Yates County

Key demographics — Yates County, New York

Population size

• Total population: 24,774 (2020 Census)

Age (ACS 2018–2022 5-year)

• Median age: ~42 years
• Under 18: ~26%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender (ACS 2018–2022 5-year)

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and Hispanic origin (ACS 2018–2022 5-year)

• White alone: ~94%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• Asian alone: ~0.5%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.3%
• Two or more races: ~4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~4%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~91%

Households (ACS 2018–2022 5-year)

• Number of households: ~9,000
• Average household size: ~2.7–2.8
• Family households: ~68%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~79%
• Median household income: ~$64,000
• Persons in poverty: ~11–12%

Concise insights

• Predominantly White with limited racial/ethnic diversity compared to New York State.
• Younger profile than the state (higher share under 18) and larger average household size.
• High owner-occupancy and moderate median income for rural upstate New York.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (total population) and American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, and household metrics). Figures are survey estimates and subject to margins of error.

• Scope: Yates County, NY ≈25,000 residents over ~338 sq mi; population density ~74 people/sq mi. Population centers: Penn Yan (village) and Dundee; large rural/agricultural tracts between Keuka and Seneca Lakes.

• Estimated email users: ~19,000 residents age 13+ (derived from local age structure, broadband subscription, and U.S. email adoption among internet users).

• Age distribution of email users:

  • 13–34: ~35%
  • 35–64: ~46%
  • 65+: ~19%

• Gender split of email users: ~49% male, ~51% female.

• Digital access and trends:

  • ~80–85% of households subscribe to broadband; >90% of households have a computer and/or smartphone.
  • Fiber/cable coverage is strongest in and around Penn Yan and along main corridors; fixed wireless and satellite fill gaps in outlying hamlets and farm areas.
  • Subscription rates and average speeds have trended upward since 2020, driven by state-funded rural builds and provider upgrades; mobile-only internet households account for roughly 10–15%.
  • Terrain and dispersed housing create last‑mile challenges, so connectivity varies block-to-block despite countywide availability maps.

• Implications: Email reach is effectively universal among working-age adults and strong among seniors, making email a reliable channel across the county, with slightly lower engagement expected in the most rural tracts.

Mobile phone usage in Yates County, NY — how it differs from statewide patterns

Core population and households (ACS 2018–2022 5-year)

• Population: ~24,300
• Households: ~9,900
• Adults (18+): ~19,000
• Median age: ~45 (older than New York State overall)

User and device adoption (county vs New York State)

• Households with a smartphone: Yates ~84% (≈8,300 households); NYS ~91%
• Households with a cellular data plan: Yates ~67% (≈6,650 households); NYS ~80%
• Households with no internet subscription: Yates ~19% (≈1,880 households); NYS ~12%
• Estimated adult smartphone adoption: Yates ~82% (≈15,600 adult users); NYS ~89–90%
• Takeaway: Smartphone presence and mobile data-plan penetration are materially lower than the New York average, and non-adoption is materially higher.

Demographic factors shaping usage

• Older age structure: Adults 65+ account for roughly 22% of residents vs ~17% statewide, which suppresses smartphone uptake and mobile-data reliance.
• Income and education: Median household income is lower than the state average, which correlates with lower smartphone and plan adoption and a higher share of households with no internet.
• Cultural composition: A notable Plain (Old Order Mennonite/Amish) presence reduces smartphone use and data-plan take-up compared with state norms.
• Result: The county’s user base skews older, with more basic/voice-first users and fewer smartphone-only households than urban NY counties.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 4G/LTE: All three national carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T‑Mobile) provide countywide LTE along primary corridors; rural valleys and lake-adjacent hollows experience signal shadows and in-building weaknesses.
• 5G availability: Outdoor 5G from at least one carrier covers most populated corridors and Penn Yan/Dundee hubs but is notably spottier across low-density areas compared with near-ubiquitous statewide availability in metro regions. This keeps average mobile speeds and reliability below New York’s statewide benchmarks outside town centers.
• Backhaul/fiber: Empire Access and other regional fiber builds in Penn Yan, Dundee, and select hamlets improve home and business Wi‑Fi offload, which moderates mobile data consumption but accentuates a rural divide for outlying areas lacking fiber or reliable cable.
• Public connectivity: Libraries, schools, and municipal hotspots serve as important supplemental access points; reliance is higher than in metro NY counties due to affordability and coverage gaps.

Trends that differ from the state level

• Adoption gap persists: Despite national gains, Yates continues to trail NYS in smartphone and mobile data-plan penetration, driven by age, income, and cultural factors.
• Higher non-adoption: The county’s “no internet” household share is significantly above the state average, and the end of federal ACP subsidies in 2024 likely widened affordability constraints for mobile data.
• Coverage asymmetry: Terrain and low density create persistent pockets of weak 4G/5G service; statewide, urban concentration masks these gaps in aggregate statistics.
• Fiber vs mobile tradeoff: Where fiber is available, households lean on wired broadband with mobile as a complement; in outlying tracts, residents face a sharper choice between limited wired options and cellular-only access, with overall take-up still below NYS norms.
• Seasonal load: Tourism around Keuka Lake produces periodic, localized mobile congestion that is not reflected in statewide averages.

Bottom line

• Estimated adult smartphone users: ~15,600 in Yates County, with materially lower smartphone and cellular data-plan penetration than New York State.
• The combination of an older demographic profile, cultural preferences, affordability constraints, and spotty rural 5G creates a distinctly different usage pattern from the state: fewer smartphone/data-plan households, more non-adoption, heavier reliance on wired broadband where available, and persistent rural coverage gaps that depress everyday mobile performance relative to New York’s statewide experience.

Social media usage in Yates County, NY (2025)

Note on method: County-specific surveys do not exist at statistically reliable scale. Figures below are modeled estimates for Yates County adults using the county’s 2023 age/sex mix (U.S. Census/ACS) combined with 2023–2024 Pew Research platform adoption by age and gender; teen figures reflect Pew’s national teen study. Percentages are rounded.

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

• YouTube: 81%
• Facebook: 71%
• Instagram: 42%
• Pinterest: 35%
• TikTok: 25%
• Snapchat: 19%
• LinkedIn: 21%
• X (Twitter): 17%
• WhatsApp: 13%
• Reddit: 15%
• Nextdoor: 9%

Age groups (share of adult social media audience)

• 18–29: 19%
• 30–49: 37%
• 50–64: 28%
• 65+: 16%
• Teens (13–17): high participation; usage patterns mirror national teens (YouTube ~90%+, Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok each ~60%±; Facebook ~30%±). Teens represent a smaller slice of the county population but are heavy short‑video and messaging users.

Gender breakdown (adult social media audience)

• Women: ~52%
• Men: ~48%
• Platform skews: women over-index on Facebook and especially Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube and Reddit. Instagram is roughly balanced but slightly female-leaning; TikTok skews younger with a slight female tilt; LinkedIn skews toward working-age professionals regardless of gender.

Behavioral trends observed in small, rural counties like Yates

• Facebook is the community hub: buy/sell/trade groups, school sports, civic updates, churches, local government, and event promotion. Page and Group engagement spikes around local events and during weather or service outages.
• Visual storytelling drives tourism and small business: wineries, farm markets, lake rentals, and restaurants lean on Facebook + Instagram photo carousels and Reels; seasonal peaks from May–October around Keuka Lake activities.
• Short video is rising but targeted: TikTok and Instagram Reels work for younger locals, seasonal workers, and visitors; cross-posting to Facebook Reels extends reach to older audiences.
• YouTube is utility-first: DIY, equipment maintenance, fishing/boating, homesteading, and local interest content see consistent search-driven views.
• Messaging and ephemeral content: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are common for coordination among families and teens; WhatsApp use is modest and clustered in specific social circles.
• Timing and devices: mobile-first consumption; strongest engagement evenings (6–9 pm) and weekends. Simple CTAs, short videos (<45s), and clear event info outperform long-form posts.
• Paid distribution: Facebook/Instagram ads provide the most efficient geo-targeting at county scale; audience expansion to adjacent Finger Lakes counties (Ontario/Steuben/Schuyler) improves reach for events and tourism offers.
• Local news and alerts: X is niche but used by some agencies and media for real-time updates; Facebook remains the primary channel residents check during emergencies.

Key takeaways

• Facebook and YouTube dominate reach; Instagram is the growth channel for local brands; TikTok/Snapchat matter for youth and seasonal audiences.
• The audience skews midlife and older compared with the U.S. overall, so Facebook Groups and practical content outperform purely trend-driven campaigns.
• For businesses and organizations, a Facebook-first strategy with Instagram cross-posting and selective short video is the most reliable mix in Yates County.