Trade.

Commercial Insurance Analysis

1. Every business in Seneca County needs some type of insurance, based on what it does and the amount of employees it has. The coverage usually falls into: Commercial Property, Business Liability, and Employee Protection and Benefits, such as:

   • 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.

3. Manufacturing businesses need insurance to protect the production facilities and the workers, as well as get product liability coverage to protect the company itself if their product hurts someone or something and this results in a claim or a lawsuit.

To assess your business insurance needs in Seneca County and to get a commercial insurance quote, speak with a knowledgeable New York-licensed commercial insurance agent with access to multiple insurers and premium financing options. Always try to compare at least 2 or 3 options before deciding on the coverage.