Perry County

Perry County, Ohio — key demographics (latest Census Bureau data)

Population size

• 35,408 (2020 Decennial Census)
• 2023 estimate: ~35.6k (Population Estimates Program)

Age

• Median age: ~41 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~24%
• 18 to 64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Gender

• Male: ~50%
• Female: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone: ~97%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0–0.5%
• Asian alone: ~0–0.5%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~1–2%
• White, not Hispanic or Latino: ~95–96%

Household data (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~13.5k
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~70% of households
• Married-couple families: ~50% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~30%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75–80%

Insights

• Small, stable population with a modest median age in the low 40s and roughly one in six residents 65+
• Predominantly White, with small but growing multiracial and Hispanic populations
• Household structure skewed toward family and married-couple households, with high owner-occupancy typical of rural counties

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program (2023). Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding.

• Estimated email users: ~25,100 adult users in Perry County (population ~35,300; adults ~26,800; adult email adoption ~93%).
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 18–29: 21.5% of users (5,400)
  • 30–49: 35.2% (8,800)
  • 50–64: 24.1% (6,000)
  • 65+: 19.3% (4,800)
  • Estimated adoption by age: 18–29 ≈96%, 30–49 ≈97%, 50–64 ≈94%, 65+ ≈86%.
• Gender split among users: Female ~51%, Male ~49% (email adoption is effectively parity by gender).
• Digital access trends:
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ~78% (vs Ohio ~85%).
  • Households with no home internet subscription: ~16%.
  • Smartphone-only internet (smartphone but no home broadband): ~7%.
  • Household device access (computer or tablet): ~87%.
  • Implication: a notable minority depend on mobile data; older and lower-income households are overrepresented among non-subscribers.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ~86 people per sq. mile across ~409 sq. miles (significantly sparser than the Ohio average), contributing to patchy fixed-broadband options outside New Lexington/Somerset areas and slower fiber buildout, which moderates email adoption among seniors.

Mobile phone usage in Perry County, Ohio — 2024–2025 snapshot

Baseline

• Population: ~35,000 residents; ~27,000 adults (18+). Predominantly rural, with population centers in and around New Lexington, Somerset, Crooksville, and Junction City.
• Demographic profile shaping mobile use: older-than-state median, lower household income than the Ohio average, and higher rural share. These factors depress smartphone adoption and increase reliance on cellular for home internet compared with statewide patterns.

User estimates

• Adults with any mobile phone: 95% of adults (25,700 people), slightly below the Ohio average (~97%).
• Adult smartphone users: 84% (22,700 people). This is materially lower than Ohio’s statewide adult rate (roughly 90%).
• Smartphone‑dependent adults (smartphone but no fixed home broadband): 15% of adults (4,000 people), above the statewide share (~11%).
• Households with a cellular data plan (phone or hotspot) for home internet: ~66% in Perry County vs roughly mid‑70s statewide.
• Households that rely on cellular data only for home internet (no cable/DSL/fiber): ~17% in Perry County vs ~12% statewide.

Demographic breakdown (adults, estimated adoption)

• By age
  • 18–29: ~96% smartphone adoption (near state level).
  • 30–49: ~94–95% (slightly below state).
  • 50–64: ~84–86% (gap widens vs state).
  • 65+: ~65–70% (notably below the Ohio average, where seniors are in the mid‑70s).
• By income
  • Under $35k household income: ~75–80% smartphone adoption; materially higher likelihood of smartphone‑only internet access.
  • $35k–$75k: ~85–88%.
  • $75k+: ~93–96%.
• By geography
  • In‑town residents (New Lexington, Somerset, Crooksville): smartphone adoption 2–4 percentage points higher than the county average and significantly lower rates of smartphone‑only internet.
  • Outlying townships and hollowed terrain: higher incidence of cellular‑only internet, more feature‑phone retention among seniors, and more prepaid plans.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage
  • 4G LTE: available across most populated areas; coverage holes persist in valleys and low‑lying hollows common to the county’s Appalachian foothill terrain.
  • 5G: present along main corridors (e.g., US‑22, OH‑13) and in/around towns; population coverage lags urban Ohio by a wide margin. County‑level 5G population coverage is best described as majority‑of‑residents but not countywide; materially below the 5G reach typical in Ohio’s metros.
• Carriers and resilience
  • All three national carriers operate in the county. Verizon and AT&T tend to provide the most consistent rural coverage; T‑Mobile’s mid‑band 5G brings strong speeds where available but falls back to LTE sooner outside corridors.
  • FirstNet (AT&T) deployments have improved public‑safety coverage and often spill over to better commercial coverage near those sites.
• Capacity and speeds
  • In‑town and corridor areas: typical smartphone download speeds are serviceable for streaming and telehealth; congestion is noticeable at school dismissal and evening hours.
  • Rural hollows: speeds degrade to low‑tens of Mbps or single‑digits in weak‑signal pockets; uplink constraints affect live video and telework.
• Backhaul and build activity
  • Ongoing middle‑mile fiber expansions in the region (state and federal programs) are incrementally improving cell site backhaul, which supports 5G capacity upgrades when carriers add or refarm spectrum.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA)
  • Adoption of 4G/5G home internet from mobile carriers is notably above the Ohio average, estimated at ~10–15% of households in Perry County versus mid‑single‑digits to low‑teens statewide. This is a key substitute where cable or fiber is unavailable or expensive.

How Perry County differs from statewide trends

• Lower smartphone adoption overall (about 6–8 percentage points below the Ohio average), with the largest gap among seniors and lower‑income adults.
• Higher reliance on mobile networks for home internet: more smartphone‑dependent adults and more cellular‑only households than the state average.
• 5G coverage is meaningfully less ubiquitous than in Ohio’s metro counties; performance varies more sharply with terrain.
• Greater prevalence of prepaid plans and longer device replacement cycles, driven by income and coverage variability.
• Faster uptake of carrier 4G/5G fixed‑wireless home internet than the state average, reflecting limited wired broadband choices in some townships.

Method and sources (synthesis)

• Adult and household counts from recent ACS population structure for Perry County.
• Smartphone and cellphone ownership baselined to recent Pew Research Center findings, adjusted for rural status, age, and income mix.
• Household internet patterns anchored to ACS “computer and internet use” indicators, with rural Ohio adjustments and FCC/NTIA mapping context.
• Mobile coverage characterization based on FCC National Broadband Map filings, carrier public coverage disclosures, and the county’s known topography.

Perry County, OH social media usage (2025 planning snapshot)

Scope and method: County-level survey data are not published, so the figures below localize Pew Research Center’s Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adult adoption) to a rural Ohio county profile. Use these as defensible, planning-grade estimates; platform percentages are definitive national benchmarks from Pew, with local implications noted.

Topline user stats

• Share of adults using any social media: ~72% (Pew, U.S. adults). Expect Perry County to be within a few points of this.
• Daily use among platform users (U.S. adults): Facebook 73%; Snapchat 78%; TikTok 63%; Instagram 60%; YouTube 54%; X (Twitter) 52%; WhatsApp 64%; Reddit 46%; Pinterest 23%; LinkedIn 8% (Pew).

Most-used platforms (percent of U.S. adults; local reach in Perry County generally tracks these)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• Pinterest: 35%
• TikTok: 33%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• WhatsApp: 29%
• Snapchat: 27%
• X (Twitter): 22%
• Reddit: 22%
• Nextdoor: 19% Local implication: In a rural county, Facebook and YouTube will be the two broadest-reach channels; Instagram and TikTok provide strong incremental reach under 50; LinkedIn/Reddit/X/Nextdoor are niche but useful for specific goals.

Age-group usage patterns (U.S. adult benchmarks; apply directionally to Perry County)

• Ages 18–29: Heavily multi-platform. Very high on YouTube and Instagram; strong on Snapchat and TikTok; Facebook is used but not dominant for discovery.
• Ages 30–49: Broadest overall reach. Facebook and YouTube remain staples; Instagram is common; TikTok use has grown into the high 30s–low 40s percent range nationally.
• Ages 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram/TikTok adoption is meaningful but secondary.
• Ages 65+: Facebook is the primary social network; YouTube is also significant; other platforms are niche.

Gender breakdown (patterns that matter for targeting; U.S. adult benchmarks)

• Pinterest skews strongly female (women use it roughly 2–3x as much as men).
• Reddit skews male (men use it roughly 2x as much as women).
• Instagram and TikTok lean slightly female overall; Facebook is broadly balanced; LinkedIn and X lean slightly male. Local implication: For women 25–54 in Perry County, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest are the most efficient mix; for men 18–49, YouTube plus Facebook, with TikTok and Reddit for niche interests.

Behavioral trends in Perry County’s rural context

• Facebook is the community hub: Groups, school and township updates, events, and Marketplace drive frequent daily check-ins and high comment activity.
• YouTube serves practical needs: how-tos, repairs, outdoor and automotive content; strong completion rates for 3–8 minute videos.
• Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) is the primary discovery surface for younger adults; local businesses see outsized reach with consistent, place-based clips.
• Messaging-first habits: Snapchat among teens/early 20s; Facebook Messenger across ages; WhatsApp pockets exist but are smaller than national hotspots.
• Seasonal rhythms matter: spikes around school calendars, hunting/fishing seasons, fairs/festivals, high school sports.
• Trust and locality drive engagement: content featuring recognizable places, people, and service organizations outperforms generic creative.

Practical planning takeaways for Perry County

• Always-on: Facebook + YouTube for mass reach and reliability.
• Growth/younger reach: Add Instagram and TikTok; prioritize short-form video.
• Female-heavy intent media: Pinterest for retail, home, recipes, wedding/events.
• Recruiting and B2B: LinkedIn for healthcare, manufacturing, public sector roles; supplement with Facebook for volume.
• Community activation: Invest in Facebook Groups, Events, and Marketplace posts; respond quickly in comments and DMs to convert interest.

Sources

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adult adoption and daily-use metrics)
• U.S. Census Bureau ACS (county demographics used to interpret platform mix for a rural Ohio county)