Garrett County

Garrett County, Maryland — key demographics

Population

• 2020 Census: 28,806
• 2023 estimate: ~28.7k (Census Bureau Vintage 2023)

Age

• Median age: ~47 years
• Under 18: ~19–20%
• 65 and over: ~23%

Gender

• Female: ~49–50%
• Male: ~50–51%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone: ~95%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.3%
• Asian alone: ~0.4%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~1–2%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~94%

Households (ACS 5-year)

• Number of households: ~12,200
• Persons per household: ~2.34
• Family households: ~65–66% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~24–26%
• One-person households: ~27–29%

Notes: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding and because Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity, not a race.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022 5-year; Census Bureau Vintage 2023 population estimates.

• Estimated email users: Roughly 18,000–21,000 residents. Basis: ~29k population, a largely adult, rural profile; most adults with internet access use email regularly.
• Age distribution of email users: Skews older, reflecting the county’s demographics. Approximate split: under 35 (20–25%), 35–54 (30–35%), 55–64 (20–25%), 65+ (20–25%). Seniors participate widely but at slightly lower rates than middle-aged adults.
• Gender split: Approximately even; email adoption shows minimal gender difference in rural U.S. populations.
• Digital access trends:
  • Home broadband adoption is below the Maryland average but rising due to state and local buildouts; remote areas still see gaps and slower speeds.
  • Smartphone-only access is common for a meaningful minority of households; public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools, community centers) remains important.
  • Fixed wireless and satellite fill coverage holes; fiber and cable are concentrated in towns and along major corridors.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Garrett County is sparsely populated (~45 people per square mile) with mountainous terrain, increasing last‑mile costs.
  • Best connectivity clusters around Oakland, McHenry/Deep Creek Lake, and the I‑68/US‑219 corridors; coverage is patchier in outlying hollows and ridgelines.

Mobile phone usage in Garrett County, Maryland — summary focused on how it differs from statewide patterns

At‑a‑glance user estimates (2025)

• Population: roughly 28.5–30 thousand.
• Mobile phone users (any mobile): about 22–25 thousand residents.
• Smartphone users: about 19–22 thousand (roughly 80–85% of adults, a few points below Maryland’s ~90%).
• Feature/flip‑phone users: about 2–3 thousand, notably higher share than the state average due to age mix.
• Households relying primarily on cellular data for home internet: estimated 18–25% in Garrett vs ~9–12% statewide.
• Prepaid/MVNO share of lines: materially higher than the state (roughly 30–40% vs ~20–25% statewide), reflecting cost sensitivity and limited carrier retail presence.

Demographic drivers (how Garrett differs from Maryland)

• Older population: Median age is several years higher than the Maryland average; higher proportions of retirees and late‑middle‑age residents correlate with more flip phones, slower device upgrade cycles, and lower 5G handset penetration.
• Income and education: Lower median household income and lower bachelor’s attainment than the state average. This tends to increase prepaid usage, shared family plans, and device longevity, and can raise the share of households using mobile data as a primary connection when wired broadband is costly or unavailable.
• Housing and settlement pattern: Dispersed, rural housing with challenging terrain; more single‑family homes and fewer dense multifamily buildings. That reduces indoor signal quality in some valleys and increases reliance on Wi‑Fi calling.
• Racial/linguistic composition: Less diverse than Maryland overall; smaller need for multilingual customer support and international calling features.

Usage patterns that diverge from state‑level trends

• Slightly lower overall smartphone adoption and slower 5G handset turnover.
• Higher reliance on mobile data as primary internet where cable/fiber are absent; hotspotting and data‑capped plans are more common.
• More prepaid/MVNO use and shopping via online or big‑box channels (fewer carrier‑owned stores locally) vs the postpaid/storefront model prevalent in suburban Maryland.
• Greater dependence on Wi‑Fi calling and offline apps because of indoor coverage challenges in pockets.
• Seasonal traffic spikes tied to tourism (Deep Creek Lake/Wisp Resort, festivals) drive weekend/holiday congestion that’s less pronounced in most Maryland metros.
• Cross‑border usage: Residents and travelers often traverse into West Virginia and Pennsylvania; roaming and inter‑market coverage handoffs are a bigger factor than in central Maryland.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• Coverage geography: Macro LTE/5G coverage is strongest along I‑68 and the main corridors (US‑219, US‑40/Alt‑40, MD‑135/MD‑42, and town centers like Oakland, McHenry/Deep Creek Lake, Grantsville, Friendsville). Shadowing and dead zones persist in valleys and state forest areas (e.g., Savage River/Backbone Mountain).
• 5G status: Low‑band 5G is present on major corridors and in towns. Mid‑band 5G (for higher speeds) is limited/spotty relative to suburban Maryland; mmWave is effectively absent. As a result, real‑world speeds lean closer to strong LTE/low‑band 5G rather than the mid‑band performance common around Baltimore–Washington suburbs.
• Carrier mix: Verizon and AT&T generally offer the most consistent rural coverage; T‑Mobile has improved along I‑68 and select towns but remains patchier in remote areas. Many residents use MVNOs on these networks to manage costs.
• Backhaul and fiber: The Maryland Broadband Cooperative’s middle‑mile fiber traverses Western Maryland along major rights‑of‑way; local last‑mile fiber/cable is uneven outside town centers. County and state grants (via the Maryland Office of Statewide Broadband) have been extending fiber and fixed‑wireless reach since 2022, but buildouts lag denser counties.
• Towers and topology: A sparser macro‑tower grid and complex topography create coverage “islands.” Colocation on public‑safety towers helps, but permitting, backhaul, and terrain constraints slow densification compared with the state’s urban counties.
• Public safety: FirstNet (AT&T Band 14) presence has improved responder coverage. Residents often rely on Wi‑Fi for E911 location reliability indoors.
• Alternatives and offload: Fixed‑wireless ISPs serve some un/underserved pockets; satellite (including newer LEO options) is increasingly used for home internet on back roads, which can reduce mobile‑only dependence while raising Wi‑Fi offload of handset traffic.

What to watch (next 2–3 years)

• Continued OSB/BEAD‑funded fiber and fixed‑wireless builds to shrink cellular‑only home internet reliance.
• Incremental mid‑band 5G infill along corridors and in towns as carriers modernize rural sites and add backhaul.
• Targeted new sites or small cells around Deep Creek Lake/tourist venues to manage peak‑season loads.

Method notes

• Estimates derived by applying national/rural smartphone adoption benchmarks (e.g., Pew Research) to recent ACS population profiles for Garrett County and adjusting for its older, rural demographics; cellular‑only household share inferred from ACS broadband subscription patterns for rural Maryland. Figures are order‑of‑magnitude ranges intended for planning, not precise counts.

Garrett County, MD — social media usage (short breakdown, 2025; modeled from Pew national/rural trends, platform benchmarks, and county demographics)

User stats

• Population: ~29,000 residents; adults (18+): ~23,000.
• Estimated social media users: 18,000–20,000 residents (≈60–68% of total); among adults: 15,000–16,500 (≈65–72% of adults).
• Device access: smartphone adoption ≈80–85% of adults; home broadband ≈70–75% of households (lower in remote areas).

Age mix of social media users (share of local social media users; skew reflects older county profile)

• 13–17: 7–9% (heavy on TikTok/Snapchat/YouTube).
• 18–24: 8–10% (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube; some Snapchat).
• 25–34: 12–15% (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube; growing TikTok).
• 35–44: 15–17% (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram).
• 45–54: 15–17% (Facebook, YouTube; some Pinterest).
• 55–64: 15–17% (Facebook, YouTube; light Instagram/Pinterest).
• 65+: 15–18% (Facebook, YouTube; minimal on newer apps).

Gender

• Overall split among social media users: approximately 52–55% women, 45–48% men.
• Platform skews: Pinterest and Facebook lean female; Reddit and X (Twitter) lean male; Instagram and TikTok close to even.

Most-used platforms (estimated share of county social media users; overlaps expected)

• Facebook: 70–80%
• YouTube: 70–80%
• Instagram: 35–45%
• TikTok: 25–35% (60%+ among teens/young adults)
• Pinterest: 25–30% (majority female)
• Snapchat: 20–25% (youth-heavy)
• Facebook Messenger: 40–55% (widely used for business/community messaging)
• X (Twitter): 10–15%
• LinkedIn: 10–15% (lower than metro averages)
• Reddit: 8–12%
• Nextdoor: 5–10% (patchy in rural areas)

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community hub: strong reliance on Groups for schools, volunteer fire/EMS, churches, yard-sale/“swap” groups, lost-and-found pets, road/weather alerts, and local events.
• Marketplace matters: high engagement for local buy/sell, services, vehicles, and seasonal gear.
• Tourism seasonality: Instagram/TikTok activity spikes around Deep Creek Lake, Wisp Resort, and state parks in summer and ski season; geotagged UGC and Reels perform well Friday–Sunday.
• Video consumption: short-form (Reels/TikTok/short YouTube) outperforms long-form; how-to, conditions updates (snow, lake levels), and event recaps drive shares.
• Trust patterns: hyperlocal pages (county government, sheriff/EMS, school district, local weather spotters) get outsized reach during storms, closures, and emergencies.
• Timing: engagement peaks early morning (6–8 a.m.) and evenings (7–10 p.m.); weekend surges during tourist months; midday dips common for outdoor/shift work.
• Messaging behavior: many residents contact businesses via Facebook Messenger; prompt replies boost conversions. Phone numbers in posts still valued.
• Connectivity constraints: some users on limited broadband—concise captions, compressed video, and static image alternates improve completion rates.
• Content tone: practical, community-oriented posts outperform national/partisan content; giveaways supporting local causes and clear, service-focused offers do well.
• Audience extension: seasonal visitors from Pittsburgh, DC, and Baltimore engage with location-tagged content; geo-targeted ads to those DMAs convert around peak seasons.

Note: Figures are best-available estimates for a rural, older-leaning county, derived from national Pew Research adoption rates, rural adjustments, and platform norms; county-level platform reporting is limited.