Sullivan County

Key demographics – Sullivan County, New York (latest U.S. Census Bureau estimates, primarily 2023 ACS/Population Estimates)

• Population

  • Total: ~81,800 (2023 estimate)
  • Change since 2010: modest growth

• Age

  • Median age: ~42
  • Under 18: ~20%
  • 18–64: ~59–60%
  • 65 and over: ~20%

• Sex

  • Female: ~49%
  • Male: ~51%

• Race and ethnicity (mutually exclusive where noted)

  • White, non-Hispanic: ~63–64%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~20–21%
  • Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~7–8%
  • Asian, non-Hispanic: ~1–2%
  • Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~6%
  • Other groups (NH American Indian/Alaska Native, NH Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander): <1% combined

• Households

  • Total households: ~31,000–33,000
  • Average household size: ~2.6
  • Family households: ~60–61% of households
  • Married-couple households: ~42–44%
  • Households with children under 18: ~26–28%
  • 65+ living alone: ~12%
  • Tenure: ~64% owner-occupied, ~36% renter-occupied

Insights

• Aging profile with about one in five residents age 65+.
• Diversifying population: roughly one in five residents is Hispanic/Latino; about two-thirds are non-Hispanic White.
• Household structure is mixed, with a majority family-household share and moderate average household size.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 Population Estimates; 2019–2023 American Community Survey).

• Population and density: ~80,500 residents over ~968 sq mi (≈83 people per sq mi).
• Estimated email users: 62,000–68,000 residents actively use email (≈82–88% of the population; ≈90%+ of adults), derived from county population and national email adoption benchmarks.
• Age distribution of email users (approx.): 13–17: 6%; 18–29: 17%; 30–49: 33%; 50–64: 24%; 65+: 20%. Sullivan’s older age profile slightly raises the share of 50+ users compared with urban NY counties.
• Gender split among users: Female 51%, Male 49%; usage is effectively parity by gender.
• Digital access trends:
  • Household internet: roughly four in five households maintain a broadband subscription, with a growing fiber footprint and steady migration from legacy DSL.
  • Mobile-only access: low–mid teens percent of households rely primarily on smartphones for home internet, influencing shorter, mobile-first email engagement.
  • Public and shared access: libraries, schools, and municipal Wi‑Fi are important access points for lower-income and remote households.
• Local connectivity facts: The Route 17 corridor (Monticello, Liberty, Fallsburg) has the most robust cable/fiber options; mountainous and sparsely populated areas in the western/northern Catskills show patchier fixed service and cellular dead zones. State-led buildouts (e.g., ConnectALL) are expanding rural fiber, tightening the gap in subscription and speeds.

Mobile phone usage in Sullivan County, NY (2025 snapshot)

User estimates (modeled from the county’s ≈80,000 residents and current U.S./NY rural adoption benchmarks)

• Total mobile users: ≈65,700 residents (≈82% of the population) use a mobile phone of any kind
• Total smartphone users: ≈59,300 residents (≈74% of the population)
• Adult smartphone adoption: ≈85% of adults (18+) use a smartphone

By age (population → mobile owners → smartphone owners)

• 0–12: 11,200 → 2,240 → 2,016
• 13–17: 4,800 → 4,320 → 4,224
• 18–34: 15,200 → 14,744 → 14,592
• 35–64: 32,800 → 30,832 → 28,536
• 65+: 16,000 → 13,600 → 9,920

Device and plan mix

• Platform split among smartphone users: ≈58% Android (≈34,400 users) and ≈42% iPhone (≈24,900 users); Sullivan is Android‑leaning, while New York State overall skews iPhone‑leaning
• Plan types among adult lines: ≈30% prepaid and ≈70% postpaid (prepaid is materially higher than the statewide mix, which is closer to one in five)
• Wireless‑only households (no landline): ≈72% of adults live in wireless‑only homes, a bit below the statewide share due to an older age structure

Connectivity dependence and usage

• Smartphone‑only internet (no home broadband): ≈27% of adults (≈16,800 people), several points higher than the statewide rate; reliance is concentrated among lower‑income, renters, and in outlying rural tracts
• Typical monthly data use: median ≈14–18 GB for smartphone users; ≈25–35 GB for the smartphone‑only segment
• Device turnover: upgrade cycles are longer than the state average, keeping a larger share of 4G‑only or entry‑level 5G devices in circulation

Demographics that shape usage (how Sullivan differs from NY State)

• Older population: higher 65+ share depresses senior smartphone adoption (≈62% vs substantially higher in the state’s urban counties)
• Income and rurality: lower median household income and dispersed settlement patterns increase prepaid adoption, Android share, and mobile‑only internet reliance
• Seasonality: summer tourism and events (e.g., resorts, camps, concerts) create recurring weekend and seasonal congestion spikes uncommon in most downstate counties

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: Verizon, AT&T (including FirstNet for public safety), and T‑Mobile all operate countywide; multiple MVNOs ride these networks
• 5G footprint: strongest along the NY‑17/I‑86 corridor and in population centers (e.g., Monticello/Liberty area); mid‑band 5G delivers typical 200–400 Mbps in‑town, while low‑band 5G and LTE dominate elsewhere
• LTE baseline: broadly available on main roads and in settled areas; speeds typically 5–30 Mbps in remote zones
• Terrain effects: valleys, hollows, and wooded ridgelines create persistent dead zones and indoor‑coverage challenges in parts of western and northern tracts; in‑building coverage is notably weaker than in downstate urban counties
• Capacity hotspots: venue‑driven densification around major attractions has improved peak capacity locally, but small‑cell density is far lower than in NYC/LI metros
• Backhaul and fiber context: cable and some fiber pass many hamlets and village centers, but large pockets remain DSL‑only or depend on fixed‑wireless; these gaps directly elevate smartphone‑only internet rates compared with the state average
• Public safety: FirstNet build‑outs have added rural band‑14 coverage on select sites, improving emergency reliability more than consumer capacity in fringe areas

Trends to watch (distinct from statewide patterns)

• Higher Android and prepaid shares persist, reflecting price sensitivity and rural coverage considerations
• Smartphone‑only internet remains elevated due to uneven fixed‑broadband availability and the wind‑down of federal affordability subsidies, keeping mobile data as the primary connection for many households
• 5G adoption grows, but device and small‑cell densification lag downstate, so the performance gap versus urban NY remains
• Seasonal population swings will continue to drive short‑term congestion more than long‑term resident growth will

Method note: Figures are 2025 county‑level estimates derived from the latest Census/ACS population structure and recent national/state mobile adoption benchmarks for rural New York; values are rounded for clarity and are suitable for planning and comparative analysis.

Social media usage in Sullivan County, NY (2025 snapshot)

Headline user stats (best-available county estimate, based on Pew Research Center 2024 platform adoption patterns and Sullivan County ACS demographics)

• Residents 13+: ~68,000; estimated social media users (13+): ~56,000 (≈82% of 13+; ≈70% of total population)
• Adults 18+: ~63,000; estimated social media users (18+): ~50,000 (≈80% of adults)
• Daily use: ≈70% of social media users access one or more platforms daily

Age profile (use of at least one social platform)

• 13–17: ≈95%
• 18–29: ≈90%+
• 30–49: ≈85%+
• 50–64: ≈75–80%
• 65+: ≈60–65% Notes: Usage intensity and platform mix skew younger; overall county usage is slightly below urban NY but in line with rural U.S. patterns.

Gender breakdown (share among users; platform skews in parentheses)

• Overall user base: ≈52% female, ≈48% male
• Platform skews: Facebook and Instagram skew female; TikTok slightly female; LinkedIn, Reddit, and X (Twitter) skew male

Most-used platforms (adults 18+, modeled county reach; multiple platforms per user)

• YouTube: ~80%
• Facebook: ~73%
• Instagram: ~43%
• TikTok: ~29%
• Pinterest: ~34%
• WhatsApp: ~26%
• Snapchat: ~25%
• LinkedIn: ~26%
• X (Twitter): ~19%
• Reddit: 19% Teens (13–17) platform mix tracks national teen patterns: YouTube (90%+), Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok each ~60%±; Facebook is much lower among teens.

Behavioral trends observed in rural NY counties with tourism-heavy economies (applicable to Sullivan County)

• Facebook is the community backbone: highest local reach, heavy use of Groups for town updates, schools, weather/road alerts, events, jobs, rentals, and Marketplace.
• Short-form video drives discovery: Instagram Reels and TikTok perform best for food, outdoor recreation, resorts, and events; 18–34s over-index on these formats.
• Seasonal spikes: Summer event/tourism periods (festivals, lake/park season) increase Instagram/TikTok engagement and search-driven YouTube views; school-year periods lift Facebook Group engagement.
• Messaging is commerce-adjacent: Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp are widely used for customer service, appointments, and peer-to-peer sales; Spanish-language and multilingual threads see above-average WhatsApp use.
• Daypart patterns: Engagement typically peaks weekday evenings and weekend mid-days; storm and closure events create sharp, time-bound surges across Facebook and local Instagram accounts.
• Advertising performance norms: Geo-fenced Facebook/Instagram campaigns deliver the broadest local reach; TikTok excels for awareness with younger adults; YouTube pre-roll is efficient for countywide reach; LinkedIn is niche (B2B/hiring) with lower rural density.

Method note

• Figures are county-specific estimates derived from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. social media adoption by platform, age, gender, and community type (rural), calibrated to Sullivan County’s age/sex structure from recent ACS data. Where no public county-level platform census exists, estimates reflect the best available triangulation.