Pickaway County

Pickaway County, Ohio – key demographics

Population size

• Total population: 58,539 (2020 Census)
• 2023 estimate: ~60,000 (U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program)

Age

• Median age: ~39 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~22–23%
• 65 and over: ~16–17%

Gender (2020 Census)

• Male: ~53–55%
• Female: ~45–47% Note: The county hosts two state correctional institutions, which skew the sex ratio toward males.

Race/ethnicity (2020 Census; Hispanic is of any race)

• White alone: ~85–87%
• Black or African American alone: ~9–10%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.2–0.3%
• Asian alone: ~0.4–0.6%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~2–3%
• White alone, not Hispanic: ~83–85%

Households and housing (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~21,000–22,000
• Persons per household: ~2.6
• Family households: ~70–72% of households
• Married-couple households: ~50–53% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~28–32%
• One-person households: ~22–25%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~73–75%

Insights

• Moderate growth from 2010 to 2020, continuing post-2020.
• Demographics are predominantly White with a notable Black minority; Hispanic population remains small but growing.
• Household structure is primarily owner-occupied and family-oriented; institutional population influences sex balance and some age metrics.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program).

Pickaway County, OH email usage (2025 estimates; derived from 2020 Census population ~58,500 and recent Pew email adoption rates)

• Estimated email users: ≈44,800 residents (≈76% of total population; ≈93% of adults plus most teens 13–17).
• Age distribution of email users (approximate):
  • 13–17: ≈3,200 users
  • 18–29: ≈9,400 users
  • 30–49: ≈14,200 users
  • 50–64: ≈10,200 users
  • 65+: ≈7,700 users
• Gender split: Near parity; ≈50% female and ≈50% male among email users. Note: local male-skewed institutional populations do not reflect general consumer access.
• Digital access trends:
  • Households with an internet subscription: ≈85–88% (ACS-like county peers), leaving ≈12–15% without home broadband.
  • Smartphone-only internet households: ≈10–12%, indicating mobile-dependent email access for a notable minority.
  • Older adults (65+) and lower-income rural households show lower adoption and more smartphone-only reliance than 30–49 cohorts.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Land area ≈506 sq mi; population density ≈115 people/sq mi (urban Circleville corridor denser; outer townships sparse).
  • Connectivity is strongest along the US-23/Circleville corridor (cable/fiber); southern and agricultural areas face last‑mile constraints and fewer high-speed fixed options, affecting email reliability and usage patterns.

Mobile phone usage in Pickaway County, Ohio — summary and county-versus-state insights (2024)

Headline takeaways (how Pickaway differs from Ohio overall)

• Slightly lower smartphone penetration than the state average, but narrowing as Columbus-metro suburbs (Ashville/Commercial Point) grow.
• Higher share of Android and prepaid lines than Ohio overall, reflecting a more price-sensitive and rural mix.
• Larger share of cellular-only home internet households than the state, indicating heavier reliance on mobile networks for primary connectivity.
• 5G coverage is strong along the US‑23 corridor to Columbus but remains patchier in southern and eastern townships compared with statewide urban coverage.

User estimates (modeled from 2023–2024 ACS/Pew/FCC patterns and the county’s age/rural profile)

• Adult population: about 46,000.
• Adults with any mobile phone: ~43,500 (≈94%).
• Adult smartphone users: ~39,000–40,000 (≈84–86%).
• Platform mix among smartphone users: ~60% Android, ~40% iPhone.
• Prepaid share (all lines): ~25–30% (higher than Ohio’s ≈20–24%).
• Cellular-only home internet households: ~12–15% of households (above Ohio’s ≈8–10%). What this means: Pickaway is nearly as smartphone-saturated as the state but leans more toward budget plans and Android devices, and a notably larger slice of households depend primarily on cellular data for home internet.

Demographic context that shapes usage

• Settlement pattern: A small-city core (Circleville), growing Columbus-metro bedroom communities to the north, and large rural townships to the south/east. This mix drives both high-capacity demand on commuter corridors and spotty rural performance.
• Age and income: Slightly older and modestly lower bachelor’s-attainment than the state average, which correlates with higher prepaid adoption and Android share. Younger in-commuters and new households in the northern suburbs are pushing up 5G handset penetration.
• Commute pull: Strong daily ties to Franklin County shift peak mobile demand toward morning/evening along US‑23 and around interchanges and logistics sites.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• 4G LTE coverage: Near-ubiquitous outdoors in and around Circleville and along US‑23; weaker indoor performance and occasional dead zones in the county’s southern/eastern rural townships.
• 5G availability:
  • Low‑band 5G: Broad, countywide baseline coverage from the national carriers.
  • Mid‑band 5G (C‑band/n41): Concentrated along the US‑23 corridor and population centers; capacity and speeds taper with distance from these corridors.
  • Typical speeds: 5G mid‑band 150–400 Mbps in covered zones; LTE/low‑band 5G more commonly 10–50 Mbps in rural areas.
• Backhaul and tower density: Denser sites and fiber backhaul along US‑23 and within Circleville; sparser sites south/east limit capacity and indoor penetration compared with Ohio’s urban counties.
• Fixed broadband competition: Fewer fiber-to-the-home options than state urban averages; this gap helps explain the higher cellular-only household share and heavier mobile hotspot use.
• Public-safety and events: Large seasonal events (e.g., Circleville Pumpkin Show) create short-term mobile congestion; carriers increasingly deploy temporary capacity (COWs/COLTs), but performance still dips at peaks.

Trends and implications versus Ohio

• Adoption trend: County smartphone adoption is climbing toward the state average as suburban growth continues; prepaid and Android shares remain persistently higher than the state due to rural and budget-sensitive segments.
• Usage mix: More reliance on mobile data for primary/home connectivity than statewide, which increases sensitivity to data caps and network congestion during evening peaks.
• Network upgrades: Most visible performance gains track where mid‑band 5G has gone live (US‑23, Circleville, northern suburbs). Without additional sites or fiber backhaul south/east, rural experience will lag the state’s urban baselines.
• Equity gap: Digital inclusion challenges are more pronounced than the Ohio average in the county’s rural townships; programs that bundle affordable 5G home internet or expand fixed fiber close the gap fastest.

How to interpret the numbers

• The county’s mobile phone user counts and shares are modeled from the latest available public data (Census/ACS 5‑year for population/households, Pew for smartphone ownership, FCC mobile coverage/broadband filings), adjusted for Pickaway’s urban-rural mix and commuting patterns. They align with statewide benchmarks but reflect local differences in prepaid adoption, Android share, and cellular-only home internet that are typical for mixed rural counties adjacent to a metro.

Pickaway County, OH — social media snapshot (2024)

Population baseline

• 58,539 residents (U.S. Census, 2020)

Overall usage (estimated, based on U.S. 2024 penetration applied locally)

• ~43,000 social media users (≈74% of total population; mix of teens and adults)

Most-used platforms (share of social media users; multi-platform use is common)

• YouTube: 82%
• Facebook: 72%
• Instagram: 43%
• Pinterest: 35%
• TikTok: 29%
• Snapchat: 25%
• LinkedIn: 20%
• X (Twitter): 18%
• Reddit: 14%
• Nextdoor: 12%

Age profile of local social media users (share of users)

• 13–17: 7%
• 18–29: 20%
• 30–49: 35%
• 50–64: 22%
• 65+: 16%

Gender breakdown (share of users; platform skews in parentheses)

• Women: ~53% overall (higher on Facebook and Pinterest; slight edge on TikTok and Instagram)
• Men: ~47% overall (higher on Reddit, X, and LinkedIn)

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural–suburban Ohio counties and reflected locally

• Community-first Facebook: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups and Pages for schools, youth sports, church and civic events, local classifieds, and public-safety updates; evening engagement peaks.
• Video as utility and entertainment: YouTube widely used for how‑to content, product research, and local sports/activities highlights; short-form video (Reels/TikTok) complements discovery for events like the Circleville Pumpkin Show.
• Visual commerce: Instagram usage concentrates among small businesses and 18–34s for product spotlights, stories, and local influencer tie-ins; Pinterest drives project planning and seasonal shopping among women 25–54.
• Youth messaging over posting: Teens and 20‑somethings lean on Snapchat for daily communication; TikTok is primarily for consumption, with posting spikes around school, sports, and seasonal events.
• Neighborhood chatter: Nextdoor usage appears among homeowners 35+ for lost‑and‑found, contractor recommendations, and safety notes; cross-posting to Facebook is common.
• Trust/verification: Local audiences favor information from known community entities (schools, county offices, established businesses). Posts with names/faces and practical details outperform generic promotions.

Notes on method and sources

• County population: U.S. Census (2020).
• Platform adoption and demographics: Pew Research Center Social Media Use (2023–2024) and DataReportal Digital 2024: United States.
• Percentages are best-available local estimates derived by applying current U.S. platform adoption and age/gender skews to Pickaway County’s size and age profile; figures are rounded for clarity.