Oakland County

Oakland County, Michigan — key demographics (most recent Census data)

Population size

• Total population: ~1.27 million (ACS 2023 1-year). 2020 Census: 1,274,395

Age

• Median age: ~41.5 years (ACS 2023)
• Under 18: ~21%
• 18–64: ~61%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2023)

• Race (alone): White ~75%; Black or African American ~14%; Asian ~8–9%; Two or more races ~3%; American Indian/Alaska Native ~0.3%; Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander ~0.03%
• Ethnicity: Hispanic or Latino (of any race) ~5–6% Note: Hispanic is an ethnicity and overlaps with race categories

Household data (ACS 2023)

• Households: ~525,000
• Average household size: ~2.5 persons
• Family households: ~63% of households (average family size ~3.1)
• With own children under 18: ~27–29% of households
• Tenure: Owner-occupied ~72%; Renter-occupied ~28%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 (1-year); 2020 Decennial Census.

• Population base: ~1.27M (Oakland County, 2023). Estimated email users: ~1.02M residents age 13+.

• Age distribution of email users (est. counts, share of email users):

  • 13–17: ~65k (6%)
  • 18–29: ~176k (17%)
  • 30–49: ~336k (33%)
  • 50–64: ~275k (27%)
  • 65+: ~168k (16%)

• Gender split among email users:

  • Female: 52% (530k)
  • Male: 48% (490k)
  • Usage rates are broadly similar by gender; shares mirror population makeup.

• Digital access and usage trends:

  • ~95% of households have a computer; ~91% subscribe to broadband, both above Michigan averages.
  • Adult smartphone ownership ~90%; ~11% of households are smartphone‑only internet users.
  • Countywide 5G coverage, gigabit cable in most population centers, and expanding fiber are lifting median fixed speeds and supporting heavy work/school email reliance.
  • Telework prevalence is high relative to the state, sustaining daytime email activity.

• Local density/connectivity facts:

  • Population density ~1,460 residents/sq mi supports strong network investment along I‑75, I‑696, and M‑59 corridors and in suburban downtowns.
  • Access is highest in western/southern suburbs; modest gaps persist in a few lower‑income tracts, targeted by county/state broadband grants since 2021.

Mobile phone usage in Oakland County, Michigan — 2025 snapshot

Headline user estimates

• Population and households: ~1.27 million residents; ~525,000 households.
• Smartphone users: ~1.00 million people (about 79% of total population, 90–92% of adults).
• Households with at least one smartphone: ~94% (≈494,000 households).
• Mobile-only internet households (cellular data plan but no fixed home broadband): ~8% (≈42,000), lower than Michigan’s ~12–14%.
• Households with both home broadband and mobile: ~82% (≈431,000), higher than Michigan’s ~72–76%.
• Households with no internet at home: ~6% (≈31,500), lower than Michigan’s ~9–11%.
• 5G device penetration among smartphone users: ~78% in Oakland County vs ~65–70% statewide.
• Plan mix: Postpaid ~80% (vs ~70–75% statewide); MVNO/prepaid ~12–14% (vs ~15–18% statewide).

Demographic breakdown (usage and dependence)

• By age (smartphone ownership; mobile-only internet share)
  • 18–29: ~98%; ~12%
  • 30–49: ~96%; ~8%
  • 50–64: ~90%; ~6%
  • 65+: ~82%; ~7%
• By income (smartphone ownership; mobile-only internet share)
  • < $50k: ~90%; ~15–18%
  • $50k–$100k: ~95%; ~7–9%

  • $100k: ~98%; ~3–4%

• By race/ethnicity (smartphone ownership; mobile-only internet share)
  • White, non-Hispanic: ~94%; ~6–7%
  • Black: ~93%; ~13–15%
  • Hispanic/Latino: ~94%; ~12–14%
  • Asian: ~96%; ~5–6%
• Geographic patterns within the county
  • Higher mobile-only reliance in pockets of Pontiac, Oak Park, Hazel Park, parts of Southfield and Madison Heights (~12–18%).
  • Lower mobile-only reliance in affluent, fiber/cable-rich communities (Birmingham, Bloomfield, Troy, Novi, Rochester Hills) at ~3–6%.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• 5G coverage
  • T-Mobile (2.5 GHz “Ultra Capacity”): ~95% of population covered across the county.
  • Verizon (C-band “Ultra Wideband”): ~85–90% population coverage; dense nodes along I‑75, I‑696, M‑59, Telegraph, Woodward, Northwestern Hwy.
  • AT&T (C-band “5G+”): ~75–85% population coverage; focused densification in Southfield, Troy, Farmington Hills, Novi, Royal Oak.
  • Limited mmWave in select downtowns/venues and high-traffic corridors.
• Capacity and speeds
  • Typical mid-band 5G downlink 200–400 Mbps in dense corridors; LTE fallback commonly 20–60 Mbps in exurban and lake-dense pockets.
  • Small-cell and DAS deployments in downtown Royal Oak/Birmingham/Troy, major malls (Somerset Collection, Great Lakes Crossing), corporate campuses (Southfield, Auburn Hills), and event venues (Pine Knob Music Theatre, Oakland University facilities) bolster peak-hour capacity.
• Backhaul and competition
  • Robust fiber/coax backhaul (AT&T, Comcast, Zayo, Lumen, WOW) reduces congestion and supports higher 5G utilization; this is a key reason mobile-only reliance is lower than the state average.
  • Fixed Wireless Access (5G home internet) adoption estimated at ~6–8% of households in Oakland vs ~9–12% statewide, reflecting strong cable/fiber availability locally.
• Coverage constraints
  • Performance variability and occasional dead zones persist around lake-dense areas and northern townships (e.g., Orion, Oxford, Groveland/Holly fringes) due to terrain, vegetation, and siting limits.

How Oakland County trends differ from Michigan overall

• Higher adoption, less substitution: Oakland posts more total smartphone users and higher 5G device penetration, but fewer households rely on mobile data as their only home connection; statewide, mobile-only is more common due to rural gaps and affordability.
• Faster upgrade cycle: Higher incomes and enterprise presence push quicker 5G device turnover and greater usage of mid-band 5G, lifting average user speeds compared with state averages.
• Network quality advantage: Denser small-cell grids, extensive fiber backhaul, and high-traffic corridors result in more consistent 5G performance and fewer capacity bottlenecks than many Michigan counties.
• Lower prepaid/MVNO share: Consumers in Oakland skew to postpaid family plans and device financing; statewide, prepaid and MVNO shares are higher, especially outside metro areas.
• Digital divide is narrower but persistent: Affordability-driven mobile-only clusters exist but are smaller in Oakland; statewide, these clusters are both larger and more dispersed.
• ACP phase-out impact: The Affordable Connectivity Program lapse in 2024 is less disruptive in Oakland (estimated 6–8% household participation pre-lapse) than statewide (≈12–15%), but localized risks of churn from fixed broadband to mobile-only still rose modestly in 2024–2025.

Key takeaways

• Approximately 1.0 million residents in Oakland County use smartphones, and nearly all households have mobile access; most pair it with fixed broadband.
• The county’s mid-band 5G is broadly available from all three national carriers, with especially strong coverage and capacity along major corridors and commercial centers.
• Compared with Michigan overall, Oakland combines higher device adoption and faster networks with lower mobile-only dependence, reflecting stronger infrastructure and higher incomes.

Notes on methodology

• Estimates synthesize 2020–2023 Census/ACS household and income distributions, national smartphone adoption benchmarks (Pew/industry), FCC/industry 5G deployment disclosures through 2024, and metro-Detroit carrier build-out patterns. Figures are rounded to reflect reasonable county-level precision.

Social media usage in Oakland County, Michigan (2025 snapshot)

Baseline population and access

• Population: ≈1.27 million residents; adults (18+): ≈1.02 million (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
• Gender: ≈51% female, 49% male (ACS).
• Household internet access: ~90–92% with broadband subscription (ACS).

Most-used platforms (adult reach; local counts estimated by applying Pew U.S. adoption rates to Oakland County’s adult population)

• YouTube: 83% of adults (847k)
• Facebook: 68% (694k)
• Instagram: 47% (479k)
• Pinterest: 35% (357k)
• TikTok: 33% (337k)
• LinkedIn: 30% (306k)
• Snapchat: 25% (255k)
• X (Twitter): 22% (224k) Note: Rankings reflect share of adults who say they use each platform; figures are point-in-time estimates based on national adoption applied to the county’s adult base.

Age groups (penetration benchmarks; Pew U.S. averages applied locally)

• 18–29: ~84% use at least one social platform; heaviest on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; high daily use and short‑form video creation.
• 30–49: ~81%; active across Facebook, YouTube, Instagram; strong participation in local groups and marketplace activity.
• 50–64: ~73%; Facebook and YouTube dominate; news, community updates, and how‑to content lead.
• 65+: ~45%; primarily Facebook and YouTube; rising but still lower multi‑platform use than younger cohorts.

Gender breakdown in social usage

• Overall social media use is similar by gender locally, tracking national patterns.
• Platform skews: women are overrepresented on Facebook and Pinterest; men are overrepresented on Reddit and X; YouTube and Instagram are near parity; TikTok skews slightly female.

Behavioral trends observed locally (consistent with suburban, high-broadband counties)

• Community-first engagement: Heavy use of Facebook Groups and local pages (municipalities, school districts, youth sports, libraries). Neighborhood forums (e.g., Nextdoor) see strong participation for safety, services, and recommendations.
• Video-forward consumption: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) drives discovery for dining, parks/trails, family activities, and events; YouTube remains the go-to for “how‑to,” home/auto repair, and product research.
• Workday and evening peaks: Highest engagement typically in early morning (7–9 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evening (7–10 p.m.); weekend afternoons favor family and event content. LinkedIn peaks midweek mornings.
• Local commerce behavior: Facebook/Instagram power local business discovery; Marketplace is widely used for resale. Geo-targeted promotions and limited-time offers perform well.
• Professional footprint: Above-average LinkedIn activity given the county’s large professional/technical workforce; B2B and recruiting content perform strongly.
• Messaging for service: Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs are common for customer service (hours, reservations, quotes). WhatsApp usage is growing among multilingual and international communities.

Sources and method notes

• Population, gender, broadband: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 1-year.
• Platform adoption and age-group penetration: Pew Research Center, Americans and social media (latest available). Local platform counts are modeled by applying Pew’s U.S. adult adoption rates to Oakland County’s adult population.