Licking County

Licking County, Ohio — key demographics (most recent Census Bureau data)

Population

• Total: 178,519 (2020 Decennial Census)
• Recent estimate: ~196,000 (2023 Census estimate)

Age

• Median age: ~39 years
• Age distribution: Under 18 ~23%; 18–24 ~8%; 25–44 ~27%; 45–64 ~26%; 65+ ~16%

Sex

• Female ~50.5%
• Male ~49.5%

Race and ethnicity

• White (non-Hispanic): ~86–87%
• Black or African American: ~4%
• Asian: ~1–2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: <1%
• Two or more races: ~4–5%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–3%

Households and housing

• Households: ~69,000
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~70% of households
• Owner-occupied: ~73–75%; renter-occupied: ~25–27%
• Median household income: low-to-mid $70,000s
• Poverty rate: ~9–10%

Insights

• Fast-growing Columbus-area county with strong recent population gains
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White, with modest racial/ethnic diversity
• Household structure skews toward families and homeownership, with median age near the Ohio average

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2023 population estimates; American Community Survey)

• Estimated email users (18+): ≈129,000 adults in Licking County use email regularly (about 92% of the adult population), based on latest ACS demographics and Pew adoption rates.
• Age adoption and user counts:
  • 18–29: ~93% use email ≈ 23,600 users
  • 30–49: ~96% ≈ 43,300 users
  • 50–64: ~92% ≈ 33,800 users
  • 65+: ~85% ≈ 28,700 users
• Gender split among email users: ~51% female, ~49% male, mirroring the county’s population balance.
• Digital access trends:
  • ~87% of households have a home broadband subscription; ~91% have a computer device (ACS).
  • ~10–12% are smartphone-only internet households; ~10–12% lack home broadband, contributing to lower email use among seniors and in rural tracts (Pew/ACS trends).
  • Email remains a primary digital touchpoint across all ages; usage is near-universal for working-age adults.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ≈260 people per square mile (mix of suburban Newark–Heath–Pataskala and lower-density rural townships).
  • Broadband coverage is strongest in and around urbanized corridors, with expanding fiber and 5G; rural edges show higher reliance on fixed wireless and legacy copper, correlating with slightly lower email adoption among older residents.

Licking County, OH: Mobile phone usage snapshot (2024)

Scale and user estimates

• Population: ~193,000 residents; ~75,000 households
• Smartphone users: ~137,000 people
  • Share of total population using a smartphone: ~71%
  • Adult (18+) smartphone penetration: ~85–88%
• Households with at least one smartphone: 91% (68,000 households)
• Households relying on cellular data as their only home internet (mobile-only broadband): 9% (6,700 households)

Demographic breakdown of smartphone users (who they are)

• By age (share of smartphone users, rounded):
  • 18–64: 75% (103,000 users)
  • 65+: 16% (22,500 users)
  • Teens 13–17: 8% (11,500 users)
• By geography within the county:
  • Newark–Heath–Granville–Pataskala corridor: highest device density and 5G usage; frequent multi-line households and work-issued devices
  • Rural eastern/southeastern townships: lower upgrade rates; higher likelihood of mobile-only broadband due to patchier fixed-service options
• Socioeconomic notes:
  • Mobile-only broadband is most common among lower- to moderate-income households and renters
  • College presence (Denison University) lifts 18–24 smartphone penetration toward saturation and drives higher 5G data consumption around campus

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage:
  • 4G LTE: coverage across essentially all populated areas
  • 5G: population coverage from at least one national carrier exceeds 95%, strongest along OH-16/79, OH-161/Etna–Pataskala–Johnstown, I-70, and within Newark–Heath–Granville
• Capacity and speeds:
  • Mid-band 5G (C-band/n41) widely available in the urbanized corridor; typical downloads >150 Mbps in-town; LTE fallback 10–50 Mbps in rural pockets, with occasional sub-10 Mbps edges in hilly/wooded areas
• Fixed wireless access (FWA) using mobile networks:
  • T-Mobile 5G Home and Verizon 5G Home available across much of Newark–Heath–Granville–Pataskala–Etna–Johnstown; availability drops in low-density townships
• Public safety and resiliency:
  • FirstNet (AT&T) coverage present countywide in support of Ohio’s MARCS-IP public-safety network; additional Band 14 capacity in the Newark–Heath and OH-161 construction corridors
• Backhaul and fiber:
  • Ongoing fiber build along the OH-161/Intel corridor and Newark–Heath business areas is enabling 5G densification and improved peak-hour performance

How Licking County differs from Ohio overall

• Faster growth:
  • Subscriber and traffic growth outpace the state average due to population gains and the Intel/161 buildout bringing in construction and advanced manufacturing workforces that rely heavily on mobile data and hotspots
• More mid-band 5G where people live and work:
  • The Newark–Heath–Pataskala axis sees earlier and denser mid-band 5G than many non-metro Ohio counties; in-town median 5G performance is typically higher than the statewide median, while rural edges still resemble Ohio’s exurban norms
• Higher mobile-only broadband share than the state average:
  • ~9% of households are cellular-only versus a lower statewide share; this is driven by a mix of rural gaps and FWA substitution where cable/fiber plans are costlier
• Sharper urban–rural contrast:
  • Coverage and speeds in the urbanized corridor exceed Ohio averages, but the county also retains pronounced rural zones with weaker indoor service—this split is more pronounced than in peer counties closer to Columbus’s core
• Device mix and enterprise usage:
  • Construction, logistics, and public-safety usage is elevated relative to the state average, increasing rugged device and hotspot penetration and pushing daytime capacity demand on OH-161, OH-79, and major worksites

Actionable implications

• Network planning: prioritize new or upgraded macro sites and small cells along OH-161/OH-79, Newark–Heath commercial districts, Denison University, and growing subdivisions; add rural infill in the county’s eastern/southeastern townships
• Consumer strategy: sustained 5G device upgrade appetite in the urbanized corridor; FWA is a viable competitive play against cable in Newark–Heath–Pataskala while meeting unmet broadband needs in nearby rural areas
• Public sector/enterprise: FirstNet and private-LTE/CBRS pilots at industrial campuses and construction zones can relieve macro-network pressure and improve reliability during peak activity periods

Notes on methodology

• User and household figures are derived from the latest county population/household estimates combined with observed adoption rates for Ohio and similarly situated suburban–rural counties, adjusted for the county’s age mix and urban–rural split. Estimates reflect 2023–2024 conditions.

Licking County, OH — social media snapshot (modeled, 2025) Note on method: County-specific panels don’t publish directly at this granularity. Figures below are county-level estimates derived by applying 2024–2025 U.S. platform usage (Pew Research Center/Edison Research) to Licking County’s age/sex profile (U.S. Census/ACS). Percentages are rounded to the nearest 5% for defensibility.

Overall usage

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~80% of residents age 18+
• Typical platform mix: Facebook + YouTube are near-universal anchors; Instagram/TikTok for under-40; Pinterest/Nextdoor more common among women/suburban neighborhoods; LinkedIn higher among commuters to the Columbus tech/healthcare corridor

Most-used platforms among adults (share of 18+ who use each)

• YouTube: ~85%
• Facebook: ~70%
• Instagram: ~50%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• TikTok: ~35%
• LinkedIn: ~30% (skews to white-collar corridors: Granville–Newark–Heath–Pataskala/Johnstown)
• Snapchat: ~30%
• X (Twitter): ~25%
• Reddit: ~20%
• WhatsApp: ~20%
• Nextdoor: ~20% (stronger in suburban subdivisions and HOA neighborhoods)

Age breakouts (who uses each platform, by local age band)

• Teens 13–17: YouTube ~95%; TikTok ~65%; Snapchat ~60%; Instagram ~60%; Facebook ~30%
• 18–29: YouTube ~90%; Instagram ~75%; TikTok ~65%; Snapchat ~60%; Facebook ~55%; X ~35%; Reddit ~30%
• 30–49: YouTube ~90%; Facebook ~75%; Instagram ~55%; TikTok ~35%; Snapchat ~30%; LinkedIn ~40%
• 50–64: YouTube ~80%; Facebook ~70%; Pinterest ~40%; Instagram ~35%; TikTok ~20%; LinkedIn ~25%
• 65+: Facebook ~60%; YouTube ~60%; Instagram ~25%; Pinterest ~25%; Nextdoor ~20%; TikTok ~10%

Gender patterns (adult usage tendencies)

• Women: Higher on Facebook (75%), Instagram (50%), Pinterest (50%), TikTok (35%), Snapchat (~30%)
• Men: Higher on YouTube (85%), Facebook (65%), Instagram (40%), Reddit (30%), X (30%), LinkedIn (30%)

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Community-first Facebook: Heavy reliance on neighborhood/Buy-Sell-Trade and school/sports groups; Marketplace is a go-to for local commerce; county agencies and the Newark Advocate drive news and weather updates
• Video dominates discovery: Short-form video (Reels, Shorts, TikTok) is the primary reach format for under-40; event recap clips and local sports drive engagement
• Messaging layer: Facebook Messenger for families/community coordination; Snapchat common for teens/college-age (Denison/Granville influence); WhatsApp pockets among small businesses and international households
• Civic and utility use: Severe weather, road closures, school notices, and public safety posts see outsized reach and reshares; Nextdoor use spikes around HOA issues and crime watch
• Local business habits: Facebook remains the default for promotions/events; Instagram is essential for food, boutiques, salons, fitness; LinkedIn effective for hiring in the Intel/New Albany corridor and healthcare/education
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (7–10 pm ET), secondary spikes at lunch (12–1 pm) and Sun evening; weather/school-closing posts outperform regardless of time
• Geography: Highest activity density around Newark–Heath, Granville/Denison, Pataskala–Etna–Johnstown growth corridor; rural townships lean more Facebook/YouTube and less TikTok/Instagram

Sources

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adults and teens)
• Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 2024 (U.S. platform reach trends)
• U.S. Census Bureau/ACS (age/sex profile for Licking County) Note: Percentages are county-level estimates derived from these sources and rounded to reduce false precision.