Ulster County

Ulster County - Driving Statistics and Analysis

Ulster County’s roads are home to around 107,591 personal and commercial vehicles. This number constitutes roughly 1% of all vehicles registered in the entire state of New York.

Approximately 77% of the Ulster County drivers commute to and from work by themselves, and around 40% of those journeys last for more than 30 minutes to complete.

Motor Vehicle Crashes in Ulster County

According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV-NY) and the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research (ITSMR), there were 19.666 collisions in Ulster County between 2018 and 2021, with 59 fatalities. Property damage occured in 79.48% of those crashes, while personal injury was sustained in 20.21% cases.

Motorcycles in Ulster County accounted for an average of 84 crashes annually: with personal injury as a result in 76.23% of cases and property damage in 20.78%.

Auto Insurance Analysis

1. Nearly 108 thousand registered vehicles in Ulster County need insurance coverage. No-Fault Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage, and Property Damage and Bodily Injury Liability are state-mandated coverages for all vehicles to protect others from damages incurred during vehicular accidents. Additional insurances are available depending on the type of vehicle and how it is used (commercial or private). Some of these are Private Auto, Commercial Auto, Comprehensive Coverage, Non-owners car insurance, Commercial Transportation, Inland Marine, Gap, Ride-sharing, Short-term car insurance, and so on.

2. Since New York is a no-fault state, your insurance will shoulder the treatment cost for any bodily injuries you sustain in an accident, whether it’s your fault or not. If the costs exceed your coverage limits, the difference can be recovered from the responsible party. Meanwhile, the at-fault party is responsible for property damage.

3. The number of vehicles on Ulster County’s roads increases each year, and even though the uninsured rate of drivers across the state of New York remains under five percent, the presence of a large number of vehicles on the road indicates the need for Uninsured Motorist coverage. You never know how much insurance the vehicle next to you has.

If you have inquiries regarding your auto insurance and to find affordable car insurance in Ulster County, contact a knowledgeable Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance agent licensed in the state of New York.

Ulster County - Housing Statistics and Analysis

Around 86,527 housing units in Ulster County are occupied mainly by homeowners, at a rate of 68%. Among its neighboring counties, Greene County has the highest owner-occupied rate, while Orange County has the lowest — closer to the New York state average split of 54% (homeowners) / 46% (renters).

In the entire state of New York, Hamilton County has the highest homeownership rate, with 87%, while The Bronx is the state leader with the highest percentage of its real estate for rent (≈80%).

In Ulster County, nearly 1 in 5 houses experiences problems like plumbing issues, overcrowding, or kitchen trouble. In around 18% of homes, residents spend more than half of their income on housing alone.

Housing Insurance Analysis

1. Nearly 87 thousand residential dwellings in Ulster County need insurance coverage. All owners of these properties should have at least Homeowners, Condo Insurance, and/or Business Property Insurance (for apartment complexes). This insurance coverage protects the financial investment from possible loss or damage.

2. With more than 28 thousand housing units in Ulster County listed for rent, landlords purchase Landlord Insurance to safeguard the property from liability claims that can arise from the tenants and their guests.

3. Renters Insurance Kingston: To protect their belongings from loss or damage, tenants purchase Renters Insurance. This insurance is affordable and usually covers the tenant’s property from theft, damages caused by fire, smoke, water, and vandalism. Renters insurance is one of the lease conditions for some of the landlords in Ulster County.

For consultation regarding Homeowners, Renters, Condo, Flood, and other types of insurance in Ulster County, contact a Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance agent licensed in the state of New York.

A New York P&C insurance agent:

• Examines your needs and limitations

• 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

• Lays out available options of coverage

• Describes the effect of the different options once the insurance policy becomes active

• Helps you with the process of application

• Does not influence your cost of insurance. (agent’s service is usually paid by the insurer).

Ulster County - Health Statistics and Analysis

Approximately 7% of adults in Ulster County do not have proper health insurance coverage — which is lower than the New York state average of 8%. Ulster County’s uninsured rate is tied with Columbia County, Orange County, Sullivan County, and Delaware County for the highest rate in its region. Meanwhile, Greene County and Dutchess County report the lowest rates.

Statewide, the highest uninsured adult rate is observed in Queens County, with 12%. In contrast, the lowest rate is seen in Saratoga County, at under 5% of the adult residents.

Nearly 16% (or around 28,000 adults) in Ulster County report health problems. Furthermore, roughly 1 in 5 residents in Ulster County do not engage in physical exercise activities, which is possibly one of the main reasons why 29% of its residents are considered obese (with a BMI of 30 or more). Among Ulster County’s neighbors, Sullivan County has the highest obesity rate of nearly 36%, while the lowest is in Columbia County, with just under 27% — closer to the New York state average of 26%.

In 2022, 42,310 Ulster County residents were enrolled in Medicare, with the following utilization:

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

Health Insurance Analysis

1. Roughly 8 thousand residents in Ulster County do not have the most important type of insurance, which is Health insurance.

2. Even though New York is among the states that do not allow the sale of multiple types of alternative health insurance options, Ulster 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 is the staple of coverage for Kingston residents, supplementary options can also be purchased. For example, Hospital Indemnity Insurance and Accident & Health insurance can help cover out-of-pocket expenses such as deductibles, copay, and coinsurance, in case of emergency. Disability income insurance can help cover the lost income in case if a disability takes the insured out of the workforce.

3. Low-income health insurance: Low-income consumers are generally advised to apply for government-funded subsidies if they cannot purchase health insurance due to unaffordability, as this will drastically lower the cost of insurance.

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 Ulster 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.

Ulster County - End of Life Statistics and Analysis

The average lifespan for Ulster County residents is roughly 80.2 years, which is shorter than the New York state average of 81.4 years. Among the surrounding neighbors of Ulster County, the longest life expectancy is observed in Dutchess County, while the shortest is seen in Sullivan County.

Statewide, New York County has the highest average life expectancy at 85.2 years, while the lowest life span is seen in Chemung County, at under 77 years old.

In 2022 there were approximately 36,000 seniors (65 and older) residing in Ulster 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 depend on how old the person is, among other factors when the policy starts. Therefore, if you obtain it at a younger age, the more you'll save in premiums throughout the policy.

3. Roughly 18% of adults in Ulster County smoke. This habit will certainly raise the life insurance premiums of around 26,000 individuals by up to 4 times compared to non-smokers. A smoker's life span is deemed shorter, making them more of a risk than non-smokers.

4. Aside from 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.

Ulster County - Funeral Expenses Statistics and Analysis

The average funeral cost in Ulster County is around $8,800, which is higher than the New York state average of $6,500. Ulster County’s funeral expense is the highest compared to its neighboring counties, followed by Columbia County, with $7,900. Meanwhile, Orange County tends to have the least expensive funeral in the region, at around $5,900. Across New York, Suffolk County reports the most costly funerals, at $10,500, while Erie County has the most affordable, at under $5,000.

Life Insurance Analysis

1. 46% of Americans pass away with less than $10,000 in savings. As a result, nearly 17 thousand senior residents in Ulster County could place an unpleasant and unneeded financial burden on their families and loved ones. Instead of mourning their loss, they’ll need to concentrate on finding ways to settle funeral costs.

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

2. Aside from the burial costs, unpaid taxes and other debts are sometimes left by the deceased, which the family needs to take care of. Discuss your senior life insurance options in Ulster County 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 and to get life insurance quotes in Ulster County, speak with a knowledgeable state-licensed and experienced life insurance professional who has access to multiple insurers and plan types for comparison.

Ulster County - Business

Commercial insurance needs differ between each of the nearly 5 thousand business establishments in Ulster County. The largest job-creating sectors are:

• Health Care & Social Assistance

• Educational Services

• Retail Trade.

Commercial Insurance Analysis

1. Every business in Ulster County needs insurance based on what it does and the number 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.

2. Health care professionals can benefit from Medical malpractice coverage, which protects both the patients and the insured medical professionals.

3. At a minimum, Ulster County retail establishments typically get Property insurance, Business liability, Business income, and Workers’ compensation insurance.

To assess your business insurance needs in Ulster 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.