Essex County

Essex County, New York — key demographics (latest available)

• Population

  • Total: 37,381 (2020 Census); ~37.6k (ACS 2019–2023 estimate)

• Age

  • Median age: ~48 years
  • Under 18: ~17%
  • 18–64: ~59%
  • 65 and over: ~24%

• Sex

  • Male: ~51%
  • Female: ~49%

• Race and Hispanic origin (mutually exclusive where noted)

  • White, non-Hispanic: ~87%
  • Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~3%
  • Asian, non-Hispanic: ~1%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~1%
  • Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~4%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5%

• Households and housing

  • Households: ~17,000
  • Average household size: ~2.2 persons
  • Family households: ~57% of households
  • Occupancy: ~76% owner-occupied, ~24% renter-occupied

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2019–2023). Figures rounded.

Essex County, NY snapshot (estimates)

• Email users: 27,000–31,000 residents (about 75–85% of the ~37,000 population), derived from national email adoption and local internet subscription rates.
• Age pattern:
  • Teens (13–17): 85–90% use email
  • 18–49: 95–98%
  • 50–64: 90–95%
  • 65+: 70–80%
• Gender split: Near parity; usage typically within ±2 percentage points between men and women.

Digital access and trends

• Household broadband subscription: roughly 80–85%; smartphone‑only internet: ~8–12%; 10–15% of households lack home internet (skews rural/senior/low‑income).
• Access mix: cable and DSL in towns, growing fiber and fixed‑wireless since 2021 via state/federal builds; libraries and town halls provide public Wi‑Fi.
• Terrain impact: Adirondack mountains and long driveways create last‑mile challenges; cellular coverage can be patchy off main roads.

Local density/connectivity facts

• Very low density (~20 people per square mile across ~1,800+ square miles) raises per‑premise build costs.
• Better connectivity clusters around tourism/commercial hubs (e.g., Lake Placid area) and the I‑87/Northway corridor; remote hamlets and valleys see more gaps.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Essex County, NY (with differences vs New York State)

User estimates

• Population baseline: ~37–38k residents; ~16k households; an older age profile than NYS overall.
• Smartphone users: roughly 22k–26k residents (about 75–85% of adults), below the NYS average (which is closer to the upper-80s to ~90%).
• Households with smartphones: about 12k–14k of ~16k households.
• Smartphone-only internet users: modest but meaningful slice, driven by gaps in wired broadband; still lower than in dense urban parts of NY where smartphone-only is more common for cost reasons.

Demographic breakdown (directional)

• Age:
  • 18–34: very high smartphone adoption (near statewide levels).
  • 35–64: high adoption but a few points below NYS.
  • 65+: notably lower adoption (roughly mid-50s to mid-60s percent), a larger gap vs NYS where older-adult adoption is higher.
• Income: Lower-income households often rely on smartphones for connectivity but face data-cap constraints; reliance on public Wi‑Fi and library hotspot lending is higher than the NYS average.
• Education: As elsewhere, higher education tracks with higher adoption and multi-device ownership; the county has fewer multi-device households than NYS average.
• Race/ethnicity: The county is predominantly White; local digital gaps are driven more by age, income, and geography than by race/ethnicity.
• Seasonal dynamics: Tourism and second-home use (summer/winter peaks) create uneven mobile traffic and visible congestion in village centers and along major recreation corridors—unlike most of NYS.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage pattern:
  • Stronger along I‑87 (the Northway) and in/around larger hamlets and villages (e.g., Lake Placid, Elizabethtown, Ticonderoga, Port Henry/Moriah, Schroon Lake).
  • Persistent gaps in mountainous and forested parts of the Adirondack Park; trailheads and backcountry areas frequently have little/no signal.
• Carriers:
  • Verizon generally offers the widest footprint; AT&T is competitive in populated corridors; T‑Mobile coverage is improving but remains spottier away from villages.
  • Wi‑Fi calling is a common workaround indoors and in fringe areas.
• 5G:
  • Predominantly low‑band 5G along major roads and in town centers; limited mid‑band 5G (C‑band/2.5 GHz) compared with urban NYS; mmWave is effectively absent.
• Towers and permitting:
  • Tower siting in the Adirondack Park faces stricter environmental and visual standards, slowing build‑out relative to the NYS average. Co‑location on existing structures is favored.
• Backhaul and fiber:
  • Charter/Spectrum serves many village cores; legacy DSL remains in outlying areas; regional fiber builds (e.g., SLIC and others) have expanded but leave interior gaps.
  • State programs (New NY Broadband; ConnectALL; BEAD 2024–2028) target remaining unserved/underserved pockets; progress is incremental due to terrain, density, and permitting.
• Public access:
  • Libraries and town facilities provide Wi‑Fi and hotspot lending at higher per-capita rates than in metro NY; these are important complements to spotty mobile data.
• Alternatives:
  • Satellite (notably Starlink) adoption is higher than the NYS average in remote parts of the county, used as primary or failover connectivity.

How Essex County differs from the NYS picture

• Adoption: Overall smartphone adoption is several points lower, driven by an older population and some cost/coverage constraints.
• Coverage quality: Far more pronounced dead zones and indoor coverage challenges; residents report more reliance on Wi‑Fi calling and signal boosters than elsewhere in NY.
• 5G maturity: Slower mid‑band 5G rollout and fewer sites per square mile; speeds and capacity improvements trail metro regions.
• Usage patterns: More seasonal congestion due to tourism; slightly higher reliance on Verizon/AT&T for footprint; T‑Mobile share grows mainly in villages.
• Device mix: Fewer multi-device households; a bit more smartphone‑only access out of necessity where wired options are limited (versus urban smartphone‑only driven mainly by cost).
• Investment pace: New towers and fiber builds face longer timelines than statewide averages due to topography and Adirondack Park regulations.

Notes and sources to confirm local figures

• ACS (American Community Survey) S2801 “Computer and Internet Use” for county vs state smartphone and broadband access.
• FCC National Broadband Map (mobile and fixed), NYS ConnectALL/BEAD project lists, and carrier coverage maps for 4G/5G footprints.
• Local libraries and county digital equity plans for hotspot/Wi‑Fi programs.

Social media usage in Essex County, NY (short, estimates)

Method note: County-level platform stats aren’t formally published. Figures below are estimates based on Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. social media data, adjusted for Essex County’s older, rural profile, plus U.S. Census ACS demographics.

Quick user stats

• Population: ~37k; adults (18+): ~29k–31k.
• Estimated social media users (18+): ~22k–26k adults (roughly 75–85% of adults use at least one platform).
• Teen usage: most teens (13–17) use at least one platform, with very high TikTok/Snapchat/YouTube penetration, but absolute numbers are small given county size.

Most‑used platforms (estimated share of adults using each)

• YouTube: 75–85%
• Facebook: 65–75% (highest daily use; dominant for local info)
• Instagram: 35–45% (skews under 45)
• TikTok: 20–30% (lower than U.S. average given older population)
• Snapchat: 15–25% (concentrated among teens/20s)
• Pinterest: 25–35% (strong female skew)
• LinkedIn: 15–25% (lower due to fewer corporate/tech roles)
• X/Twitter: 15–20% (news/politics/sports followers)
• Reddit: 10–20% (niche/younger male skew)
• Nextdoor: 5–10% (limited rural coverage; some hamlets/neighborhoods use it)

Age breakdown (share of the local social audience; approximate)

• 13–17: 8–12% of total users; heavy TikTok/Snapchat/YouTube; minimal Facebook.
• 18–29: 15–20%; Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube; lighter Facebook.
• 30–49: 30–35%; Facebook and Instagram primary; YouTube strong; messaging via Messenger/WhatsApp; some TikTok.
• 50–64: 20–25%; Facebook and YouTube dominant; some Pinterest; modest Instagram.
• 65+: 20–25%; Facebook and YouTube; lower on newer apps.

Gender breakdown (tendencies among local users)

• Overall: roughly even, with a slight female majority among active Facebook/Instagram users.
• Platform skews: Facebook and Instagram tilt female; Pinterest heavily female; YouTube, Reddit, and X tilt male; TikTok near even.

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural NY counties (likely in Essex)

• Facebook is the local hub:
  • Community groups for towns/hamlets, school updates, road/weather alerts, local government posts.
  • Marketplace and buy/sell/trade groups perform strongly.
  • Event promotion for Lake Placid/Whiteface/Adirondacks drives seasonal spikes.
• Visual, place-based content wins:
  • Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) featuring outdoors, hiking, skiing, fall foliage, dining performs well.
  • UGC and photo contests from visitors boost reach during tourist seasons.
• YouTube for “how-to” and outdoors:
  • Gear reviews, trail reports, fishing/ski tips, and local business explainers attract steady search-driven views.
• Messaging is key for coordination:
  • Facebook Messenger and SMS for quick community coordination; WhatsApp used in hospitality/seasonal work crews.
• Timing:
  • Highest engagement mornings (6–9 a.m.) and evenings (7–10 p.m.); weekend mid-mornings for events/marketplace.
• Trust and local voice:
  • Local pages (municipal, schools, EMS, newspapers/radio) and known residents/guide services act as micro-influencers.
  • Direct answers in comments matter; boosted posts with modest spend reach most locals cheaply.

Practical takeaways

• Prioritize Facebook (Pages + Groups + Events + Marketplace) and cross-post short video to Instagram.
• Use seasonal content calendars (winter ski/ice, spring mud season updates, summer hiking/boating, fall foliage).
• Post community-first: road conditions, service hours, trail advisories, event recaps; respond quickly in comments.
• Supplement with YouTube for searchable evergreen content; test TikTok/Reels for reach among visitors and younger locals.

Sources

• Pew Research Center: Social Media Use in 2023–2024 (platform reach, age/gender patterns).
• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey and QuickFacts (Essex County population and age structure).