Portage County

Portage County, Ohio – key demographics

Population size

• 161,791 (2020 Decennial Census official count)

Age

• Median age: ~36.8 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~19%
• 18–24: ~16% (elevated due to Kent State University)
• 25–44: ~26%
• 45–64: ~23–24%
• 65+: ~16%

Gender

• Female: ~50.6%
• Male: ~49.4%

Racial/ethnic composition (Hispanic is any race; non-Hispanic for race groups)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~84%
• Black or African American: ~6–7%
• Asian: ~2–3%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~3%
• Other races: ~1% combined

Households

• Households: ~64–66k
• Average household size: ~2.4
• Family households: ~58–60% of households
• Married-couple families: ~44–46% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~25–27%
• One-person households: ~27–30%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~65–67%
• Average family size: ~3.0

Insights

• Population is essentially stable over the last decade.
• A sizable 18–24 cohort reflects the university presence, keeping median age below the Ohio state median.
• The county remains majority White, with gradual growth in multiracial, Hispanic, and Asian populations.
• Household structure is mixed, with a majority owner-occupied and a substantial share of one-person households.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Decennial Census (population count) and American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, household characteristics).

Portage County, OH snapshot

• Population: ~162,000; density ~320 people/sq mi (Kent–Ravenna urban core is denser; south/east townships are more rural).
• Estimated email users (age 13+): ~133,000 (≈82% of total residents). Age distribution of email users (penetration → estimated users)
• 13–17: 85% → ~8,200
• 18–24: 98% → ~22,300
• 25–44: 97% → ~39,300
• 45–64: 94% → ~39,600
• 65+: 82% → ~24,000 Gender split
• Female 51% (68,000), Male 49% (65,000); usage rates are effectively equal across genders. Digital access and connectivity
• Household device access: ~93% have a computer.
• Broadband subscriptions: ~88% of households subscribe to broadband; remaining households rely on mobile-only or have no subscription.
• Mobile access: Widespread 4G LTE with expanding 5G along the Kent–Ravenna/I-76 corridor supports high email reach outside home broadband.
• Access gaps: Rural townships show lower fixed-broadband adoption; students and staff around Kent State University drive very high email adoption in the 18–24 cohort. Trend insight
• Email remains near-universal among working-age adults; growth is concentrated in older adults as broadband and smartphone access continue to expand.

Portage County, Ohio — mobile phone usage snapshot (2024–2025)

Top-line user estimates

• Population base: ~162,000 residents; ~128,000 adults (18+).
• Smartphone users (all ages): ~136,000–143,000 (about 84–88% of the population). Among adults, ~115,000–118,000 (roughly 90–92%).
• Active mobile lines: ~250,000–270,000 (about 155–165 subscriptions per 100 residents), reflecting multi-line ownership for wearables, tablets, hotspots, and IoT.
• Wireless-only communication trend: Adults living in wireless-only households are moderately higher than the Ohio average, estimated ~76–78% in Portage vs ~73–75% statewide, pushed up by the large student/young-adult cohort.
• Smartphone-only internet (no fixed home broadband): Estimated 19–22% of adults in Portage vs ~17–19% statewide; student-heavy neighborhoods and lower-income households drive the gap.
• Mobile/FWA as primary home internet: ~14–20% of households rely primarily on cellular (smartphone hotspot or fixed wireless access) vs ~10–15% statewide, reflecting patchier fiber in rural townships and strong 5G FWA offers.

Demographic breakdown (modeled from county age mix and national adoption rates)

• Age
  • 18–24: ~14% of residents (vs ~10% statewide), with ~97% smartphone adoption. This group represents roughly 16% of Portage’s smartphone base, higher than the state share due to Kent State University’s presence.
  • 25–44: ~26% of residents; ~95–97% adoption; heavy multi-line and app-centric usage.
  • 45–64: ~23% of residents; ~88–92% adoption.
  • 65+: ~16% of residents; ~75–80% adoption. Adoption is improving year-over-year but still below younger cohorts; larger rural share and fixed incomes temper upgrades.
• Income
  • Under $35k households show higher “smartphone-only” reliance (about 20–25% vs ~18–22% statewide). Students and service workers are overrepresented in this bracket.
• Race/ethnicity
  • The county’s racial/ethnic mix is less diverse than Ohio’s big metros; adoption gaps by race are small relative to the age/income effects. Differences in device type and plan selection are more cost-driven than demographic.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Network footprint
  • 5G mid-band (n41/n77) covers the main population corridor (Kent–Ravenna–Streetsboro–Aurora) and along I‑76; indoor 5G is common in towns, with LTE/low-band 5G persisting at the rural edges (Deerfield, Nelson, Palmyra, Windham).
  • mmWave/small cells are sparse compared with Ohio’s large metros; most capacity comes from mid-band spectrum and sector densification on macro towers.
• Typical user speeds and experience (recent field results and regional benchmarks)
  • Urban/suburban nodes (Kent, Ravenna, Streetsboro, Aurora): mid-band 5G median downloads commonly ~100–250 Mbps on T‑Mobile, ~80–150 Mbps on Verizon, ~60–120 Mbps on AT&T; uploads ~10–35 Mbps. Peak/game-day events near campus can congest AT&T/Verizon more than T‑Mobile due to spectrum mix.
  • Rural townships: 5–40 Mbps down on LTE/low-band 5G, with more variable latency; indoor coverage can drop to LTE-only.
• Reliability and emergency networks
  • FirstNet Band 14 (AT&T) improves public-safety and indoor coverage around county facilities and major corridors; Verizon and T‑Mobile maintain overlapping macro coverage for redundancy along I‑76 and OH‑43/14.
• Backhaul and last-mile competition
  • Fiber rings and cable backhaul are strong along the central corridor; rural backhaul often relies on longer fiber laterals or microwave, which caps sector throughput in some cells.
  • Fixed wireless access (5G home internet) adoption is notably higher where cable upload speeds or fiber availability lag; sign-ups concentrate just beyond Aurora/Streetsboro and south/east of Ravenna.

What’s different from Ohio statewide

• Younger skew lifts mobile metrics
  • Higher share of 18–24 year-olds than Ohio overall pushes smartphone adoption, app engagement, and multi-line ownership above the state average.
• More mobile-primary internet
  • A larger slice of households rely on smartphone hotspots or 5G FWA as their primary home internet compared with the state average, due to the student market and rural fixed-broadband gaps.
• Slightly lower small-cell density than big metros
  • Portage’s median mobile speeds trail statewide medians set by Cleveland/Columbus/Cincinnati cores, particularly on Verizon/AT&T outside town centers; mid-band 5G still delivers strong suburban performance.
• Plan mix skews value
  • Prepaid and MVNO penetration runs a bit higher than statewide averages, reflecting student and lower-income segments; device financing cycles are longer, and midrange Android share is elevated relative to Ohio’s largest metros.

Practical implications

• For carriers: Capacity hot spots are predictable (campus, I‑76 interchanges, retail corridors). Additional mid-band sectors and small cells near Kent State and Ravenna yield outsized benefits; rural edge sites need low-band augmentation and upgraded backhaul.
• For public sector and anchors: Outreach for older, rural residents (65+) can close the remaining adoption gap; FWA programs can bridge areas awaiting fiber. Ensuring indoor coverage in public buildings with neutral host or Band 14 helps resiliency.
• For businesses and app providers: Mobile-first design, flexible payments, and support for MVNO users are essential. Peak-load planning around the academic calendar improves service quality for student-heavy areas.

Notes on methodology

• Estimates combine the county’s recent population/age structure with national age-specific smartphone adoption rates, plus statewide wireless-only benchmarks and FCC coverage data for 5G/FWA. Figures are rounded to emphasize usable ranges while reflecting Portage County’s college-town and rural–suburban split.

Portage County, OH social media snapshot (2025)

Most-used platforms (share of adults who use each platform; Portage County usage closely mirrors current U.S. averages)

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• TikTok: ~33%
• Snapchat: ~30%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• Pinterest: ~31%
• WhatsApp: ~29%
• X (Twitter): ~27%
• Reddit: ~22%
• Nextdoor: ~20%

Age-group usage patterns

• 18–29: Near-universal YouTube; Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok are dominant daily; Facebook used but secondary. Heavy short‑form video and messaging; strong creator and campus-organization followership.
• 30–49: Broad multi-platform use; Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram anchor daily habits; TikTok uptake is substantial; LinkedIn active among professionals; WhatsApp common for family coordination.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram moderate; TikTok and Snapchat are niche but growing; Nextdoor used in homeowner neighborhoods.
• 65+: Facebook for community and family updates; YouTube for how‑to, news, and entertainment; limited Instagram/TikTok; Nextdoor present in established subdivisions.

Gender breakdown (directional)

• Female-leaning: Pinterest (strong), Facebook (slight), Snapchat (slight).
• Male-leaning: Reddit (strong), X/Twitter (moderate), Twitch (niche but male-skewed).
• Broadly balanced: YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, LinkedIn.

Behavioral trends specific to Portage County

• College influence: Kent State University concentrates 18–24s, lifting Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok usage, late‑night activity, and campus-event virality. Geofenced stories and short-form video perform especially well around campus.
• Community-first Facebook: Local news, school updates, city and township pages, and buy/sell/trade groups drive high Facebook Groups engagement; Marketplace is a primary local commerce channel.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube long‑form and Shorts plus Instagram Reels/TikTok dominate discovery; creators and local businesses that post consistent short videos see outsized reach.
• Neighborhood networks: Nextdoor adoption in homeowner areas for safety alerts, service recommendations, and yard/estate sales; effective for hyperlocal campaigns.
• Messaging integration: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are critical for private sharing; link clicks and conversions often follow from DMs rather than public posts.
• Event- and weather-driven spikes: Severe weather, school closings, festivals, and sports (high school and KSU) trigger rapid surges on Facebook and Instagram, with TikTok reactions following within hours.
• Best-performing ad placements:
  • 18–29: TikTok, Instagram Reels/Stories, Snapchat with campus‑adjacent geo-targeting.
  • 30–49: Facebook Feed/Stories and Instagram Feed/Reels; YouTube in‑stream for reach.
  • 50+: Facebook Feed/Groups and YouTube in‑stream; Nextdoor Sponsored Posts for services.
• Posting cadence and timing: Evenings (7–10 p.m.) show highest engagement across platforms; weekend mornings favor community and events content; campus audiences respond strongly Tue–Thu.

Notes on interpretation

• Percentages reflect the share of adults using each platform and are aligned with the latest Pew Research Center national benchmarks; Portage County’s platform mix tracks these closely given its suburban/college‑town profile.