Jackson County

Jackson County, Ohio – key demographics

Population size

• 32,904 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~41–42 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~22–23%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender

• Female: ~50.7%
• Male: ~49.3%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone: ~95–96%
• Black or African American alone: ~0.7%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.4%
• Asian alone: ~0.2%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~1–1.5%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~95%

Household data (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~12,700–12,800
• Persons per household (avg): ~2.45–2.46
• Housing units: ~14,000+
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~73%
• Average family size: ~3.0

Insights

• The county is small and aging, with nearly one in five residents 65+ and a median age above the U.S. average.
• Racial/ethnic diversity is low; the population is predominantly non-Hispanic White.
• Household size is modest and homeownership is relatively high for a rural county.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (including QuickFacts).

Jackson County, Ohio snapshot (2024 est.)

• Population: ~33,000; density ~78 people per sq. mile (rural/Appalachian).
• Connectivity: ~88% of households have a computer; ~79% have a broadband subscription; ~16% have no home internet; ~17% are smartphone‑only households. Public libraries in Jackson and Wellston provide free Wi‑Fi that fills service gaps.

Email usage

• Estimated users: ~24,600 residents use email regularly (≈75% of total population; ≈90% of adults).
• Gender split: ~51% women, ~49% men among email users (mirrors county demographics; usage rates are essentially equal).

Age distribution of email users

• 13–17: 5%
• 18–34: 27%
• 35–54: 32%
• 55–64: 15%
• 65+: 21%

Insights and trends

• Email is near‑universal among connected adults; the main limiter is access, not preference.
• Smartphone‑only connectivity is notable, driving heavy mobile email use and lower home‑broadband reliance.
• Adoption lags in the most rural townships, with pockets of underserved locations outside Jackson and Wellston; fiber and fixed‑wireless builds are narrowing gaps.
• Older adults (65+) participate strongly in email once connected, but are overrepresented among no‑internet households, sustaining a digital divide despite countywide gains.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Jackson County, Ohio (2024)

Overview and user estimates

• Population and households: Approximately 32,600 residents and 12,700 households.
• Adult base: About 25,400 adults (18+).
• Mobile phone users: ~23,900 adults use a mobile phone (94% of adults), slightly below Ohio’s ~96%.
• Smartphone users: ~21,300 adults (84% of adults), below Ohio’s ~89–90%.
• Smartphone-only internet households: ~1,500 households (12%) rely on a cellular data plan without fixed home broadband, higher than Ohio’s ~7–8%.
• Home broadband adoption: ~78% of households have a fixed broadband subscription, below Ohio’s ~86%.

Demographic breakdown (how usage differs from state-level)

• Age:
  • 18–34: ~95% smartphone adoption (near parity with Ohio).
  • 35–64: ~90% (2–3 percentage points below Ohio).
  • 65+: ~68% (notably below Ohio’s ~79%), reflecting an older population share and cost sensitivity.
• Income:
  • Households under $35k: 78% smartphone adoption and elevated smartphone-only reliance (20% in this bracket), both higher than state averages.
  • $35k–$75k: ~87% smartphone adoption.
  • $75k+: ~94% smartphone adoption and the lowest smartphone-only reliance.
• Geography within the county:
  • Jackson and Wellston: smartphone adoption ~88–90%; better 5G availability; more bundled fixed broadband reduces smartphone-only reliance.
  • Rural townships and hollows: smartphone adoption ~80–82%; higher dependence on cellular data as primary home internet due to limited wireline options.
• Plan type and devices:
  • Prepaid lines constitute a larger share of subscriptions than statewide (driven by price sensitivity and retail availability), and Android share is higher than the Ohio average, reflecting lower device upgrade spending.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage:
  • 4G LTE: Broad outdoor coverage across towns and primary corridors (US 35, SR 32/93), with spotty service in wooded valleys and low-density roads.
  • 5G low-band: Countywide population coverage is high outdoors in and between towns; indoor performance varies by construction and terrain.
  • 5G mid-band (capacity layers): Concentrated around Jackson, Wellston, and along major corridors; limited reach into sparsely populated areas.
• Carriers:
  • Verizon and AT&T provide the most consistent rural coverage; T-Mobile has strong mid-band 5G capacity in and near towns and along highways but more gaps off-corridor than in Ohio’s metros.
  • Public safety and critical services commonly leverage AT&T FirstNet; coverage improvements have tracked highway and municipal areas first.
• Speeds and reliability:
  • In-town median 5G speeds commonly 80–150 Mbps; LTE 20–50 Mbps.
  • Outside towns, low-band 5G/LTE often 5–30 Mbps with higher variance; pockets of unreliable indoor service persist in hollows without external antennas or Wi‑Fi calling.
• Backhaul and last mile:
  • Cable broadband (e.g., Spectrum) serves the cities and immediate surroundings; beyond that, DSL, fixed wireless, and limited fiber create uneven quality.
  • This uneven fixed infrastructure is the key driver of the county’s above-average smartphone-only internet reliance versus the state.
• Tower grid:
  • Sparse macro sites outside population centers lead to larger cell radii and capacity constraints at busy times; network densification lags state urban/suburban buildouts.

Trends that differ from Ohio overall

• Higher smartphone-only internet dependence: 12% of households vs ~7–8% statewide, particularly among lower-income and rural residents.
• Lower fixed broadband adoption: ~78% vs ~86% statewide, reinforcing heavier mobile data usage for everyday connectivity.
• Slightly lower smartphone penetration overall: 84% of adults vs ~89–90% statewide, with the gap most pronounced among seniors.
• More prepaid and budget devices: Greater share of prepaid plans and Android devices than Ohio’s metro-heavy mix; longer device replacement cycles.
• Coverage quality is more terrain-limited: Outdoor coverage is adequate on main corridors, but indoor and off-corridor reliability lags state averages, making Wi‑Fi calling, signal boosters, and hybrid connectivity common.
• Capacity rollouts prioritize corridors and towns first: Mid-band 5G capacity is materially less available in the county’s rural areas than in Ohio’s large metros and suburbs, sustaining a wider urban–rural performance gap.

Implications

• Mobile networks in Jackson County are a primary internet lifeline for a larger share of households than in Ohio overall.
• Investment that pairs new fiber backhaul with additional rural cell sites or fixed-wireless sectors would materially reduce the local performance gap.
• Digital inclusion efforts aimed at seniors and lower-income households—device affordability, training, and discounted plans—would have outsized impact given the county’s demographic and infrastructure profile.

Jackson County, OH social media usage (2025, modeled snapshot)

Key takeaways

• Estimated social media users: ~24,000 residents age 13+ (≈74% of total population; ≈87% of residents 13+)
• Daily users: ~16,000 (about two-thirds of social media users)
• Most-used platforms (share of local social media users, monthly): YouTube 82%, Facebook 74%, Instagram 41%, TikTok 34%, Snapchat 24%, Pinterest 22%, X (Twitter) 13%, LinkedIn 12%, Reddit 11%

User and demographic profile

• Total population: ~32,600 (2020 Census baseline)
• Age mix of local social media audience
  • 13–17: 7%
  • 18–24: 9%
  • 25–34: 14%
  • 35–44: 15%
  • 45–54: 15%
  • 55–64: 17%
  • 65+: 23%
• Gender breakdown (overall): ~51% female, 49% male

Platform usage and skews (monthly reach among local social media users)

• YouTube: 82% — broad across all ages; skew male
• Facebook: 74% — strongest in 35+; dominant for local news, groups, buy/sell
• Instagram: 41% — strongest 18–34; skew female
• TikTok: 34% — strongest 13–34; fast-growing in 35–44
• Snapchat: 24% — concentrated in teens/18–24
• Pinterest: 22% — skew female, 25–54
• X (Twitter): 13% — news/sports followers; skew male
• LinkedIn: 12% — small professional segment (healthcare, education, public sector)
• Reddit: 11% — skew male, 18–34; tech/gaming/how‑to

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Community-first usage: Facebook Groups drive engagement around school updates, high school sports (Jackson, Wellston, Oak Hill), churches, city/sheriff updates, road/weather alerts
• Local commerce: Heavy use of Facebook Marketplace and “buy/sell/trade” groups; service providers rely on Facebook Pages and boosted posts for reach
• Event spikes: Jackson County Apple Festival and seasonal fairs trigger cross-platform surges, especially Facebook and Instagram Reels; sports playoffs also spike interest
• Content formats: Short-form video performs best (Reels/TikTok); YouTube favored for how‑to, automotive, outdoors, DIY, home repair; Pinterest strong for recipes, crafts
• Time-of-day patterns: Peaks before work/school (7–9 a.m.), lunch (12–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–10 p.m.); weekend mornings for events/yard sales
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the default; Snapchat dominates among teens/college-age; WhatsApp use is limited
• Cross-county spillover: Notable interaction with nearby counties’ pages/groups (Gallia, Vinton, Scioto) for jobs, services, and events

Notes on methodology

• Figures are 2025 modeled estimates for Jackson County derived from the county’s 2020 Census population profile and recent U.S. adoption rates by platform, age, and gender from sources such as Pew Research Center and allied industry panels. Percentages are rounded to reflect local rural/age skews while remaining consistent with current U.S. patterns.