Mercer County

Key demographics for Mercer County, Ohio (latest U.S. Census Bureau data: 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 ACS 5‑year estimates; 2023 population estimate)

Population size

• Total population: ~42,900 (2023 estimate)
• Modest growth since 2010

Age

• Median age: ~39 years
• Under 18: ~25%
• 18 to 64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~16%

Gender

• Male: ~50%
• Female: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone: ~96%
• Black or African American alone: ~0.3%
• Asian alone: ~0.4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.1%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~3%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~94%

Household data

• Households: ~16,000
• Average household size: ~2.7
• Family households: ~72% of households
• Married-couple households: ~60%
• Households with children under 18: ~32%
• One-person households: ~24%

Insights

• Population is stable to slightly growing, with a relatively young-to-middle-aged profile.
• Demographics are predominantly White, with a small but growing Hispanic/Latino community.
• Household size is above the U.S. average, reflecting a higher share of family and married-couple households.

Mercer County, OH — email usage snapshot

• Estimated email users: ~30,000 adults (about 92% of ~32,600 adults), applying recent Pew U.S. email adoption rates to the county’s population.
• Age distribution of email users: 18–29 ≈ 6,000 (20%); 30–49 ≈ 10,800 (36%); 50–64 ≈ 7,500 (25%); 65+ ≈ 5,700 (19%). Usage is near‑universal under 50 and moderately lower among seniors.
• Gender split: roughly even; men and women in Mercer County use email at similar rates, yielding an approximate 50/50 user mix.
• Digital access trends: American Community Survey indicators show mid‑80s percent of households subscribe to broadband and 90%+ have a computer/smartphone. Smartphone‑only internet access sits in the low‑teens percent. Household broadband, mobile‑only access, and fixed‑wireless subscriptions have trended upward since 2016, improving coverage in rural townships.
• Local density/connectivity: Population density is about 90–95 residents per square mile, reflecting a predominantly rural county with service centered on Celina. Cable broadband is common in and near towns, with fiber in select neighborhoods; rural areas rely more on DSL and fixed wireless, and satellite remains a fallback. 4G LTE coverage is countywide with expanding 5G on major corridors, sustaining high email reach.

Mobile phone usage in Mercer County, Ohio: estimates, demographics, infrastructure, and how it differs from statewide patterns

Topline usage estimates

• Total mobile phone users (any mobile phone): 31,000–34,000 residents, reflecting near-universal mobile access among adults and older teens
• Smartphone users: 27,000–30,000 residents, consistent with rural U.S. adoption patterns slightly below large-metro Ohio
• Multi-line plans: Family and shared plans are prevalent, reflecting Mercer County’s household structure (larger family-share penetration than Ohio’s big metros)

Demographic breakdown (smartphone adoption; county-specific estimates grounded in national rural benchmarks and county age structure)

• Ages 18–34: ~93–96% use smartphones; usage aligns with or slightly exceeds Ohio average due to work, school, and social use
• Ages 35–54: ~88–92%; close to state levels
• Ages 55–64: ~80–85%; modestly below Ohio average, reflecting rural device-upgrade cycles
• Ages 65+: ~60–65%; notably below the statewide senior average, the primary driver of the county’s gap versus Ohio overall
• Income/education: Middle-income households in Mercer County show high smartphone uptake, with any residual gap versus Ohio concentrated among lower-income seniors rather than working-age adults
• Urban/rural within the county: Residents in and around Celina, Coldwater, St. Henry, and Fort Recovery exhibit near-state-average smartphone use; the lowest adoption is in the most rural townships

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Network availability: Outdoor 4G LTE coverage is effectively countywide from the three national carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon). 5G is broadly available:
  • T-Mobile mid-band 5G covers most populated areas and many rural stretches
  • Verizon 5G (including C-band) is strongest in and around towns and along primary corridors; coverage becomes low-band or LTE between sites
  • AT&T 5G present in towns and along main routes; LTE remains the fallback across some rural spans
• Performance: Town centers and along US-127/SR-29 typically see strong mid-band 5G performance; speeds decline with distance from sites or behind terrain/vegetation. Indoor coverage in metal-clad or concrete farm/industrial buildings lags outdoor coverage, a typical rural pattern
• Public safety and enterprise: FirstNet (AT&T) coverage is established for county public-safety use; band-14 utilization improves resilience but does not eliminate rural indoor gaps
• Fixed wireless access (FWA): 5G-based home internet from Verizon and T-Mobile is available to a significant share of addresses, particularly in and near towns; it supplements cable/fiber and improves the economics of smartphone-as-hotspot usage
• Backhaul and fiber: Regional fiber along primary corridors and municipal footprints supports denser 5G where population warrants; long rural spans keep macro-site spacing wider than in metro Ohio

How Mercer County differs from Ohio overall

• Adoption level: Overall smartphone adoption is a few percentage points lower than the Ohio average, driven almost entirely by the 65+ segment; working-age adoption is near parity
• Device mix and upgrade cadence: Slightly older average handset age than in metro counties; prepaid and value plans have a marginally higher share than in Columbus/Cincinnati/Cleveland
• Coverage experience: 5G availability from at least one carrier is common countywide, but multi-carrier mid-band 5G overlap is patchier than in metro Ohio. That translates to more frequent fallbacks to LTE when indoors or between towns
• Usage patterns: Higher reliance on voice/SMS for seniors and on hotspot/FWA for rural households compared to metro Ohio, where dense 5G and fiber reduce the need for hotspotting

Methodological notes and sources

• Population base: 2020 Census for Mercer County
• Adoption benchmarks: Pew Research Center 2023 smartphone adoption by age; rural vs. urban differentials applied to local age mix
• Coverage and infrastructure: FCC Broadband Data Collection (2023–2024), carrier public coverage disclosures, and industry performance reporting for Ohio; localized to Mercer’s settlement pattern and road network

Bottom line Mercer County’s mobile ecosystem is mature: nearly all residents use a mobile phone, and roughly two-thirds to three-quarters use smartphones depending on age. The county’s gap versus Ohio is concentrated among seniors and in the most rural tracts where site spacing and building materials dampen indoor signal. Broad 5G availability—especially from T-Mobile—with expanding Verizon/AT&T 5G in towns, plus growing 5G FWA, is narrowing the rural performance gap, though multi-carrier mid-band depth and indoor coverage still trail the state’s metro counties.

Social media usage in Mercer County, Ohio (2025 snapshot)

How to read this: County-specific platform counts are rarely published. The percentages below use the latest nationally representative Pew Research Center adult adoption rates (2024) as the best-available proxy for Mercer County adults, whose demographics are broadly similar to Ohio’s overall adult population. These figures are reliable for planning unless a local survey is conducted.

Overall reach

• At least 83% of adults in Mercer County use one or more social media platforms (YouTube’s adult reach alone is 83%, per Pew 2024).

Most-used platforms among adults (estimated share of Mercer County adults who use each platform)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• Pinterest: 35%
• TikTok: 33%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• Snapchat: 27%
• Reddit: 22%
• X (Twitter): 22%
• WhatsApp: ~21% Note: Percentages reflect “ever use” among U.S. adults (Pew, 2024) applied to Mercer County adults; rank order and magnitudes are expected to match local reality absent contrary local survey data.

Age-group patterns (behavioral focus)

• Ages 13–17 (indicative, from Pew Teens 2023): YouTube is near-universal; TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram dominate daily use. Expect short-form video and messaging streaks to drive engagement; Facebook is minimal except for school/sports updates.
• Ages 18–29: Near-universal YouTube use; Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok are primary. Facebook is used for events and Marketplace, less for posting. Heavy video, DM-first communication, creator/influencer followership.
• Ages 30–49: Broadest multi-platform mix. Facebook (family, school, community groups, Marketplace) and YouTube (how-to, news, entertainment) lead; Instagram rising; TikTok used for entertainment and DIY. High engagement with local groups and buy/sell/trade.
• Ages 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate. Instagram adoption is moderate; TikTok use is growing via entertainment/how-to content. Strong reliance on Facebook Groups for local news, churches, youth sports, and civic updates.
• Ages 65+: Facebook first, YouTube second; other platforms have limited traction. High participation in community pages and Marketplace browsing; lower posting frequency, more “lurking” and sharing.

Gender breakdown (behavioral signals grounded in national patterns)

• Women: Higher use of Facebook and notably Pinterest (women are roughly 2x+ as likely as men to use Pinterest). Strong participation in local groups, school/church networks, recipes, crafts, home, and health content.
• Men: Higher likelihood of using Reddit and X, with strong YouTube use for sports, technology, trades/DIY, and news. More forum-style participation and long-form video.

Behavioral trends specific to a rural/small-metro county profile like Mercer

• Facebook as the local hub: Community groups, government/school notices, youth sports, church updates, and Marketplace drive daily visits. Group posts outperform Pages for reach.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how-to, farming/trades, product research, and local highlights; TikTok/Instagram Reels for short-form entertainment and DIY tips.
• Marketplace and classifieds: Heavy reliance on Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell/trade groups for secondhand goods, farm equipment, tools, and vehicles.
• Messaging over public posting: Younger users coordinate via Snapchat and Instagram DMs; adults use Facebook Messenger. Private group chats (teams, classrooms, ministries) are central.
• Local news discovery: Facebook Groups and YouTube clips are primary touchpoints; X plays a minor role except during severe weather or live events.
• Mobile-first, evening peaks: Engagement concentrates around lunch and 7–10 p.m.; video and Stories/Reels formats outperform static posts.

What these stats imply for outreach in Mercer County

• Prioritize Facebook (Pages + Groups + Events + Marketplace) and YouTube for countywide reach; add Instagram for 18–49 and TikTok for under-40 reach/awareness.
• Use video (short-form for discovery; how-to/ explainer on YouTube for depth).
• Anchor content in local relevance (schools, churches, sports, civic services) to trigger high engagement in groups.
• For women-heavy segments, leverage Pinterest and Facebook Groups; for men-heavy segments, invest in YouTube and Reddit-informed content strategies (AMAs, how-to).

Sources and method

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (adult platform penetration; “ever use”): used as Mercer County proxies for platform share.
• Pew Research Center, Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023: used to characterize teen behaviors.
• U.S. Census Bureau (ACS/Decennial) for county demographic context; specific platform adoption percentages are from Pew and applied to Mercer County adults.