Chautauqua County

Chautauqua County, NY – key demographics (most recent ACS/PEP; circa 2023)

• Population size: ~126,000 (2023 Population Estimates Program)
• Age:
  • Median age: ~41
  • Under 18: ~21%
  • 65 and over: ~20%
• Gender:
  • Female: ~50.7%
  • Male: ~49.3%
• Racial/ethnic composition (mutually exclusive; ACS):
  • White, non-Hispanic: ~82%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~10%
  • Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~4%
  • Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~3%
  • Asian, non-Hispanic: ~1%
  • Other, non-Hispanic: <1%
• Households:
  • Total households: ~54,000
  • Average household size: ~2.3
  • Family households: ~59% of households (married-couple families ~43%)
  • Households with children under 18: ~26%
  • One-person households: ~32%

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

Summary (Chautauqua County, NY)

• Estimated email users: ~95,000–105,000 residents. Based on ~126–128k population, ~78–80% adults, and applying typical U.S. email adoption (roughly 88–92% of adults; most teens also have email).
• Age distribution of email adoption (est.):
  • 18–29: ~95%+
  • 30–49: ~95%+
  • 50–64: ~85–90%
  • 65+: ~70–80% Net effect: users skew slightly toward 30–64 due to local age mix.
• Gender split: near 50/50; small female majority likely among users, mirroring county demographics.
• Digital access trends:
  • Household broadband subscription roughly 75–85% (ACS-like range for similar rural NY counties), with 10–15% of households smartphone‑only.
  • Steady post‑2020 gains from state/federal investments (e.g., New NY Broadband/BEAD), but gaps persist in sparsely populated tracts.
  • Public libraries, schools, and campuses serve as important access points; mobile data fills rural gaps.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ~120 people/sq mi across ~1,060 sq mi of land; highest connectivity in Jamestown and Dunkirk–Fredonia corridors where cable is prevalent.
  • Interior rural and lake‑adjacent areas see more DSL/fixed‑wireless reliance and variable 4G/5G signal, influencing email use on mobile.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Chautauqua County, NY, with a focus on how it differs from New York State overall

Context

• Population: roughly 125–130k residents, dispersed across small cities (Jamestown, Dunkirk–Fredonia) and rural townships. The county skews older and lower-income than New York State averages.

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

• Mobile phone users: about 108k–115k residents.
  • Method: apply high-80s to low-90s percent mobile ownership to total population, allowing for lower ownership among young children.
• Smartphone users: roughly 90k–96k.
  • Method: start with adults ≈100–102k; apply rural/older-adjusted smartphone adoption in the low-to-mid 80s percent; add most teens.
• Mobile-only internet users: likely a noticeably higher share than the statewide average (several percentage points higher), reflecting more households that rely on cellular data when fixed broadband is limited or unaffordable.

Demographic patterns (relative to NY State)

• Age
  • 65+: Lower smartphone adoption and higher basic/flip-phone use than state average; more voice/text-centric usage and greater reliance on Wi‑Fi calling at home.
  • Teens/young adults: Near-universal smartphone use, but device refresh cycles tend to be longer than in downstate/metro areas.
• Income and plans
  • Higher uptake of prepaid/MVNO plans (e.g., Straight Talk/Tracfone, Cricket, Metro by T‑Mobile, Visible) and budget Android devices.
  • Family share plans exist, but price sensitivity is higher than state average; hotspots used to fill fixed-broadband gaps.
• Work and seasonality
  • Tourism (Chautauqua Institution, lake season) and agriculture drive seasonal spikes in device count and data usage; summer congestion is more common than in most downstate counties.
• Language/ethnicity
  • Hispanic households are more likely than county average to rely on mobile for primary internet when fixed broadband is unavailable or costly, a pattern consistent with national data but amplified where wireline options are thin.

Digital infrastructure features

• Coverage mix
  • 4G LTE is the workhorse countywide; 5G low-band is present mainly in and around Jamestown, Dunkirk–Fredonia, and along primary corridors (e.g., I‑86/NY‑60), with patchier reach in interior rural areas and along hilly terrain.
  • Mid-band 5G (the faster kind) is limited outside town centers, so real-world speeds off-corridor often track LTE.
• Carriers
  • Verizon and AT&T generally offer the most consistent rural coverage; T‑Mobile coverage has improved with low-band spectrum but still has gaps off main roads compared with downstate.
  • FirstNet (AT&T) presence for public safety is a factor, but volunteers and rural EMS still face spotty signal in pockets.
• Dead zones and indoor coverage
  • Hill-and-valley topography and lake effects create micro dead zones; many households rely on Wi‑Fi calling indoors more than the state average.
• Backhaul and capacity
  • Fewer fiber-fed macro sites and fewer small cells than urban NY mean lower median speeds and more congestion during events and peak seasons.
• Wireline interplay
  • Towns typically have cable broadband; rural areas lean on legacy DSL, fixed wireless, or emerging fiber pockets. Where wireline is weak, mobile hotspot use and cellular-only households are more common.

How Chautauqua differs from New York State overall

• Adoption and devices
  • Slightly lower smartphone adoption rate, higher basic-phone share, and longer device replacement cycles than the NY average.
• Plan mix
  • Higher reliance on prepaid and MVNO offerings; greater sensitivity to total cost of ownership.
• Network experience
  • More LTE reliance and less mid-band 5G availability; lower typical speeds and more seasonal congestion than downstate/metro counties.
• Access patterns
  • Higher likelihood of mobile-only internet access due to patchy or costly fixed broadband in rural tracts.
• Usage habits
  • More Wi‑Fi calling, offline media use, and data-conservation behaviors; telehealth and education use are meaningful but constrained by coverage and capacity in certain areas.

Notes on estimation

• Figures are derived from county population and age structure, combined with recent national/rural smartphone ownership benchmarks and known rural–urban infrastructure differences in New York. They should be treated as informed estimates, not point measurements.

Below is a concise, decision-ready snapshot. Precise platform adoption isn’t published at the county level; figures are estimates created by applying current U.S. adult usage rates (Pew Research Center, 2024) to Chautauqua County’s roughly 100,000 adults (18+ out of ~127k total residents). Percentages shown are national; local counts are estimates.

Most‑used platforms (adult reach; national %; estimated local users)

• YouTube: 83% → ~83,000 adults
• Facebook: 68% → ~68,000
• Instagram: 47% → ~47,000
• TikTok: 33% → ~33,000
• Pinterest: 35% → ~35,000
• LinkedIn: 30% → ~30,000
• WhatsApp: 29% → ~29,000
• Snapchat: 27% → ~27,000
• X (Twitter): 22% → ~22,000
• Reddit: 22% → ~22,000

Age patterns (directional highlights)

• 18–29: Very high on YouTube; Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok are each used by a clear majority. Facebook is still common but not dominant for daily posting; heavy reliance on Snapchat for messaging.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube anchor daily use; Instagram strong; TikTok growing. Messaging via Messenger/WhatsApp common among parents.
• 50–64: Facebook is the primary network; YouTube for how‑to, news clips, local video. Instagram moderate; TikTok light but rising.
• 65+: Facebook for family, groups, and local news; YouTube for entertainment/how‑to. Other platforms are niche.

Gender tendencies

• More female: Pinterest (strong skew), Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook (slight female tilt).
• More male: Reddit (strong skew), X (Twitter), LinkedIn (slight male tilt).
• Neutral/mixed: YouTube (broadly universal).

Behavioral trends specific to a rural/small‑city county like Chautauqua

• Community/news: Facebook Groups are central for school closings, weather/lake‑effect storm updates, local government alerts, and neighborhood watch. Local outlets (e.g., Post‑Journal, OBSERVER) and agencies drive engagement via Facebook first.
• Marketplace and classifieds: Facebook Marketplace is widely used for autos, tools, farm equipment, rentals, and seasonal gear; swap/garage‑sale groups are high‑traffic.
• Events and tourism: Instagram and Facebook power discovery for Chautauqua Institution programming, lakefront events, wineries/breweries, fairs, and festivals; short‑form video (Reels/TikTok) performs for attractions and seasonal businesses.
• Youth communication: Snapchat is the de facto channel for teens/college (SUNY Fredonia, JCC) for coordination and streaks; TikTok for trends and local humor.
• Private groups and messaging: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous; WhatsApp is common in certain family/work networks and among Hispanic residents; many conversations move off public feeds.
• Seasonality: Spikes around summer tourism, fall harvest/grape country, and winter storm/closure info; engagement rises evenings and during weather events.
• Business use: Small businesses favor boosted Facebook/Instagram posts over complex ad buys; video + community tagging outperforms plain text. LinkedIn is used for professional hiring but is a secondary channel relative to FB job posts.

User stats at a glance (adults, estimated)

• Any major platform: roughly 70–80% of adults use at least one social platform (≈70–80k people), with Facebook and YouTube leading.
• Daily users: Facebook and YouTube have the highest daily reach; Instagram/TikTok daily use is concentrated under 50.

Notes and sources

• Method: Applied Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adult platform adoption rates to ~100k Chautauqua County adults; adjusted interpretation using rural/small‑city usage patterns seen nationally.
• Data sources to validate/extend locally: Pew Research Center (Social Media Use 2024), U.S. Census Bureau (population/age), platform ad planners (for rough audience sizes), and engagement analytics from local pages/groups.