Suffolk County
Suffolk County - Driving Statistics and Analysis
An estimated 892,166 private and commercial automobiles are registered in Suffolk County. This number accounts for approximately 8% of all vehicles listed in the entire state of New York.
Close to 80% of adult drivers in Suffolk County commute to work by themselves, and 2 out of 5 of those commutes last for over 30 minutes each way.
Motor Vehicle Crashes in Suffolk County
According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV-NY) and the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research (ITSMR), between 2018 and 2021 there were 149,708 crashes in Suffolk County: with 476 of them fatal. Property damage occured in 71.99% of those crashes, while personal injury was sustained in 27.69% cases.
Motorcycles in Suffolk County accounted for an average of 365 crashes annually: with personal injury as a result in 75.87% of cases and property damage in 19.82%.
Auto Insurance Analysis
Nearly 900 thousand vehicles registered in Suffolk 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, Short-term car insurance, and so on.
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.
The amount of vehicles on the roads of Suffolk 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 sheer volume of automobiles utilizing heavily congested roads increases the need for Uninsured Motorist coverage. You simply never know how much coverage the car next to you will have.
To discuss your auto insurance needs and to find affordable car insurance in Suffolk County, contact a knowledgeable Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance agent licensed in the state of New York.
Suffolk County - Housing Statistics and Analysis
| NEIGHBORING COUNTIES | Homeowners | Renters |
| Suffolk County | 81% | 19% |
| Nassau County | 81% | 19% |
Unlike the majority of New York state, where the residential marketplace is split almost evenly between homeowners and renters (54% to 46%), just 19% of Suffolk County’s estimated 579,399 dwellings in 2022 were rentals. The split is identical with Nassau County, to the West.
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 22% of housing units in Suffolk County experience housing problems, overcrowding, poor plumbing, or issues with the kitchen. In 1 out of 5 homes, residents spend more than 50% of their income on housing.
Housing Insurance Analysis
Nearly 580 thousand housing units in Suffolk 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 110,100 housing units in Suffolk 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.
Renters insurance Brookhaven: 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 Suffolk County will require Renters insurance as a condition of the lease.
Suffolk 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 Suffolk 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 Suffolk 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 Suffolk 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.
Suffolk County - Health Statistics and Analysis
| NEIGHBORING COUNTIES | Uninsured Adults |
| Suffolk County | 6% |
| Nassau County | 6% |
In Suffolk County, around 6% of adult residents under the age of 65 lack proper health insurance coverage, which is lower than the state average (≈8%).The situation is the same with its closest state neighbor, Nassau County.
The highest uninsured adult rate in the state of New York is in Queens County (12%), while the lowest rate is observed in Saratoga County, at under 5% of the adult residents.
Around 14% of adults in Suffolk County report problems with health. This is partially due to the fact that 22% of the Suffolk County population do not participate in physical exercise activities. About 26% of the Suffolk County adult residents are considered obese (with a BMI of 30 or more), which is at par with the New York state average of over 26%. The adjacent county which is Nassau County, has a lower average at 22%.
In 2022, 302,607 Suffolk County residents were enrolled in Medicare, with the following utilization:
| SUFFOLK COUNTY - MEDICARE | Usage |
| Original Medicare | 74% |
| Medicare Advantage | 26% |
| Original Medicare Part A and Part B | 64% |
| Medicare Advantage and Other Health Plan Part A and Part B Beneficiaries | 26% |
| Medicare Part D | 56% |
| Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan | 23% |
In 2022, there were 12 health insurers in Suffolk County, offering affordable and frequently subsidized ACA health insurance on the New York State of Health marketplace.
Health Insurance Analysis
Health insurance is the most important insurance coverage, and more than 54 thousand adult Suffolk County residents lack this necessity.
Even though New York is among the states that do not allow the sale of multiple types of alternative health insurance options, 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 Brookhaven 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 secured due to unaffordability, low-income residents of Suffolk 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 Suffolk 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.
Suffolk County - End of Life Statistics and Analysis
| NEIGHBORING COUNTIES | Average Life Expectancy |
| Suffolk County | 81.0 |
| Nassau County | 83.1 |
Average life expectancy for the residents of Suffolk County is 81 years old, which is at par with the state average in New York (81.4). Meanwhile, Nassau County has a longer average life expectancy.
While New York County (Manhattan) has the highest average life expectancy (85.2), the lowest life span in New York state is seen in Chemung County, at under 77 years old.
In 2022 there were approximately 254,980 seniors (65 and older) residing in Suffolk 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. That is why young adults are advised to acquire a life insurance policy while they are still young and healthy to save money in premiums over the course of the policy.
Nearly 15% of the adults in Suffolk County smoke, and this habit will likely affect the life insurance costs of more than 170,000 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.
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.
Suffolk County - Funeral Expenses Statistics and Analysis
Funeral expenses in Suffolk County differ substantially compared to its neighbor and the state as a whole. The average price of a funeral in Suffolk County is around $10,500, which is higher than the New York state average of $6,500. Suffolk County tends to be the most expensive statewide, on the opposite end of the spectrum from the lowest average funeral in New York, inErie County, at under $5,000. Meanwhile, the funeral expenses in Nassau County average around $8,500.
Life Insurance Analysis
- With 46% of Americans dying with savings of less than $10,000, nearly 117,300 Suffolk County senior residents could be placing the unnecessary and frequently unbearable financial burden on family and friends. Instead of grieving their loss, the family must concentrate on finding a way to settle the costs.
(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 debt 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 Suffolk County, speak with a knowledgeable state-licensed and experienced life insurance professional who has access to multiple insurers and plan types for comparison.
Suffolk County - Business
Commercial insurance needs vary between each of the estimated 49,000 business establishments in Suffolk County. The largest job-creating sectors are:
Health Care & Social Assistance
Educational Services
Retail Trade.
Commercial Insurance Analysis
Every business in Suffolk 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 assess your business insurance needs in Suffolk 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 finance options. Always try to compare at least 2 or 3 options before deciding on the coverage.
