Adams County

What data vintage would you like? I can provide:

• Latest ACS 5-year estimates (2019–2023) for Adams County, OH (recommended for age/household details), or
• 2020 Decennial Census counts (best for total population/race, fewer household/age details).

If you don’t specify, I’ll use ACS 2019–2023 and note the year for each metric.

Adams County, Ohio snapshot (modeled estimates)

• Population and density: ~27.7k residents across ~585 sq mi (≈47 people/sq mi), rural/Appalachian terrain.
• Email users: ~22k residents use email (≈75–80% of all residents; ≈90% of adults).
• Age distribution of users:
  • Under 13 (mostly school accounts): ~0.5k
  • 13–17: ~1.4k
  • 18–34: ~5.3k
  • 35–64: ~10.3k
  • 65+: ~4.4k
• Gender split: Roughly even; slight female majority among users due to older age mix in the county.
• Digital access trends:
  • Household broadband subscription around 70% (mix of DSL, cable, fixed wireless; spotty fiber).
  • Smartphone‑only internet users ~12–15%.
  • No home internet ~15–20%; email often accessed via phones or public Wi‑Fi.
  • Public connectivity: Free Wi‑Fi and computer access at Adams County Public Library branches (Manchester, Peebles, Seaman, West Union) and schools.
  • Coverage gaps persist in hollows and along the Ohio River valley; service is stronger near town centers and along US‑32/US‑62/US‑68 corridors. Note: Figures are approximate, derived from recent U.S. adoption rates adjusted for rural Ohio and Adams County’s demographics.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Adams County, Ohio (focus on what differs from Ohio statewide)

Context

• Rural, low-density, lower-income county of roughly 27–28k residents and ~10–11k households. Terrain is hilly/forested Appalachian foothills with small towns (West Union, Peebles, Manchester, Seaman) and highway corridors (SR‑32, US‑52).

User estimates

• Adult mobile users: ~19–21k adults use a mobile phone (roughly 88–92% adult adoption; slightly below Ohio’s ~92–95%).
• Smartphone users: ~16–18k adults (about 78–85% of adults), below Ohio’s ~85–90%. Gap is driven by an older age mix and income constraints.
• Mobile-only internet households: estimated 22–28% rely primarily on cellular data for home internet (vs ~12–15% statewide). This is the single biggest difference from the state.
• Prepaid share: noticeably higher, about 30–40% of lines (vs ~20–25% statewide), reflecting price sensitivity and weaker postpaid device financing uptake.
• Multi-line family plans are less dominant; more single-line and MVNO usage (e.g., Straight Talk, Cricket, Tracfone, Visible, Mint).

Demographic patterns

• Age: 65+ adoption lags more than in Ohio overall. Voice/text-centric use remains common among older adults; smartphone use among 18–34 is near state norms.
• Income: Lower-income households are more likely to be mobile-only for internet and to use prepaid/MVNOs. Device upgrade cycles are longer; more secondhand/refurbished phones.
• Education: Lower formal education levels correlate with less use of app-based services (banking, telehealth), even when a smartphone is owned.
• Race/ethnicity: The county is overwhelmingly white; gaps by race seen statewide are less visible here due to small sample sizes for minority groups.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Baseline coverage: 4G LTE is the workhorse; 5G exists but is mostly low-band “extended range.” Mid-band 5G (C-band/2.5 GHz) is limited outside town centers and highway corridors.
• Terrain effects: Hills/valleys create dead zones off main roads and in hollows; in-home signal boosters are more common than in urban Ohio.
• Tower/backhaul: Fewer sites per square mile than metro Ohio; more microwave backhaul and fewer fiber-fed small cells, which caps capacity and peak speeds.
• Performance: Typical speeds are lower and more variable than state averages—LTE often 5–25 Mbps in the countryside, with better performance near SR‑32, US‑52, and town centers. 5G low-band may reach 50–100 Mbps when available; mid-band bursts are limited.
• Roaming/border effects: Along the Ohio River and near ridgelines, signal handoffs and occasional roaming/dropouts are more common than in most of Ohio.
• Public safety/FirstNet: Coverage generally follows commercial footprints; reliability improves along major corridors but remains spotty in remote areas.
• Broadband interplay: Limited fixed broadband outside towns increases reliance on mobile data. BEAD-funded fiber builds and other state grants are slated for 2024–2028; until new fiber arrives, mobile-only use remains elevated.
• Affordability: The lapse of ACP subsidies in 2024 has had outsized local impact, pushing some households to downshift to prepaid plans or mobile-only access.

How Adams County differs from Ohio statewide

• Higher dependence on mobile-only internet for home use.
• Lower smartphone penetration overall, driven by older age mix and income.
• Higher prepaid/MVNO share and longer device replacement cycles.
• Sparser 5G (especially mid-band) and fewer fiber-fed sites; more terrain-related dead zones.
• Lower median mobile speeds and greater variability outside towns/highways.
• Greater use of in-home cellular boosters and Wi‑Fi calling as workarounds.

What to watch (2025–2028)

• BEAD and state-funded fiber builds: as fiber reaches more unserved roads, mobile-only rates should fall and Wi‑Fi offload should rise.
• Carrier densification: any new macro or small-cell sites along SR‑32/US‑52 and in town cores will materially lift 5G capacity.
• Pricing/affordability: shifts in prepaid pricing or any replacement for ACP will disproportionately affect adoption and data usage patterns locally.

Below is a concise, best-available estimate using county population + national/rural benchmarks (Pew Research Center 2024; U.S. Census). Public, platform-verified stats are not published at the county level, so treat percentages as directional ranges.

Headline numbers (Adams County, OH)

• Population: ~27.5k (2020 Census). Age 13+: ~23k.
• Estimated social media users: ~16–18k residents (about 70–75% of 13+; aligned with rural U.S. usage).

Age mix of the local social audience (estimated share of users)

• 13–24: 20–25% (heavy Snapchat/TikTok/YouTube)
• 25–44: 35–40% (Facebook + YouTube; rising Instagram/Reels)
• 45–64: 25–30% (Facebook dominant; YouTube for how-to/news)
• 65+: 10–15% (Facebook + YouTube)

Gender breakdown (estimated among social users)

• Female: 52–55%
• Male: 45–48% Note: Facebook, Pinterest, TikTok skew slightly female; YouTube skews slightly male.

Most-used platforms locally (estimated share of 13+ residents using monthly)

• YouTube: 70–80%
• Facebook: 55–65%
• Instagram: 30–38%
• TikTok: 25–33%
• Snapchat: 20–28% (concentrated under 25)
• Pinterest: 18–25% overall (30–40% of women)
• X/Twitter: 10–15%
• LinkedIn: 8–12% (lower in rural labor markets)

Behavioral trends likely in Adams County (based on rural Ohio/Appalachian patterns)

• Facebook is the community hub: strong use of Groups (buy/sell/trade, school sports, local events), Marketplace, and church/volunteer pages. Local news and weather posts drive spikes in reach.
• Video first: short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) outperforms static posts. School events, youth sports highlights, local landscapes, and practical how-to content do well.
• Messaging over links: Many users prefer Facebook Messenger or in-app comments to inquire; external links see drop-off on slower connections or older devices.
• Shopping behavior: High engagement with promotions, giveaways, and limited-time offers from local businesses; Marketplace is a key discovery channel.
• Timing: Peaks around early morning (6–9 a.m.) and evening (6–10 p.m.); weekend afternoons see strong engagement for events and sports.
• Trust in local voices: Content from known community figures, first responders, schools, and churches gets more shares and comments than generic branded content.
• Youth split: Teens/young adults favor Snapchat (messaging/stories) and TikTok (entertainment, trends). Instagram is strong for ages ~18–34, especially Reels.
• Older adults: Facebook remains primary; YouTube is used for news recaps, DIY, and faith content.

Notes on methodology and sources

• Population base: U.S. Census (2020). 13+ estimated from age structure of similar rural Ohio counties.
• Platform shares derived from Pew Research Center’s Social Media Use (2024) with rural adjustments; localized via age/urbanicity mix. Exact county-level platform user counts are not publicly available.