Wrangell County

Wrangell City and Borough, Alaska (county-equivalent)

Population size

• 2,055 (2023 population estimate, U.S. Census Bureau)
• 2,127 (2020 Census count)

Age

• Median age: ~48 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~21%
• 18 to 64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Gender

• Male: ~53%
• Female: ~47%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023)

• White (alone): ~69%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (alone): ~20–21%
• Two or more races: ~7–8%
• Asian (alone): ~2%
• Black or African American (alone): ~0–0.5%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (alone): ~0–0.2%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~4%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~950–1,000
• Average household size: ~2.27
• Family households: ~59–61% of households
• Married-couple households: ~48–50%
• Nonfamily households: ~39–41%
• Households with children under 18: ~25–27%
• Householder living alone: ~32%; age 65+ living alone: ~10%
• Housing tenure: ~71% owner-occupied, ~29% renter-occupied

Key takeaways

• Small, gradually declining population since 2020
• Older age profile than the U.S. overall, with about one-fifth age 65+
• Significant American Indian/Alaska Native population share
• Small household sizes and high owner-occupancy rates

• Scope: Wrangell City and Borough, Alaska (pop. 2,127, 2020). Extremely low density (0.6 people per sq. mile) with residents concentrated in the town of Wrangell.
• Estimated email users: ~1,590 residents (≈75% of total population).
• Age distribution of email users (counts; share):
  • 18–34: ~346 (22%)
  • 35–64: ~811 (51%)
  • 65+: ~374 (24%)
  • 15–17: ~60 (4%)
• Gender split: Mirrors population (≈53% male, 47% female) with negligible usage gap by gender.
• Digital access and connectivity:
  • About 84% of households have a broadband internet subscription (ACS, multi-year).
  • Home broadband (cable/DSL) serves the town; LTE covers population centers; satellite fills remote gaps.
  • Email use is near-universal among connected adults: ~97% (18–34), ~93% (35–64), ~80% (65+).
  • Senior adoption is the fastest-growing segment; teens use email mainly for school/logins while favoring messaging apps for day-to-day chat.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • One small hub community benefits from multiple providers and marine backhaul; remote tracts experience higher latency and occasional weather-related disruptions.
  • Roughly 1,700 adults reside in the borough, and ~90% of connected adults use email weekly, anchoring communication for government, healthcare, and fishing/tourism businesses.

Mobile phone usage in Wrangell County, AK (City and Borough of Wrangell) — market summary

Geography note

• The area commonly referred to as “Wrangell County” is the City and Borough of Wrangell in Southeast Alaska.

Population baseline

• 2020 Census: 2,127 residents.
• Small, stable population with pronounced seasonal swings tied to commercial fishing and tourism.

User estimates (clearly labeled as estimates based on ACS-style smartphone adoption in rural Alaska and local age structure)

• Adult population (18+): ~1,600–1,700.
• Smartphone users: ~1,350–1,550 residents (roughly 64–73% of total population; 80–90% of adults).
• Total mobile phone users (smartphones + basic phones, including teens): ~1,550–1,800 residents.
• Active lines/SIMs: ~1,700–2,200 (many residents maintain a second line or data device for work/marine use).

Demographic context (definitive characteristics that affect usage)

• Older age structure than Alaska overall: median age in Wrangell is mid‑40s vs mid‑30s statewide. This skews ownership slightly lower than the state average and increases the share of basic/voice‑centric users.
• Race/ethnicity: Predominantly White and Alaska Native (Tlingit and other tribes), with Alaska Native share well above the U.S. average. Community institutions (tribal government, health services) drive demand for reliable voice/data and emergency communications.
• Income and housing: Median household income is lower than the Alaska statewide median, increasing price sensitivity and the appeal of prepaid and shared data plans. Housing is concentrated in town, with scattered homes along the Zimovia Highway corridor.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (Wrangell specifics)

• Operators: GCI and AT&T (including FirstNet) are the primary networks serving Wrangell; Verizon service is typically via native coverage in Southeast hubs and/or roaming/partners in smaller communities.
• Radio access: 4G LTE is the dominant radio layer in and around town, the airport, harbors, and along the main road corridors. 5G availability is limited in Southeast Alaska outside major hubs; Wrangell’s footprint is primarily LTE.
• Terrain effects: Steep, forested, maritime terrain creates sharp coverage drop‑offs outside the town core and along shorelines beyond line‑of‑sight to macro sites. In‑building signal boosters and Wi‑Fi calling are common mitigation tools.
• Backhaul: Served by Southeast Alaska subsea fiber routes with microwave redundancy, enabling solid LTE capacity in town but not continuous coverage in remote inlets or outer passages.
• Public safety: FirstNet (AT&T) presence in Southeast supports tribal, city, and EMS users; priority and preemption features are a differentiator for government and healthcare.

How Wrangell’s trends differ from Alaska statewide

• 5G rollout lag: While Alaska’s 5G is concentrated in Anchorage–Mat‑Su–Fairbanks–Juneau corridors, Wrangell remains largely LTE. This means fewer ultra‑low‑latency and mid‑band capacity upgrades than the statewide narrative suggests.
• Older user base: A higher median age than the state reduces the share of heavy app/gaming/video users and keeps a visible segment on basic plans/handsets, even as overall smartphone adoption remains high.
• Higher mobile‑only/backup reliance: Because wireline choices are limited and outages can be weather‑related, a larger share of households rely on mobile broadband as primary or backup internet compared with the statewide average in urban areas.
• Seasonal spikes: Fishing and visitor seasons create pronounced, short‑term capacity demand at harbors, processors, lodging, and the airport—more extreme seasonality than most Alaska urban markets.
• Coverage priority is maritime and corridor‑centric: Investment and usage concentrate around harbors, the airport, and the Zimovia Highway corridor rather than broad suburban footprints typical of large Alaska cities.

Practical implications

• Addressable smartphone market: ~1.4–1.6k users, with total mobile users ~1.6–1.8k; households with at least one smartphone likely in the 80–90% range.
• Product fit: Prepaid, competitively priced postpaid with generous roaming, Wi‑Fi calling, and rugged devices resonate. Signal boosters and satellite messengers see above‑average attachment for off‑grid work and recreation.
• Network focus: Macro‑site optimization in town/harbors, targeted small cells or repeaters at marine/industrial hotspots, and resilient backhaul produce outsized benefits compared with statewide urban upgrade patterns.

Social media usage in Wrangell County, AK (Wrangell City and Borough) — best-available, localized estimates modeled from Pew Research Center 2023–2024 platform-adoption data, Alaska/rural patterns, and Census age/sex structure. Figures are rounded and reflect adult usage unless noted.

Population and connectivity

• Population: ~2,050 (2020 Census); adults ~1,550–1,650
• Households with internet subscription: ~84% (ACS-based estimate for similar Alaska communities)
• Adult smartphone adoption: ~83–86%

Overall social media reach

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~1,100–1,250 people (≈68–75% of adults)

Most-used platforms (share of adult social media users; multi-platform use means totals exceed 100%)

• Facebook (incl. Messenger): ~74%
• YouTube: ~69%
• Instagram: ~38%
• TikTok: ~33%
• Pinterest: ~26%
• Snapchat: ~22%
• LinkedIn: ~14%
• X (Twitter): ~11%
• Reddit: ~10%

Age-group adoption and tendencies

• Teens (13–17): ~90%+ use at least one platform; TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat dominate; Instagram strong; Facebook mainly for groups/events
• 18–29: ~90% use social; YouTube, Instagram, TikTok core; Snapchat active; Facebook used for local groups and jobs
• 30–49: ~80%+ use social; Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram moderate; TikTok growing for short-form entertainment and local updates
• 50–64: ~65–70% use social; Facebook and YouTube dominant; Pinterest notable among women; Instagram/TikTok lighter but rising
• 65+: ~40–50% use social; Facebook primary; YouTube for news/how-to; limited use of other platforms

Gender breakdown and platform lean

• Overall user base roughly balanced (≈50–52% female)
• Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X
• Facebook Groups, Marketplace, and Messenger have broad cross-gender reach

Behavioral trends specific to Wrangell

• Facebook is the community backbone: local news, ferry/weather updates, school sports, events, buy/sell/trade, and lost-and-found dominate engagement
• Messenger is the de facto texting layer for coordinating fishing schedules, childcare, and community logistics
• Seasonal content cycles: summer spikes in tourism and charter-fishing promotion; winter shifts to community events, civic info, and gear resale
• Marketplace and local buy/sell groups are high-traffic for boats, parts, tools, vehicles, and outdoor gear
• Short-form video growth: TikTok and Instagram Reels used for local scenery, wildlife, charter highlights, and small-business storytelling
• YouTube behavior skews practical: how-to/DIY, outboard and equipment maintenance, hunting/fishing content, and long-form news/opinion
• Low X (Twitter) penetration; news and civic discussion primarily in Facebook Groups
• Connectivity-aware posting: concise text, image carousels, and shorter videos perform better due to variable bandwidth
• Peak activity windows: early morning pre-work and evening hours; weekend community posts perform well
• Advertising best practices: hyperlocal geo-targeting, boosted Facebook posts, cross-posting to nearby Southeast Alaska communities (e.g., Ketchikan/Sitka groups) for tourism and hiring reach

Notes on interpretation

• Borough-level platform measurements are not directly published; percentages above are localized estimates derived from Pew U.S. adoption rates, Alaska/rural differentials, and Wrangell’s older-skewing age profile, which raises Facebook/YouTube share and moderates TikTok/Instagram compared with national averages.