Petersburg County

Petersburg County, AK (county-equivalent: Petersburg Borough)

Population size

• 3,398 residents (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: 42.7 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: 24%
• 65 and over: 17%

Gender

• Male: 52.4%
• Female: 47.6% (ACS 2018–2022)

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: ~73%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~15%
• Two or more races: ~9%
• Asian alone: ~2%
• Black or African American alone: ~0.3%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.2%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~5%
• White alone, not Hispanic: ~69%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~1,330
• Persons per household (avg): ~2.55
• Family households: ~64% of all households
• Married-couple households: ~49%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~68%

Insights

• Small, stable population with an older median age and a modest male skew relative to the U.S.
• Predominantly White with a substantial Alaska Native population and a notable share reporting two or more races.
• Household sizes are modest and homeownership is relatively high for rural Alaska.

• Population and density: Petersburg Borough, AK has ≈3,300 residents (2023 est.) spread over ≈3,158 sq mi of land—about 1.1 people per sq mi.
• Estimated email users: 2,400–2,600 residents. This reflects roughly 85–90% of adults and about 70–75% of the total population using email.
• Age distribution of email users (share of user base):
  • 13–17: ~8%
  • 18–34: ~22%
  • 35–54: ~36%
  • 55–64: ~16%
  • 65+: ~18%
• Gender split: Borough population skews male (≈54% male, 46% female). Email usage is essentially parity by gender (gap typically <2 percentage points).
• Digital access trends:
  • About 86–90% of households maintain a broadband subscription; smartphone ownership is high, with ~15–20% of households being smartphone-only internet users.
  • In-town fixed broadband commonly delivers 100–300 Mbps; outlying areas rely more on satellite or legacy DSL, often <25 Mbps.
  • LTE coverage is strong in and near the town of Petersburg, with patchier service in forested and maritime areas.
• Local connectivity facts:
  • The borough is served via Southeast Alaska fiber/microwave backhaul; terrain and weather can affect reliability in remote spots.
  • Seasonal fishing activity increases mobile and email traffic during summer months.

Mobile phone usage in Petersburg County, AK (Petersburg Borough)

Snapshot (2024)

• Resident population: about 3,300
• Resident mobile phone users (any mobile phone): about 2,450–2,600 people
• Resident smartphone users: about 2,200–2,400 people
• Active mobile lines (including second lines, work lines, IoT): roughly 3,400–3,800
• Primary network technology in town: 4G LTE; limited or no commercially marketed 5G NR coverage from most carriers in the community core; 5G availability trails Alaska’s urban hubs

Demographic breakdown of usage

• Age
  • 65+ share is higher than the Alaska average, and smartphone take-up among seniors is lower than among working-age residents. Expect smartphone adoption in 65+ at roughly 65–70%, versus 90%+ among adults under 50 and >90% among teens.
  • Net effect: overall smartphone share of the total population sits several points below the statewide average because of the older age mix.
• Race and ethnicity
  • Alaska Native residents represent a meaningful share of the community. Smartphone ownership rates are broadly comparable to the community average, but household connectivity patterns differ: smartphone-only internet access is used somewhat more by lower-income and rental households, including among Alaska Native households, due to higher fixed-broadband costs in multi-family housing and seasonal employment patterns.
• Income and occupation
  • Commercial fishing, marine services, and seasonal tourism increase the proportion of work-issued devices and hotspot use during peak season. Prepaid and bring-your-own-device plans are more prevalent than in Anchorage/Mat-Su as workers cycle in and out, contributing to higher line churn in summer months.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers and roaming
  • GCI provides the anchor LTE footprint in and around downtown Petersburg and along the main road corridors on Mitkof Island.
  • AT&T/FirstNet indicates public-safety and consumer LTE service in the town core; Verizon service is typically via LTE with some extended-network roaming; T‑Mobile presence is limited and often partner-based.
• Backhaul
  • Petersburg is tied into Southeast Alaska’s subsea fiber ring, giving carriers fiber backhaul in town. Outside the core, carriers rely on microwave hops; remote coves and islands fall back to satellite for data and Wi‑Fi calling.
• Where service is strongest
  • Town center, harbor/port areas, airport vicinity, and along Nordic Dr/Haugen Dr corridors. Indoor coverage is generally reliable with LTE; many residents enable Wi‑Fi calling inside metal buildings and larger structures.
• Coverage gaps
  • Beyond the developed stretch of Mitkof Highway, reception drops quickly. Kupreanof Island and portions of Wrangell Narrows have spotty to no terrestrial coverage. Expect dead zones in forested or mountainous terrain outside line-of-sight to town sites.
• Seasonal load
  • May–September brings a pronounced traffic spike from fishing fleets, cannery workers, independent travelers, and small cruise vessels. Daytime and early-evening LTE congestion can trim speeds noticeably during peak weeks.
• 5G status
  • Unlike Anchorage, Fairbanks, and parts of Juneau, Petersburg’s public maps and field reports show LTE as the workhorse, with little to no live, broadly marketed 5G NR. mmWave is absent; low-band 5G, if present, performs similarly to LTE.

How Petersburg differs from Alaska statewide

• Lower 5G availability: The borough lags the state’s urban corridors in 5G rollout; LTE remains dominant for both voice and data.
• Older age profile: A larger 65+ share pulls down overall smartphone penetration a few points below the Alaska average despite high adoption among working-age residents and teens.
• Higher Wi‑Fi-calling reliance: More residents depend on Wi‑Fi calling at home and work compared with Anchorage/Mat-Su, owing to metal construction and fewer indoor small cells.
• Strong seasonal variability: Summer surges in transient users and marine IoT/hotspot devices create peak-load patterns that are more pronounced than the state average.
• Marine-first connectivity: A bigger share of mobile data comes from harbors, docks, and vessels compared with inland Alaska communities, and VHF remains a critical complement for safety.

Estimated user counts and patterns (2024)

• Adults with any mobile phone: roughly 2,350–2,500
• Adults with smartphones: roughly 2,150–2,300
• Teens (13–17) with smartphones: about 375–420
• Smartphone-only home internet households: approximately 10–12% of households, lower than many Alaska rural areas but higher than Anchorage due to cost sensitivity and rental housing patterns
• Public safety and enterprise: FirstNet LTE serves local agencies; work-issued lines in fishing/marine businesses are a larger slice of total lines than the Alaska average

Implications

• Design for LTE-first performance, with robust offline and Wi‑Fi-calling support.
• Expect summer capacity constraints and plan field operations, messaging, and customer engagement around peak-season congestion windows.
• For infrastructure, incremental gains will come from additional low-band LTE/5G carriers on existing sites, indoor small cells in metal buildings, and targeted microwave or fiber extensions along Mitkof Highway.

Social media usage snapshot — Petersburg Borough (commonly called “Petersburg County”), Alaska

Area and connectivity

• Population: 3,398 (U.S. Census 2020)
• Internet access: 86% of Alaska households have a broadband subscription (ACS 2018–2022). Petersburg’s core town has strong wired/mobile coverage; remote homes rely more on cellular/satellite.

Local demographics (Petersburg Borough; useful for audience targeting)

• Gender: ~53% male, ~47% female (Census 2020)
• Age groups (ACS 2018–2022, approximate share of residents):
  • Under 18: ~22%
  • 18–34: ~19%
  • 35–54: ~27%
  • 55–64: ~14%
  • 65+: ~18%
• Implication: Skews slightly older than the U.S. average; adults 35+ are the largest block.

Most-used platforms and benchmarks

• U.S. adult usage rates (Pew Research Center, 2024): YouTube 83%, Facebook 68%, Instagram 47%, Pinterest 35%, TikTok 33%, LinkedIn 30%, Snapchat 27%, X (Twitter) 23%, Reddit 22%, WhatsApp 21%.
• Petersburg tilt: Higher reliance on Facebook and YouTube (community groups, local information); Instagram/TikTok under the U.S. average overall but strong among teens and twenty‑somethings; Snapchat concentrated among teens; LinkedIn niche.

Estimated user counts if Petersburg adults matched U.S. adoption

• Adult population proxy ≈ 2,650 (assuming ~78% of residents are 18+).
• Platform user estimates among adults: YouTube ~2,200; Facebook ~1,800; Instagram ~1,240; TikTok ~870; Pinterest ~930; LinkedIn ~800; Snapchat ~720; X ~610; Reddit ~580; WhatsApp ~560.
• Note: Local reality likely skews higher for Facebook and lower for TikTok/Instagram given the age profile.

Behavioral trends observed in similar Alaska boroughs and consistent with Petersburg’s profile

• Facebook Groups are the community hub: local news, buy/sell, school/borough updates, event organizing, marine/fishing conditions.
• Seasonal patterns: May–September (fishing/tourism) boosts posting, short‑form video marketing, and event content; winter shifts to community announcements and school sports.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger and SMS dominate; WhatsApp used within some family/work circles; Snapchat for teen peer communication.
• Content formats: YouTube for how‑to, repairs, and public meeting streams; Reels/TikTok for quick highlights by charters, guides, and events.
• Information trust: Residents follow official pages for weather, ferry, road, and utility updates; rapid word‑of‑mouth in groups makes moderation important.
• Advertising: Small businesses lean on Facebook/Instagram boosts with tight geofencing around Petersburg; TikTok ads used sparingly; Instagram is key for visually driven tourism and retail.
• Engagement timing: Evenings (6–10 pm AKT) and lunchtime windows show the highest activity.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020), American Community Survey 2018–2022, Pew Research Center (2024 platform usage). Platform percentages are U.S. benchmarks; local insights reflect Petersburg’s age mix and rural‑community behavior.