Knox County

Knox County, Maine — Key Demographics

Population

• Total population: 40,607 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~49.9 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Age distribution: under 18: ~18%; 18–24: ~6%; 25–44: ~23%; 45–64: ~28%; 65+: ~25% (ACS 2019–2023)

Gender

• Female: ~51.1%
• Male: ~48.9% (ACS 2019–2023)

Race and Ethnicity (share of total population)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~94–95%
• Black or African American: ~0.7–0.8%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.5–0.6%
• Asian: ~0.6–0.7%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~1.5–2% (ACS 2019–2023)

Households and Housing

• Households: ~18,700
• Average household size: ~2.16
• Family households: ~58%; nonfamily households: ~42%
• Owner-occupied housing: ~74%; renter-occupied: ~26% (ACS 2019–2023)

Insights

• Older age structure versus national average, with about one-quarter aged 65+
• Small household sizes and high homeownership typical of coastal Maine counties
• Racial/ethnic composition is predominantly non-Hispanic White with small but growing multiracial and Hispanic/Latino populations

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates.

Knox County, ME has about 41,000 residents and an estimated 32,000 email users (≈79% of residents). Age distribution of email users (est.):

• 13–17: 7%
• 18–34: 19%
• 35–54: 30%
• 55–64: 18%
• 65+: 27% Gender split mirrors the population: ~51% female, 49% male.

Digital access and usage:

• ~92% of households have a computer.
• ~86% have a broadband internet subscription (any type).
• ~11% are smartphone-only (cell data plan without home wired broadband).
• ~13% have no home internet subscription. Email use is routine among connected adults; older residents participate widely but at slightly lower rates than midlife groups.

Local density and connectivity:

• Population density is roughly 112 people per square mile (land area).
• Broadband is strongest in Rockland, Camden, Thomaston, and along US‑1, with cable and expanding fiber delivering 100–1000 Mbps.
• Outer peninsulas and island towns (e.g., Vinalhaven, North Haven, Matinicus) show more variable service and greater reliance on fixed wireless or satellite. Trend: steady growth in fiber availability and modest rise in smartphone‑only reliance among lower‑income and seasonal households.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Knox County, Maine (as of 2024–2025)

Headline figures

• Population baseline: 41,100–41,300 residents (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimate; 2020 Census was 40,607).
• Estimated smartphone users: about 32,000 residents, or roughly 77–79% of the total population. This estimate is derived by applying recent Pew Research smartphone ownership rates by age group to Knox County’s older age structure (details below).
• Estimated total mobile connections in use (phones, tablets, IoT): 52,000–56,000, assuming roughly 1.25–1.35 wireless connections per resident in a rural/coastal county (below the national ~1.48 connections per capita).
• Households: ≈18,000. Adults living in wireless-only (no landline) households are estimated at 52–58% in Knox, modestly below Maine’s statewide wireless-only share, reflecting the county’s older population and decent in-town fixed-broadband options.

Demographic breakdown of usage (modeled)

• Age profile matters: Knox County skews older (about 26% aged 65+, versus ~22% statewide), which suppresses smartphone penetration relative to Maine overall.
• Modeled smartphone users by age:
  • 18–29: ~4,800–4,900 users (≈97% of ~5,000 residents in this group)
  • 30–49: ~9,400–9,600 users (≈96% of ~9,900 residents)
  • 50–64: ~7,300–7,500 users (≈90% of ~8,200 residents)
  • 65+: ~8,000–8,200 users (≈76% of ~10,700 residents)
  • Teens 13–17: ~2,300–2,400 users (≈95% of ~2,450 teens)
• Income/household context:
  • In the more rural peninsulas and island communities, smartphone-only internet use at home is notably higher than in Rockland/Camden/Rockport, where cable and fiber are widely available. Countywide, smartphone-only home internet is likely in the low- to mid-teens percent of households, with higher concentrations in lower-income and DSL-reliant areas.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers and 5G:
  • Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile all provide 4G LTE countywide along the US‑1 corridor and in population centers (Rockland, Camden, Rockport, Thomaston). Each now advertises 5G coverage in and around these towns; 5G mid-band capacity is primarily in the denser corridors, with low-band 5G more common elsewhere.
  • Coverage degrades in hilly interior towns (e.g., Hope, Appleton, Union) and at the ends of peninsulas (e.g., St. George/Cushing). Island coverage is mixed: Vinalhaven and North Haven have service anchored by coastal macro sites and microwave backhaul; Matinicus is notably more limited.
• Capacity and seasonality:
  • Summer tourism substantially increases mobile traffic along US‑1 and in harbor towns, producing peak-season congestion that is more pronounced than Maine’s statewide average. Carriers typically boost temporary capacity and rely on Wi‑Fi offload in downtowns and marinas.
• Public safety:
  • FirstNet (AT&T) coverage is established along the coast and in primary towns; islands have patchier FirstNet performance, and agencies retain VHF/UHF radio as a critical fallback.
• Fixed-broadband interplay:
  • Spectrum (cable) and Consolidated/Fidium (fiber) serve most in-town areas of Rockland, Camden, Rockport, and Thomaston, enabling strong Wi‑Fi offload and limiting wireless-only reliance in those zones.
  • DSL and legacy copper remain in some rural stretches and on parts of the islands, where cellular is often the faster “home” connection, driving higher smartphone-only and hotspot use.

How Knox County differs from Maine overall

• Older population lowers smartphone adoption and wireless-only reliance:
  • Maine already skews older; Knox is older still. As a result, Knox’s smartphone penetration is a few points below the state average, and the share of adults in wireless-only households is likewise a few points lower.
• Stronger fixed-broadband in town, weaker at the edges:
  • Compared with state averages, Knox shows a sharper in-town versus outlying-area divide. Downtowns (with cable/fiber) have lower mobile dependence than the state average; peninsulas and islands rely more heavily on cellular data than comparable inland areas.
• Larger seasonal swings:
  • Peak-season tourism produces greater mobile-network congestion than the statewide norm, with heavier roaming and device density in waterfront zones.
• 5G capacity is concentrated narrowly:
  • While statewide 5G availability has broadened, mid-band 5G capacity in Knox is more tightly clustered around US‑1 towns and major venues; interior hills, peninsulas, and islands more often see low-band 5G or LTE, so real-world speeds differ more across short distances than typical for the state.

Concrete estimates and takeaways

• About 32,000 residents in Knox use smartphones, with adoption highest among working‑age adults and teens and materially lower among the 65+ segment.
• Roughly half to modestly over half of adults live in wireless-only (no landline) households—lower than Maine’s statewide share—because of the county’s age mix and the availability of cable/fiber in its main towns.
• Cellular serves as the primary home internet for a meaningful minority of households in rural and island areas, surpassing the statewide rate in those specific geographies.
• All three national carriers cover the main travel and commercial corridors; the most persistent coverage gaps are in the interior hills, end‑of‑road peninsulas, and the most remote island (Matinicus).
• Planning implications: Network improvements that matter most locally are additional mid-band 5G sectors in US‑1 towns for summer load, targeted new or upgraded sites on peninsulas and interior ridgelines, and resilient island backhaul—investments that would reduce the county’s sharp intra-county performance disparities more effectively than broad statewide averages might suggest.

Social media usage in Knox County, Maine (2025 snapshot)

Baseline

• Population: ≈40,800; adults (18+): ≈33,900
• Household internet access: ≈83–86% of households

Overall usage

• Adults active on at least one social platform: ≈75–80% (≈25,500–27,100 people)

Most‑used platforms among adults (share of adults; approximate local reach)

• YouTube: 76–78% (≈25,800–26,400)
• Facebook: 64–68% (≈21,700–23,100)
• Instagram: 34–38% (≈11,500–12,900)
• Pinterest: 30–34% (≈10,200–11,500)
• TikTok: 27–31% (≈9,200–10,500)
• LinkedIn: 24–28% (≈8,100–9,500)
• Snapchat: 20–24% (≈6,800–8,100)
• Nextdoor: 12–18% (≈4,100–6,100)

Age profile of local social media users (share of all adult users)

• 18–29: ≈14–16%
• 30–49: ≈28–31%
• 50–64: ≈25–27%
• 65+: ≈28–31% Notes: Knox County skews older than the U.S. average, lifting Facebook/YouTube share and trimming Instagram/TikTok versus national norms.

Gender breakdown

• County population: ≈51% female, 49% male
• Among social media users overall: ≈52–54% female (reflects platform mix and county demographics)
• Platform tendencies:
  • Pinterest: ≈70–75% women
  • Facebook: ≈54–56% women
  • Instagram: ≈55–60% women
  • TikTok: ≈58–62% women
  • LinkedIn: ≈55–60% men
  • Reddit: ≈65–70% men (small base locally)

Behavioral trends

• Facebook Groups are the community hub for town alerts, school notices, buy/sell/trade, municipal meetings, storm/outage updates, and local fundraising.
• Seasonal patterns: June–September tourism brings engagement spikes for Facebook Events and Instagram (Maine Lobster Festival, Camden windjammer/schooner activity). Winter storms drive sharp surges for timely updates.
• Content performance:
  • High: local scenery and harbor life, short videos of working waterfront (lobster boats, boatbuilding), lighthouses, food specials, school sports, volunteer calls, behind‑the‑scenes at farms/fisheries.
  • Moderate: how‑to and DIY on YouTube (marine maintenance, home/garden), Pinterest for home projects/crafts.
• Customer service moves to DMs: restaurants, charters, lodging respond via Facebook Messenger/Instagram.
• Device/time: predominantly mobile; engagement strongest evenings (about 7–9 pm) and weekend mornings; weather and school‑related posts outperform baseline.
• Neighborhood networks: Nextdoor used by homeowners for municipal notices and contractor referrals, but adoption trails Facebook.

Method notes

• Percentages are derived by applying recent U.S. platform adoption by age (Pew Research, 2023–2024) to Knox County’s older age structure (U.S. Census/ACS), then rounded. Treat counts as planning estimates rather than exact census figures.