Somerset County

Somerset County, Maine — key demographics

Population size

• 50,477 (2020 Census)
• Change since 2010: −3.3% (2010: 52,228)

Age

• Median age: ~46.7 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~18.6%
• 65 and over: ~23.5%

Gender

• Female: ~49.9%
• Male: ~50.1% (ACS 2018–2022)

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: ~95.4%
• Black or African American alone: ~0.5%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.9%
• Asian alone: ~0.4%
• Two or more races: ~2.8%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~1.4–1.5%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~94.2%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~21,300
• Persons per household: ~2.25
• Family households: ~60–61% of households
• One-person households: ~29%
• Households with children under 18: ~23–25%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates.

Somerset County, ME profile: population ~50,500; land ~3,900 sq mi; density ~13 people/sq mi.

Estimated email users: ~38,300 (≈76% of residents).

Age distribution of email users (est. users; adoption reflects typical U.S. rates by age):

• 13–17: ~2,300
• 18–29: ~5,900
• 30–49: ~11,000
• 50–64: ~11,100
• 65+: ~8,000

Gender split among users: 51% female (19,500) and 49% male (18,800), mirroring the county’s population mix.

Digital access and trends:

• ~88% of households have a computer/smart device.
• ~82% of households subscribe to broadband (cable, fiber, DSL, or cellular).
• ~12% are smartphone‑only internet households, higher in remote areas.
• Connectivity is strongest in and around Skowhegan, Madison, and Pittsfield and along the US‑2/US‑201 corridors; sparsely populated interior townships and lake/forest areas face fewer fixed‑line options and slower service.
• Broadband availability and average speeds have improved with ongoing fiber builds, but overall adoption remains a few points below Maine’s urban counties due to rural distance and lower population density.

Somerset County, Maine — mobile phone usage summary (with county-specific estimates and state-level contrasts)

Population baseline

• Total population: 50,477 (2020 Census), overwhelmingly rural with small population centers (Skowhegan, Madison, Pittsfield, Fairfield) and large, sparsely populated northern townships.
• Age structure skews older than the state average, with a larger 65+ share and a smaller 18–34 share than coastal/southern Maine.

User estimates (adults) and how they differ from state-level Note: County-specific smartphone ownership isn’t directly published. The figures below are derived from U.S. Census ACS 2019–2023 demographics for Somerset, Pew Research mobile adoption by age/income, and rural-versus-urban deltas observed in Maine. Adult population is approximated at 40,000 (about 80% of total residents).

• Any mobile phone (feature or smartphone)
  • Somerset County: approximately 38,000–39,000 adult users (about 93–96% of adults).
  • Maine overall: closer to 96–98% of adults.
  • Key difference: slight under-adoption in Somerset driven by older age structure and lower incomes.
• Smartphone users
  • Somerset County: approximately 33,000–36,000 adult users (about 82–88% of adults).
  • Maine overall: approximately 88–92% of adults.
  • Key difference: Somerset is 4–8 percentage points lower than the state on smartphone adoption, with the gap widest among residents 65+.
• Mobile-only internet households (no fixed broadband at home, rely on cellular data)
  • Somerset County: estimated 12–15% of households.
  • Maine overall: approximately 8–10%.
  • Key difference: Higher mobile-only reliance in Somerset, reflecting patchy fixed-broadband availability and lower median incomes.

Demographic breakdown of mobile use (modeled for Somerset County adults)

• By age
  • 18–34: ~92–96% smartphone adoption; near parity with state.
  • 35–64: ~85–90% smartphone adoption; 2–5 points below state.
  • 65+: ~65–72% smartphone adoption; 8–12 points below state (largest gap).
• By income
  • <$35k: ~70–78% smartphone adoption; more prepaid plans and device-aging; materially below state average.
  • $35k–$75k: ~85–90% smartphone adoption; slightly below state average.
  • $75k+: ~94–97% smartphone adoption; near parity with state.
• By geography within the county
  • Skowhegan/Madison/Pittsfield/Fairfield: highest smartphone and 5G use, plan mix tilts postpaid with family bundles.
  • US‑201 corridor north of Bingham, The Forks, Jackman and unorganized territories: lower smartphone penetration, more voice/text-only devices and hotspot-based use; higher incidence of mobile-only internet due to limited fixed options.

Digital infrastructure and coverage patterns

• Networks present: Verizon, AT&T (including FirstNet), T‑Mobile; U.S. Cellular remains part of the roaming landscape in western/northern Maine. MVNO usage is common, especially among price-sensitive users.
• 5G footprint
  • Concentrated in and around Skowhegan, Madison, Pittsfield, Fairfield, and along I‑95. T‑Mobile’s low-band 5G offers the broadest geographic reach; Verizon and AT&T provide focused C‑band 5G in town centers and along primary corridors. mmWave is not a factor.
  • Compared with Maine overall, Somerset’s 5G population coverage is materially lower, with larger gaps in northern tracts and in valleys/forested areas off primary roads.
• 4G LTE coverage
  • Generally strong along I‑95, US‑2, and US‑201 down to Skowhegan/Madison; becomes spotty north of Bingham through The Forks and up to Jackman, with dead zones in river valleys and timberlands. Seasonal foliage and terrain exacerbate attenuation.
• Capacity and performance
  • Median mobile speeds in towns typically trail southern/coastal Maine due to fewer sectors per site and longer inter-site distances. Peak-time congestion appears on game days, fairs, and summer recreation weekends (rafting, ATV, hunting corridors).
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Carrier sites near the population centers increasingly fiber‑backhauled; microwave persists on remote sites. New middle‑mile fiber funded in 2022–2024 is improving reliability and enabling sector upgrades, but northern spans remain sparse.
• Public safety and resiliency
  • FirstNet coverage in town centers and along primary corridors; off-corridor coverage is improving but not yet equivalent to southern Maine. Region relies on generator-backed macro sites; prolonged winter outages still impact remote sectors.
• Fixed broadband interplay
  • Somerset has a higher share of unserved and underserved locations than the state average. That drives higher use of smartphone hotspots and fixed wireless (including Starlink) and reinforces the county’s above-average rate of mobile-only households.

Behavioral and plan mix insights

• Device mix: Older devices remain in service longer than the state average; slower 5G upgrade cycle is most evident outside town centers.
• Plans: Higher prepaid/MVNO share than Maine overall; cost sensitivity is a primary driver. Households with school-age children cluster on postpaid family plans in towns; single-line prepaid is common in rural tracts.
• Use cases: Hotspotting for homework and remote work is measurably higher than the state average where cable/fiber isn’t available. Voice/SMS reliability remains a deciding factor for carrier choice in the far north of the county.

What stands out versus Maine statewide

• Adoption is solid but consistently below the state by several points in smartphone ownership, with the biggest deficit among seniors.
• A markedly higher reliance on mobile-only internet due to gaps in fixed broadband.
• Sparser and more uneven 5G coverage, particularly beyond town centers and major corridors.
• Greater use of prepaid/MVNO plans and longer device replacement cycles, reflecting income and coverage constraints.
• Coverage gaps and lower sector density create more variable performance than in southern/coastal counties.

Sources and methodology

• Baselines: U.S. Census (2020), ACS 2019–2023 demographic and internet-subscription profiles for Somerset County and Maine.
• Adoption priors: Pew Research Center (2019–2024) smartphone and mobile adoption by age, income, and rural/urban; adjusted for county age/income mix.
• Infrastructure read: FCC Broadband Data Collection filings (2023–2024) and published carrier 5G/LTE footprint patterns in rural Maine, corroborated by public state connectivity planning materials.

These estimates are constructed to be decision-grade for planning and comparison; they can be tightened further if a specific year, tract cluster, or carrier portfolio needs to be modeled.

Somerset County, Maine — social media snapshot (2024)

Population and access

• Population: ≈50,500 residents (2023 est., U.S. Census/ACS)
• Age mix: Under 18 ≈19%; 18–34 ≈18%; 35–54 ≈25%; 55–64 ≈14%; 65+ ≈24%
• Gender: ≈50.5% female, 49.5% male
• Households with broadband subscription: ≈80–85% (ACS; county is slightly below Maine’s statewide average)

Estimated user base

• Adults (18+): ≈41,000
• Social media penetration among U.S. adults is ≈72% (Pew Research, 2023), implying ≈29,500 adult social media users locally
• Including teens (13–17; high adoption nationally), total social users in the county are ≈32,000

Most-used platforms (share of U.S. adults; applied to local adult base for directional counts)

• YouTube: 83% → ≈34,000 adults
• Facebook: 68% → ≈20,000–28,000 adults (older/rural tilt likely keeps Facebook at or above the national average locally)
• Instagram: 47% → ≈19,000 adults
• TikTok: 33% → ≈13,000 adults
• Snapchat: 30% → ≈12,000 adults
• Pinterest: 33% → ≈13,000 adults
• LinkedIn: 30% → ≈12,000 adults
• WhatsApp: 21% → ≈9,000 adults
• X (Twitter): ~20% → ≈8,000 adults Note: Percentages are Pew Research Center national figures (2023); local counts are modeled by applying those rates to the Somerset adult population and should be read as directional.

Age-group usage patterns (Pew, any social media)

• 18–29: ≈84% use social media
• 30–49: ≈81%
• 50–64: ≈73%
• 65+: ≈45% Local implication: High overall reach in 18–49; sizable but selective use in 50–64; concentrated, purpose-driven usage among 65+ (especially Facebook and YouTube).

Gender breakdown and skews

• Overall user base mirrors county gender split (~51% women, ~49% men).
• Platform skews (Pew, 2023):
  • Pinterest: ~46% of women vs ~16% of men
  • Reddit: ~25% of men vs ~7% of women
  • Facebook and YouTube are broadly balanced by gender; Instagram and TikTok lean slightly female; Reddit leans male

Behavioral trends observed in older, rural Maine counties (applicable to Somerset)

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of local Groups (town news, school updates, mutual aid, buy/sell/Marketplace), event promotion, storm/outage updates, obituaries, civic notices. High daily engagement.
• YouTube for practical content: DIY home/auto repair, outdoor recreation (hunting, fishing, ATV/snowmobile), small-engine/equipment maintenance, homesteading, local school sports highlights.
• Instagram and TikTok: discovery for restaurants, local makers, events; short-form video (Reels/TikTok) performs best for small businesses and tourism-facing services; usage concentrated among under-40s.
• Snapchat: messaging and group coordination among teens/young adults; strong during school seasons and summer jobs.
• Pinterest: strong among women for recipes, crafts, home projects; seasonal spikes (gardening, holiday).
• X/Twitter and Reddit: niche audiences; X for statewide news/politics and weather; Reddit for hobbyist and tech/outdoors forums rather than local community organizing.
• Posting cadence and timing: engagement skews to evenings and weekends; weather events and school sports drive sharp, short-term spikes.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace is a primary channel for secondhand goods, tools, vehicles, and seasonal equipment; local services rely on Facebook Pages and Groups for referrals and reviews.

Sources and method

• Demographics/broadband: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (Somerset County, ME, 2022–2023).
• Social media adoption and platform shares: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2023.
• Local counts are modeled by applying Pew’s nationally representative usage rates to Somerset’s adult population; platform preferences and behaviors are consistent with patterns documented in rural/older U.S. populations.