Sagadahoc County

Sagadahoc County, Maine — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

• Population: ~36,700 residents
• Age
  • Median age: ~45.6 years
  • Under 18: ~19%
  • 65 and over: ~22%
• Sex
  • Female: ~50.7%
  • Male: ~49.3%
• Race/ethnicity (mutually exclusive)
  • White, non-Hispanic: ~92.8%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2.0%
  • Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~2.6%
  • Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~1.1%
  • Asian, non-Hispanic: ~1.0%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~0.4%
  • Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: ~0.1%
• Households
  • Total households: ~15,300
  • Average household size: ~2.33
  • Family households: ~60% of households
  • Married-couple families: ~48% of households
  • Households with children under 18: ~26%
  • Nonfamily households: ~40%; living alone: ~31% (about 12% are 65+ living alone)
  • Housing tenure: ~76% owner-occupied, ~24% renter-occupied

Insights

• Older age structure (median mid-40s; roughly one in five residents 65+)
• Predominantly White non-Hispanic population
• Small household sizes with high owner-occupancy rates

Sagadahoc County, ME (2020 pop. 36,699; land ~254 sq mi; density ~145 people/sq mi)

Estimated email users: ~26,000–27,000 residents

• Basis: ~29,000 adults (18+) and ~90–93% internet adoption; email use is near‑universal among internet users (>94%).

Age distribution of email users (approx.)

• 18–29: ~3.9–4.1k
• 30–49: ~9.4–9.8k
• 50–64: ~7.1–7.4k
• 65+: ~5.9–6.3k Email usage remains high across ages; adoption is strongest under 50 and solid among 65+.

Gender split among users

• Roughly even, reflecting county demographics (about 51% female, 49% male). No material gender gap in email adoption.

Digital access and trends

• Household broadband subscription is high (upper‑80s percent, in line with or slightly above Maine overall), with steady gains since 2019 as fiber and cable footprints expanded.
• Computer/device access exceeds 90% of households.
• Strong connectivity clusters around Bath–Topsham and the US‑1/I‑295 corridor; peninsulas and rural tracts see comparatively slower service but improving with recent fiber builds.
• Mobile coverage is robust along major corridors, supporting email on smartphones and remote/hybrid work growth.

Overall: Email is effectively a default channel for most adults, with usage broad-based across age and gender and reinforced by improving broadband and mobile coverage.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Sagadahoc County, Maine

Headline user estimates

• Population and households: ~37,500 residents and ~16,000 households (2023 estimates).
• Individual mobile phone users: ~32,000–34,000 residents actively using a mobile phone (roughly 85–90% of total population; ~93–95% of residents aged 12+).
• Smartphone users: ~29,000–31,000 residents use a smartphone as their primary mobile device.
• Household smartphone penetration: 91–93% of households in Sagadahoc have at least one smartphone, running 1–3 percentage points higher than the statewide Maine average (roughly 88–90%).
• Cellular-only internet households (mobile data plan with no fixed home broadband): 6–8% in Sagadahoc versus 9–11% statewide, reflecting stronger fixed-broadband availability locally.

Demographic breakdown (usage and ownership)

• Age:
  • 12–17: Near-universal mobile access via family plans; smartphone use ~95%+.
  • 18–49: Smartphone ownership ~95–97%; heavy reliance on mobile data and messaging for work/commuting across the US-1/I-295 corridor.
  • 50–64: Smartphone ownership ~88–92% (1–2 points higher than state), boosted by higher incomes and employment at regional employers (e.g., manufacturing and services).
  • 65+: Smartphone ownership ~70–74% in Sagadahoc, typically 2–4 points higher than the statewide rate; text/voice is largely universal, with growing app and telehealth usage.
• Income and education:
  • Median household income is higher than the statewide median, and bachelor’s degree attainment is modestly higher; both correlate with slightly higher smartphone adoption and multi-line family plans.
  • Device mix skews toward newer smartphones and wearables; tablet-with-cellular usage is modest but above the state average in suburban tracts around Bath–Topsham.
• Rural vs. suburban:
  • Suburban tracts (Bath, Topsham, West Bath, Woolwich) exhibit near-saturation smartphone adoption and higher 5G use.
  • Rural peninsulas (Phippsburg, Georgetown, Arrowsic) have marginally lower smartphone adoption among seniors and a higher share of voice/text-first users due to spotty 5G and indoor coverage challenges.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Carrier footprint: Verizon, AT&T, and T‑Mobile all provide 4G LTE countywide; 5G coverage is strongest along US‑1 and I‑295 (Bath–Topsham–Woolwich) and more variable toward coastal peninsulas.
• 5G availability: Population coverage in Sagadahoc is estimated in the low-to-mid 90% range, a few points higher than Maine overall due to proximity to the Brunswick–Topsham hub and fiber backhaul.
• 5G performance: Mid‑band 5G (n41/n77) from T‑Mobile and Verizon is present in and around Bath–Topsham, producing median download speeds typically two to three times LTE in covered areas; AT&T 5G is widespread on low‑band with mid‑band spots.
• Backhaul and fiber: The region benefits from nearby long‑haul fiber (including the Three Ring Binder/Maine Fiber Co. routes through the Brunswick–Topsham area), supporting denser site builds and capacity upgrades than many rural Maine counties.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA): T‑Mobile and Verizon FWA are available in suburban tracts; take‑up is above the statewide rural average and contributes to the lower share of cellular‑only households.
• Coverage gaps: Indoor and shoreline dead zones persist on peninsulas (Georgetown, Phippsburg) and in low‑lying, forested pockets; carrier densification has reduced but not eliminated these gaps.
• Seasonal loads: Summer tourism (Popham Beach, Reid State Park) produces predictable afternoon and weekend congestion; carriers mitigate with portable capacity and additional spectrum where licensed.

How Sagadahoc differs from Maine overall

• Slightly higher smartphone adoption and a lower share of cellular‑only internet households, driven by better backhaul, higher incomes, and suburban population clusters.
• Faster 5G adoption and better mid‑band 5G availability due to proximity to regional fiber and transportation corridors, whereas many inland counties rely more on low‑band 5G/LTE.
• Smaller digital divide among seniors: 65+ smartphone ownership is a few points higher than statewide, aided by healthcare/provider outreach and retail access in Topsham–Bath.
• More pronounced seasonal congestion patterns tied to coastal recreation, a lesser factor in much of inland Maine.

Key takeaways

• Mobile access in Sagadahoc is effectively universal, with smartphone adoption at the high end for Maine.
• Infrastructure is stronger than the state average along core corridors, supporting higher 5G usage and FWA availability.
• Remaining gaps are geographically specific (peninsulas, indoor coverage at the shoreline) and seasonal, rather than systemic, differentiating Sagadahoc from more rural interior counties.

Sagadahoc County, ME — social media usage snapshot (2024)

Headline user stats

• Population: ~38,000; adults (18+): ~30,000
• Internet access: ~90% of households have an internet subscription (ACS, Maine); adult smartphone ownership ~88% (Pew U.S. benchmark, adjusted modestly for rural/older mix)
• Social media penetration: 82% of adults (24,500–25,000 people) use at least one social platform monthly

Age mix of social users (share of social-media users)

• 18–29: 17%
• 30–44: 28%
• 45–64: 33%
• 65+: 22%

Gender breakdown of social users

• Female: 51%
• Male: 49% Note: Mirrors county adult gender distribution; platform-level skews vary (e.g., Pinterest and Facebook groups lean female; Reddit and X lean male).

Most-used platforms (share of all adults in Sagadahoc using monthly; overlaps expected)

• YouTube: ~70%
• Facebook: ~66–70%
• Instagram: ~34–36%
• Pinterest: ~26–30%
• TikTok: ~22–25%
• LinkedIn: ~20–23%
• X (Twitter): ~18–21%
• Snapchat: ~16–19%
• Nextdoor: ~18–22% (notable for neighborhood and town info)
• Reddit: ~12–15%

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Community-first usage: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups and Pages for town updates (Bath, Topsham, Woolwich, Richmond), school announcements, public safety, weather, road closures, and utility/service outages.
• Civic engagement: Strong engagement with municipal, EMS/fire, and library posts; local issues (zoning, waterfront access, fisheries, conservation) draw above-average comment activity.
• Marketplace and “buy local”: Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell/swap groups see consistent activity for tools, vehicles, boats, outdoor gear, and home goods; seasonal spikes before/after summer.
• Seasonal content cycles: Spring–fall tourism and recreation (Phippsburg beaches, Georgetown/Reid State Park, Kennebec River, boating/fishing) drive photo/video sharing and local business discovery on Instagram and YouTube; winter shifts toward home projects and events.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube is the go-to for DIY/home repair, small-engine/boat maintenance, outdoor skills, and local sports highlights; short-form (Reels/TikTok) performs with 18–44s for dining, events, and “things to do.”
• Neighborhood networking: Nextdoor and Facebook neighborhood groups used for recommendations (contractors, landscapers, snow removal), lost/found pets, and hyperlocal alerts.
• Workday rhythms: Noticeable engagement peaks early morning (pre-shift), lunch (11:30–1:00), and evenings (6:30–9:00). Weekend afternoons favor family/outdoor content; storm events push real-time spikes across platforms.
• Trust and tone: Practical, service-oriented posts from recognized local entities outperform generic ads; transparent, helpful messaging and clear calls-to-action see higher shares and comments.

How the numbers were derived

• Population, age, and gender baselines from U.S. Census/ACS for Sagadahoc County.
• Platform adoption rates start from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adult usage and are age-weighted to Sagadahoc’s older-than-average profile; percentages rounded to whole numbers for planning clarity.
• Nextdoor prevalence inferred from Pew and observed suburban/rural uptake patterns in New England counties with similar densities.

Use these figures for media planning, audience sizing, and content strategy; they reflect the best-available county-level estimates aligned with national platform data and local demographics.