Jefferson County Local Demographic Profile
Jefferson County, Ohio — key demographics
Population size
- Total population: 65,249 (2020 Census)
- 2023 estimate: 64,9xx (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates; continued gradual decline since 2010)
Age
- Median age: ~45 years (ACS 2018–2022)
- Under 18: ~20%
- 65 and over: ~22%
Gender
- Female: ~51%
- Male: ~49%
Racial/ethnic composition
- White alone: ~87%
- Black or African American alone: ~9%
- Asian alone: ~0.5%
- American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.2%
- Two or more races: ~3–4%
- Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2%
- White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~85%
Households and housing
- Households: ~26,400 (ACS 2018–2022)
- Persons per household: ~2.2
- Family households: ~59% of households; married-couple households: ~44%
- Nonfamily households: ~41%; living alone: ~34% (including ~16% age 65+ living alone)
- Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~72%; renter-occupied: ~28%
Insights
- The county is aging (about one in five residents is 65+), with small household sizes.
- Population is predominantly non-Hispanic White with a modest Black population and a small Hispanic presence.
- High owner-occupancy and a substantial share of single-person households reflect an older, stable housing market.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2023 Population Estimates; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year; QuickFacts for Jefferson County, OH).
Email Usage in Jefferson County
Jefferson County, OH snapshot (2024 est.)
- Estimated email users: ~46,500 adults. Basis: ~65,000 residents, ~52,000 adults; applying Pew U.S. email adoption by age to county age mix.
- Age distribution of email users (approx.):
- 18–34: ~11,700 users (very high adoption, ~95%)
- 35–54: 15,300 users (94%)
- 55–64: 7,000 users (90%)
- 65+: 12,500 users (80%)
- Gender split among email users: 51% female (23,700), 49% male (22,800), mirroring county demographics.
- Digital access and device context (ACS 2022; county-level):
- ~90% of households have a computer.
- ~82% have an internet subscription (broadband of any type); ~17% have no home internet.
- ~9% are smartphone-only subscribers (cell data plan with no other home service), indicating on-the-go email reliance.
- Trends and insights:
- Email penetration is near-universal among working-age adults; seniors are the main gap, but adoption continues to rise.
- Smartphone-only access and limited home broadband in parts of the county constrain attachment-heavy and work/school email use.
- Local density/connectivity facts:
- Population density ~160 people per sq. mile (≈65k over ~408 sq. miles).
- Broadband adoption trails the Ohio average by several points, reflecting more rural settlement outside the Steubenville–Weirton urban area.
Mobile Phone Usage in Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Ohio — Mobile phone usage overview (latest available public estimates)
Topline user estimates
- Smartphone reach: About 86% of households have a smartphone (ACS 2019–2023 5-year). Ohio overall: ~91%.
- Cellular data plans: ~77% of households subscribe to a cellular data plan for internet (vs ~83% statewide).
- Smartphone-only internet: ~10% of households rely on a cellular data plan with no fixed broadband (vs ~7% statewide).
- No home internet: ~16% of households report no internet subscription (vs ~11% statewide).
- Estimated individual users: Approximately 45,000 adult smartphone users reside in the county, given population and adoption rates.
How Jefferson County differs from Ohio overall
- Lower adoption, higher reliance: Household smartphone and cellular plan adoption trail the state by 4–6 percentage points, but reliance on smartphone-only internet is several points higher.
- More disconnected households: The county’s share of homes with no internet subscription is materially above the state average.
- Older, more price-sensitive profile: A higher share of older adults and lower median incomes correlate with more prepaid plans and smartphone-only access, and slower upgrades to 5G-capable devices.
Demographic breakdown (household-level patterns)
- Age of householder
- Under 35: ~95% have a smartphone (near state average).
- 35–64: ~89–91% (2–3 points below state).
- 65+: ~72–76% (6–8 points below state), with the highest rates of “no internet” and smartphone-only reliance.
- Income
- <$25k: ~74–78% have a smartphone; ~18–22% are smartphone-only; ~25% have no home internet.
- $25k–$75k: ~86–89% smartphone; ~10–12% smartphone-only.
- $75k+: ~95–97% smartphone; smartphone-only is rare (<5%).
- Education (of householder)
- High school or less: ~82–85% smartphone; higher smartphone-only and no-internet rates.
- Bachelor’s+ : ~93–95% smartphone; lowest smartphone-only share.
- Geography within the county
- Steubenville–Wintersville corridor: Highest 5G availability and median speeds; lower smartphone-only share.
- Southern and western townships: More coverage gaps and lower fixed-broadband availability; higher smartphone-only and no-internet rates.
Digital infrastructure and performance
- Carrier footprint: AT&T, Verizon, and T‑Mobile report countywide 4G LTE coverage across populated areas. 5G low-band covers most population centers; mid-band 5G is concentrated around Steubenville/Wintersville and along OH‑7.
- Capacity and speeds
- Urban/river corridor (Steubenville, Wintersville, Mingo Jct.): Typical median mobile downloads in the 80–150 Mbps range on 5G where mid-band is present; 20–50 Mbps on LTE.
- Rural south/west townships: Predominantly low-band 5G/LTE with typical medians in the 10–30 Mbps range and more variability indoors and in hollows.
- Towers and backhaul: A modest, dispersed tower grid supports broad coverage but leaves topographic shadow areas along ridges and valleys. Fiber backhaul follows the OH‑7/US‑22 corridors; cable/fiber presence is strongest in and near municipalities, with ongoing incremental extensions.
- Public-safety and enterprise: FirstNet coverage is available through AT&T in core population areas; private LTE/CBRS usage is nascent and focused on industrial sites along the river.
Implications and actionable insights
- Mobile-first engagement is essential: With an estimated 45,000 adult smartphone users and a higher-than-average smartphone-only segment, government services, healthcare, and local businesses should prioritize lightweight, mobile-optimized experiences and offline-capable features.
- Address the adoption gap among seniors and low-income households: Targeted device affordability programs, digital literacy training, and subsidized plans can reduce the county’s above-average “no internet” share.
- Infrastructure priorities: Filling mid-band 5G gaps outside the Steubenville–Wintersville axis, plus expanding fiber backhaul to rural towers, will materially improve median speeds and reliability in southern and western townships.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2019–2023 5-year, Tables S2801/S2802 (computer/smartphone and internet subscription).
- FCC mobile coverage filings and Ohio statewide broadband program materials (2023–2024).
- Aggregated mobile speed/performance datasets for 2024 (e.g., Speedtest Intelligence) for contextual medians.
Social Media Trends in Jefferson County
Social media usage snapshot — Jefferson County, Ohio (2024)
Population baseline
- Total population: ~65,000 (U.S. Census 2020). Estimated 13+ population: ~56,600.
How many use social media
- Estimated social media users (13+): ~46,000 (≈82% of 13+ residents).
Age mix of users (share of all social-media users)
- 13–17: ~9–10%
- 18–24: ~11%
- 25–34: ~14%
- 35–44: ~15%
- 45–54: ~15%
- 55–64: ~15%
- 65+: ~21% Note: The county skews older vs. U.S. average, so a larger share of users are 45+ than in big metros.
Gender breakdown
- County population: ~51% female, ~49% male.
- Among social-media users: ≈53% female, ≈47% male (reflecting higher female use of Facebook/Pinterest and slightly higher male use of YouTube/Reddit/X).
Most-used platforms in Jefferson County (percent of 13+ who use each; rounded)
- YouTube: ~82%
- Facebook: ~64%
- Instagram: ~42%
- Pinterest: ~27%
- TikTok: ~27%
- WhatsApp: ~23%
- Snapchat: ~23%
- X (Twitter): ~21%
- LinkedIn: ~20%
- Reddit: ~15%
- Nextdoor: ~12%
Platform skews and practical notes
- Facebook: Deepest local reach, strongest in 35+; women slightly overrepresented. Heavy use of local Groups, school/booster pages, community alerts, and Marketplace.
- YouTube: Near-ubiquitous across ages; go-to for repairs, how‑to, sermons, local sports highlights, and news clips. Short-form (Shorts) performs well.
- Instagram: Strong under 35; Reels is the discovery surface. Local food, salons, gyms, and events do best with video and Stories.
- TikTok: Concentrated in teens/young adults; trend-driven, short, authentic clips. Cross-post to Reels/Shorts to extend reach.
- Snapchat: Messaging-centric among teens and 18–24; limited organic discovery but strong for friend/peer communication.
- Pinterest: Heavily female 25–54; home, crafts, recipes, seasonal shopping.
- LinkedIn: Niche professional reach (25–44), useful for healthcare, education, energy, and public-sector hiring.
- X/Reddit: Smaller, male-skewed communities; news, sports, and niche interests.
Behavioral trends to know
- Local-first engagement: Residents rely on Facebook Groups and Pages for community updates, school sports, road/construction info, church and civic activities. Marketplace is a key commerce channel.
- Video-led consumption: Short vertical video (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) drives most discovery; simple, authentic clips outperform polished spots.
- Messaging > public posting: A large share of interactions happen in DMs (Messenger, Snapchat, WhatsApp). Include “Message us” CTAs and rapid replies.
- Evening peaks: Highest activity 6–9 pm; secondary bump around lunch; weekends show elevated engagement for events and shopping.
- Trust in local voices: Posts from schools, local media, public safety, and small businesses earn outsized comments and shares vs. national brands.
- Purchase pathways: Facebook/Instagram influence everyday services (auto, home, health/beauty). Younger users discover eateries and events on Instagram/TikTok; older cohorts respond to clear offers and contact info on Facebook.
- Cross-posting works: Repurpose TikTok to Reels/Shorts and condense long YouTube to Shorts for incremental reach.
Method note
- Figures are county-level planning estimates derived by weighting nationally reported platform usage by age (e.g., Pew Research Center 2023–2024) to Jefferson County’s age profile (U.S. Census). Rounded to reflect uncertainty while keeping local relevance.
Table of Contents
Other Counties in Ohio
- Adams
- Allen
- Ashland
- Ashtabula
- Athens
- Auglaize
- Belmont
- Brown
- Butler
- Carroll
- Champaign
- Clark
- Clermont
- Clinton
- Columbiana
- Coshocton
- Crawford
- Cuyahoga
- Darke
- Defiance
- Delaware
- Erie
- Fairfield
- Fayette
- Franklin
- Fulton
- Gallia
- Geauga
- Greene
- Guernsey
- Hamilton
- Hancock
- Hardin
- Harrison
- Henry
- Highland
- Hocking
- Holmes
- Huron
- Jackson
- Knox
- Lake
- Lawrence
- Licking
- Logan
- Lorain
- Lucas
- Madison
- Mahoning
- Marion
- Medina
- Meigs
- Mercer
- Miami
- Monroe
- Montgomery
- Morgan
- Morrow
- Muskingum
- Noble
- Ottawa
- Paulding
- Perry
- Pickaway
- Pike
- Portage
- Preble
- Putnam
- Richland
- Ross
- Sandusky
- Scioto
- Seneca
- Shelby
- Stark
- Summit
- Trumbull
- Tuscarawas
- Union
- Van Wert
- Vinton
- Warren
- Washington
- Wayne
- Williams
- Wood
- Wyandot