Knox County

Knox County, Ohio — key demographics

Population size

• 62,721 (2020 Census)
• 63,000+ (2023 Census estimate; continued modest growth)

Age

• Median age: ~40 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18–64: ~60%
• 65 and over: ~18–19%

Sex (ACS 2018–2022)

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022; race alone unless noted; Hispanic is an ethnicity)

• White: ~94–95%
• Black or African American: ~1–2%
• Asian: ~0.7–1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.2–0.3%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.0–0.1%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2%

Households and housing (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~24,000
• Persons per household: ~2.5
• Family households: ~66–67% of households
• Married-couple households: ~49–50% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~28–30%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~73–75% (renter-occupied ~25–27%)

Insights

• Predominantly White population with small but present racial/ethnic minority groups.
• Balanced sex distribution and a slightly older age profile than the U.S. overall.
• Household structure is family-oriented with high homeownership relative to national averages.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program (2023). Figures are official Census/ACS statistics; ACS values are survey estimates.

• Population: ~63,000. Estimated email users (age 13+): ~49,000 (≈92% of adults; ≈78% of total population).
• Age distribution of email users (approx.): 13–17: 7% (≈3.4k); 18–29: 16% (≈7.8k); 30–49: 32% (≈15.7k); 50–64: 24% (≈11.7k); 65+: 21% (≈10.3k). Adoption is near‑universal under 65 and ~80–85% among 65+.
• Gender split: Female 51%, male 49% of users, mirroring population; email adoption is essentially equal by gender.
• Digital access trends: ~91% of households have a computer and ~84% subscribe to broadband; ~12% are smartphone‑only internet households. Email remains a primary channel for work, schooling, healthcare, and government services.
• Local density/connectivity: Population density ≈120 people per sq. mile across ~530 sq. miles. About a quarter of residents live in Mount Vernon, where cable/fiber coverage is strongest. Rural townships have fewer fixed‑broadband choices; fixed‑wireless is common to fill gaps, and non‑adoption is concentrated among seniors and low‑income households.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Knox County, Ohio (2023–2024)

Headline estimates

• Population base: about 63,000 residents; roughly 48,500 adults (18+).
• Mobile phone users (any mobile device): about 46,000–49,000 adults (92–95% adult mobile adoption), plus most teens. Total users across all ages: roughly 52,000–55,000.
• Smartphone users: approximately 43,000–45,000 people (about 82–84% of adults; ~95% of teens 13–17).
• Households primarily relying on cellular for home internet: about 10–12% in Knox County versus roughly 7–9% statewide.

How Knox County differs from Ohio overall

• Slightly lower smartphone penetration: adults in Knox County are about 2–4 percentage points below the statewide smartphone adoption level, reflecting an older age profile and more rural housing.
• Greater cellular reliance for home internet: a higher share of households use mobile data by necessity where cable/fiber is limited, compared with the statewide average.
• More LTE-only areas and variable indoor signal: outside Mount Vernon and highway corridors, service remains LTE-first with fewer mid-band 5G sectors than in urban/suburban Ohio.
• Device mix and upgrade cadence: a modestly higher share of budget and older devices than the state average, contributing to lower realized 5G performance.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• By age
  • 18–29: high smartphone use (≈95%); heavy app, video, and social use.
  • 30–49: very high smartphone use (≈90–95%); strongest multi-line family plans; frequent hotspot use for homework/work in pockets with weak fixed broadband.
  • 50–64: solid smartphone use (≈80–85%); more mixed LTE/5G device base.
  • 65+: lower smartphone use (≈55–65%); higher incidence of basic/feature phones and voice-first usage than the state average.
  • Teens (13–17): ≈95% smartphone access; concentrated bandwidth demand after school hours.
• By income and education
  • Lower-income and some rural households show higher “cellular-only internet” reliance than the Ohio average due to gaps in affordable wired options.
  • Prepaid and budget plans are used slightly more often than statewide, aligning with income mix and coverage trade-offs.
• By geography
  • Mount Vernon and areas along OH-3, OH-13, and US-36: strongest 5G availability and capacity.
  • Northern and southeastern townships: more LTE-only coverage, terrain- and foliage-related dead zones, and greater dependence on external antennas or boosters.

Digital infrastructure snapshot

• Coverage and technology mix
  • 4G LTE coverage is broad along primary roads and population centers.
  • 5G is present in and around Mount Vernon and select corridors; mid-band 5G capacity is expanding but remains sparser than in metro Ohio. Large rural blocks remain LTE-only.
  • mmWave 5G is effectively absent; low-band 5G fills coverage but not high-capacity needs.
• Performance characteristics
  • In-town 5G: typically strong signal and modern spectrum use; faster median speeds and lower latency than surrounding rural areas.
  • Rural LTE: variable speeds and higher latency, with peak congestion in early evenings and during school-year homework hours.
  • Indoor penetration challenges occur in older or energy-efficient structures; external antennas and femtocells/signal boosters are common mitigation tools.
• Competitive landscape and backhaul
  • All three national carriers operate, leveraging low-band for reach and mid-band where backhaul allows. Capacity is constrained where fiber backhaul is sparse.
  • Fixed broadband is robust in the city core (cable, some fiber) but discontinuous in rural zones; this drives mobile hotspot adoption and off-peak data use.
  • Fixed-wireless access (FWA) and satellite (including LEO) are meaningful supplements in unserved/underserved pockets.

Implications and actionable insights

• Network planning: Prioritize mid-band 5G build-outs and fiber backhaul in rural sectors to reduce LTE-only pockets; small-cell infill in Mount Vernon can alleviate peak congestion.
• Affordability and inclusion: Programs that pair discounted unlimited mobile data with home Wi‑Fi gear meaningfully address homework and telehealth gaps where wired service is lacking.
• Emergency and resilience: Valley and forested areas benefit from targeted macro infill and battery-backed sites to stabilize coverage during outages and storms.
• Business and public services: Scheduling bandwidth-heavy services (updates, cloud backups) to off-peak and provisioning guest Wi‑Fi in civic hubs can smooth localized congestion.

Methodological note

• User counts and adoption rates are derived from recent national and Ohio-rural smartphone adoption benchmarks, Census-based population structure for Knox County, and ACS internet-subscription patterns. Household cellular-reliance ranges reflect ACS “cellular data plan” uptake and observed rural differentials. These figures are rounded point-in-time estimates intended for planning and comparison with Ohio statewide patterns.

Knox County, OH — social media snapshot (2025)

How many use social media

• Overall adult usage: approximately 80–85% of adults use at least one social platform. This aligns with Pew Research Center’s U.S. adult adoption and Knox County’s age mix (older than the U.S. average, which slightly tempers adoption).

Age groups (share using at least one platform)

• 18–29: ~95%
• 30–49: ~88–90%
• 50–64: ~75–80%
• 65+: ~50–55%

Gender breakdown of users

• Female ~51%, Male ~49% (overall social usage is similar by gender; share reflects the county’s adult population split).

Most-used platforms (adults)

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• TikTok: ~33%
• Snapchat: ~30%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• Reddit: ~22%
• X (Twitter): ~22%
• WhatsApp: ~21% These figures are Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adult benchmarks; Knox County’s platform mix closely mirrors these given its demographics.

Behavioral trends in Knox County

• Facebook-first for community: Heavy use of Groups, local news, churches, school athletics, and Marketplace (buy/sell/trade). Event discovery (county fair, First Fridays, festivals) is primarily via Facebook Events and shares in Groups.
• Video-forward consumption: YouTube is dominant for local sports highlights, DIY/home projects, farming and equipment reviews, hunting/fishing, and product research. Facebook Reels and TikTok capture short-form viewing, especially under 35.
• Youth pockets around campuses: Kenyon College and Mount Vernon Nazarene University drive higher Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok activity within Gambier and Mount Vernon, with DMs as the primary interaction channel.
• Local commerce and services: SMBs rely on Facebook Pages, Groups, and Messenger for promotions, appointments, and customer service; Pinterest performs well for boutiques, home, crafts, and wedding-related services among women.
• Messaging norms: Facebook Messenger is widely used; SMS/GroupMe common for teams and clubs; WhatsApp adoption remains comparatively low.
• Older adults: Facebook and YouTube dominate; usage centers on community updates, health info, tutorials, and family content.
• Timing and device use: Mobile-first usage with peaks evenings (7–10 pm) and weekend mornings; rural broadband variability nudges preference for short video and cached content.
• Civic/alerts: High engagement with county/city departments, school closures, weather alerts, and public safety notices shared into Groups.

Notes on data

• County-level platform percentages are typically not published; figures above use Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adult platform usage as definitive benchmarks, applied to Knox County’s demographic profile (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2019–2023).