Steuben County

Steuben County, Indiana — key demographics

Population size

• 34,435 (2020 Census)

Age (ACS 2019–2023)

• Median age: ~42 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender (ACS 2019–2023)

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2019–2023; Hispanic is any race)

• White: ~94%
• Black or African American: ~1%
• Asian: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: <1%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%

Households and housing (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~13,500
• Average household size: ~2.4–2.5
• Family households: ~64% of households
• Owner-occupied: ~78% of occupied units; renter-occupied: ~22%
• Total housing units: ~22,000
• Vacant units: high due to seasonal/recreational homes around area lakes (vacancy roughly one-third of units)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Insights: The county is older than the U.S. median, overwhelmingly White, with a large seasonal housing stock that drives a high vacancy rate relative to households.

Email usage in Steuben County, Indiana (2025 estimate)

• Estimated email users: ~27,300 residents.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: 6%
  • 18–29: 17%
  • 30–49: 32%
  • 50–64: 26%
  • 65+: 20%
• Gender split among users: ~50% female, ~50% male.

How this was derived:

• 2020 Census population ~34,400; adults comprise most residents. Applying widely observed U.S. email adoption rates by age (Pew/industry research: ~95% for 18–49, ~92% for 50–64, ~85% for 65+, ~75% for 13–17) to Steuben’s age mix yields ~27.3k users.

Digital access and trends:

• Households: ~14,000; population density ~111 people/sq mi across ~309 sq mi of land.
• Internet access: Household broadband subscription is broadly in the mid–high 80% range in NE Indiana; Steuben tracks closely, with most households having a computer or smartphone and an internet subscription.
• Connectivity pattern: Densest, fastest options cluster around Angola, Fremont, Ashley, and the I‑69/US‑20 corridors; rural and lake-area pockets rely more on DSL, fixed wireless, or cable where available. Ongoing fiber buildouts via utilities/ISPs and Indiana’s Next Level Connections grants are expanding 100+ Mbps service and reducing gaps.
• Mobile access: 4G LTE is countywide; 5G covers most populated corridors, supporting email access for mobile‑only users.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Steuben County, Indiana

Scope and sources

• Figures are modeled from the 2020 Census and 2023 Census estimates, ACS S2801 (computer and internet use), Pew Research smartphone ownership (2023), state-level wireless-only estimates, and FCC coverage data through 2023. Values are rounded for clarity.

Population context

• Residents: 34,435 (2020 Census); ~34,800 (2023 est.)
• Households: ~13,800–14,100
• Adults (18+): ~26,500–27,000

User estimates (people and households)

• Adult mobile phone users: ~25,300–25,800 (about 95% of adults)
• Adult smartphone users: ~23,300–24,000 (about 88–90% of adults; slightly below Indiana’s urbanized average but in line with rural counties)
• Households with a cellular data plan (any mobile device): ~10,500–11,000 (roughly 74–78% of households)
• Smartphone-only internet households (no fixed home broadband): ~2,000–2,500 (about 14–18% of households), a few percentage points higher than the statewide share, reflecting more limited wired broadband in rural and lake areas

Demographic usage patterns

• Age
  • Steuben skews older than the state: approximately 19% of residents are 65+ (vs ~16–17% for Indiana overall).
  • Senior smartphone adoption is correspondingly lower: locally ~75–80% among 65+ vs ~82–85% statewide, contributing to slightly lower overall smartphone penetration.
• Youth and college influence
  • Trine University in Angola raises smartphone and high-data use among 18–24-year-olds to near-saturation (>95%), offsetting the county’s older profile in the city of Angola.
• Income and education
  • Median household income trends modestly below the Indiana average, and bachelor’s attainment is a few points lower than the state; both correlate with:
    • A higher share of prepaid plans and budget Android devices
    • A higher likelihood of smartphone-only home internet reliance than statewide averages
• Rurality
  • More residents live in low-density or seasonal-lake neighborhoods than the state average, which is associated with greater variability in signal quality and heavier summer peaks in mobile data usage.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Network presence
  • All three national operators (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) provide countywide service. Low-band 5G covers most populated corridors; mid-band 5G is strongest along I-69, Angola, and Fremont, with LTE fallback common around lakes and in pockets of state park and wooded areas.
• Capacity and seasonality
  • Traffic spikes seasonally due to lake tourism (e.g., Lake James chain, Pokagon State Park). Congestion is most likely on summer weekends and event days, a more pronounced pattern than the state overall.
• Backhaul and broadband interplay
  • Fiber backbones follow I-69/US-20 corridors, while several rural and lake-adjacent zones rely on older copper or fixed wireless, which drives higher smartphone-only dependency and mobile hotspot use than state averages.
• Public safety and 911
  • Wireless E911 is fully supported via Indiana’s IN911 network; location accuracy is generally strong in towns and along highways, with modest degradation in heavy-forest or lake-basin areas typical of rural topography.
• Cross-border dynamics
  • Proximity to Michigan and Ohio means occasional network handoffs near the borders; this does not affect domestic billing but can impact device-selected bands and perceived performance.

How Steuben County differs from Indiana overall

• Slightly lower overall and senior smartphone adoption, driven by an older age structure.
• Higher smartphone-only household share and heavier reliance on mobile hotspots due to patchier wired broadband options in rural and lake communities.
• More pronounced seasonal demand swings (summer tourism) that strain capacity compared with the statewide norm.
• Greater coverage variability tied to terrain and water features; urban Indiana counties see denser, more uniform mid-band 5G.
• A local youth/college pocket (Angola/Trine) with very high adoption and data use, creating intra-county contrasts that are less visible in the statewide aggregate.

Key takeaways

• Expect near-universal mobile phone ownership among adults and high—but not maximum—smartphone penetration countywide, with seniors lagging the state.
• Mobile networks shoulder a larger share of home internet needs than the statewide average, especially in rural and lake areas.
• Infrastructure is broadly strong along major corridors and in Angola, with targeted capacity needs around lakes and during peak tourism months.

Social media usage – Steuben County, Indiana (2025 snapshot)

Scope and basis

• Population baseline: ~34,500 residents; ~27,300 adults (18+). Gender is roughly even (about 49–51% split).
• There is no official platform-by-county dataset; figures below are modeled estimates for Steuben County using Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. adoption rates applied to local demographics (overlapping users across platforms).

Most-used platforms (adults 18+) — estimated share and users

• YouTube: 83% of adults (22,700 users)
• Facebook: 68% (18,600)
• Instagram: 47% (12,800)
• TikTok: 33% (9,000)
• Snapchat: 30% (8,200)
• Pinterest: 30% (8,200)
• X (Twitter): 22% (6,000)
• Reddit: 22% (6,000)
• LinkedIn: 20% (5,500) Note: Percentages reflect “use” (ever/typical use), not exclusive reach; totals overlap.

Teens (13–17) — platform snapshot

• Teen population: ≈2,000.
• Estimated usage (Pew teen benchmarks applied locally): YouTube 93% (1,860), TikTok 63% (1,260), Snapchat 60% (1,200), Instagram 59% (1,180), Facebook 33% (660).

Age-group patterns (who uses what most)

• 13–17: Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube dominate; Instagram strong; Facebook secondary (used mainly for events/teams via parents).
• 18–29: Near-universal YouTube/Instagram; TikTok and Snapchat heavy daily use; Facebook primarily for Marketplace/groups and family.
• 30–49: Facebook (groups, Marketplace) + YouTube are core; Instagram growing; Pinterest usage notable among women.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube lead; Pinterest common; TikTok/Instagram adoption rising but still secondary.
• 65+: Facebook and YouTube anchor usage; other platforms are niche.

Gender breakdown (local user mix inferred from U.S. skews)

• Overall social user base: near 50/50 in Steuben County.
• Platform skews:
  • More female: Pinterest (heavily), Facebook (slight), Instagram (slight).
  • More male: Reddit (strong), X/Twitter (moderate), LinkedIn (slight).

Behavioral trends (local context)

• Facebook is the default “town square”: heavy reliance on Groups (lakes communities such as Lake James/Coldwater/Jimmerson/Clear Lake, schools/athletics, county/city notices), and Marketplace for person-to-person sales.
• Video-first consumption: Short vertical video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) drives discovery and shareability; how-to, home/boat/DIY, outdoors, and local events perform best.
• Seasonal peaks: Summer lake season (Pokagon State Park, marinas, rentals, real estate) boosts Instagram/TikTok and YouTube content; school-year periods boost Facebook group activity and Snapchat among teens.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger is the common default across ages; Snapchat is the primary peer-to-peer channel for teens and college students (Trine University). WhatsApp remains niche.
• Local commerce: Facebook and Google Business Profiles drive discovery; Instagram Reels and TikTok increasingly used by small businesses (food/coffee, marinas, outfitters, realtors) for reach; reviews and word-of-mouth in groups materially impact outcomes.

Key takeaways

• Reach: Expect ~22–23k adult YouTube users and ~18–19k adult Facebook users; these two anchor reach across all ages.
• Youth attention: Teens and 18–29s concentrate on TikTok/Snapchat/Instagram; short-form video is essential.
• Community activation: Facebook Groups and Marketplace are critical for local awareness, events, and sales.
• Gender targeting: Pinterest is a high-yield channel for women 25–54; Reddit/X better for male-skewed audiences; Facebook/Instagram are broadly mixed.

Sources and method

• Modeled from Pew Research Center social media adoption (2023–2024) and U.S. Census/ACS demographics applied to Steuben County’s population. Figures are estimates; overlaps across platforms mean counts are not additive.