Ohio County

Ohio County, Indiana – key demographics (latest official data; sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5‑year estimates)

Population size

• Total population: 5,940 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: 44.6 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: 22.6%
• 18 to 64: 57.6%
• 65 and over: 19.8%

Gender

• Female: 49.9%
• Male: 50.1%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone: 94.8%
• Black or African American alone: 0.3%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 0.3%
• Asian alone: 0.2%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.0%
• Some other race alone: 0.4%
• Two or more races: 4.0%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 1.6%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 93.7% (2020 Census race/ethnicity statistics)

Households and families (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: 2,430
• Average household size: 2.43
• Family households: 67% of households
• Married-couple families: 55% of households
• Nonfamily households: 33%
• One-person households: 26%
• Households with children under 18: 27%
• Householders living alone age 65+: 11%

Insights

• Smallest population of any Indiana county, with a mature age profile (median age mid‑40s; about one in five residents 65+).
• Predominantly White, with small but present multiracial and Hispanic populations.
• Household structure is family-oriented, but over one-quarter of households are individuals living alone; average household size is modest.

Ohio County, IN at a glance

• Population: ≈5,900 (2023); area ≈87 sq mi; density ≈68 residents/sq mi. Smallest Indiana county by area and population.
• Estimated email users: ≈4,500 (≈76% of residents; ≈92% of adults).
• Age distribution of email users (share; ≈count): • 13–17: 6% (270) • 18–29: 14% (630) • 30–49: 32% (1,440) • 50–64: 26% (1,170) • 65+: 22% (~990) Adoption is near-universal among adults under 65 and slightly lower for seniors, reflecting the county’s older-leaning age mix.
• Gender split among email users: ~51% female, ~49% male (mirrors local population).
• Digital access trends: • ~79% of households have a broadband subscription; ~12% are smartphone‑only internet households. • Fixed broadband (≥25/3 Mbps) is available to >95% of addresses; ≥100/20 Mbps coverage is substantial along primary corridors and in/near Rising Sun, with ongoing fiber build‑outs. • Mobile 4G/LTE coverage is effectively county‑wide; 5G present along major routes. • Adoption gaps persist among lower‑income and 65+ households; libraries and schools remain key access points.

Overall: email is a mature, near‑universal channel for adults, with usage concentrated in the 30–64 cohort and constrained primarily by pockets of limited home broadband adoption.

Mobile phone usage in Ohio County, Indiana — summary with county-focused insights and differences from the Indiana statewide picture

User base and usage estimates

• Population base: 5,940 residents (2020 Census).
• Modeled mobile connections: approximately 7,000–8,200 active cellular connections in the county at any time, reflecting multiple devices per person (phones, watches, tablets) and business lines. This implies roughly 1.2–1.4 mobile connections per resident, below typical urban ratios but consistent with rural counties with older age profiles.
• Modeled adult smartphone users: approximately 3,700–4,200 adults regularly using smartphones. This reflects strong adoption among working-age adults and lower uptake among seniors.

Demographic breakdown shaping usage

• Age: Ohio County has an older age profile than Indiana overall, which depresses smartphone adoption among residents 65+. Usage among 18–44 is high and broadly in line with the state; the 65+ segment shows a materially higher share of basic/voice-first subscriptions or shared devices versus Indiana averages.
• Income and affordability: Lower median household income than the state average leads to:
  • Higher prevalence of budget and prepaid plans.
  • More device longevity and slower upgrade cycles, with a noticeable tail of LTE-only handsets compared with metro Indiana.
• Work and commute patterns: With fewer large employers in-county, residents commuting to the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky metro carry regional carrier mixes; cross-river roaming areas and tower selection can affect perceived reliability and speeds, especially on river bluffs and valleys.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Radio access:
  • All three national carriers provide county coverage, but 5G is predominantly low-band for wide-area reach; mid-band 5G capacity is concentrated near population centers (Rising Sun, primary corridors) and is patchier in outlying areas than statewide patterns.
  • Capacity is constrained at peak times due to a smaller number of sectorized sites per square mile relative to urban Indiana counties, which shows up as lower median 5G and LTE throughput and quicker fallbacks to LTE in fringe areas.
• Backhaul and core:
  • Fewer fiber-fed macro sites than state average; microwave backhaul is still present on some sites, affecting peak throughput variability compared with the fiber-dense builds seen around Indianapolis and larger Indiana metros.
• Fixed-wireless reliance:
  • A higher share of households rely on cellular data plans for home internet than the state average, driven by limited cable/fiber footprints outside the county seat. This increases household data-plan sizes and hotspot use relative to urban counties.
• Emergency coverage:
  • E911 and FirstNet Band 14 coverage is present along main corridors, but in-building coverage in older structures and in some hollow/valley areas is less consistent than the statewide norm; public-safety and school facilities deploy boosters more often than in metro Indiana.

How Ohio County trends differ from Indiana statewide

• Smartphone adoption is high but modestly lower than the state average due to the older age mix; upgrade cycles are longer, leaving a higher-than-average share of LTE-only devices in use.
• Greater dependence on cellular for primary home internet than Indiana overall, reflecting more limited wired broadband in rural tracts.
• 5G availability is broad in footprint but narrower in capacity: low-band coverage is comparable to the state, while mid-band density and median 5G speeds trail state averages.
• Network capacity per capita is lower than in urban Indiana counties because of fewer sites and less fiberized backhaul; this manifests as more frequent speed dips at peak times.
• Plan mix skews toward prepaid and value tiers more than statewide, with multi-line family plans common to manage costs; this affects average revenue per user and device upgrade cadence relative to Indiana averages.

Notes on sources and method

• Population is from the U.S. Census (2020).
• Usage figures are modeled county-level estimates derived from rural Indiana adoption patterns, carrier build characteristics in small-population counties, and known differences in age structure and wired broadband availability. They are intended to quantify the scale and direction of differences versus statewide conditions.

Ohio County, IN — social media usage snapshot (modeled to 2025)

How this was built

• Baseline population: ~5,900 residents; ~4,650 adults 18+ (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS).
• Platform adoption rates: Pew Research Center, 2023 national adult usage by platform and by age/gender, applied to the county’s adult base to produce local estimates.

Most‑used platforms among adults (share of adults; estimated users)

• YouTube: 83% (~3,850 adults)
• Facebook: 68% (~3,150)
• Instagram: 47% (~2,200)
• Pinterest: 35% (~1,650)
• TikTok: 33% (~1,550)
• LinkedIn: 30% (~1,400)
• Snapchat: 27% (~1,250)
• X/Twitter: 23% (~1,050)
• WhatsApp: 21% (~1,000)
• Reddit: 18% (~850)

Age-group usage patterns (Pew adult benchmarks; local mix skews older, so expect heavier Facebook/YouTube, lighter TikTok/Snapchat than national averages)

• 18–29: YouTube ~93%; Instagram ~76%; Snapchat ~62%; TikTok ~62%; Facebook ~67%.
• 30–49: YouTube ~92%; Facebook ~75%; Instagram ~49%; TikTok ~39%; Snapchat ~25%.
• 50–64: YouTube ~83%; Facebook ~73%; Instagram ~29%; TikTok ~24%; Snapchat ~12%.
• 65+: YouTube ~49–51%; Facebook ~58%; Instagram ~13%; TikTok ~10%; Snapchat ~4%. Local implication: A greater share of active users are 30+; teens/young adults cluster on Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok, while 50+ cluster on Facebook and YouTube.

Gender breakdown by platform (user skew; applies locally)

• Pinterest: strongly female (~70%+ of users female).
• Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok: slight female skews.
• Reddit: male‑skewed (roughly two‑thirds male).
• LinkedIn and X/Twitter: modest male skews. Local implication: Women 25–54 are a core audience on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest; men 30–64 over‑index on YouTube and Reddit.

Behavioral trends in a small, rural county context

• Facebook is the community hub: school and county updates, churches, youth sports, festivals, and emergency/weather alerts via Pages and Groups; Marketplace is the primary P2P commerce channel.
• YouTube powers DIY and trades: home repair, small‑engine fixes, hunting/fishing, gardening; high watch time among men 35–64.
• Instagram is visual storefronts: local retailers, restaurants, salons, and artisans use Reels/Stories; cross‑posted to Facebook for reach.
• TikTok and Snapchat are youth engagement: used heavily for entertainment and direct messaging among teens/young adults; TikTok posting is lighter than viewing.
• Pinterest drives household purchases: recipes, crafts, home projects influencing in‑store buys; strongest among women 25–54.
• X/Twitter is niche: live sports chatter and severe‑weather/transport updates; limited local posting.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is default; WhatsApp usage is modest.
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (7–9 pm) and weekends; Facebook Groups/Marketplace show consistent daytime activity.

Notes

• Figures are modeled estimates for Ohio County adults by applying Pew Research Center’s 2023 U.S. platform adoption rates (overall and by age/gender) to the county’s 2023 adult population (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS). They reflect likely local magnitudes and platform rankings given Ohio County’s older, rural profile. Sources: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2023; Pew Research Center, Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023; U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Community Survey.