Belmont County

Which dataset/year would you like these from?

• 2020 Decennial Census (official counts), or
• Latest ACS 5-year estimates (2019–2023), which provide more detail but are estimates.

Belmont County, OH snapshot (estimates)

• Population/density: 65,000 people across ~530 sq mi (120 people/sq mi). Denser coverage along the I‑70 corridor (St. Clairsville) and Ohio River towns (Martins Ferry, Bellaire); sparser, hillier southern townships.
• Email users: ~47,000–52,000 residents. Method: adult email adoption ~90–95% plus most teens; county skews older than Ohio average, tempering the rate slightly.
• Age mix of email users (approx.): 13–24: 14–18%; 25–44: 28–32%; 45–64: 32–36%; 65+: 18–22%. Email use is near‑universal among 18–64 and somewhat lower for 65+.
• Gender split: roughly even (small, if any, differences by gender in email adoption).
• Digital access trends:
  • Household broadband subscription likely mid‑70s to low‑80s percent, a bit below Ohio’s average; smartphone‑only access around 10–15% of households.
  • Best fixed speeds via cable/fiber in towns; many rural areas rely on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite.
  • 4G/5G coverage is strong on major roads; terrain causes spotty pockets in valleys.
  • Ongoing state/federal rural broadband programs (e.g., BEAD/Ohio expansion grants) target Appalachian counties; affordability pressure increased after the 2024 ACP wind‑down.

Overall: email usage is widespread (majority of residents) but constrained at the margins by rural connectivity and affordability.

Below is a county-focused snapshot built from public trend data (ACS/Pew/FCC through 2024) and typical rural/Appalachian usage patterns. Figures are modeled estimates for Belmont County’s population profile and infrastructure; use them as planning ranges rather than exact counts.

At-a-glance user estimates

• Population base: ~66–67k residents; ~54k adults (18+).
• Any mobile phone ownership (adults): 92–94% → ~49.5k–50.7k adult mobile users.
• Smartphone ownership (adults): 80–83% → ~43k–45k adult smartphone users.
• Mobile-broadband–only households (no fixed broadband at home): 22–26% in Belmont vs ~15–18% statewide.
• Prepaid share of mobile lines: 28–35% in Belmont vs ~20–25% in Ohio overall.
• Platform split: iOS ~45–50% in Belmont (Android majority) vs iOS ~55–60% statewide.
• Upgrade cycle: 3.2–3.5 years average in Belmont vs ~2.7–3.0 statewide.

Demographic breakdown (how usage differs from the Ohio average)

• Age
  • 18–34: Near-universal smartphone use (~92–96%), similar to the state.
  • 35–64: High smartphone use but a few points lower than state averages (~85–90%).
  • 65+: Noticeably lower smartphone adoption (~55–65%) and higher basic/flip-phone retention, contributing to overall lower penetration than Ohio average.
• Income and plan type
  • Lower median household income than Ohio average translates to:
    • Higher prepaid and MVNO adoption.
    • Greater price sensitivity; family and value plans are more prevalent.
    • Slower device refresh, more midrange Android devices.
• Home internet reliance
  • Higher reliance on smartphones and mobile hotspots for home connectivity (students, shift workers, telehealth) where cable/fiber is limited or costly.
  • Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) via T-Mobile/Verizon is an important substitute in and around population centers, more so than the statewide norm.
• Commuting/work patterns
  • Energy/logistics/construction workers show heavier use of rugged devices, push-to-talk, and hotspot tethering than the state average.
  • Cross-border ties to Wheeling, WV mean some residents depend on WV-facing towers and retail/service ecosystems.

Digital infrastructure highlights (and gaps)

• Coverage pattern
  • LTE is strong along I-70, US-40, and the Ohio River corridor (Bridgeport–Martins Ferry) and around St. Clairsville.
  • Coverage becomes patchier in hilly interior townships; valleys/hollows create shadow zones—more pronounced than the Ohio average.
• 5G availability
  • Low-band 5G from national carriers is widespread in populated corridors.
  • Mid-band 5G (for higher speeds) is concentrated near St. Clairsville, the river towns, and major highways; far less ubiquitous than statewide urban/suburban coverage.
  • mmWave is negligible.
• Backhaul and tower density
  • Fewer macro sites per square mile than state norms; terrain limits line-of-sight and can depress median speeds off-corridor.
  • Residents often see slower, more variable 5G/4G performance away from highways compared with Ohio’s metro and suburban counties.
• Wireline competition and its mobile impact
  • Cable/fiber is available in towns, but large rural pockets remain on DSL or lack wired options; this pushes higher uptake of mobile hotspots and FWA relative to state averages.
  • Libraries/schools play an outsized role in hotspot lending and public Wi‑Fi versus statewide patterns.
• Public safety and resilience
  • FirstNet/low-band coverage is generally reliable on main routes; dead zones remain in interior terrain—greater operational dependence on vehicle boosters and offline workflows than in flatter, denser counties.
• Funding and builds
  • BEAD/Appalachian-focused grants are targeting fiber expansions through 2025–2028; until those builds complete, Belmont’s mobile-reliance gap vs the state is likely to persist.

Behavioral and plan trends vs Ohio

• Higher share on unlimited but throttled prepaid/MVNO plans; more line sharing on family bundles.
• Slightly lower average downstream speeds and more frequent signal boosters in homes/vehicles outside corridors.
• More Wi‑Fi offload where cable exists; elsewhere, heavier cellular hotspot use for school/telehealth.
• Customer churn tied to promo pricing is higher than the state average; device financing terms and trade‑in credits are key adoption levers.

Implications

• For service providers: Prioritize mid-band 5G infill away from I‑70/river corridor, expand FWA where cable is thin, and tailor value/prepaid offers for multi-line households and seniors.
• For public sector: Pair fiber builds with device/digital skills programs for 65+ and low-income households; maintain/expand hotspot lending until wireline gaps close.
• For businesses: Expect mixed connectivity in interior townships—plan for offline-capable mobile apps, low-band–friendly communications, and external antennas/boosters for fleets.

Below is a concise, county‑level snapshot built from modeled estimates. Figures draw on Pew Research Center’s 2024 social media adoption rates, adjusted for Belmont County’s older age profile and semi‑rural context, plus U.S. Census ACS population structure. Treat these as directional (±5–10 percentage points).

At‑a‑glance

• Population: ~66k; adults ~52k
• Adults using any social media: ~81%

Most‑used platforms among adults (share of all adults)

• YouTube: ~82%
• Facebook: ~74%
• Instagram: ~42%
• Pinterest: ~30%
• TikTok: ~26%
• Snapchat: ~22%
• WhatsApp: ~18%
• LinkedIn: ~18%
• X (Twitter): ~15%
• Reddit: ~15%
• Nextdoor: ~10%

Age‑group patterns (adult segments; approximate adoption)

• 18–29: YouTube ~95%; Instagram ~75–80%; Snapchat ~60–65%; TikTok ~55–60%; Facebook ~50–55%
• 30–49: Facebook ~75–80%; YouTube ~85–90%; Instagram ~50–55%; TikTok ~30–35%; Snapchat ~25–30%
• 50–64: Facebook ~80–85%; YouTube ~70–75%; Instagram ~25–35%; Pinterest ~25–30%; TikTok ~15–20%
• 65+: Facebook ~75–80%; YouTube ~55–65%; Instagram ~15–20%; Pinterest ~15–20%; TikTok ~8–12%

Gender breakdown (share of platform users by gender; local skew)

• Facebook: ~55% women, 45% men
• Instagram: ~57% women, 43% men
• TikTok: ~60% women, 40% men
• Snapchat: ~58% women, 42% men
• Pinterest: ~80% women, 20% men
• YouTube: ~47% women, 53% men
• X (Twitter): ~40% women, 60% men
• Reddit: ~25% women, 75% men
• LinkedIn: ~44% women, 56% men
• WhatsApp: ~48% women, 52% men

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups for school updates, high‑school sports, church and VFD pages, buy/sell/trade, and local news. Marketplace is a top shopping channel.
• Video first, but practical: Reels/Shorts drive discovery for local boutiques, services, gyms; how‑to, before/after, and event recap content performs best.
• Event‑driven spikes: Weather alerts, county fair, football, and holiday events reliably lift reach and engagement across Facebook and YouTube.
• Mobile‑first usage: Many residents rely on smartphones over home broadband; short vertical video and captioned clips win. Peak local activity: lunch (12–1 pm) and evenings (7–10 pm).
• Trust flows local: County/municipal pages, schools, churches, volunteer orgs, and local TV outlets (e.g., WTOV/WTRF) earn high engagement. Micro‑creators (2–10k followers) outperform larger non‑local pages for conversions.
• Younger cohorts split attention: Under‑30s message on Snapchat/Instagram; they still check Facebook for community logistics but rarely post there.
• Cross‑border audience: Content and ads targeting St. Clairsville–Wheeling corridors perform better than strict county geofences.

Notes

• Estimates are modeled for Belmont County; exact platform user counts aren’t published at the county level. Expect variance by township and broadband availability.