Mahoning County

Mahoning County, Ohio — key demographics (latest available)

Population

• Total: 228,614 (2020 Census). 2023 estimate: ~226,800 (Census Bureau).

Age

• Median age: ~43 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 18–64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Female: ~51.7%
• Male: ~48.3%

Race and ethnicity (mutually exclusive where noted)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~74%
• Non-Hispanic Black or African American: ~16%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~7%
• Non-Hispanic Asian: ~1%
• Non-Hispanic Two or more/Other: ~3%

Households and housing

• Households: ~99,000
• Average household size: ~2.26
• Family households: ~58% of households
  • Married-couple households: ~43% of all households
• Households with children under 18: ~26%
• Living alone: ~34% of households (about 14% are 65+ living alone)
• Tenure: ~66% owner-occupied, ~34% renter-occupied

Insights

• Gradual population decline since 2010, an older-than-average age profile, small household sizes, and a high owner-occupancy rate; majority White with a sizable Black community and a growing Hispanic population.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey; 2023 population estimate).

Mahoning County, OH snapshot (2023 pop ≈226,600; density ≈540 people/sq mi)

Estimated email users: ~176,000 residents (about 78% of the population), reflecting high adoption among internet users and an older-than-average population mix.

Age distribution of email users (share of all users):

• 13–17: 6%
• 18–29: 18%
• 30–49: 30%
• 50–64: 24%
• 65+: 22%

Gender split among email users:

• Female: ~53%
• Male: ~47%

Digital access and usage trends:

• ~83% of households have a broadband subscription; ~17% lack home internet.
• ~90% of households have a computer.
• ~10–12% are smartphone‑only internet users, indicating mobile‑centric email usage in lower‑income areas.
• Email usage is near‑universal among adults under 50, high among 50–64, and somewhat lower among 65+, aligning with the county’s older age profile.

Local connectivity and density facts:

• Most residents live in the Youngstown–Boardman–Austintown urban/suburban corridor with widespread cable/fiber availability; rural townships on the county’s edges show lower-speed DSL/satellite reliance.
• Urban density supports strong network coverage and public Wi‑Fi access points; connectivity gaps remain concentrated in low‑density areas.

Mobile phone usage in Mahoning County, OH — key takeaways

• Mahoning County is broadly mobile-connected but is more mobile-reliant and slightly less device-diverse than Ohio overall. A higher share of households use cellular data as their only home internet, and seniors adopt smartphones at lower rates than the state average, reflecting the county’s older age profile and lower median incomes.

User estimates and adoption levels (2019–2023 ACS, 5-year)

• Households: ~100,900; population: ~229,000.
• Households with a smartphone: 88% (≈88,800 households). Ohio: 90%.
• People living in smartphone households (approximate): ~205,000 (household count × average household size).
• Cellular data plan only (no fixed home broadband): 16.7% of households (≈16,900). Ohio: 12.6%.
• No internet subscription of any kind: 13.2% of households (≈13,300). Ohio: 9.5%.
• Households with a desktop/laptop: 78% (Mahoning) vs 82% (Ohio), indicating a stronger mobile-first tilt locally.

Demographic breakdown (patterns vs Ohio; ACS 2019–2023)

• Age:
  • 65+ households with a smartphone: ~69% in Mahoning vs ~75% in Ohio.
  • 65+ households relying on cellular-only internet: ~11–12% locally vs ~9% statewide.
• Income:
  • Households under $35,000 with cellular-only internet: ~27% in Mahoning vs ~22% in Ohio.
  • Lower-income households show higher smartphone dependence and lower fixed-broadband adoption than the state average.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Smartphone ownership is broadly high across groups, but cellular-only reliance is notably higher among Black households (31%) than White households (15%), with larger disparities than at the state level.
• Geography within the county:
  • Urban core (Youngstown): cellular-only rates above the county average, aligned with lower-income tracts and older housing stock.
  • Suburban (Boardman, Austintown): closer to state averages for device mix and fixed broadband.
  • Western rural townships: modest pockets of cellular reliance where fixed broadband options are thinner.

Digital infrastructure points (coverage and backhaul context)

• 5G and LTE: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon operate 5G across the Youngstown–Boardman–Austintown corridor and along I‑80/I‑76; LTE is effectively countywide with fringe/low-density areas showing weaker signal quality. This footprint is sufficient for broad 5G/LTE coverage but leaves select rural edges more dependent on mobile or fixed wireless.
• Fixed-network context (relevant to mobile reliance): Spectrum and AT&T provide dense cable/fiber in urban/suburban tracts; DSL and fixed wireless remain prevalent in some western townships. The uneven fixed footprint tracks closely with the county’s elevated cellular-only share.
• Middle-mile/backhaul: OARnet presence via Youngstown State University and regional fiber interconnects underpin carrier backhaul and institutional Wi‑Fi capacity, supporting higher mobile traffic in the urban core.
• Community/anchor connectivity: The Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County, schools, and YSU provide high-capacity Wi‑Fi that supplements mobile plans, especially for households without fixed broadband.

How Mahoning County differs from Ohio

• Higher mobile-only dependence: Cellular-only households are roughly 4–5 percentage points more common than statewide, concentrated in Youngstown and in lower-income tracts.
• Slightly lower smartphone penetration at the household level: ~2 percentage points below the state average, driven by the county’s older age structure and income mix.
• Less device diversity: Fewer households with desktops/laptops than the Ohio average, nudging more activity to smartphones.
• Senior digital gap: Seniors in Mahoning are less likely to have smartphones and more likely to be mobile-reliant than seniors statewide.
• Infrastructure-driven behavior: Where fixed broadband is weaker, mobile service (including 5G) is filling the gap, reinforcing higher smartphone-only use.

Implications

• Service delivery and content should prioritize mobile-first experiences, including low-bandwidth modes for areas at cell-edge or with limited fixed broadband.
• Outreach for digital literacy and subsidized device/service programs should target seniors and lower-income tracts in Youngstown, where cellular-only reliance is highest.
• Continued fixed infrastructure buildout (fiber and competitive cable) in western townships would likely reduce cellular-only dependence and narrow the local-state gap.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year, Tables S2801/S2802; FCC National Broadband Map (2023 releases); carrier public coverage disclosures; OARnet. Figures are rounded for clarity.

Social media usage in Mahoning County, OH – concise snapshot (2025)

Overall user stats

• Penetration: Expect roughly 70–75% of adults to use at least one social platform, consistent with U.S. and Midwest patterns for older-leaning counties.
• Daily use: About 55–60% of adults use social daily; Facebook and YouTube anchor habitual use.
• Connectivity context: Household broadband access is high but not universal; mobile-first usage is common, so short-form vertical video and stories perform best.

Most‑used platforms (adult reach; U.S. benchmarks from Pew Research Center, 2024; Mahoning County generally tracks these, with Facebook slightly higher and TikTok/Snapchat slightly lower due to an older age profile)

• YouTube: 83% of adults
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• TikTok: 33%
• Pinterest: 35%
• Snapchat: 27%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• WhatsApp: 26%
• X (Twitter): 22%
• Reddit: 22% Local tilt: Strong Facebook Groups and Marketplace usage; YouTube used broadly for how‑to, local news clips, and sports highlights; Instagram Reels growing among 18–44; TikTok present but under-indexes among 50+; Snapchat concentrated in teens/college.

Age‑group patterns (local observations aligned with national behavior)

• Teens (13–17): Heavy Snapchat and TikTok; YouTube for entertainment and sports; minimal Facebook except for school/teams/parents’ groups.
• 18–29: Multi‑platform. Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat lead for daily posting; YouTube and Instagram Reels for discovery; Facebook mainly for groups/events/Marketplace.
• 30–44: Facebook and Instagram are primary; YouTube for tutorials/parenting/home projects; TikTok adoption growing; WhatsApp used in friend/family clusters.
• 45–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest popular for home/recipes; LinkedIn used by professionals; Instagram used but less for posting.
• 65+: Facebook (groups, local news, family) and YouTube; limited Instagram/TikTok; Nextdoor pockets in suburban neighborhoods for safety/utility updates.

Gender breakdown and platform lean

• Women: Slightly higher overall social use; over‑index on Facebook Groups, Instagram, and especially Pinterest; high engagement with shopping, recipes, local schools/churches, and fundraisers.
• Men: Over‑index on YouTube, Reddit, and X; high engagement with local sports, trades/how‑to content, and regional news.

Behavioral trends specific to Mahoning County

• Community-first behavior: Facebook Groups (neighborhoods, schools, youth sports, churches) and Marketplace are core utilities; event posts and local business promos perform above average.
• Local news and weather: High engagement with regional media pages and severe‑weather updates; share/reshare behavior spikes during storms, closings, and road incidents.
• Video momentum: Short-form video (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) drives reach; how‑to, “before/after,” and hyperlocal storytelling outperform static posts.
• Practical content bias: Coupons, specials, job postings, and school/sports schedules draw reliable clicks; weekday lunch and evening hours are key.
• Messaging/DMs: Many interactions move to Messenger/Instagram DMs (appointments, quotes, customer service), so fast response times matter.
• Older segment caution: Privacy-conscious behavior among 55+; prefer pages/groups they recognize (schools, municipalities, churches, hospitals).

What this means for outreach

• Prioritize Facebook and YouTube for county-wide reach; use Instagram Reels and Stories for 18–44; add TikTok selectively where younger adults are a priority; use Pinterest for women 25–54; LinkedIn for B2B and recruiting.
• Lean into groups, events, and short, useful video; post around lunchtime and early evening; include clear local hooks (neighborhood names, schools, teams).

Sources and method

• Platform percentages: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adults).
• Localization: Adjusted to Mahoning County’s older-leaning demographics and Midwest usage patterns using recent American Community Survey indicators of age structure and connectivity.