Berks County

Berks County - Driving Statistics and Analysis

Berks County is home to 363,658 registered vehicles utilized by the residents for personal and business purposes. This figure represents around 3.3% of all vehicles in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Roughly 79% of daily commuters drive to and from their workplace on their own, and 1 in 3 of these commuters drive for more than half an hour.

Motor Vehicle Crashes in Berks County

Vehicular fatalities in Berks County occur at a rate of 10 for every 100,000 vehicles on the road: roughly 36 fatal incidents per year.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, (PennDOT), in 2021 there were 4,416 crashes in Berks County: 46 of them fatal. Approximately 27% of traffic-incident fatalities in Berks County are caused by alcohol-impaired driving.

Auto Insurance Analysis

1. Over 360 thousand vehicles registered in Berks County need insurance coverage: 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: Collision Coverage, Commercial Auto, Non-owners car insurance, Commercial Transportation, Ride-sharing, Short-term car insurance, and so on.

2. Even though Pennsylvania is a no-fault state, where bodily injury is paid by each insured’s own coverage, the Commonwealth allows drivers to opt out of the “no-fault” coverage under the “choice no-fault” stipulation. Additionally, due to Pennsylvania’s use of the modified comparative negligence laws, the amount of fault of each party in an accident determines the amount of damage that the insurer will cover.

3. The total number of vehicles on the roads of Berks County keeps increasing annually, and despite the uninsured rate of drivers across Pennsylvania remaining at around 7 percent, you simply never know how much coverage the car next to you will have. Hence, the need for Uninsured Motorist coverage.

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

Berks County - Housing Statistics and Analysis

Approximately 69% of the homes in Pennsylvania are inhabited by their owners, and Berks County’s owner-occupied rate for its projected 169,320 homes is around 71%. Looking at its peer counties, Lehigh County has the lowest figure for this category, while Chester County and Schuylkill County have the highest.

Across the Commonwealth, Pike County has the highest homeownership rate, with just 16% of homes for rent, while Philadelphia County is the leader in Pennsylvania with the highest percentage of its real estate for rent (49%).

About 13% of residential properties in Berks County experience housing issues, overcrowding, poor plumbing, or substandard kitchen conditions. In 1 out of 10 homes, residents spend more than 50% of their income on housing expenses.

Housing Insurance Analysis

1. Close to 170 thousand housing units in Berks County need insurance coverage. At a minimum, all owners of these properties should have Homeowners, Condo insurance, and/or Business property insurance (for multi-housing units), to protect the underlying financial investment from possible loss or damage.

2. With roughly 52 thousand housing units in Berks 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 Reading: 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. Some landlords in Berks County may require Renters insurance as a lease condition.

For consultation and to get a quote on Homeowners, Renters, Condo, Flood, and other types of insurance in Berks County, contact a Property & Casualty (P&C) insurance agent licensed by the state of Pennsylvania.

A Pennsylvania 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.

Berks County - Health Statistics and Analysis

Around 9% of Berks County adults do not have proper health insurance coverage — a figure that is not far from the Pennsylvania average of 8%. In the region, Montgomery County has the lowest uninsured adult rate, while Lancaster County has the highest proportion of adults lacking proper health insurance coverage.

While the highest uninsured adult rate in the Commonwealth is in Juniata County (≈12%), the lowest rate is observed in Butler County, at around 5% of the adult residents.

Close to 20% of adults in Berks County report problems with health, which is partially due to the fact that about 1 in 5 of them smoke, 19% drink too much alcohol, and 3% have limited access to healthy foods.

On top of these, roughly 28% of the Berks County population are physically inactive, which contributes to its 34% adult obesity rate (BMI of 30 or more) — not far from Pennsylvania’s average of 33%. Lehigh County has the highest obesity rate in the region at 37%.

In 2022, 87,662 Berks County residents were enrolled in Medicare, with the following utilization:

In 2022, there were 13 health insurers in Berks County, offering affordable and frequently subsidized ACA health insurance on the Pennie, Pennsylvania’s Health Insurance Exchange.

Health Insurance Analysis

1. Nearly 35 thousand Berks County adults do not have proper health insurance coverage which is the most important type of coverage.

2. Pennsylvania is among the states that allow the sale of multiple types of health insurance and supplemental health insurance. This makes it easier for Berks County residents to obtain coverage that fits their specific needs (both medically and financially): Group or Individual Marketplace ACA health insurance, various types of Short Term insurance (up to 3 years in coverage), Hospital Indemnity insurance, Accident & Health insurance, etc.

3. Low-income health insurance: Health insurance could possibly be beyond the means of some Berks County residents. If this is the case, they ought to apply for government subsidies to be able to afford this all-important type of insurance.

4. If you do not have pre-existing conditions, short-term health insurance may provide an alternative saving path. (* Some Pennsylvania multi-year short-term health insurance plans may cover certain pre-existing conditions after a year or more of coverage).

Discuss your health insurance needs with a knowledgeable Commonwealth-licensed Pennsylvania health insurance professional with access to a variety of health insurance plans available to Berks County residents. Offerings of health insurance coverage and its pricing may differ between zip codes.

A Pennsylvania 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.

Berks County - End of Life Statistics and Analysis

The average Pennsylvanian has an expected life span of 78 years — a year shorter than the expected life span in Berks County. Within its immediate area, Chester County has the longest life expectancy, while Schuylkill County has the shortest.

The longest average life expectancy in Pennsylvania is observed in Centre County, at over 82 years old, while the shortest average is seen in Fayette County, at under 75 years old.

In 2022, there were approximately 76,000 seniors (65 and older) residing in Berks County.

Life Insurance Facts

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

2. Age is a significant factor when determining the insured’s life insurance premiums. The younger the insured is, the lower the premiums. This is why young adults can financially benefit from securing a life insurance policy at a young age.

3. Over 19% of the adults in Berks County smoke, which means over 62 thousand Berks County adults will have life insurance policies that are up to 4 times more expensive than non-smokers’. A smoker is more susceptible to developing fatal diseases that can cause premature deaths, and this makes a smoker more of a risk than people who don’t smoke.

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.

Berks County - Funeral Expenses Statistics and Analysis

A traditional funeral in Pennsylvania costs around $6,700, which is significantly lower than the Berks County average of $8,200. Among its neighbors, Montgomery County’s $6,600 average is close to the state average. Chester County’s $6,200 average is the most affordable, followed by Lehigh County at $6,300, while Berks County’s figure is the most expensive.

Statewide, Clinton County tends to have the least expensive funerals averaging more or less $4,700, while Bucks County’s $11,600 average is usually the most expensive in Pennsylvania.

Life Insurance Analysis

1. Since 46% of Americans depart with savings of less than $10,000, almost 35 thousand Berks County senior residents could possibly be placing a difficult financial situation on their families and friends. The bereaved may have to juggle mourning, planning, and paying for the funeral.

2. Besides the burial costs, the deceased often leave unpaid taxes and unsettled debts behind for the family to deal with. Discuss your senior life insurance options with a licensed Pennsylvania life insurance professional.

3. Indexed Universal Life (IUL) is the most preferred life insurance policy to use for its living benefits and retirement financing.

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. Term Life Insurance and Final Expense (also known as Burial insurance) are the most frequently used life insurance policies to cover “final expenses” up to $50,000.

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

Berks County - Business

Berks County is home to nearly 9 thousand business establishments each with its own commercial insurance needs. The three largest job-creating sectors, accounting for around 46% of all employment in the county in 2022 were:

• Manufacturing - 18.0%

• Health Care and Social Assistance - 17.2%

• Retail Trade - 11.1%

Commercial Insurance Analysis

1. Every business in Berks 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.

2. Manufacturing businesses usually require insurance coverage for:

   • Production facilities and property

   • Employees’ health and safety

Product liability coverage protects the manufacturer itself if their product hurts the consumer and a claim or a lawsuit is filed against the company.

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

4. Retail businesses in Berks County are primarily insured against customer liabilities that come from using the retail location or by interacting with the products, and to protect the property, inventory, and the staff.

To assess your business insurance needs in Berks County and to get a commercial insurance quote, speak with a knowledgeable Pennsylvania-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.