Grafton County

Key demographics for Grafton County, NH (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates; tables DP05, S0101, S1101)

Population

• Total: ~92,000 (2020 Census baseline: 91,118)

Age

• Median age: ~44 years
• Under 18: ~17%
• 18–24: ~11%
• 25–44: ~23%
• 45–64: ~28%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone, non-Hispanic: ~87–88%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%
• Asian alone: ~4–5%
• Black or African American alone: ~1–2%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.5%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.1%

Households

• Total households: ~37,000; families: ~21,000
• Average household size: ~2.3; average family size: ~2.9
• Family households: ~56–58% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~23–24%
• One-person households: ~30–33% (65+ living alone: ~12–13%)
• Tenure: ~71–72% owner-occupied; ~28–29% renter-occupied

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 (5-year).

Grafton County, NH — email usage snapshot (estimates)

• Estimated users: 66–75k residents use email regularly (county pop ≈91k; based on NH/US internet and email adoption rates from ACS/Pew).
• Age distribution (share using email):
  • 18–29: ~98–99%
  • 30–49: ~95–97%
  • 50–64: ~90–93%
  • 65+: ~75–80%
• Gender split: roughly even; no meaningful difference in email adoption by gender.

Digital access and trends

• Broadband subscription: ~85–90% of households (lower in rural northern/western towns; higher around Lebanon–Hanover–Plymouth).
• Growing fiber and cable upgrades along the I‑89 corridor and college/medical hubs; mobile broadband fills gaps in outlying areas.
• Remote work and higher-education presence (Dartmouth College, Plymouth State University) sustain high email reliance among students, faculty, healthcare, and tech workers.
• Public libraries and schools provide Wi‑Fi access that supports older adults and lower‑income households.

Local density/connectivity context

• Population density ≈50–55 people per square mile (well below the NH average), leading to uneven last‑mile infrastructure but strong connectivity in the Lebanon/Hanover metro area anchored by Dartmouth‑Hitchcock Medical Center.

Gist

• Grafton County’s mobile usage is bifurcated: very high adoption and heavy data use in the Hanover–Lebanon–Plymouth–Littleton corridor, but more coverage gaps and capacity constraints than the New Hampshire average in its mountainous and sparsely populated towns.
• The presence of Dartmouth College, Plymouth State University, and Dartmouth Health skews the user base younger and more data‑intensive than the state overall, while the large retiree share keeps a meaningful slice of lower-intensity users and voice-first households.

User estimates (transparent, model-based)

• Population baseline: ~90–95k residents; adults ≈ 75–80k.
• Smartphone users: 64–72k adults (assumes 85–90% adult smartphone adoption; U.S. 2023 Pew ≈ 88%, with rural/older areas a bit lower and college clusters higher).
• Total mobile lines (including tablets, wearables, work lines): roughly 95–115k active subscriptions countywide (using a 1.05–1.20 lines-per-resident range common in U.S. markets).
• Wireless-only voice households: likely mid-to-high 60% range, a few points below statewide (NH is typically ~70%+), reflecting Grafton’s older/rural mix.

Demographic patterns that differ from the NH average

• Age mix is more bimodal:
  • Larger 18–24 share than the state (Dartmouth in Hanover; Plymouth State in Plymouth) → higher smartphone penetration, 5G device share, and app-driven usage.
  • Above-average 65+ share in many towns (e.g., Haverhill area, parts of the Lakes/White Mountains fringe) → slightly more basic-plan usage, voice/SMS reliance, and Wi‑Fi calling at home.
• Income and plan tiers:
  • Hanover–Lebanon medical/tech professionals skew to premium unlimited plans and newer iPhone/Android cycles.
  • Rural western/northern towns show more price-sensitive plans/MVNOs and longer device replacement cycles.
• Commuting and cross-border patterns:
  • Strong cross-river ties with Vermont (White River Junction, Norwich) lead to frequent sector handoffs to sites west of the Connecticut River; residents near the river often see VT market identifiers even when not “roaming.”
• Seasonal swings:
  • Tourism (Franconia/Lincoln/Kinsman Notch, Cannon/Bretton Woods access via I‑93/US‑3) produces weekend/holiday load spikes that are more pronounced than the state average, stressing uplink in trailhead/valley sectors.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage/technology:
  • 5G is established along I‑89 (Lebanon/West Lebanon), I‑93 (Plymouth to Littleton), and in larger towns (Hanover, Lebanon, Plymouth, Littleton, Lincoln/Woodstock). Mid-band 5G capacity is best in the Upper Valley and along I‑93; rural valleys often fall back to LTE.
  • Notable weak/zero-coverage zones (more prevalent than statewide): parts of Franconia Notch, Kinsman Notch (NH‑112), stretches of NH‑118/US‑302, and forested hollows north and west of Plymouth.
• Carriers (general reception patterns):
  • Verizon: typically the most consistent rural footprint, strong along I‑93 and in backcountry-adjacent areas; good building penetration in Hanover/Lebanon with C‑band where deployed.
  • AT&T: broadly solid in towns and along interstates; FirstNet buildouts have improved public-safety and fringe coverage in recent years.
  • T‑Mobile: markedly improved since 600 MHz rollout; strong in towns (Hanover, Lebanon, Plymouth, Littleton) but still variable in mountain valleys and remote lake districts.
• Sites and backhaul:
  • Macro sites cluster along I‑89/I‑91 (Upper Valley) and I‑93/US‑3 corridors; infill small cells/DAS appear around campus/medical complexes in Hanover–Lebanon.
  • Fiber backhaul has expanded since 2022 via Consolidated/Fidium and NH Electric Cooperative’s NH Broadband builds in rural Grafton, which has improved sector capacity and reduced congestion in some town centers.
• Reliance on Wi‑Fi calling:
  • Above state average in rural neighborhoods and along lake/mountain roads where indoor LTE/5G is inconsistent.

Usage behaviors that stand out locally

• Heavy telehealth and clinical app use tied to Dartmouth Health; video visits and secure messaging are a larger share of upstream data than in many NH counties.
• Student-driven peaks (move-in, exams, events) in Hanover and Plymouth cause dense, time-bound demand spikes that are atypical outside college towns.
• Outdoor/recreation mapping, offline downloads, and emergency-messaging app usage are more common due to hiking/ski areas and known dead zones.

How Grafton County differs from statewide trends (bottom line)

• More polarized user base: very high-end, high-data users in the Upper Valley and college towns, alongside lower-intensity, coverage‑constrained users in rural/mountain communities.
• Higher incidence of coverage gaps and terrain-limited capacity than the NH average, despite good interstate-corridor service.
• Larger seasonal and event-driven traffic volatility (tourism plus university cycles) than most NH counties.
• Slightly lower share of wireless-only voice households than the statewide figure, tempered by an older rural population—but higher 5G device penetration in the Hanover–Lebanon–Plymouth axis than the state average.

Notes on sources and method

• Population/demographics: based on recent ACS/Census county estimates and known institutional presence (Dartmouth College, Plymouth State University).
• Adoption rates: derived from Pew Research Center’s U.S. smartphone adoption and CDC NHIS wireless-only voice benchmarks, adjusted for rural age structure and university effects.
• Coverage/infrastructure: synthesized from FCC/NH carrier maps, carrier announcements, and observed deployment patterns (5G mid-band along interstates, fiber backhaul expansions since 2022). Exact tower counts and carrier market shares are not published at county granularity; figures above are qualitative or modeled ranges.

Below is a concise, planning-ready snapshot. Note: Platform-specific, county-level stats aren’t publicly reported; figures are estimates using Pew Research’s 2024 U.S. adult usage rates applied to Grafton County’s adult population (~71,000; county pop ~91k).

User stats (adults 18+)

• Estimated adults using at least one social platform: ~55–60k (≈80–85% of adults)
• Device mix: Heavily mobile-first; desktop usage higher during work hours in Lebanon/Hanover.

Most-used platforms (estimated adult reach in Grafton County)

• YouTube: 83% (59k adults)
• Facebook: 68% (48k)
• Instagram: 47% (33k)
• Pinterest: 35% (25k)
• TikTok: 33% (23k)
• Snapchat: 30% (21k)
• LinkedIn: 30% (21k)
• X (Twitter): 22% (16k)
• Reddit: 22% (16k) Note: Facebook Groups and Marketplace have outsized local utility despite overall Facebook usage trends.

Age groups (behavioral patterns)

• 13–24 (influenced by Dartmouth and Plymouth State communities): Heavy Snapchat/Instagram/TikTok; event coordination via IG Stories/Snap; local food/coffee/ski/hike content; quick-response to campus and weather updates.
• 25–44: Facebook + Instagram dominant; Reels/TikTok growing; Marketplace for housing, gear, and baby/kid items; LinkedIn for DHMC/Dartmouth professionals.
• 45–64: Facebook Groups for schools/rec sports/town info; YouTube for home/DIY; less TikTok, more FB Reels.
• 65+: Facebook and YouTube; active in town and neighborhood groups; minimal TikTok/Snapchat.

Gender breakdown (directional)

• Women: Over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; strong participation in local buy-sell-trade, childcare, school and community groups.
• Men: Over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X, LinkedIn; strong in sports/outdoors, tech, policy threads.
• Teens/young women: Higher TikTok/Snapchat creation and consumption; teens/young men: more YouTube/Reddit.

Local behavioral trends

• Community hubs: Facebook Groups for “Upper Valley,” Hanover/Lebanon/Plymouth classifieds, yard sales, road conditions, school/rec sports; rapid amplification during storms, closures, and town-meeting season.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace dominates for cars, outdoor gear, rentals; Instagram key for boutiques, cafes, salons; seasonal service promos (plowing, landscaping) surge.
• Seasonality: Spikes in IG/TikTok during foliage and ski seasons (Franconia/Lincoln/Loon) and summer hiking; visitor posts boost hashtag traffic more than resident counts.
• Content formats: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) strongest for 18–34; YouTube long-form for how-to/gear reviews; photo carousels for real estate and tourism.
• Posting/engagement windows: Morning commute (7–9 am), lunch (11:30–1), evening (7–10 pm); weather events and school announcements cause sharp engagement peaks.
• Civic/info flow: Town budgets, school board updates, parking bans, and NHDOT/511NH shares spread fastest via Facebook Groups and cross-posts to X/Reddit.
• Cross-border media: Upper Valley overlap with VT pages and forums; regional news pages act as shared public squares.

How to use this

• Target Facebook/IG for broad local reach; layer YouTube for education/evergreen; add TikTok/Reels for seasonal tourism and student segments; use LinkedIn for healthcare/education recruiting; deploy Facebook Groups/Marketplace for hyperlocal conversion.