Siskiyou County

Key demographics — Siskiyou County, California

Population size

• 44,076 (2020 Census). Stable since 2010 (−1.8% from 44,900).

Age

• Median age: ~47 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~19–20%
• 18 to 64: ~56–58%
• 65 and over: ~23–25%

Gender

• Female: ~49–50% (male ~50–51%) (ACS 2018–2022)

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022; Hispanic is any race)

• Non‑Hispanic White: ~72–75%
• Hispanic/Latino: ~12–14%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (non‑Hispanic): ~5–7%
• Two or more races (non‑Hispanic): ~5–7%
• Asian (non‑Hispanic): ~1–2%
• Black/African American (non‑Hispanic): ~1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (non‑Hispanic): ~0–0.5%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~19,000
• Average household size: ~2.2–2.3
• Family households: ~55–60% of households
• 1‑person households: ~30–35%
• Households with children under 18: ~22–25%
• Owner‑occupied housing rate: ~65–70%

Notes: Figures are primarily from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2018–2022 5‑year estimates and the 2020 Decennial Census; ranges reflect rounding and survey margins of error common for small counties.

• Population and density: 44,000 residents over 6,347 sq mi (6.9 people/sq mi).
• Connectivity: 81% of households have a broadband subscription; 12% report no home internet; ~90% have a computer (ACS 2018–2022). Broadband adoption trails California’s ~91% by ~10 points, reflecting rural terrain and long loop distances.
• Estimated email users: ~28,000 residents (13+) use email, derived from population, local internet adoption, and the fact that ~92% of online adults use email (Pew Research).
• Age distribution of email users (estimate, aligned to county’s older profile and national usage rates):
  • 13–24: 15%
  • 25–44: 32%
  • 45–64: 33%
  • 65+: 20%
• Gender split: Approximately even (about 50% female, 50% male), consistent with minimal national gender differences in email adoption.
• Digital access trends: Smartphone-only internet households ~11%, indicating growing mobile-first access. Email engagement is nearly universal among working-age adults and strong among seniors but modestly lower for 65+, mirroring national patterns.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Sparse settlement outside Yreka, Mount Shasta, and Weed correlates with patchy fixed-broadband availability at higher speeds; anchor institutions (schools, libraries) remain important access points for residents without reliable home service.

Siskiyou County, CA mobile phone usage — 2025 snapshot

Headline numbers (estimates are 2025 unless noted)

• Population: ~44,000; households: ~19,000
• Total mobile phone users: ~35,000 residents (≈80% of the population)
• Total smartphone users: ~32,000 residents (≈73% of the population; ≈90% of mobile users)
• Households relying on cellular-only internet: ~1,700 (≈9%)
• Households with no internet subscription of any kind: ≈12%

How this differs from California overall

• Lower adoption: Smartphone adoption is roughly 8–10 percentage points below the statewide adult average, and overall mobile phone adoption is several points lower as well.
• Slower 5G uptake and availability: 5G service is present primarily along the I‑5 corridor and major towns; residents outside those corridors often remain on LTE. By population, about half of residents have dependable outdoor 5G at their home address, versus the vast majority statewide.
• More cellular-only households but also more unconnected: The share of homes relying solely on cellular for internet is modestly higher than the state average, yet the county also has roughly double the statewide share of homes with no internet at all.
• Performance gap: Typical mobile download speeds countywide are roughly half of California’s median, reflecting network capacity limits and mountainous terrain.
• Coverage disparity by carrier: Verizon and AT&T provide the most consistent rural coverage; T‑Mobile is improving but remains spotty off the main corridors. In urban parts of California, all three tend to be more interchangeable.

Demographic breakdown of mobile use

• Age
  • 18–49: Near-saturation smartphone adoption (≈95%+), comparable to the state.
  • 50–64: High adoption but a few points below state levels (≈85–90%).
  • 65+: Materially lower than state average (≈55–65% use smartphones; many retain basic phones).
• Income and housing
  • Lower-income and rental households show higher reliance on prepaid plans and cellular-only internet, driven by limited wired options and cost sensitivity.
  • Remote and unincorporated communities have the highest rates of no-internet households, which suppresses app-heavy usage even among smartphone owners.
• Race/ethnicity and tribal areas
  • Native residents in and around river canyons and forested valleys (e.g., Karuk country) face the steepest coverage gaps. Targeted buildouts have improved anchor institutions and public-safety connectivity but have not fully closed residential mobile data gaps.
• Workforce and mobility
  • Outdoor, agricultural, and forestry workers rely heavily on voice/SMS in fringe areas where data throughput is inconsistent, a pattern less common in urban California where data-first communication dominates.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• Geography and tower grid
  • Rugged terrain (Klamath Mountains, deep canyons) and very low population density produce a sparse macro-site grid. Coverage clusters around I‑5 towns (Yreka, Weed, Mount Shasta, Dunsmuir), portions of Highway 97, and select valley floors; Highway 96, Scott/Salmon River corridors, and far-northeast plateaus have recurring dead zones.
• 4G/5G footprint
  • 4G LTE is the baseline in most populated areas; low-band 5G is common along I‑5 towns and select segments of 97. Mid-band 5G capacity is limited outside the largest towns; mmWave is effectively absent.
• Backhaul and middle‑mile
  • Fiber backhaul is concentrated along I‑5 and selected telco territories. State middle‑mile expansions are improving redundancy along primary corridors, but last‑mile extensions into canyons remain the bottleneck for both mobile capacity and resilience.
• Power and resiliency
  • In Tier 2/3 fire‑threat areas, backup power requirements have improved uptime, yet multi‑site outages still occur during PSPS events and wildfires due to extended power loss and single‑threaded backhaul. Restoration times are longer than statewide norms.
• Public safety
  • Wireless Emergency Alerts generally reach corridor towns quickly; canyon communities experience delayed or missed alerts when sites are on generator constraints or during fiber cuts, reinforcing the continued reliance on radio and siren systems.

Usage patterns and behavior

• Voice and SMS remain central in fringe areas where data is unreliable, diverging from app‑centric behavior in urban California.
• Data consumption per user is lower than the state average, with more conservative use of video streaming and cloud apps outside town centers.
• Device mix skews slightly older and more budget‑oriented; a nontrivial share of seniors maintain feature phones for voice/SMS only.

Methodological notes behind the estimates

• Population and household counts reflect recent Census/ACS trends for Siskiyou County.
• Smartphone and mobile-user totals combine national adoption by age cohort with the county’s older age structure and rural adoption discounts; teen smartphone adoption aligns with national rates.
• Cellular‑only and no‑internet household shares reflect ACS patterns for rural Northern California counties and local infrastructure constraints.

Bottom line Siskiyou County’s mobile landscape is shaped by sparse infrastructure and challenging terrain, producing lower smartphone adoption, slower 5G availability and speeds, and more uneven carrier parity than California overall. While corridor towns enjoy service closer to statewide norms, remote valleys and fire‑prone areas experience persistent coverage and resiliency gaps that keep voice/SMS prominent, limit data‑heavy behaviors, and sustain a higher share of cellular‑only and unconnected households than the state average.

Siskiyou County, CA — social media snapshot (2024)

Definitive local context

• Population: approximately 43–44k residents (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 estimate; 2020 Census: 44,076).
• Age profile: older than the U.S. average; median age ~47–48 (ACS 2018–2022 5-year).
• Gender split: roughly even (about 50% female, 50% male; ACS).
• Internet access: households with a broadband subscription ~78–82% (ACS S2801; 2018–2022).

Estimated social-media reach and users

• Adults active on at least one social platform: ~60–68% of total population (older, rural profile reduces usage vs. national), or about 26k–29k residents. Among adults only, this equates to roughly 70–78% of adults.
• Daily users: a majority of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat users engage daily; YouTube skews heavy weekly-plus.

Most-used platforms locally (estimated adult penetration; ranges reflect rural- and age-adjusted Pew benchmarks)

• YouTube: 75–80% of adults (≈26–28k adults)
• Facebook: 65–70% (≈22–25k)
• Instagram: 28–34% (≈9–12k)
• TikTok: 20–26% (≈7–9k)
• Pinterest: 24–30% (≈8–10k)
• Snapchat: 12–18% (≈4–6k)
• X (Twitter): 12–16% (≈4–6k)
• LinkedIn: 10–15% (≈3.5–5k)
• Reddit: 10–14% (≈3.5–5k)

Age-group usage (directional, based on Pew age patterns mapped to local demographics)

• Teens (13–17): heavy Snapchat, YouTube, TikTok; lower Facebook. Small share of total residents but high daily time-on-platform.
• Young adults (18–29): near-universal YouTube; strong Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat; Facebook for groups/events, less for posting.
• 30–49: YouTube and Facebook dominant; Instagram moderate; TikTok growing; Pinterest strong among parents and home/lifestyle interests.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram/TikTok selective; Pinterest steady.
• 65+: Facebook primary social channel; YouTube for news/how-to; minimal TikTok/Snapchat.

Gender breakdown among users

• Overall usage is roughly even by gender locally (mirrors county split). Platform skews: women higher on Facebook and Pinterest; men higher on YouTube and Reddit. Instagram and TikTok mixed but trend slightly female.

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural, older California counties (aligned with Siskiyou’s profile)

• Community-first Facebook usage: local groups, city/county pages, school athletics, church/community events, buy/sell/Marketplace activity are core. Engagement spikes during wildfires, winter storms, road closures, and power outages.
• Information utility over entertainment for 50+: Facebook for local news and announcements; YouTube for DIY, home/land management, outdoor skills, and service reviews.
• Younger cohorts split attention: Instagram and TikTok for creators, outdoor recreation, and lifestyle; Snapchat for private messaging; cross-posting to Facebook for event coordination.
• Business usage: small businesses prioritize Facebook Pages and Marketplace; Instagram used for visuals; limited LinkedIn except for healthcare, education, and public-sector recruiting.
• Content cadence: morning and evening engagement peaks; weekend spikes for events and buy/sell threads; seasonal surges during fire season and severe weather.
• Trust dynamics: higher trust in familiar local pages/groups and public-agency accounts; peer recommendations in groups drive local commerce decisions.

Notes on methodology

• Platform percentages are local estimates derived from Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. platform adoption by age/locale, adjusted for Siskiyou’s older, rural demographics (ACS), and constrained by county broadband adoption. Definitive demographics and access data: U.S. Census Bureau/ACS; behavioral patterns align with Pew usage frequency and rural-California emergency communications practice.