Windham County

Windham County, Connecticut — key demographics

Population

• Total population: 116,418 (2020 Decennial Census)
• Note: ACS-based characteristics below reflect 2019–2023 averages

Age

• Median age: ~41.6 years
• Under 18: ~20.8%
• 65 and over: ~18.6%

Sex

• Female: ~50.4%
• Male: ~49.6%

Race and ethnicity (percent of total population)

• White alone: ~88%
• Black or African American alone: ~3–4%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.8–1%
• Asian alone: ~2%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.1%
• Two or more races: ~5%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~15%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~74%

Households and housing

• Number of households: ~44,900
• Average household size: ~2.56
• Family households: ~67% of households
• Married-couple households: ~49% of all households
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~70%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (population count); 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (tables DP05, S1101, S2501).

• Estimated email users: ~94,000 of Windham County’s ~116,000 residents (reflecting near‑universal adult email use and lower use among children).
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–24: ~16,000 (high school/college-driven, ~85–90% adoption)
  • 25–44: ~31,000 (workforce peak, ~95–97%)
  • 45–64: 28,000 (92–95%)
  • 65+: 19,000 (75–85%, growing via telehealth/banking)
• Gender split: 51% female, 49% male population; email use is essentially parity—48,000 women and ~46,000 men using email.
• Digital access and trends:
  • ~85% of households have a fixed broadband subscription; smartphone‑only internet households ~10–15%.
  • Connectivity is improving via cable/fiber builds along major corridors; remaining gaps persist on rural roads where DSL or mobile data is still primary.
  • Mobile 4G/5G covers the vast majority of populated areas; 5G is strongest near larger towns and highways.
• Local density/connectivity context:
  • Population density ~220 people per square mile, far below the Connecticut average, contributing to adoption gaps in the most rural tracts.
  • Lower‑income and low‑density areas show the highest rates of no‑subscription households, which correlates with lower email engagement among seniors and off‑grid workers.

Mobile phone usage in Windham County, Connecticut (2024 snapshot)

Headline user estimates

• Smartphone users: ~84,000 residents (±2,500), or ~86–88% of people age 13+, below the Connecticut average (≈91–92%). This implies roughly 112 mobile subscriptions per 100 residents in the county, versus ≈120–130 statewide.
• Households with at least one smartphone: 90% of ~45,500 households, ~3 percentage points below the statewide rate (93%).
• Households relying on cellular data as their only home internet (“smartphone-/mobile-only”): ~11–12% in Windham County vs ~6–8% statewide. This gap is one of the largest urban–rural differences in Connecticut.
• Prepaid vs postpaid: Prepaid lines account for an estimated 25–30% of active lines in the county, vs ~17–21% statewide, reflecting income mix and patchier credit profiles in rural areas.
• Fixed Wireless Access (FWA, 5G/LTE home internet) adoption: ~7–10% of households countywide vs ~4–6% statewide, concentrated in Willimantic, Putnam, and along I‑395/US‑6 corridors.

Demographic breakdown (ownership and dependence)

• By age
  • 18–34: 97–99% smartphone ownership; ~20% mobile-only internet.
  • 35–64: 88–92% ownership; ~14–18% mobile-only.
  • 65+: 68–74% ownership; ~10–13% mobile-only. Seniors’ ownership is 4–7 points below the state average but trending upward.
• By income
  • < $25k: 80–85% smartphone ownership; 30–35% mobile-only internet.
  • $25k–$75k: 88–92% ownership; 18–22% mobile-only.

  • $75k: 94–97% ownership; 6–9% mobile-only.

• By race/ethnicity (county pattern vs state)
  • Hispanic: 92–95% ownership; 25–30% mobile-only (higher than county average and higher than statewide Hispanic rates).
  • Black: 90–93% ownership; 23–28% mobile-only.
  • White (non‑Hispanic): 87–90% ownership; 9–12% mobile-only.
• Geography within the county
  • Highest smartphone adoption and 5G use: Willimantic (Windham), Putnam, Killingly/Dayville.
  • Lower adoption and greater mobile-only reliance: northern/western rural towns (Ashford, Eastford, Union, Chaplin, Hampton, Scotland, Woodstock), where fixed broadband options are sparser and indoor cellular can be inconsistent.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage
  • 4G LTE: Near-universal coverage on primary roads and in population centers; indoor gaps persist in forested/hilly northern towns.
  • 5G: Population coverage roughly 80–85% countywide vs 95–98% statewide. Land-area coverage is markedly lower (≈50–60% vs ≈80–85% statewide), reflecting fewer macro sites in low-density areas.
• Speeds and reliability
  • Median mobile download: ~40–60 Mbps countywide (statewide median ~85–110 Mbps). Where mid-band 5G (2.5 GHz/C‑Band) is active, peak user speeds of 150–300 Mbps are common; LTE-only pockets see 10–40 Mbps with higher latency.
  • Performance is strongest along I‑395, CT‑2, US‑6, and US‑44 corridors and in town centers; weakest indoors in fringe coverage zones to the north and along the MA/RI borders.
• Network build and backhaul
  • Carriers: AT&T (including FirstNet Band 14), Verizon (C‑Band), and T‑Mobile (2.5 GHz) operate countywide with co‑located sites on shared towers. Tower density per 10,000 residents is lower than the state average, which contributes to coverage variability.
  • Upgrades since 2021 have focused on adding mid‑band 5G radios to existing towers and limited small‑cell deployments in denser blocks of Willimantic and Putnam. Fiber backhaul is strongest along major routes; off‑corridor sectors rely more on microwave or legacy backhaul, limiting capacity.
• Public safety and resilience
  • FirstNet coverage is solid along major corridors and in towns, with known rural blind spots; carrier roaming across state lines (MA, RI) is common near the borders during incidents.

How Windham County differs from the rest of Connecticut

• More mobile dependence: A meaningfully higher share of households rely on cellular data as their primary or only home internet (≈11–12% vs 6–8% statewide). FWA adoption is also higher, substituting for limited or costly fixed-broadband options.
• Slightly lower device penetration: Household smartphone presence and adult smartphone ownership trail the state by 2–5 percentage points, with the gap largest among seniors and lower‑income residents.
• Slower median speeds and less uniform 5G: Mid‑band 5G coverage and median speeds are lower and more uneven than the statewide norm; users experience a sharper town‑to‑town divide between “5G‑fast” and “LTE‑only” service.
• Higher prepaid share: A larger portion of users are on prepaid plans, reflecting price sensitivity and coverage-shopping across carriers.
• Coverage variability: Indoor reliability remains a pain point in sparsely populated, wooded northern towns despite good road coverage—an issue less pronounced in Connecticut’s suburban counties.

Method and sources

• Estimates synthesized from: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (2018–2022, S2801: Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions), Pew Research Center (smartphone ownership and mobile reliance, 2023–2024), FCC Broadband Data Collection (mobile coverage filings, 2023), carrier public 5G/C‑Band disclosures, and independent speed-test aggregates for Connecticut (2024). Figures are county-level estimates benchmarked against Connecticut averages; ± ranges reflect typical ACS margins of error and rural variation.

Windham County, CT social media snapshot (2024)

Population and access

• Population: ≈116,500 (ACS 2019–2023). About 80% are 18+, or ≈93,000 adults.
• Broadband: 86% of households have a broadband subscription (ACS 2019–2023).
• Adult social media users: ≈72% of adults use at least one platform, or ≈67,000 people (Pew Research Center, 2024).

Most‑used platforms among adults (Percentages are U.S. adult usage from Pew Research Center 2024; counts apply those rates to Windham County’s ≈93,000 adults.)

• YouTube: 83% (~77k)
• Facebook: 68% (~63k)
• Instagram: 47% (~44k)
• Pinterest: 35% (~33k)
• TikTok: 33% (~31k)
• Snapchat: 30% (~28k)
• LinkedIn: 30% (~28k)
• Reddit: 22% (~20k)
• X (Twitter): 22% (~20k)
• WhatsApp: 21% (~20k)
• Nextdoor: 20% (~19k)

Age groups

• 18–29: Highest penetration (roughly 90%+ use at least one platform). Heaviest on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat.
• 30–49: ~80–85% use social media. Facebook, YouTube, Instagram are primary; LinkedIn rises in this group.
• 50–64: ~70–75% use social media. Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest and Nextdoor see steady use.
• 65+: ~45–50% use social media. Mostly Facebook and YouTube; some Pinterest and Nextdoor. Windham’s comparatively older share (about 19% 65+) slightly pulls overall penetration down versus more urban CT counties.

Gender breakdown

• Population split is near even (≈50/50). Overall social media use is similar by gender.
• Platform skews: women over‑index on Facebook, Instagram, and especially Pinterest (women ~50% vs men ~18% on Pinterest nationally). Men over‑index on YouTube, Reddit, X, and LinkedIn.

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Facebook is the community hub: town groups, school/booster and PTA pages, events, buy/sell/Marketplace, municipal updates, and local alerts.
• Short‑form video wins attention: Instagram Reels and TikTok drive discovery for local restaurants, events, and small businesses; creator collaborations and geo‑tagged clips outperform static posts.
• YouTube is utility‑driven: DIY, trades, home/auto repair, outdoors, and local sports highlights get high watch time.
• Snapchat is messaging‑centric among teens/college‑age residents (Eastern CT State University proximity), used for daily communication and local event sharing.
• Nextdoor adoption is modest but meaningful for neighborhood watch, lost & found, contractor referrals, and town‑service chatter.
• Messaging apps (Messenger, WhatsApp) support family/community coordination; WhatsApp use is more common among Hispanic/Latino households.
• Posting vs. lurking: a minority of users create most posts; the majority consume, react, and share—favoring clear calls‑to‑action (e.g., event RSVPs, Marketplace listings).
• Timing: engagement peaks mornings (7–9 a.m.) and evenings (7–10 p.m.), with weekend mid‑day spikes on Facebook/Marketplace; Reels/TikTok perform well late evening.

Notes on sources and method

• Demographics and broadband: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (2019–2023).
• Platform penetration: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024.
• Local counts are approximations derived by applying Pew’s U.S. adult usage rates to Windham County’s adult population.