Yolo County

Yolo County, California — Key Demographics (latest available estimates, primarily 2023 ACS 1-year)

Population size

• Total population: ~221,000

Age

• Median age: ~31
• Age distribution: Under 18: ~17%; 18–24: ~22%; 25–44: ~31%; 45–64: ~17%; 65+: ~13%

Gender (sex at birth)

• Male: ~50%
• Female: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition

• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~33%
• White, non-Hispanic: ~41%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~16%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~3%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~5%
• Other non-Hispanic groups (American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, Some Other Race): ~2%

Household data

• Households: ~74,000
• Average household size: ~2.8
• Family households: ~57% of households
• Married-couple households: ~42% of households
• Households with own children under 18: ~29%
• Tenure: ~50% owner-occupied, ~50% renter-occupied

Insights

• The county skews younger than the state and nation, driven by the UC Davis student population (elevated 18–24 share and renter occupancy).
• Diversity is high, with large Hispanic/Latino and Asian populations alongside a plurality of non-Hispanic White residents.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 1-year estimates (and recent 5-year where noted).

Email usage in Yolo County, CA (modeled from 2023 Census/ACS and 2024 Pew adoption rates)

• Estimated users: ~152,000 adult email users. Method: ~174,000 adults × ~87–88% of adults who use email (email use among U.S. internet users is near-universal; adult internet adoption ~95%).
• Age distribution (of adult email users): 18–24 ≈22%; 25–44 ≈36%; 45–64 ≈26%; 65+ ≈16%. Yolo skews younger due to UC Davis, so a larger share falls in 18–34 than the U.S. average.
• Gender split: Roughly even (about 50–51% female, 49–50% male), mirroring the county’s adult population.
• Digital access trends: About 9 in 10 Yolo households have a broadband subscription (ACS S2801), with very high device access (smartphone/laptop penetration typical of California). A meaningful minority are smartphone‑only for home internet, reflecting student and lower‑income households. Fixed broadband is strongest along the I‑80/CA‑113 corridor (West Sacramento–Davis–Woodland); rural communities (e.g., Capay Valley, Clarksburg) show greater reliance on mobile data and lower fixed-speed tiers.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Population ~222,000 over ~1,015 sq mi ⇒ ~219 people per sq mi. Most residents live in the urban corridor, where multiple ISPs offer cable/fiber; agricultural west and delta areas have sparser infrastructure and longer last‑mile runs.

Mobile phone usage in Yolo County, California — 2025 snapshot

Executive estimate of users

• Total residents: ≈222,000 (2023 estimate)
• Estimated smartphone users: 190,000–200,000 residents (≈87–90% of total population), reflecting very high uptake among ages 18–34 and somewhat lower uptake among 65+
• Adult (18+) smartphone penetration: approximately 91–94%, marginally above the California average due to Yolo’s younger, more highly educated population
• Households with at least one smartphone: roughly 92–95%
• Households relying on a cellular data plan as their primary internet connection: approximately 12–15%, slightly higher than the statewide share (≈10–12%)

How Yolo County differs from California overall

• Younger age profile, higher education: An unusually large 18–34 population anchored by UC Davis (≈39,000 students) pushes mobile adoption and app-based behaviors higher than the state average, especially for mobile banking, rideshare, food delivery, and campus/community apps
• More mobile-only households: A larger share of students and renters translates to a higher prevalence of cellular-only internet households than the California average
• Larger urban–rural performance gap: City cores (Davis, Woodland, West Sacramento) see strong 5G and mid-band capacity, while western foothills (Capay Valley and adjacent tracts), delta islands (near Clarksburg), and parts of Dunnigan experience patchier service and more LTE fallback than typical in California’s predominantly urban counties
• Pricing mix: A higher-than-average tilt toward prepaid and MVNO plans among students and lower-income renters, coupled with robust postpaid/5G device uptake among university staff and professionals

Demographic and usage breakdown (directional impacts)

• Age:
  • 18–34: About 35% of residents (vs ≈27% statewide) with near-saturated smartphone ownership; heavy reliance on unlimited data and campus Wi‑Fi offload
  • 35–64: Strong smartphone ownership, but usage splits between postpaid family plans and work-provided devices
  • 65+: Smaller share than statewide, but growing; smartphone adoption trails younger cohorts, leading to a modest countywide dip relative to its otherwise high usage
• Housing and income:
  • Higher renter share concentrated in Davis and West Sacramento correlates with more mobile-centric connectivity and MVNO uptake
  • Median household income trails the state due to the student population, which increases price sensitivity and plan shopping while sustaining high smartphone penetration
• Language and ethnicity:
  • A sizable Latino population and multilingual households sustain high WhatsApp and messaging-app usage; mobile-first communication norms are pronounced in multigenerational households

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage and technology:
  • 5G (mid-band) widely available in Davis, Woodland, and West Sacramento from AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon; mmWave is limited to a few dense nodes and venues
  • 4G LTE effectively blankets the I‑80, I‑5, and SR‑113 corridors and city cores; coverage thins with terrain shielding in the western hills and some river-adjacent areas
  • FirstNet Band 14 (AT&T) improves public-safety reliability across the main corridors and town centers
• Capacity and speeds:
  • City cores typically achieve 5G median downloads in the low- to mid‑hundreds of Mbps on T‑Mobile mid-band and Verizon/AT&T C‑band; LTE in rural tracts can drop to tens of Mbps with higher variability
  • Event-driven congestion is material around UC Davis during peak campus periods and large events, with small-cell and sector-splitting mitigating but not eliminating slowdowns
• Backhaul and anchor institutions:
  • UC Davis and county anchor institutions are tied into CENIC/CalREN and regional long‑haul fiber along I‑80 and I‑5, supporting dense small-cell deployments and rapid 5G upgrades in urban clusters
  • Public Wi‑Fi is widely available on campus and in civic facilities, contributing to heavy Wi‑Fi offload among students and staff

Key takeaways

• Yolo County’s mobile ecosystem is more youth- and campus-driven than the state average, raising overall smartphone use and accelerating uptake of 5G-capable devices in city cores
• The county exhibits a distinctly higher share of cellular-only households than the state, driven by students and renters
• Urban areas perform in line with or better than statewide norms for 5G mid-band, while the rural west and delta-edge communities face more pronounced coverage and capacity gaps than the California average
• Seasonal and event-driven demand spikes near UC Davis shape network planning more than in comparable California counties without a large residential campus

Notes on estimates

• User counts are derived from the county’s population profile (ACS-like age distribution), age-specific smartphone adoption rates from recent national/state research, and observed urban–rural infrastructure patterns; household cellular-only figures reflect ACS-style subscription mix patterns adjusted for Yolo’s student/renter concentrations. These yield conservative point estimates and narrow ranges appropriate for county planning and market sizing.

Here’s a concise, data-grounded snapshot of social media usage in Yolo County, California, with local insights anchored to current, authoritative U.S. usage statistics and the county’s distinctive demographics (large student base centered on UC Davis, suburban family communities in Woodland and West Sacramento, and about one-third Hispanic/Latino population).

Most-used platforms (U.S. adult usage; Pew Research Center 2024, indicative of relative share locally)

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~50%
• TikTok: ~33%
• Snapchat: ~30%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• Pinterest: ~34%
• WhatsApp: ~29%
• X (Twitter): ~27%
• Reddit: ~22%
• Nextdoor: ~20%

Local platform landscape and likely rank in Yolo (based on the county’s age mix and context)

• Very high: YouTube, Instagram, Facebook
• High (student-driven): TikTok, Snapchat
• Above national average locally: Nextdoor (neighborhoods in Woodland, Davis, West Sacramento), LinkedIn (university/professional density), WhatsApp (international students and bilingual households)
• Niche but active: Reddit (e.g., r/UCDavis), X (civic alerts, local reporters)

Age-group usage patterns (how the audience breaks down and behaves)

• 18–24 (large cohort, UC Davis): Heavy on Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat; YouTube for how-tos and lectures; Facebook primarily for Groups/Marketplace (housing, rideshares); Reddit for campus life; late-afternoon/evening peaks; high event-driven posting (e.g., Picnic Day, move-in).
• 25–34: Instagram/TikTok for local food and experiences; LinkedIn for career; WhatsApp for international networks; Facebook for Groups/Marketplace; YouTube for fitness and DIY; weekend planning content performs well.
• 35–54: Facebook and YouTube dominant; Instagram secondary; Nextdoor for neighborhood updates and school info; highest engagement with local government, school districts, and nonprofit causes.
• 55+: Facebook and YouTube primary; Nextdoor for safety/municipal services; lower TikTok/Snapchat adoption; prefers clear, utility-oriented posts.

Gender differences (consistent with current national usage patterns, reflected locally)

• Women: Higher likelihood of using Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest; higher participation in parenting/school groups, local events, and buy/sell communities.
• Men: Higher likelihood of using YouTube, Reddit, and X; more participation in tech, sports, cars, cycling/outdoor forums; strong engagement with local news and emergency updates.

Behavioral trends and content preferences in Yolo County

• Community-first behavior: Facebook Groups and Nextdoor drive hyperlocal discourse (schools, city services, safety, lost/found pets, farmer’s market updates).
• Student-driven virality: TikTok and Instagram Reels amplify campus culture, dining, housing, and sustainability content; short vertical video outperforms static posts.
• Discovery and planning: YouTube for tutorials and long-form explainers; Instagram for local dining, thrift/secondhand, trails; Marketplace is a key utility channel for furniture and bikes.
• Civic and emergency info: Facebook and X carry real-time updates during wildfire smoke, heat advisories, and traffic/river issues; official city/county pages see spikes during incidents.
• Bilingual communication: English/Spanish content improves reach and trust (Woodland, West Sacramento, and parts of Davis); WhatsApp helps community groups and small businesses coordinate.
• Academic/professional tilt: LinkedIn usage is stronger than typical for a county this size due to university, healthcare, and ag-tech employers; recruitment and research storytelling perform well.

User stats (what to expect locally, grounded in current benchmarks)

• Overall social media adoption among adults in Yolo is high given the youth skew and university presence; expect countywide adult social media reach to be at or slightly above U.S. norms (i.e., a strong majority of adults using at least one platform, with near-universal usage among ages 18–29).
• Platform concentration is bifurcated: youth attention clusters on Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat; families and older adults concentrate on Facebook/YouTube/Nextdoor; LinkedIn over-indexes relative to typical counties due to UC Davis.

Practical implications

• To reach the student market: prioritize TikTok and Instagram Reels; post late afternoons/evenings; leverage campus calendar spikes (orientation, move-in, midterms/finals, Picnic Day).
• To reach families and homeowners: focus Facebook and Nextdoor with service-oriented updates, school/community content, and local offers; early morning and early evening slots perform best.
• For countywide reach and education: use YouTube for how-to and public-information series; cross-post short cuts to Instagram/TikTok; ensure English/Spanish parity on critical updates.

Sources and basis

• Platform percentages: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adults).
• Local context: American Community Survey (recent years) for Yolo’s age/ethnic profile; UC Davis enrollment and regional employment mix (healthcare, education, ag-tech) to explain platform skews.
• Insights reflect the intersection of these datasets with observed behaviors typical of university-centered counties.