Lassen County

Lassen County, California — Key demographics

Population size

• 32,730 (2020 Decennial Census)
• 2010: 34,895 (−6.2% decade change)

Age (ACS 2018–2022, 5-year)

• Median age: ~37 years
• Under 18: ~17%
• 18–64: ~69%
• 65 and over: ~14%

Gender (ACS 2018–2022)

• Male: ~66%
• Female: ~34% Note: The unusually high male share is driven by the county’s large incarcerated population (state and federal facilities).

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022; categories sum to ~100%)

• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~55–57%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~20–22%
• Black or African American alone: ~8%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~3–4%
• Asian alone: ~1–2%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: <1%
• Some other race alone: ~4–5%
• Two or more races: ~6–8%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~10,300
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~63% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~25–27%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~60–65% Insight: A sizable share of residents live in group quarters (prisons), so household counts are relatively low compared with the total population.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (P.L. 94-171) and American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates (DP05, S0101, S1101).

Lassen County, CA has about 32,000 residents across roughly 4,700 square miles (≈7 people per sq mi), with population concentrated in Susanville and very low-density outlying areas. Applying current U.S. email adoption to local demographics and internet access, an estimated 24,000–26,000 residents use email.

Age distribution of email users (estimated share of users):

• 18–34: ~26%
• 35–54: ~36%
• 55–64: ~18%
• 65+: ~20% Teens 13–17 contribute a small additional share; most are regular school-related email users.

Gender split: Near parity among community members (≈50–50), with a slight male skew overall because the county’s incarcerated population is predominantly male.

Digital access and trends:

• Household internet subscription is high for a rural county (roughly mid-80% of households), but fixed wired broadband is concentrated in Susanville; many rural homes use fixed wireless or satellite.
• Mobile LTE/5G is strongest along US‑395 and town centers; coverage thins in forested and mountainous areas.
• Smartphone‑only access is rising, and public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools) remains important for homework and services.
• Connectivity improvements (new fixed‑wireless and low‑Earth‑orbit satellite options) are narrowing gaps but last‑mile fiber remains limited outside town centers.

Lassen County, CA: mobile phone usage snapshot (2023–2024)

User estimates

• Population baseline: ≈30,600 residents; ≈10,800 households; large institutionalized population (state prison) materially affects per-capita device metrics.
• Adult mobile phone users (any mobile): ≈20,400 adults (about 94% of civilian, non‑institutional adults).
• Adult smartphone users: ≈18,400 adults (about 85% of civilian, non‑institutional adults).
• Active mobile subscriptions (phones/tablets/hotspots): ≈24,000 lines in service, reflecting multi-line households and some youth usage.
• Household smartphone penetration: ≈86% of households (≈9,300) have at least one smartphone.
• Cellular-only home internet: ≈15% of households (≈1,600) rely solely on a cellular data plan for home internet (roughly double the statewide share).
• Households with no home internet subscription: ≈13% (≈1,400), above the statewide rate.

Demographic breakdown (how usage differs locally)

• Age:
  • 18–34: smartphone adoption ≈95% (near statewide levels).
  • 35–64: ≈90% smartphone adoption (slightly below statewide).
  • 65+: ≈63% smartphone adoption and ≈75% with any mobile phone; higher likelihood of basic phones and voice‑centric plans than elsewhere in CA.
• Income:
  • < $25k household income: smartphone adoption ≈72%; cellular-only home internet ≈24% (statewide ≈10–12% in this income band).
  • $25k–$75k: smartphone adoption ≈85–90%; cellular-only ≈15–18%.
  • ≥ $75k: smartphone adoption ≈96%; cellular-only ≈6–8%.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Hispanic households show higher smartphone-only and cellular-only internet reliance than non‑Hispanic White households at similar incomes, driven by prepaid plan usage and coverage constraints; adoption gaps are explained more by income/age than by race alone.
• Geography within the county:
  • Susanville/Janesville/Standish–Litchfield corridor: smartphone adoption ≈90%+, stronger 5G/LTE capacity and availability of 5G fixed‑wireless home internet.
  • Outlying communities (Westwood/Eagle Lake area, Termo–Madeline Plains, Herlong/Doyle, SR‑139 north): smartphone adoption lower (≈80–85%), higher share of prepaid and cellular‑only households due to limited wired broadband choices.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: AT&T (including FirstNet), Verizon, T‑Mobile serve the county. Roaming partners cover fringe areas.
• 5G footprint:
  • 5G is established along US‑395 through Susanville and south toward Janesville/Herlong; patchy on SR‑36 toward Westwood/Eagle Lake; sparse on SR‑44 and SR‑139. Mid‑band 5G (higher capacity) is concentrated in and near Susanville; low‑band 5G/4G LTE dominates elsewhere.
• Macro site density:
  • Roughly one macro cell site per 70–90 square miles (far lower density than urban California, where it is often <10 square miles per site). Terrain (basalt plateaus, forest canopy) creates persistent dead zones between highways and valleys.
• Backhaul:
  • Long‑haul fiber follows US‑395; many rural sites depend on microwave backhaul. Limited route diversity increases risk of wide‑area slowdowns/outages when a fiber cut or PSPS event occurs.
• Resiliency:
  • Post‑wildfire hardening and California’s backup‑power rules have increased generator/battery deployment on macro sites in High Fire‑Threat Districts; nonetheless, extended outages during winter storms and public safety power shutoffs still intermittently degrade coverage away from the highway corridors.
• Fixed wireless:
  • 5G home internet (primarily T‑Mobile; some Verizon) is available in and around Susanville and is capturing a meaningful share of households that lack cable/fiber, contributing to the county’s elevated cellular‑only home internet rate.

How Lassen County’s trends diverge from California overall

• Adoption level: Household smartphone penetration is lower by ≈5–7 percentage points than the state, mainly due to older age structure, lower median income, and the impact of the institutionalized population on service metrics.
• Access pattern: Cellular‑only home internet is about 2x the statewide share, reflecting limited wired broadband competition outside Susanville and the appeal of 5G fixed‑wireless offers.
• Plan mix: Prepaid accounts represent a larger share of lines (≈35% locally vs ≈22% statewide), driven by income sensitivity, seasonal work, and variable coverage in outlying areas.
• Network experience: Coverage is more corridor‑centric; capacity depends heavily on low‑band spectrum. Median speeds in town are competitive, but they drop sharply outside the main corridors, with frequent transitions to LTE or no service—unlike most California metros that see broadly available mid‑band 5G.
• Equity gaps: Seniors and lower‑income households are significantly more likely to use basic phones or cellular‑only internet than their statewide peers. The May 2024 sunset of the federal ACP has already pushed some households toward lower‑cost prepaid and mobile‑only solutions.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are point estimates for 2023–2024 synthesized from recent ACS 5‑year Computer and Internet Use tables (county level), FCC mobile coverage filings, California demographic structure, and national adoption benchmarks (e.g., Pew) adjusted for rural context and Lassen’s institutionalized population. Totals are rounded to reflect realistic uncertainty while remaining decision‑useful.

Lassen County, CA — social media usage (2024 modeled snapshot)

How these figures were built:

• Modeled for Lassen County’s non‑institutionalized residents (age 13+) using the county’s age mix from recent ACS data and platform adoption rates from 2024 Pew Research benchmarks, with small adjustments typical of rural counties. Percentages are rounded and represent at least monthly use unless stated.

Overall usage

• Share of residents 13+ using at least one social platform: 82%
• Daily users (any platform): 68%
• Multiplatform behavior: 60% use 3 or more platforms

Most‑used platforms (adults 18+)

• YouTube: 82%
• Facebook: 70%
• Instagram: 44%
• Pinterest: 34%
• TikTok: 33%
• Snapchat: 28%
• LinkedIn: 24%
• X (Twitter): 19%
• Reddit: 18%

Teens (13–17): platform reach

• YouTube: 95%
• Instagram: 72%
• Snapchat: 64%
• TikTok: 63%
• Facebook: 32%

Age breakdown (share using any social platform monthly)

• 13–17: 95%
• 18–29: 91%
• 30–49: 88%
• 50–64: 74%
• 65+: 58%

Gender breakdown

• Overall active users: ~52% female, 48% male
• Platform skews:
  • Facebook: ~57% female
  • Instagram: ~55% female
  • Pinterest: ~78% female
  • TikTok: mixed, slight female tilt
  • X (Twitter): ~60% male
  • Reddit: ~70% male
  • YouTube: broadly balanced

Behavioral trends observed in rural Northern California communities like Lassen

• Facebook is the community backbone: local groups and pages drive news, wildfire/road/outage updates, school sports, local government notices, and event organizing. Facebook Marketplace is a top channel for buying/selling.
• Video first: YouTube for DIY, trades, outdoor/recreation, equipment repair, and homestead content; short‑form (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) is the default for under‑35s and increasingly used by 30–49.
• Private sharing > public posting among younger users: heavy use of DMs (Instagram, Snapchat) to share posts rather than public feeds.
• Civic and safety engagement spikes: Sheriff, Cal Fire, and City/County pages see above‑average engagement during seasonal events (fires, storms, road closures).
• Mobile‑dominant consumption: most engagement occurs on smartphones; desktop use is comparatively low outside of work hours.
• Time‑of‑day pattern: engagement tends to cluster in early morning and evening periods on weekdays, with steady weekend morning activity.
• Discovery and commerce: Facebook and Instagram drive local service discovery; Marketplace and local buy/sell groups outperform national e‑commerce for secondhand goods.

Notes

• Figures are modeled estimates tailored to Lassen County’s demographic profile and rural usage patterns, not direct platform counts. They are suitable for planning, audience sizing, and content/channel prioritization in the county.