Allegany County

Key demographics for Allegany County, New York

Population

• 46,456 (2020 Census)
• ~46.5k (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimate)

Age (ACS 2019–2023)

• Median age: ~39–40 years
• Under 18: ~20%
• 18–24: ~14–16%
• 25–44: ~23–25%
• 45–64: ~22–24%
• 65 and over: ~17–19%

Sex (ACS 2019–2023)

• Male: ~50–51%
• Female: ~49–50%

Race and Hispanic/Latino origin (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone, non-Hispanic: ~90–92%
• Black or African American alone: ~2–3%
• Asian alone: ~1–2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.3–0.5%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~18.5k–19.5k
• Average household size: ~2.35–2.40
• Family households: ~64–66% of households
• Married-couple families: ~47–50% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~26–28%
• One-person households: ~30–32%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (P.L. 94-171 Redistricting File) and American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables DP05, S0101, S1101).

Allegany County, NY overview (approximate)

• Estimated email users: 33,000–38,000 residents (about 72–82% of ≈46K population). Based on rural internet adoption (85–90%) and near-universal email use among internet users (92–95%).
• Age mix of email users:
  • 13–24: 20–25% (boosted by Alfred University and Alfred State College).
  • 25–44: 25–30%.
  • 45–64: 25–30%.
  • 65+: 15–20% (usage rising but below younger cohorts).
• Gender split: Approximately even; email users mirror the county’s near 50/50 male–female population.
• Digital access trends:
  • Roughly 78–82% of households have a broadband subscription (ACS 5‑year range typical for rural NY counties).
  • Growing fiber builds via New York’s ConnectALL and local providers; fixed wireless and satellite fill gaps.
  • Smartphone-only access is common among lower-income households; most residents check email via mobile.
• Density/connectivity facts:
  • Low population density (~45 residents per sq. mile across ~1,030 sq. miles) creates last‑mile cost challenges and coverage pockets.
  • Better connectivity in and around Alfred/Wellsville and village centers with campus networks, libraries, and public Wi‑Fi; more limited service in hilly, remote areas.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Allegany County, NY

Headline view

• Rural county of about 45,000 residents with solid 4G LTE in towns and along highways but notable coverage gaps in valleys and sparsely populated roads. 5G exists in pockets; mid-band 5G is limited.
• Compared with New York State overall, Allegany shows lower smartphone and 5G adoption among older and low‑income residents, heavier reliance on prepaid/MVNO plans and Wi‑Fi offload, and more use of mobile/fixed‑wireless as a primary home internet substitute.

User estimates (order-of-magnitude, method-based)

• Adult mobile phone users: roughly 33,000–35,000 (assumes ~78% of residents are 18+ and 95–97% of adults have a mobile phone).
• Adult smartphone users: roughly 28,000–31,000 (assumes ~80–85% smartphone ownership among rural adults).
• Teens 12–17 with smartphones: about 2,800–3,200 (high adoption among teens).
• Total active wireless lines (phones, tablets, watches, hotspots) among residents likely 50,000–60,000, reflecting multiple devices per person but somewhat below New York’s big‑city per‑capita connection levels.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–34: Very high smartphone adoption (near urban levels) anchored by Alfred and Houghton college populations; heavy app and data use on and near campuses.
  • 35–64: High smartphone ownership but more price‑sensitive plans; frequent Wi‑Fi offload at home/work.
  • 65+: Noticeably lower smartphone adoption than NYS average; more basic/older devices and voice/text reliance; growing but uneven uptake of telehealth and messaging apps.
• Income and plan mix
  • Lower median household income than NYS drives higher prepaid/MVNO usage (e.g., Straight Talk, Visible, Cricket, Metro) and longer device replacement cycles; Android share likely higher than state average.
  • With the wind‑down of the Affordable Connectivity Program in 2024, some households shifted data use to mobile hotspots or fixed‑wireless home internet.
• Work and lifestyle
  • Agriculture and dispersed worksites increase dependence on wide‑area coverage, SMS, and push‑to‑talk; coverage gaps complicate field operations.
  • Libraries, schools, and campuses serve as critical Wi‑Fi hubs for uploads, updates, and streaming, especially for users on capped or slower mobile plans.

Digital infrastructure snapshot

• Coverage and performance
  • 4G LTE is the reliability baseline; strongest signals in population centers and along I‑86/NY‑17, NY‑19, NY‑21, NY‑417. Hollowed terrain creates dead zones on secondary roads.
  • 5G low‑band is present in/near larger villages and highway corridors; mid‑band (capacity 5G) is sparse; mmWave is effectively absent.
  • Real‑world speeds and consistency trail NYS urban/suburban medians; users often fall back to LTE during peak times.
• Carrier landscape
  • Verizon and AT&T tend to provide the broadest rural footprints; T‑Mobile coverage is improving in towns but remains patchier in far‑rural areas. MVNOs ride these networks widely.
  • FirstNet (AT&T) is used by public safety; upgrades usually prioritize highways, villages, and emergency sites.
• Backhaul and last‑mile context
  • Middle‑mile fiber traverses the Southern Tier; select villages have cable or regional fiber providers enabling strong Wi‑Fi calling and offload. Many outlying homes still rely on DSL or fixed wireless.
  • Fixed‑wireless and 4G/5G “home internet” products have above‑average uptake compared with NYS overall due to limited wired options.
  • State and federal programs (e.g., NY’s ConnectALL, BEAD) target unserved pockets; tower and fiber builds are incremental given terrain and low density.

How Allegany County differs from New York State overall

• Coverage: More reliance on LTE; fewer areas with robust mid‑band 5G; more dead zones due to terrain. Urban NYS sees denser sites and broader 5G capacity.
• Adoption: Overall smartphone use is high but several points lower than NYS averages, especially among seniors; device upgrade cycles are slower.
• Plan mix: Higher share of prepaid/MVNO and budget plans; heavier Android share than NYC/metro areas.
• Usage behavior: More Wi‑Fi offload at libraries/schools and more use of mobile/fixed‑wireless as a primary home internet substitute; urban NYS depends more on dense 5G and wired broadband at home.
• Network load patterns: Seasonal spikes around campuses (Alfred, Houghton) create localized high‑capacity needs that contrast with otherwise low traffic density.

Notes on method and sources

• Population baseline from recent Census/ACS estimates (~45k). Ownership and adoption rates are inferred from Pew Research on smartphone and rural adoption, adjusted for Allegany’s older age profile and lower incomes relative to NYS averages. Coverage/performance patterns reflect FCC/National Broadband Map claims versus common rural Southern Tier field realities and carrier deployment norms. Figures are presented as reasoned ranges, not precise counts, due to limited county‑specific public data.

Allegany County, NY — Social media usage snapshot (modeled)

What this is: County-specific social media data aren’t published in an official dataset, so the figures below model Allegany outcomes from Pew Research Center’s U.S. adoption rates (2021–2023) applied to local population and broadband access (ACS). Treat as planning estimates, not a survey.

Population and online base

• Population: ~45,000; adults 18+: ~35,000
• Households with broadband: roughly 75–85%
• Adults using at least one social platform: ~24,000–28,000 (≈70–80% of adults)

Most-used platforms (share of adults; modeled from Pew)

• YouTube: ~75–82%
• Facebook: ~60–70%
• Instagram: ~35–45%
• TikTok: ~20–30% (skews young)
• Snapchat: ~20–30% (very youth-heavy)
• Pinterest: ~25–35% (skews female)
• LinkedIn: ~20–30% (likely below U.S. average given local occupation mix)
• X/Twitter: ~20–25%
• WhatsApp: ~20–25%
• Reddit: ~15–20%
• Nextdoor: ~8–13% (often lower in rural areas)

Age patterns (who uses what)

• 18–24 (boosted by Alfred University/Alfred State): very high on YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; Facebook mostly for events/groups, not posting
• 25–44: YouTube and Facebook dominant; Instagram common; TikTok/Snapchat moderate; LinkedIn concentrated among educators/healthcare/admin
• 45–64: Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram/Pinterest moderate; TikTok growing but still minority
• 65+: Facebook for community/news/church/school updates; YouTube for how‑to and local sports; limited Instagram/TikTok

Gender differences (directional, from Pew)

• Women: higher use of Facebook Groups and Pinterest; Instagram slightly higher than men
• Men: higher use of YouTube and Reddit; X/Twitter modestly higher than women
• Facebook and WhatsApp: broadly used by both genders

Local behavioral trends to expect

• Facebook as the community hub: school districts, county/town government, fire/EMS, churches, sports, yard‑sale/buy‑sell groups, lost & found pets. Heavy reliance on Groups and Events; sharing/resharing outperforms original posts.
• Mobile‑first, bandwidth‑aware use: rural broadband gaps mean many rely on smartphones; short videos and images outperform long HD video outside Wi‑Fi.
• Campus-driven youth spikes: during the academic year, Alfred/Wellsville see more Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok activity; Stories/Reels and short vertical video perform best; DMs > public comments for coordination.
• YouTube for utility and hobbies: DIY, trades, farming/repair, hunting/fishing, high school sports; search-driven discovery matters (titles, thumbnails, local keywords).
• Timing: engagement peaks 7–9am, noon hour, and 7–10pm; weekend mornings are strong for events and yard sales; school calendar noticeably affects traffic.
• Trust flows through known networks: posts from known locals, coaches, pastors, teachers, or agency pages beat brand-new pages; cross-posting into existing Groups is key.
• Nextdoor is niche; local Facebook Groups fill that role. LinkedIn is used mainly by educators/healthcare/municipal staff; recruiting performs best when cross-posted to Facebook.

Sources and method

• Pew Research Center: U.S. social media adoption by platform, age, and gender (2021–2023)
• U.S. Census Bureau ACS (population, broadband access)
• Figures are modeled to Allegany’s context; for campaign planning, validate with page insights, ad platform reach estimates, and local surveys.