Cortland County

Key demographics for Cortland County, New York (Census Bureau, ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates; rounded):

• Population: ~46.5k
• Median age: ~36
• Gender: ~49% male, ~51% female

Age distribution

• Under 18: ~18%
• 18–24: ~17%
• 25–44: ~25%
• 45–64: ~23%
• 65+: ~17%

Race/ethnicity (Hispanic is any race)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~88%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~2–3%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): ~1–2%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~4–5%
• Hispanic/Latino: ~4%
• Other, incl. AI/AN, NH/PI: <1%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~18.8k
• Average household size: ~2.35–2.40
• Family households: ~58–60%
  • Married-couple families: ~40–45% of households
• Nonfamily households: ~40–42%
  • Living alone: ~30–32% (about 10–11% age 65+ living alone)
• Tenure: ~62–64% owner-occupied; ~36–38% renter-occupied

Note: For exact figures or a specific reference year (e.g., 2020 Census vs. latest ACS), say which you prefer.

Summary for Cortland County, NY

• Population and density: ~46,000 residents; roughly 90–95 people per square mile. City of Cortland and SUNY Cortland (thousands of students) raise young-adult share along the I‑81 corridor.
• Estimated email users: 34,000–38,000 residents. Based on ~90–95% adoption among adults and high teen usage (extrapolating Pew U.S. email adoption to local population).
• Age distribution of email users (approx.):
  • 18–29: 20–25% (near‑universal usage on campus and among young workers)
  • 30–49: 25–30%
  • 50–64: 25–28%
  • 65+: 18–22% (slightly lower adoption but rising)
• Gender split: Near parity (roughly 50/50; minimal difference in email adoption by gender in national data).
• Digital access and trends:
  • About 85–88% of households likely have a broadband subscription; 90%+ have a computer or smartphone (ACS-based rural NY benchmarks).
  • Best wired speeds cluster in the City of Cortland and along the I‑81/SUNY corridor (cable/fiber); outlying rural areas rely more on DSL/fixed wireless/satellite with lower speeds.
  • Public libraries and campus offer free Wi‑Fi, boosting access for students and lower‑income residents.
  • Ongoing shift toward smartphone-first email checking; gaps persist for seniors, low-income households, and remote hamlets.

Notes: Figures are estimates using ACS and Pew patterns scaled to local population.

Below is a planning-grade snapshot of mobile phone usage in Cortland County, NY, with modeled estimates and qualitative findings. It emphasizes where local patterns diverge from New York State overall.

Headline user estimates (modeled)

• Population baseline: ~46–47k residents.
• Unique mobile phone users (any mobile device): ~39k–42k.
• Smartphone users: ~36k–40k.
• Mobile-only internet users (rely on cellular rather than fixed broadband at home): likely a few points higher than the NYS average, driven by rural gaps and student renters; expect mid-to-high teens as a share of adults.

Why these numbers: estimates blend national adoption rates by age with Cortland’s age mix and income profile, and the presence of SUNY Cortland (inflates 18–24 ownership/usage).

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–24: Larger-than-average share vs NYS due to SUNY Cortland; smartphone ownership and data use near-universal. Heavy iMessage/FaceTime and campus-app usage; frequent device churn.
  • 25–64: High smartphone ownership, but a noticeable subset uses budget or prepaid plans; mobile hotspotting used where home broadband is weak or costly.
  • 65+: Ownership rising but lags state averages; more basic/entry-level Android devices and longer replacement cycles. Wi‑Fi calling commonly used to overcome indoor signal gaps.
• Income and plan mix
  • County median income below NYS average; expect higher prevalence of prepaid and MVNO lines than statewide.
  • Spectrum Mobile likely has outsized adoption relative to downstate because Charter/Spectrum is the dominant cable provider locally and bundles mobile discounts.
• Platform split
  • NYS overall leans iOS; Cortland likely closer to a 50/50 iOS–Android mix: iOS strong among students; Android stronger among price-sensitive and older users.
• Geography within the county
  • Cortland/Homer and the I‑81 corridor: denser usage, newer devices, better 4G/low‑band 5G performance.
  • Rural towns and valleys (e.g., Cincinnatus, Marathon, Virgil): more coverage variability, lower speeds, greater reliance on Wi‑Fi calling and outdoor coverage.
• Work and lifestyle
  • Above-average reliance on mobile for telehealth, school portals, and shift work coordination.
  • Mobile hotspot use for homework/remote work is common in fringe areas lacking reliable wired broadband.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage and performance
  • Strongest macro coverage clusters along I‑81 and population centers; hills and valleys create shadow zones in outlying areas.
  • 5G: Predominantly low‑band “nationwide” 5G in town centers and along highways; mid‑band 5G (for higher speeds) is limited compared with larger NY metros. Many rural areas effectively operate on LTE.
  • Typical experience: town-center speeds and latency adequate for streaming and telehealth; rural interior can drop to variable or poor performance indoors without Wi‑Fi.
• Carriers and MVNOs
  • All three national operators have a footprint; relative strength varies by valley and distance to highway corridors.
  • MVNOs riding Verizon and T‑Mobile networks (e.g., Spectrum Mobile, Visible, Metro by T‑Mobile, Mint) are widely used, with Spectrum Mobile notably prominent due to cable bundling.
• Sites and buildout
  • Macro towers concentrate on ridge lines and near transport routes; infill is sparse outside the city of Cortland/Homer.
  • Small cells are limited outside campus/commercial zones.
  • Public-safety and resilience: FirstNet (AT&T) coverage is prioritized along highways and municipal centers; residents in fringe zones often keep Wi‑Fi calling enabled for E911 reliability.
• Dependence on complementary broadband
  • Spectrum cable covers the city and larger hamlets; rural addresses may have only DSL or fixed wireless, pushing some households to rely primarily on mobile.
  • 5G home internet is available in and near town; far less so in remote hamlets.
  • Ongoing state/federal programs (e.g., ConnectALL/BEAD) target last‑mile fiber in rural pockets; as fiber reaches more addresses, mobile‑only reliance should ease over time.

How Cortland differs from New York State patterns

• Sharper urban–rural divide: Larger performance and reliability gaps between town centers and outlying valleys than the state average.
• Student-driven peak usage: A higher 18–24 share boosts iOS and high-data behaviors near campus, but this coexists with older devices and price-sensitive plans countywide—greater heterogeneity than typical NYS counties.
• More MVNO/prepaid penetration: Budget plans and Spectrum Mobile bundling are more common than downstate postpaid-dominant norms.
• More mobile-only households: A modestly higher share of adults rely on smartphones/hotspots as primary home internet compared with the state average.
• Slower 5G depth: Low‑band 5G is present, but mid‑band 5G density and small‑cell infill lag big NY markets, so median speeds trail the state average.
• Reliance on Wi‑Fi calling and offload: In-building coverage gaps in rural hamlets make Wi‑Fi calling a routine necessity, more so than in most NYS urban/suburban areas.

Planning notes and caveats

• Figures are estimates derived from 2020 Census/ACS population structure, national device adoption by age, typical rural NY usage patterns, and the local presence of a large public university. For precise planning, pair this with carrier RF maps, crowd‑sourced coverage data, and local surveys.

Here’s a concise, local-first snapshot for Cortland County, NY. Figures are estimates, derived from Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. platform usage rates applied to Cortland’s age mix and population (~46K residents; ~36K adults).

Headline user stats

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~82% (≈29K–30K adults)
• Teens (13–17) on at least one platform: ~90%+ (≈2.5K–3K)
• Overall social users (13+): ≈32K–33K

Most‑used platforms (share of adults; rounded)

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~65–70%
• Instagram: ~45–50%
• Pinterest: ~30–35%
• TikTok: ~30–35%
• Snapchat: ~25–30%
• LinkedIn: ~28–30%
• X (Twitter): ~18–22% Note: Among 13–24s, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat jump sharply; among 55+, Facebook and YouTube dominate.

Age pattern (who’s active, locally)

• 18–24 (boosted by SUNY Cortland): very high daily use; IG/Snap/TikTok heavy; Facebook mostly for events/groups.
• 25–34: IG/TikTok strong; Facebook for groups/Marketplace; YouTube daily.
• 35–54: Facebook + YouTube core; IG moderate; Pinterest notable.
• 55+: Facebook primary; YouTube growing; modest Pinterest; limited TikTok/IG.

Gender breakdown (overall and by platform; approximate)

• Overall social users: ~53–55% female, ~45–47% male.
• Skews: Pinterest (female ~75–80%), Snapchat (female ~60%), Instagram (female ~55–60%), TikTok (female ~55–60%), Facebook (female ~52–55%).
• More male-leaning: LinkedIn (55–60% male), Reddit (60–65% male), X/Twitter (~55–60% male).

Behavioral trends seen in Cortland County

• Facebook is the community hub: school/weather updates, local news, high‑school and SUNY sports, events, buy/sell and Marketplace. Peak engagement mornings (7–9 a.m.), lunchtime, evenings (7–10 p.m.).
• Students drive late‑night activity (10 p.m.–1 a.m.) on IG/Snap/TikTok; short vertical video outperforms photos.
• YouTube used on smart TVs for sports highlights, local how‑tos, outdoor/hunting, home projects.
• Instagram/TikTok: strong for local eateries, trails/waterfalls, campus life; Reels/shorts with location tags perform best.
• Nextdoor is niche (more in Cortlandville/suburban pockets); WhatsApp clusters around international students and certain workplaces.
• Content that works: timely utility (closures, plow/snow updates), local faces, contests/giveaways, high‑quality short video, and cross‑posting FB+IG.

Notes on method: County‑level platform data aren’t published; figures reflect Pew U.S. usage rates blended with ACS population/age structure and typical upstate NY patterns. For campaign planning, validate with platform ad‑reach tools (Meta, Snap, TikTok) filtered to Cortland County.