Schuylkill County

Schuylkill County - Driving Statistics and Analysis

An estimated 120,679 private and commercial vehicles were registered by the residents of Schuylkill County in 2022. This figure represents approximately 1% of all vehicles registered in the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Around 82% of Schuylkill’s adult residents commute to work alone. Nearly 36% of those commutes last for over 30 minutes - a statistic closely mirrored by most of its neighboring counties.

Motor Vehicle Crashes in Schuylkill County

Motor vehicle fatalities in Schuylkill County statistically occur at a rate of 17 per 100,000 vehicles on the road: approximately 21 fatal crashes per year.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, (PennDOT), in 2021 there were 1,401 crashes in Schuylkill County: with 26 of them fatal. Approximately 25% of fatalities in Schuylkill County are caused by alcohol-impaired driving.

Auto Insurance Analysis

1. Over 120 thousand vehicles registered in Schuylkill 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: 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. Even though Pennsylvania is a no-fault state, where bodily injury is paid by each insured’s own coverage, the state 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 amount of vehicles on the roads of Schuylkill County keeps going up year after year, and even though the uninsured rate of drivers across Pennsylvania remains at around 7 percent, the sheer proximity of a large volume of vehicles on heavily congested roads indicates the need for Uninsured Motorist coverage. You can’t tell what kind of coverage everyone around you has, until you’ve had an accident with them.

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

Schuylkill County - Housing Statistics and Analysis

In 2022, Schuylkill County had a projected 70,184 housing properties and around 75% of them were owner-occupied. This follows Pennsylvania state’s market trend where the majority (69%) of the residential market is occupied by its owners. All of Schuylkill County’s neighbors also have the majority of their dwelling units occupied by their owners. Berks County, Lebanon County, and Northumberland County rank second as the counties with the most owner-occupied dwelling units, next to Schuylkill County and Carbon County. Among the neighbors, Dauphin County is the largest producer of rental properties with 37% of its dwelling units available for renters.

Statewide, Pike County has the highest homeownership rate, with just 16% of homes for rent, while Philadelphia County is the state leader with the highest percentage of its real estate for rent at 47%.

Over 12% of housing units in Schuylkill County experience housing problems, overcrowding, poor plumbing, or issues with the kitchen. In 1 out of 10 homes, residents spend more than 50% of their income on housing.

Housing Insurance Analysis

1. Over 70 thousand housing units in Schuylkill 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 over 17 thousand housing units in Schuylkill 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. If you rent your home, your insurer must know about it or your claims can be denied.

3. Renters insurance Pottsville: 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 Schuylkill 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 Schuylkill 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.

Schuylkill County - Health Statistics and Analysis

Around 7% of adults in Schuylkill County under 65 years old do not have adequate health insurance. Schuylkill County is joined by Columbia County and Northumberland County in having the lowest uninsured rate among its peer counties - 1% lower than Pennsylvania’s state average. On the other hand, four of Schuylkill County’s neighbors have the highest rate of uninsured adults at 9%, even higher than the state average.

The highest uninsured adult rate in the state of Pennsylvania is in Juniata County, with nearly 12 percent, while the lowest rate is observed in Butler County, at around 5% of the adult residents.

Around 1 in 5 adult residents of Schuylkill County experience health problems. Meanwhile, over 29% of its population live a sedentary lifestyle. In terms of obesity, around 34% of its adult residents have a BMI of 30 or more, which is slightly higher than the Commonwealth’s average of 33%. All of Schuylkill County’s neighbors are above the state average when it comes to obesity with Northumberland County leading at 38% and Lehigh County at 37%.

In 2022, 35,972 Schuylkill County residents were enrolled in Medicare, with the following utilization:

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

Health Insurance Analysis

1. Health insurance is the most important insurance coverage, and over 9 thousand adult Schuylkill County residents lack this necessity.

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 Schuylkill 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: If health insurance is not being purchased due to unaffordability, low-income residents of Schuylkill County are generally advised to apply for government health insurance subsidies, which can substantially lower the health insurance cost.

4. If you do not have pre-existing conditions, short-term health insurance may provide an alternative saving path. (TIP: 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 state-licensed Pennsylvania health insurance professional with access to a variety of health insurance plans available to Schuylkill 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.

Schuylkill County - End of Life Statistics and Analysis

Average life expectancy for the residents of Schuylkill County is around 75 years old, which is nearly 3 years lower than the 78-year Pennsylvania state average. Among the neighboring counties, Schuylkill County also comes in last.

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 29,668 seniors (65 and older) residing in Schuylkill 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 Schuylkill County smoke, and this habit will likely affect the life insurance costs of more than 27,000 adults who may have to pay up to 4 times more 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.

Schuylkill County - Funeral Expenses Statistics and Analysis

The average price of a funeral in Schuylkill County is higher than the Pennsylvania State average - $7,300 versus $6,700. The most affordable average funeral in the area is in Luzerne County ($4,800) followed by Carbon County ($5,000), while Berks County tends to be the most expensive, with an average of over $8,200.

Statewide, Clinton County has the least expensive funerals averaging more or less $4,700, while Bucks County’s average ($11,700) is the most expensive in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Life Insurance Analysis

1. With 46% of Americans dying with savings of less than $10,000, nearly 14 thousand Schuylkill 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.

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 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 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).

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

Schuylkill County - Business

Commercial insurance needs vary between each of the over 3 thousand business establishments in Schuylkill County. The three largest job-creating sectors, accounting for over 50% of all employment in the county in 2022 were:

• Manufacturing - 21.4%

• Health Care & Social Assistance - 15.1%

• Transportation and Warehousing - 13.7%

Commercial Insurance Analysis

1. Every business in Schuylkill 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 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.

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

To assess your business insurance needs in Schuylkill 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.