Oceana County

Oceana County, Michigan — key demographics

Population size

• 26,659 (2020 Census)
• 26,7xx (2023 Census Bureau estimate; essentially stable since 2020)

Age

• Median age: ~42 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~24%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and ethnicity (shares will not sum to 100% because “Hispanic or Latino” is an ethnicity that can be of any race)

• White alone: ~87%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~1%
• Asian alone: <1%
• Two or more races: ~10%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~16%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~74%

Households

• Total households: ~10,200 (ACS 2019–2023)
• Average household size: ~2.6 persons
• Family households: ~67% of households; married-couple families: ~51%
• Households with children under 18: ~28–30%
• Nonfamily households: ~33%

Insights

• Population is flat to slightly growing since 2020.
• Older age structure than the U.S. overall, with about one in five residents 65+.
• One of Michigan’s higher Hispanic/Latino shares (~16%), reflecting the county’s agricultural labor force.
• Household size is modestly above the Michigan average.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2023 Population Estimates Program).

Oceana County, MI (2020 pop. ≈26,700; roughly 50 residents per sq. mile).

Estimated email users: ≈21,100 residents (≈79% of total; ≈92% of those age 13+).

Age distribution of email users (share of users):

• 13–17: ~8%
• 18–34: ~22%
• 35–64: ~47%
• 65+: ~23%

Gender split among users: ≈50% female, ≈50% male.

Digital access and connectivity:

• Households with a computer: ~86%.
• Households with a broadband subscription (cable/DSL/fiber/cellular): ~77%; about 23% lack a home internet plan.
• Smartphone‑only internet households: ~12%, supporting high mobile email reliance.
• Connectivity is uneven: denser lakeshore communities tend to have cable broadband, while inland rural townships rely more on DSL and fixed wireless, with lower speeds and adoption.

Insights:

• Email adoption is near‑universal among working‑age adults and teens; growth is concentrated among residents 65+.
• The 35–64 cohort constitutes nearly half of email users, reflecting the county’s older age profile.
• A notable minority is mobile‑first due to limited fixed broadband, influencing shorter, on‑the‑go email engagement and daytime peaks aligned with work and school schedules.

Mobile phone usage in Oceana County, Michigan — 2024 snapshot

At-a-glance user estimates

• Population baseline: 26,900 (2020 Census). Adults (18+): ~21,000.
• Mobile phone users (any mobile handset): ~20,000 adults (≈95% of adults).
• Smartphone users: ~17,600 adults (≈84% of adults), consistent with rural adoption levels rising toward the national average.
• Wireless-only voice: ≈75% of adults live in households without a landline, mirroring national/rural trends.
• Mobile-reliant home internet: ~20–22% of households rely primarily on mobile data (smartphone or hotspot) for home internet, materially higher than the statewide share (≈12–14%). This reflects lower fixed-broadband adoption locally.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Older population share is higher than the state:
  • 65+ is roughly 22% of the total population; estimated smartphone adoption among seniors is ~65–70%, yielding ~3,900–4,200 senior smartphone users. This lags Michigan’s senior adoption, contributing to more basic-phone and text-first usage among part of this cohort.
• Working-age adults (35–64) form the plurality of users; adoption is ~90%+, but upgrade cycles tend to be longer than the state average due to income and rural coverage considerations.
• Young adults (18–34) show near-saturation smartphone adoption (~95%+). Outmigration of some younger workers lowers this cohort’s share compared with the state, slightly moderating overall app-based engagement metrics versus urban Michigan.
• Hispanic/Latino residents represent a markedly larger share than the state average (≈14–15% locally vs ≈6% statewide). This group shows high smartphone and messaging-app reliance and a higher incidence of mobile-only internet, influenced by multilingual communication, agricultural shift work, and variable housing situations.
• Income and affordability: Median household income is lower than the Michigan median, which correlates with higher prepaid adoption, more family plan concentration, and above-average use of refurbished devices.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 4G LTE: Near-universal population coverage in and around Hart, Shelby, Pentwater, Rothbury, and along the US‑31 corridor; inland agricultural and forested areas still experience pockets of weak signal and capacity constraints.
• 5G:
  • Deployed along US‑31 and lakefront population centers by all three national carriers; practical mid-band 5G coverage remains discontinuous inland.
  • Effective 5G “on-pop” coverage is meaningfully lower than the statewide picture; users frequently transition to LTE outside towns and highways.
• Capacity and seasonality:
  • Summer tourism hubs (Silver Lake/Mears, Pentwater, lakefront campgrounds) drive weekend/holiday data surges that can halve typical speeds during peak hours.
  • Harvest-season activity adds device density in fields and packing areas, stressing sectors on a small number of rural sites.
• Typical performance:
  • 5G mid-band in town/highway sectors: roughly 100–300 Mbps down, low double-digit Mbps up under normal load.
  • Rural LTE sectors off-corridor: often 5–25 Mbps down with higher latency; indoor coverage is the dominant pain point in older or metal-sided structures.
• Backhaul and fiber: Fiber is strongest along US‑31 and into municipal hubs; farther inland, more sites depend on microwave backhaul, which shows up as evening slowdowns under heavy load.
• Fixed wireless/home internet: 5G and LTE home internet options have expanded in towns and along corridors; inland availability is spottier, reinforcing mobile-only reliance where cable/fiber is absent.

How Oceana County differs from Michigan overall

• Higher mobile dependence: A larger share of households are mobile-only for internet access due to lower fixed-broadband subscription rates locally (≈75–78% with broadband vs ≈85–88% statewide). This drives heavier hotspot use and data-plan sensitivity.
• Coverage quality gap: Statewide 5G population coverage is very high, but in-county 5G coverage meaningfully trails outside the US‑31 corridor; LTE remains the default technology for many daily trips, affecting app performance and video quality.
• Demographic drivers: A higher senior share dampens top-line smartphone penetration compared with the state, while a larger Hispanic/Latino community increases messaging-app usage, family-plan line density, and cross-border calling features relative to Michigan averages.
• Affordability and plan mix: Lower median income and seasonal/shift work raise prepaid and discount-MVNO share above the statewide mix, and extend handset replacement cycles relative to metro counties.
• Seasonal swings: Tourism and agriculture create sharper, more predictable capacity spikes than the state average, making time-of-day and time-of-year performance variability more pronounced.

Key takeaways for stakeholders

• Network planning should prioritize inland capacity and in-building coverage improvements (additional sectors, small cells, or repeaters) and reinforce backhaul on rural sites that serve farms and seasonal venues.
• Plans with generous hotspot allotments and flexible prepaid options are disproportionately valuable locally.
• Digital inclusion efforts that pair affordable home broadband with device subsidies and bilingual support will have outsized impact, particularly for senior and Hispanic households.

Social media usage snapshot: Oceana County, Michigan (2025)

Population context

• Population roughly 26–27k; adults (18+) about 20–21k. Rural, older-leaning age mix with a sizable seasonal/agricultural workforce and notable Hispanic/Latino community.

Most-used platforms (adults) — percentages are U.S. benchmarks (Pew Research Center, 2024); local adoption generally skews slightly higher for Facebook and slightly lower for TikTok/Snapchat given the older age profile. Estimated local adult user counts apply these shares to ~20.5k adults:

• YouTube: 83% (~17,000 adults)
• Facebook: 68% (~14,000)
• Instagram: 47% (~9,600)
• TikTok: 33% (~6,800)
• Snapchat: 27% (~5,500)
• Pinterest: 35% (~7,200)
• LinkedIn: 33% (~6,800)
• X (Twitter): 22% (~4,500)
• Reddit: 21% (~4,300)
• WhatsApp: 21% (~4,300)
• Nextdoor: 19% (~3,900)

Age-group patterns (local tendencies inferred from national usage)

• Teens (13–17): Heavy Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram; Facebook mainly for school, sports, events, and Marketplace.
• 18–29: Near-universal YouTube; daily Instagram/Snapchat; strong TikTok; Facebook used for groups and buy/sell.
• 30–49: Facebook is the hub (Groups, Marketplace, school/community updates); Instagram for reels/stories; YouTube for how-to and product research.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest for projects/recipes; growing Instagram reels consumption.
• 65+: Facebook (friends, local news/groups) and YouTube (news/how-to); limited TikTok/Instagram adoption but rising via short-form crossposts.

Gender breakdown (directional)

• Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; active in local Groups, school/church/community threads, and Marketplace.
• Men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X; strong engagement with sports, outdoors, automotive, farming, and tech content.
• WhatsApp usage is meaningful among bilingual/Latino families and seasonal farmworkers of all genders.

Behavioral trends in Oceana County

• Community-first engagement: Facebook Groups (towns like Hart, Shelby, Pentwater; school districts; churches; civic alerts) drive the highest organic reach and comment activity.
• Marketplace culture: Strong buy/sell/trade behavior for vehicles, equipment, home goods, and seasonal rentals; trust is built via local identity and prompt messaging.
• Video-forward consumption: Short-form reels/TikTok for events, tourism (Silver Lake Sand Dunes), food, and local businesses; YouTube for DIY, repairs, small-engine/farm equipment, and outdoor recreation.
• Seasonal spikes: Spring–summer peaks tied to tourism and agriculture (jobs, housing, events). Bilingual posts perform better during hiring and harvest periods.
• Messaging reliance: Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp are common for coordinating work, rentals, and services; rapid response materially lifts conversion.
• Posting windows: Evenings (7–10 p.m.) and weekend mid-days see higher engagement; weekday noon hours also perform for short-form video.
• Trust signals: Real local faces, place names, and candid photos outperform stock creative; consistent admin presence in Groups sustains reach.
• Ads that work: Tight geo-targeting around Hart, Shelby, Pentwater, and M-31/US-31 corridors; interest targeting for powersports/dunes, fishing/boating, DIY/home, agriculture; click-to-message and offer-based creatives convert well.

Key takeaways

• Prioritize Facebook (Groups + Marketplace) and YouTube for reach; add Instagram Reels for awareness and TikTok for younger segments.
• Lean into hyper-local, seasonal, and bilingual content; emphasize short-form video and direct messaging to close the loop.