York County

York County, Maine – key demographics

Population size

• 211,972 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age (ACS 2018–2022, 5-year)

• Median age: 45.6 years
• Under 5: 4.7%
• Under 18: 20.1%
• 65 and over: 21.6%

Gender (ACS 2018–2022)

• Female: 51.3%
• Male: 48.7%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: 93.7%
• Black or African American alone: 1.3%
• Asian alone: 1.2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: 0.4%
• Some other race alone: 0.6%
• Two or more races: 2.8%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): 2.5%
• White alone, not Hispanic: 91.5%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: 90,600
• Average household size: 2.37
• Family households: 61%
• Married-couple households: 48%
• Households with children under 18: 26%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: 78%
• Median household income: $84,600 (2022 dollars)

Insights

• Older age profile than the U.S. overall, with over one in five residents 65+.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White population with modest racial/ethnic diversity.
• High owner-occupancy and smaller household size relative to the U.S. average.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (tables DP05, S0101, S1101, DP04, S1901).

Scope: Residents 18+ in York County, Maine (pop. ~214,000; adults ~172,000).

Estimated email users: ~158,000 adults (≈92% adoption), reflecting near-universal email use among U.S. adults and Maine’s high internet adoption.

Age distribution of email users (est.):

• 18–34: 23%
• 35–54: 35%
• 55–64: 19%
• 65+: 23% Older cohorts are well represented because the county skews older than the U.S. median.

Gender split of email users (est.):

• Women ~51%
• Men ~49% Email use is essentially parity by gender; shares mirror the population.

Digital access and trends:

• ~89–91% of households have a broadband subscription; ~94–96% have a computer (ACS trend range).
• Smartphone access is widespread; an estimated 8–12% of households are smartphone‑only or lack fixed broadband.
• Fiber and cable upgrades (e.g., Fidium/Consolidated and Spectrum) have expanded gigabit availability since 2023, improving reliability and speeds in the I‑95/US‑1 corridor; inland rural pockets remain comparatively slower.
• Public libraries and schools provide robust Wi‑Fi access that supports lower‑income and rural users.

Local density/connectivity context: Population density ≈210–215 people per sq. mile; denser coastal/river towns (Biddeford, Saco, Sanford) enjoy stronger wired coverage than sparsely populated inland areas.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in York County, Maine (latest public data through 2022–2024)

Scale and user estimates

• Population baseline: 211,972 (2020 Census). Adult share is roughly 80–82%, yielding about 170,000–175,000 adults.
• Estimated adult smartphone users: about 150,000–165,000 (driven by 85–92% adult adoption, reflecting national and New England rates adjusted for the county’s slightly older age mix).
• Household smartphone access: approximately 88–92% of households have a smartphone and cellular data plan (ACS S2801 “Computer and Internet Use,” 5‑year estimates). This is several points higher than Maine’s statewide rate (roughly mid‑80s percent), consistent with York County’s higher incomes and proximity to southern New Hampshire/Greater Boston.
• Mobile‑only home internet: about 12–16% of households rely primarily on cellular data for home internet (vs roughly 10–14% statewide). Rates are higher in renter‑heavy areas (Biddeford/Saco) and lower in rural inland towns.

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

• Age:
  • 18–44: near‑universal smartphone adoption (≈95%+), heavy use of unlimited plans and app‑centric services.
  • 45–64: high adoption (≈90%±), strong bring‑your‑own‑device participation in workplaces.
  • 65+: lower but steadily rising adoption (≈70–85%); York County’s sizable retiree population means a larger absolute number of older smartphone users than most Maine counties. Device upgrade cycles are slower than younger cohorts.
• Income and housing:
  • Higher‑income coastal and commuter towns (Kennebunk, York, Kittery, parts of Scarborough-adjacent areas in the north of the county) show above‑average 5G device penetration and multi‑line family plans.
  • Lower‑income and renter clusters (Biddeford, Sanford) show higher “smartphone‑only” internet reliance and greater sensitivity to prepaid pricing.
• Workforce and education:
  • College presence (e.g., University of New England in Biddeford) and cross‑border commuters to NH/MA drive heavy daytime mobile data demand and higher adoption of hotspot features.
• Seasonality:
  • Tourism along the coast (Kittery–Ogunquit–Kennebunkport–Old Orchard/Biddeford/Saco) produces pronounced summer peaks in unique devices and data traffic; carrier capacity augments and small cells see the largest seasonal swings. This seasonality is more pronounced than the Maine average.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carrier footprint: AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon provide countywide LTE with dense 5G coverage along the I‑95/US‑1 corridor, Biddeford–Saco, Sanford, and the Kittery–York–Kennebunk coastal strip. Mid‑band 5G (C‑band for Verizon; 2.5 GHz for T‑Mobile) is widely deployed in these population centers, improving capacity and speeds compared with much of rural Maine.
• Public safety and enterprise:
  • FirstNet (AT&T Band 14) coverage is established across key corridors and towns, supporting public safety usage and priority access.
  • Private/enterprise small‑cell and CBRS use is present at select campuses and industrial sites, aiding indoor capacity (more prevalent here than in most rural Maine counties due to denser commerce).
• Backhaul and fiber:
  • Fiber backhaul from regional providers (e.g., Consolidated/Fidium, Spectrum/Charter, and other middle‑mile assets) underpins 5G densification in York County, particularly around Biddeford–Saco and the coastal towns. This backhaul availability is stronger than in many northern Maine counties and supports higher sustained mobile throughput.
• Coverage gaps:
  • Remaining weak spots are generally inland and forested (e.g., portions west of Sanford toward Shapleigh/Newfield and along lake/woodland areas), where terrain limits propagation; these gaps are less extensive than in northern/Down East Maine but still notable for in‑building coverage.

How York County differs from Maine overall (key trends)

• Higher smartphone penetration: York County’s household smartphone rate sits several percentage points above the state average, reflecting higher incomes, denser settlement, and commuter connectivity needs.
• More robust 5G: Mid‑band 5G capacity and small‑cell deployments are materially denser in York County’s urban/coastal corridor than the Maine average, translating to faster median mobile speeds and better peak‑season performance.
• Greater mobile‑only reliance where renters cluster: Biddeford/Saco and parts of Sanford show higher shares of mobile‑only households than the state average, while affluent coastal suburbs skew toward multi‑device, multi‑line postpaid plans.
• Stronger seasonal spikes: Summer population surges along the coast create larger swings in active devices and mobile traffic than the statewide norm, influencing carrier network planning more intensely here than in inland Maine.
• Cross‑border dynamics: Proximity to New Hampshire and Greater Boston elevates roaming resilience needs and encourages adoption of unlimited and premium‑tier plans at rates above the statewide average.

Sources and notes

• Population: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census).
• Mobile adoption and household smartphone access: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS “Computer and Internet Use” (table S2801, latest 5‑year); Pew Research Center national smartphone adoption for age‑group calibration; CTIA industry metrics for line‑per‑capita context.
• Coverage and infrastructure: FCC Mobile Coverage datasets and carrier public 5G deployment disclosures (2022–2024), Maine public safety FirstNet coverage statements, and regional fiber/backhaul provider service maps.

Figures are rounded, benchmarked to the most recent publicly available datasets, and stated as county‑level estimates where only household‑ or state‑level statistics are published.

York County, ME — social media usage snapshot (2025)

Headline user stats

• Residents using social media (13+): ≈140,000
• Penetration: 71% of residents 13+ (≈65% of total population; ≈69% of adults 18+)
• Population base used: ~216,000 residents (2023 est.)

Age split of the local social‑media audience

• 13–17: 9%
• 18–29: 16%
• 30–49: 33%
• 50–64: 27%
• 65+: 16%

Gender breakdown

• Overall: ~54% women, ~46% men among social‑media users
• Platform skews: Pinterest (female‑skew), Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat (slightly female), YouTube/LinkedIn (slightly male), Facebook (near‑balanced with a slight female tilt in older cohorts)

Most‑used platforms in York County (share of local social‑media users)

• YouTube: 78%
• Facebook: 66%
• Instagram: 41%
• TikTok: 33%
• Pinterest: 32%
• Snapchat: 27%
• LinkedIn: 27%
• X (Twitter): 19%
• WhatsApp: 18%

Behavioral trends to know

• Community‑first on Facebook: Heavy participation in town groups (York, Biddeford, Saco, Sanford, Kennebunk), school and storm updates, yard sales, local business spotlights, lost‑and‑found; engagement reliably spikes around weather events and municipal notices.
• Seasonal tourism effect: From late spring through early fall, Instagram and TikTok content around beaches, dining, lodging, and events in coastal towns (York, Ogunquit, Kennebunkport, Old Orchard Beach) drives higher discovery and save/share behavior.
• Visual localism: High response to recognizable places, wildlife/coastline shots, school sports highlights, and event recaps; short vertical video outperforms static posts for under‑40s.
• Messaging and ephemeral: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are common for coordination; Snapchat dominates daily messaging among teens and early‑20s.
• Work and hiring: LinkedIn use concentrates in healthcare, education, trades, engineering, and cross‑border commuters to Portland/Portsmouth; effective for professional recruiting and training pathways.
• Time‑of‑day patterns: Consistent evening engagement (7–9 pm) across platforms; morning spikes (6–8 am) for weather, school, and commute‑related updates.

Method and sources

• Figures are 2025 modeled estimates for York County using the county’s 2023 age/gender composition (U.S. Census/ACS) and 2023–2024 Pew Research Center platform adoption rates by age, weighted to the local age structure. Percentages are rounded.