Juneau County

Note: Alaska has boroughs (county equivalents). “Juneau County, AK” corresponds to the City and Borough of Juneau.

Population

• 32,255 (2020 Census)
• 31,973 (2023 Census estimate)

Age

• Median age: 38.4 years
• Under 5 years: 6.4%
• Under 18 years: 23.5%
• 65 years and over: 16.1%

Sex

• Female: 48.9%
• Male: 51.1%

Race and ethnicity (2020 Census; race “alone,” Hispanic is of any race)

• White: 63.5%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: 18.0%
• Asian: 7.5%
• Black or African American: 1.0%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.8%
• Two or more races: 9.0%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): 7.3%

Households

• Total households: ~12,500 (ACS 2019–2023)
• Average household size: ~2.5 persons

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program (2023).

Note: Alaska has no “Juneau County”; figures refer to Juneau City and Borough, AK.

• Population and density: 31,973 residents (2023 ACS); 2,716 sq mi land → ~11.8 people/sq mi. No road link to the North American highway system; access is by air and ferry.
• Estimated email users: ≈24,600 residents age 13+ use email regularly (derived from ACS age structure and ~92% U.S. adult email usage, Pew).
• Age distribution (population): <18: ~22%; 18–34: ~23%; 35–54: ~27%; 55–64: ~14%; 65+: ~14%. Email users largely mirror this, with slightly lower uptake among 65+.
• Gender split: ~52% male, ~48% female (ACS).
• Digital access:
  • Households with broadband subscription: ~93% (ACS 2018–2022).
  • Households with a computing device: ~95% (ACS).
  • Smartphone-only home internet: ~10–12% (ACS estimate).
  • Fixed broadband at ≥100/20 Mbps is available to most serviceable addresses in the urban corridor (FCC 2023); outlying areas rely more on satellite (notably Starlink) and fixed wireless.
  • Multiple subsea fiber routes (e.g., Alaska United Southeast) land in Juneau, anchoring backhaul; primary ISPs include GCI and Alaska Communications.

Insight: High broadband penetration and robust fiber backhaul support near-universal email use among adults; geographic remoteness mainly affects peripheral settlements rather than the Juneau–Douglas urban core.

Mobile phone usage in Juneau County, AK (City and Borough of Juneau) — 2024 snapshot

Headline numbers

• Population and households: ≈32,000 residents and ≈12,600 households (2020–2023 Census/ACS baseline).
• Resident smartphone users: ≈24,000–26,000 people (roughly 90% of adults, applying Pew 2023 age-specific ownership rates to Juneau’s age mix).
• Active mobile connections (SIMs): ≈38,000–42,000 (about 1.2–1.3 lines per resident, a typical U.S. range that aligns with Alaska’s usage profile, including phones, tablets, watches, and hotspots).
• Households with broadband (any technology): ≈90–92% in Juneau vs ≈86–88% statewide (ACS 2018–2022).
• Households with a cellular data plan: ≈79–82% in Juneau vs ≈75–78% statewide (ACS 2018–2022).
• Households with no internet: ≈7–8% in Juneau vs ≈11–13% statewide (ACS 2018–2022).

Demographic breakdown (ownership and reliance)

• Age
  • 18–34: near-universal smartphone ownership (≈96–97%); heavy app and mobile-broadband use.
  • 35–64: high ownership (≈90–94%); balanced use of mobile and fixed broadband.
  • 65+: ownership ≈75–80% in Juneau, materially higher than Alaska’s rural areas; mobile used more as a complement to home internet than a replacement.
• Income and education
  • Higher median household income and education levels in Juneau correlate with higher smartphone and broadband uptake; households in the top income quartile approach saturation for both mobile and home broadband (≈95–97%).
  • Lower-income households still show comparatively strong smartphone adoption (≈85–90%) but are more likely to be mobile-first (cellular plan without fixed broadband).
• Race and ethnicity
  • Alaska Native households in Juneau have notably higher connectivity than Alaska Native households statewide due to urban infrastructure access; the adoption gap with White/Asian households is smaller in Juneau than the statewide gap.
• Mobile-first behavior
  • Estimated 10–14% of Juneau households are mobile-first (cellular data plan but no fixed home internet), lower than the statewide share, reflecting better fixed broadband availability in Juneau.

Usage patterns and seasonality

• Tourism-driven peaks: Summer cruise traffic adds large daytime demand in downtown and the port area. On peak days, an extra 8,000–12,000 roaming devices can be present concurrently, stressing capacity in the waterfront, South Franklin, and Egan Drive corridors. This seasonal spike is more pronounced than in most Alaska markets outside of other cruise ports.
• Workplace and government usage: A large share of public-sector and professional employment drives high daytime mobile data use in the Egan Drive/Mendenhall Valley corridor and on Douglas Island near the bridge approaches.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Operators present: AT&T (including FirstNet), Verizon, and GCI operate robust LTE networks in town; T-Mobile’s native footprint is limited and often relies on roaming in Southeast Alaska. At least one national operator provides low-band 5G in the urban core; LTE remains the coverage workhorse borough-wide.
• Coverage pattern: Strong macro coverage along the Juneau–Douglas urban corridor, Mendenhall Valley, Auke Bay, and the airport. Terrain and fjords limit service beyond the road network and in some shadowed neighborhoods; coverage thins north of Auke Bay and in more remote bays and inlets.
• Backhaul: Juneau benefits from subsea fiber routes operated by Alaska carriers (e.g., GCI, Alaska Communications), with microwave backhaul serving outlying sites. This fiber presence materially improves capacity and reliability compared with many rural Alaska communities.
• Public safety: FirstNet coverage is established along primary corridors and critical facilities, with priority and preemption available for emergency services.
• Fixed-wireless and hotspots: Mobile hotspots and fixed-wireless LTE/5G are used as supplemental or backup access in small businesses and households, especially where cable/fiber drops are limited.

How Juneau differs from Alaska statewide

• Higher adoption and lower unconnected share: Juneau’s smartphone adoption and overall internet subscription rates exceed the Alaska average; a smaller fraction of households have no internet.
• Less dependence on satellite: Fiber-backed cellular and wireline networks reduce satellite reliance common in rural/remote Alaska.
• More competition and capacity: Three active operators with urban macro and small-cell assets lead to better median speeds and resiliency than many census areas.
• Sharper seasonal congestion: Cruise-driven demand spikes create unique, predictable capacity stress downtown in summer, a pattern not seen in most interior or Arctic communities.
• Narrower digital divide: Age- and income-related adoption gaps exist but are narrower than the statewide pattern, particularly for Alaska Native residents living in Juneau’s urban setting.

Methodological notes and sources

• Population/households from the 2020 Census with ACS continuity; adoption and subscription percentages from ACS 2018–2022 Computer and Internet Use (S2801) applied to the City and Borough of Juneau and Alaska statewide.
• Smartphone ownership by age from Pew Research Center (2023) applied to Juneau’s age structure to estimate resident smartphone users.
• Operator presence, FirstNet availability, and backhaul context based on publicly documented Alaska carrier footprints and regional fiber routes; coverage descriptions reflect Southeast Alaska terrain constraints and urban site placement.
• Tourism impact derived from recent Juneau cruise passenger volumes and typical roaming device take-up to estimate concurrent device load increases.

Scope and population

• Interpreted geography: City and Borough of Juneau (often informally called “Juneau, AK”), not a county.
• Population baseline: ~32,000 residents (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimates). Roughly 77–78% are adults 18+, or ~24,500–25,000 people.

Overall social media adoption (localized from best-available U.S. benchmarks)

• Adult social media use: ~70–75% of adults use at least one platform (Pew Research Center), implying ~17,000–19,000 adult users in Juneau.
• Teens (13–17): Social media use is near-universal nationally; expect very high penetration locally as well.

Most-used platforms (adult usage; applying national adult usage rates to Juneau’s adult base)

• YouTube: ~83% → ≈ 20K local adults
• Facebook: ~68% → ≈ 16.5–17K
• Instagram: ~47–50% → ≈ 11.5–12.5K
• TikTok: ~33% → ≈ 8–8.5K
• Pinterest: ~33% → ≈ 8–8.5K
• LinkedIn: ~30% → ≈ 7–7.5K
• Snapchat: ~27% → ≈ 6.5–7K
• X (Twitter): ~23% → ≈ 5.5–6K
• Reddit: ~22% → ≈ 5–5.5K
• Nextdoor: ~20% → ≈ 4.5–5K Notes: These are derived by multiplying widely cited U.S. adult usage percentages by Juneau’s estimated adult population; Juneau’s urban profile and high connectivity suggest alignment with national adoption patterns.

Age-group profile (who uses what, directionally)

• 13–17: Very high YouTube/Snapchat/Instagram/TikTok use; Facebook minimal for posting but used for events/groups.
• 18–29: Heavy on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube; Snapchat strong; Reddit/X for news and niche interests; lighter on Facebook posting but uses Messenger and groups.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube are core; Instagram growing; TikTok usage moderate; Pinterest strong for parenting, recipes, home/outdoors.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram/Pinterest moderate; TikTok adoption rising but still minority.
• 65+: Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram/TikTok limited but growing; Nextdoor modest.

Gender breakdown (overall and by platform, based on national patterns)

• Overall users roughly mirror Juneau’s population (slight male tilt in Alaska overall), but platform skews differ:
  • More female: Pinterest (notably), Instagram slightly, Facebook slightly.
  • More male: Reddit and X; YouTube leans male among heavy users.
  • Fairly balanced: TikTok and Snapchat.

Behavioral trends in Juneau

• Community-first Facebook use: Local news, school and weather closures, ferry and road updates, buy/sell/trade, and civic notices show strong engagement in Facebook groups and on municipal pages.
• Seasonal content spikes: May–September (tourism/cruise season) brings increased posts on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube (scenery, whales, glaciers, trails, tours); local businesses ramp Reels/Shorts and Stories.
• Video-forward consumption: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) performs well for outdoor, wildlife, and travel content; longer YouTube videos for trip planning and how-tos (hiking, boating, safety).
• Event-driven engagement: Peaks around festivals, sports, school events, and weather events; timely updates outperform evergreen content during storms and service disruptions.
• Messaging and DMs: Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs, and Snapchat are common for quick coordination; WhatsApp use exists but is niche compared with Messenger/SMS.
• Civic and public-sector visibility: City, state agencies, utilities, and transportation (e.g., ferry updates) reliably reach residents via Facebook and YouTube; trust increases with prompt comment replies and incident updates.
• Mobile-first usage: Content consumption and creation are predominantly on smartphones; vertical video and concise captions improve completion and share rates.
• Local authenticity: Posts featuring identifiable local backdrops, staff faces, and real-time conditions (tide, trail, weather) earn higher engagement than stock visuals.

Key takeaways

• Reach: Expect ~17K–19K adult social users, with YouTube and Facebook as the broadest-reach platforms, and Instagram/TikTok as growth and youth channels.
• Engagement mix: Use Facebook for community reach and service updates; Instagram/TikTok for discovery and visual storytelling; YouTube for searchable, evergreen planning content; Pinterest for lifestyle/outdoors planning; LinkedIn for professional and public-sector audiences.
• Timing and seasonality: Align posting with local evening peaks and tourism season surges; increase frequency around weather and civic moments to capture outsized attention.