Erie County

Erie County, Ohio — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau; 2020 Census and ACS 2018–2022 estimates; rounded):

• Population size: 75,622 (2020 Census). Recent estimate: ~74–75k.
• Age:
  • Median age: ~44 years
  • Under 18: ~20%
  • 65 and over: ~21%
• Sex:
  • Male: ~49%
  • Female: ~51%
• Race/ethnicity (Hispanic can be of any race):
  • White, non-Hispanic: ~81%
  • Black or African American: ~11%
  • Hispanic/Latino: ~5%
  • Two or more races: ~3%
  • Asian: ~1%
• Households:
  • Number of households: ~32k–33k
  • Average household size: ~2.3
  • Family households: ~62%
  • Housing tenure: ~69–70% owner-occupied; ~30–31% renter-occupied
  • Median household income: ~$62–65k
  • Poverty rate (persons): ~12–13%

Erie County, OH — email usage snapshot (estimates)

• Estimated users: 55–62k residents use email. Method: apply national adult/teen email adoption rates to Erie County’s ~75.6k population.
• By age (approximate users):
  • 13–17: 4–5k (high adoption among teens)
  • 18–34: 12–14k (≈95% adoption)
  • 35–64: 27–31k (≈92–96% adoption)
  • 65+: 10–13k (≈75–85% adoption, rising)
• Gender split: Near parity (about 49–51% male/female); usage differences are typically within a few percentage points.
• Digital access trends:
  • Most households have broadband (roughly 80–90% typical for similar Ohio counties).
  • 10–15% of households are smartphone‑only internet users; mobile reliance higher in lower‑income and rural areas.
  • Seniors’ email use is growing; libraries and community centers support access and digital literacy.
• Local density/connectivity:
  • Population density ~300 people per square mile of land; highest in/around Sandusky and US‑250 corridors; sparser townships inland.
  • Urban areas commonly have cable/fiber; rural pockets lean on DSL or fixed‑wireless.
  • Major carriers provide 4G/5G along main corridors and the lakeshore, with spotty areas inland.

Notes: Figures are modeled from Census population structure and national Pew/ACS adoption patterns; local conditions may vary.

Here’s a county-level snapshot built from Census population/age mix, Pew-style device adoption rates, FCC coverage/broadband filings, and known local context (tourism, shoreline/islands). Figures are estimates; county-specific mobile ownership isn’t directly published.

User estimates (residents)

• Population baseline: ~74,000 residents; ~58,000 adults (18+).
• Adult mobile phone users: 55,000–57,000 (roughly 95–97% have a mobile phone).
• Adult smartphone users: ~50,000–52,000 (about 86–89%; slightly under Ohio’s ~88–90% because Erie County skews older).
• Teen smartphone users (13–17): ~3,500–4,000.
• Total resident smartphone users: approximately 54,000–56,000.

Seasonal/visitor impact (distinctive vs state)

• Summer tourism (Cedar Point, marinas, islands) brings tens of thousands of additional devices on peak days, producing 2–3x higher mobile traffic than winter baselines in Sandusky Bay corridors. Networks are engineered for these peaks with added capacity and temporary sites.

Demographic breakdown influencing usage

• Age: Older median age than Ohio overall. Seniors (65+) are a larger share, pulling down smartphone penetration and raising the share of basic/feature-phone users versus the state average.
• Income/plan mix: Median household income is near but a bit below large-metro Ohio counties. Expect slightly higher reliance on prepaid and budget plans, plus longer device replacement cycles, especially outside Sandusky/Huron.
• Urban/rural split: Sandusky/US‑250 corridor shows high data use (streaming, navigation, gig-work apps). Rural townships see more voice/text-first usage and more mobile-only or FWA-reliant households.
• Workforce patterns: Seasonal service and hospitality workers increase BYOD and prepaid usage during peak months; some rely on mobile or fixed‑wireless access instead of wired home broadband.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 4G/5G footprint: Verizon, AT&T, and T‑Mobile provide countywide LTE. Mid‑band 5G (e.g., C‑band/n77, 2.5 GHz/n41) is strong in population/transport corridors—Sandusky, Huron, along OH‑2, US‑250, and the Ohio Turnpike (I‑80/90). Interior rural townships rely more on low‑band 5G/LTE with lower peak speeds.
• Capacity hot spots: Cedar Point, the causeways/ferry terminals, downtown Sandusky, marinas, and the US‑250 retail corridor. Carriers augment capacity seasonally; mmWave, where present, is limited to small venue-centric zones (far less than big Ohio metros).
• Shoreline/islands: Kelleys Island has service but more constrained mid‑band capacity and backhaul; coverage is better near ferry docks. Over‑water propagation can create inconsistent handoffs, a challenge less common inland.
• Backhaul and wireline context: Multiple fiber routes track OH‑2 and the Turnpike; cable covers cities and villages, with sparser fiber-to-the-home availability in the interior. Fixed Wireless Access (5G home internet) from national carriers is widely offered in outskirts and rural pockets; uptake appears above the state average where cable/fiber options thin out.
• Public Wi‑Fi offload: Tourist venues (including Cedar Point), marinas, and waterfront districts offer Wi‑Fi that offloads carrier networks during peak periods.

How Erie County trends differ from Ohio overall

• Slightly lower adult smartphone penetration due to an older age profile; higher share of basic phones.
• Much larger seasonal swings in device counts and data demand; networks optimized for summer peaks rather than steady year‑round loads typical of inland counties.
• Prepaid and mobile‑only internet usage marginally higher, tied to seasonal work and rural household needs.
• 5G mid‑band is solid along travel and population corridors but patchier in rural interiors; mmWave presence is notably lower than in Ohio’s big metros.
• Greater relative reliance on 5G Fixed Wireless Access to fill cable/fiber gaps in rural townships.

Erie County, OH social media snapshot

How many people are on social

• Population: roughly 74,000.
• Estimated social media users: ~53–55k residents (about 72–75% of total population; based on U.S. penetration rates).

Most‑used platforms (share of local adults using each; based on Pew’s 2024 U.S. adoption applied locally)

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• LinkedIn: ~33%
• TikTok: ~33%
• Snapchat: ~30%
• WhatsApp: ~29%
• X (Twitter): ~27%
• Reddit: ~22%
• Nextdoor: ~20% Note: These percentages are of adults; actual local shares will vary slightly.

Age profile (what people use by age)

• Teens (13–17): Very high Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube; lower Facebook. Heavy messaging and short‑video.
• 18–29: YouTube ~95%, Instagram high, Snapchat and TikTok strong; Facebook moderate.
• 30–49: YouTube very high; Facebook dominant; Instagram moderate; TikTok/Snapchat growing.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram/TikTok smaller but rising.
• 65+: Facebook and YouTube are primary; others minimal.

Gender breakdown

• County is roughly balanced (≈51% women, 49% men).
• Platform skews (national patterns that typically mirror locally):
  • More women: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Nextdoor.
  • More men: YouTube, Reddit, X, LinkedIn.
  • TikTok/Snapchat: relatively balanced, slight lean female.

Behavioral trends to expect locally

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups (neighborhoods, schools, buy/sell), Marketplace, local government and public‑safety updates, school closings, and storm/lake conditions.
• Short‑video surge: Instagram Reels and TikTok drive discovery for restaurants, events, and seasonal attractions (Cedar Point, lakefront). Peak seasonality in late spring–summer.
• YouTube for “how‑to” and local interest: home/boat maintenance, fishing/weather, local news clips.
• Nextdoor for hyperlocal issues: neighborhood safety, services, lost/found.
• Messaging matters: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are key for quick coordination; WhatsApp pockets exist but are smaller than state/national averages.
• Best‑performing local content: time‑sensitive updates (weather, road closures), event announcements, high school sports, giveaways, and photo/video of Lake Erie sunsets/storms.
• Timing: Engagement typically peaks early morning (7–9a), lunchtime, and evenings (7–10p); weekends show strong mid‑day activity—spikes during major weather and summer events.

Method note

• Figures are derived by applying current U.S. platform adoption (Pew Research, 2024; DataReportal 2024 penetration) to Erie County’s population. Use as directional estimates for planning rather than exact counts.