Niagara County

Key demographics — Niagara County, New York (most recent U.S. Census Bureau estimates; primarily 2023 ACS 1-year, plus 2020 Decennial for the official count)

Population size

• Total population: ~212,800 (2023 ACS est.; 2020 Census count: 212,666)

Age

• Median age: ~44 years
• Under 18: ~20%
• 18 to 64: ~60%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Sex

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone: ~85%
• Black or African American alone: ~8%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~1.5–1.6%
• Asian alone: ~1%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~4–5% Note: Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity that overlaps with race categories.

Households and housing

• Households: ~90,000
• Average household size: ~2.3–2.4 persons
• Family households: ~58–60% of households
• 1-person households: ~30–32%
• Households with children under 18: ~24–26%
• Owner-occupied housing: ~69–71% of occupied units (renters ~29–31%)

Insights

• Stable-to-slowly declining population near 213k, with an older age profile (median age ~44 and one in five residents 65+).
• Predominantly White, with small but notable Black and American Indian/Alaska Native communities and a modest Hispanic/Latino population.
• Housing is majority owner-occupied and household sizes are relatively small, reflecting the county’s older age structure.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates (tables DP02/DP05) and 2020 Decennial Census (P.L. 94-171).

• Estimated email users: ~154,000 adults in Niagara County (≈90% of ~170,000 adults).
• Age distribution of users (estimate applying national email-adoption rates to local age structure):
  • 18–29: ~29,000 (≈19% of users)
  • 30–49: ~48,000 (≈31%)
  • 50–64: ~42,000 (≈27%)
  • 65+: ~35,000 (≈23%)
• Gender split: ≈51% female and 49% male among email users (roughly 79k vs. 75k), reflecting near-parity in usage by gender.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Household broadband subscription: ~86% (ACS), up modestly over recent years.
  • Households with a computer/smartphone: ~92%.
  • Smartphone-only internet: ~16–18%, indicating many residents check email primarily on mobile.
  • Fixed-broadband availability: >95% of addresses have at least 25/3 Mbps; ~85–90% have 100/20 Mbps or better; fiber is expanding along major corridors, while rural northern/central pockets lag.
  • Approximately 14% of households lack home broadband; libraries and community centers provide essential Wi‑Fi access.
• Local density/connectivity context: Population density is roughly 400 people per square mile; connectivity is strongest in urban cores (Niagara Falls, Lockport, North Tonawanda) and weaker in outlying rural hamlets.

Mobile phone usage in Niagara County, NY — summary with county-specific estimates, demographics, infrastructure, and how it differs from the New York State profile

Headline user estimates

• Residents with a mobile phone: approximately 175,000 (about 83% of the 211,000–212,000 residents; 2023 Census estimate baseline).
• Smartphone users: approximately 160,000 residents (about 75% of total population; roughly 90% of adults under 65 and a smaller share of seniors).
• Households relying on cellular as their primary/only internet: about 8% of households in Niagara County, compared with about 5% statewide (ACS S2801 pattern; county leans more mobile-only than NYS overall).

Demographic context that shapes usage

• Population: about 211,000–212,000 (Census 2023 est.). Household count about 91,000–92,000 (ACS).
• Age: older than the state average. About 20% are 65+, versus roughly 18% statewide. The higher senior share suppresses smartphone adoption relative to NYS, particularly for app-centric services and 5G handset penetration.
• Income and education: median household income around the low–mid $60,000s, below the NYS median (high $70,000s). Bachelor’s attainment is in the mid‑20% range, below the state average. Lower income and education correlate with higher prepaid usage and a larger mobile-only internet segment.
• Race/ethnicity: predominantly White, with smaller Black and Hispanic populations than NYS and a notable American Indian/Alaska Native presence (Tuscarora Reservation). Language and device-access barriers are generally lower than in downstate immigrant hubs, but affordability remains a primary limiter.

Digital access indicators (household level; ACS patterns)

• Has a smartphone in the household: Niagara ~89% vs NYS ~92–93%.
• Any internet subscription: Niagara ~85–87% vs NYS ~89–91%.
• Cellular data plan in the household (any): Niagara ~75–77% vs NYS ~80–82%.
• No internet subscription: Niagara ~12% vs ~9% in NYS. Interpretation: Niagara’s gap versus NYS is driven by age and income, not by lack of carrier presence.

Infrastructure and coverage profile

• Carrier presence: All three national operators (Verizon, AT&T, T‑Mobile) cover the county. 5G is broadly available in population centers (Niagara Falls, North Tonawanda, Lockport, Wheatfield and along I‑190/US‑62/NY‑31/NY‑104).
• 5G spectrum/use:
  • T‑Mobile mid‑band (2.5 GHz n41) is the most continuously available across populated corridors; rural gaps persist north/east of Lockport and toward Lake Ontario hamlets.
  • Verizon and AT&T C‑band focus on the denser cores (Niagara Falls, Lockport, North Tonawanda) and primary travel corridors; low‑band 5G/LTE carries coverage elsewhere.
  • mmWave is limited to small, high‑traffic pockets near the tourist core; it is not a county‑wide differentiator.
• Border effects: Cross‑border spectrum coordination with Canada along the Niagara River/Lake Ontario constrains some low‑band operations and site placements. This is a meaningful difference from downstate NY; it can reduce low‑band reach parallel to the river and make indoor coverage more variable in riverfront neighborhoods.
• Terrain and siting: The Niagara Gorge and the Niagara Escarpment create localized shadowing. State park and historic view‑shed constraints limit macro siting in parts of Niagara Falls/Lewiston, increasing reliance on small cells in tourist zones.
• Backhaul: Cable (Spectrum) is the primary last‑mile backhaul in towns and small cities; competitive fiber is improving along I‑190/NY‑31 corridors but is thinner in far‑north/east hamlets. Scarcer fiber backhaul in rural areas slows densification relative to NYS metro counties.
• Public safety: FirstNet (AT&T) and Verizon Frontline operate county‑wide; coverage is strong in core municipalities with known weak spots along the escarpment and lake shore requiring in‑building solutions.

How Niagara County differs from New York State trends

• Lower smartphone and internet‑subscription penetration: Household smartphone and broadband take‑up trail the NYS average by roughly 3–5 percentage points, primarily due to age and income mix rather than carrier availability.
• Higher reliance on mobile‑only internet: About 8% of households are cellular‑only vs roughly 5% statewide. This is one of the clearer divergences from the state profile and ties to affordability and cable/fiber availability gaps outside city centers.
• More prepaid and value‑segment usage: A larger share of residents use prepaid/MVNO plans than the NYS average, reflecting price sensitivity; this influences average revenue per user and slows flagship‑device penetration and 5G SA feature adoption.
• Border‑driven engineering constraints: Cross‑border spectrum coordination with Canada measurably shapes low‑band coverage along the riverfront—an issue that does not affect downstate and most of upstate interior counties.
• Seasonal load spikes: Tourism (Niagara Falls State Park draws millions of visitors annually) produces pronounced seasonal congestion and a heavier small‑cell footprint near the falls—an atypical pattern versus non‑tourism counties.
• Slower mmWave buildout and uneven mid‑band in rural edges: mmWave remains confined to micro‑zones; mid‑band 5G is strong along primary corridors but thins toward the Lake Ontario shore, more so than in NYS metro counties with denser fiber and siting options.

Bottom‑line assessment

• Mobile service is broadly available and 5G is present across the county’s populated areas, but Niagara’s older and lower‑income profile—combined with border and terrain constraints—keeps smartphone adoption and high‑performance 5G usage a notch below the New York State average. The most distinctive local patterns are a higher share of mobile‑only households, seasonal congestion around the falls, and engineering constraints along the international border that are not seen downstate.

Niagara County, NY — social media usage snapshot (2024–2025)

Topline user stats

• Population baseline: ~211,600 residents (2023 U.S. Census estimate).
• Estimated social media users: ~150,000 residents (≈71% of total population), aligning with U.S. penetration of 70–73% of the total population.
• Adult users: ~140,000 of ~173,000 adults (≈80%+ of 18+), consistent with national adult adoption.

Age profile of local users (share of users and approximate counts)

• 13–17: 8% (12,000)
• 18–29: 21% (31,500)
• 30–49: 31% (46,500)
• 50–64: 24% (36,000)
• 65+: 16% (24,000) Method: County age structure combined with Pew adult adoption by age; totals ≈150,000.

Gender breakdown

• Users skew slightly female: Women 53% (79,500), Men 47% (70,500).
• Pattern reflects U.S. trends: women over-index on Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube/Reddit/X.

Most-used platforms among adults (U.S. adoption rates; Niagara County generally tracks within a few points)

• YouTube: ~83% of adults
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~50%
• TikTok: ~33%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• Snapchat: ~27%
• WhatsApp: ~23%
• X (Twitter): ~20%
• Reddit: ~20% Local reach proxy (applying these rates to ~173k adults) yields approximate adult audiences of: YouTube ~143k; Facebook ~118k; Instagram ~86k; TikTok ~57k; Pinterest ~61k; LinkedIn ~52k; Snapchat ~47k; WhatsApp ~40k; X ~35k; Reddit ~35k. Multi-platform usage is common, so sums exceed total users.

Behavioral trends observed locally (consistent with small-metro Upstate NY patterns)

• Facebook is the community backbone: school districts, local government, events, public safety alerts, Marketplace, garage sales, and service recommendations. Older adults are especially active in Groups.
• Short-form video leads discovery: Instagram Reels and TikTok drive food, attractions (Niagara Falls/Lower Niagara), seasonal events, and local business promotions; under-40s engage most.
• YouTube is utilitarian: how-to content (home, auto, DIY), outdoor recreation, and local sports highlights. High time-on-platform across all ages.
• Messaging-first for younger users: Snapchat is dominant for teens/college-age day-to-day communication; Instagram DMs and Facebook Messenger are common across ages. Small but visible Discord pockets for gaming and school clubs.
• Visual commerce behaviors: Reels/TikTok + Facebook Marketplace funnel to local purchases; couponing and limited-time offers perform best. Pinterest usage supports home projects, recipes, crafts—strong among women 25–54.
• Event and weather-driven spikes: Severe weather, festivals, school sports, and cross-border travel conditions drive short bursts of attention and sharing.
• Trust and locality: Users rely more on neighborhood Facebook Groups and local outlets than national pages; user-generated updates often outpace official sources for hyperlocal news.

Sources and methodology

• Population: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 county estimates.
• Social media penetration and platform adoption: Pew Research Center (Social Media Use in 2024) and DataReportal (U.S. 2024). Niagara County figures modeled by applying these vetted U.S. rates to local population and age structure.