Seneca County Local Demographic Profile
Seneca County, Ohio — key demographics (latest U.S. Census Bureau data, primarily ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates; 2020 Census noted where relevant)
Population size
- Total population: ~54,900 (ACS 2019–2023)
- 2020 Census count: 55,069
- Trend: modest decline from 2010 to 2023
Age
- Median age: ~41 years
- Under 18: ~22%
- 18–64: ~59%
- 65 and over: ~19%
Gender
- Female: ~50.5%
- Male: ~49.5%
Race and ethnicity
- White alone: ~89–90%
- Black or African American alone: ~3%
- Asian alone: ~1%
- American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.2%
- Two or more races: ~4–5%
- Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~5–6%
Households and families
- Total households: ~21,700
- Average household size: ~2.4
- Family households: ~65% of households
- Married‑couple families: ~48% of households
- Households with children under 18: ~27–28%
- Nonfamily households: ~35%
- Homeownership rate: ~73%
- Average family size: ~3.0
Insights
- Population is slowly shrinking and aging, with nearly one in five residents age 65+.
- The county remains predominantly White, with small but growing Hispanic/Latino and multiracial shares.
- Household structure skews toward owner-occupied, married-couple family households, with relatively small household sizes.
Email Usage in Seneca County
Seneca County, OH email usage (estimates from U.S. Census and Pew Research, 2023–2024):
- Users: Population ≈55,000; adults ≈43,000. Estimated adult email users ≈40,000–41,000 (~92–95% of adults). Including teens, total email users ≈42,000.
- Age distribution among adult email users: 18–29 ≈17%; 30–49 ≈32%; 50–64 ≈28%; 65+ ≈23% (reflecting near‑universal use under 50 and slightly lower—but strong—use among seniors).
- Gender split: Usage is essentially equal by sex; users mirror the population—Women ≈51%, Men ≈49%.
- Digital access trends: ≈85% of households maintain a broadband subscription; smartphone access is widespread, with ≈10–12% smartphone‑only households. Senior adoption continues to rise, narrowing the gap with younger adults; overall email engagement remains stable and high.
- Local density/connectivity: Population density ≈100 people per sq. mile (well below Ohio’s average), which aligns with more variable fixed‑broadband performance outside the cities. Fiber and cable are concentrated in Tiffin and Fostoria, while fixed‑wireless commonly fills rural gaps; mobile coverage is broadly available along main corridors.
Mobile Phone Usage in Seneca County
Mobile phone usage in Seneca County, Ohio (2024 snapshot)
User base and penetration
- Population and households: 54,700 residents (2023 est.); ~22,000 households. About 42,700 are 18+.
- Estimated mobile phone users (13+): ~41,800–43,500, or roughly 90% of residents age 13+.
- Estimated smartphone users: ~38,000–39,500 (about 82–84% of residents 13+; ~82% of adults 18+).
- Feature-phone-only users: ~3,200–3,800 adults (about 7–9% of adults), concentrated among seniors and very-low-income households.
- Prepaid share: ~30–35% of lines (notably higher than Ohio overall at ~24–27%), reflecting a lower median income profile and higher price sensitivity.
- Mobile-only internet households (no wired broadband, rely on cellular data/FWA): 20–22% of households (≈4,400–4,900), above the Ohio average (16–17%).
Demographic breakdown (ownership/use)
- Age
- 13–17: ~95% smartphone access; heavy app/social use, relatively low voice minutes.
- 18–34: ~95–97% smartphone ownership; highest 5G adoption and highest monthly data consumption.
- 35–64: ~86–90% smartphone ownership; growing use of mobile banking, telehealth.
- 65+: ~65–70% smartphone ownership (below the Ohio-wide senior rate of ~73–76%); larger share of feature phones and basic plans.
- Income and education
- Households under $35k: mobile-only internet reliance ~35–40% (vs countywide ~21%); prepaid penetration markedly higher than average.
- College-enrolled population in Tiffin lifts overall smartphone and 5G adoption inside city limits versus rural townships.
- Urban/rural split inside the county
- Tiffin/Fostoria urban areas: smartphone penetration ~88–90%; higher 5G device mix; more postpaid, family and bundled plans.
- Rural townships: smartphone penetration ~78–82%; more prepaid, BYOD, and mobile-only home internet users.
Digital infrastructure and performance
- Networks present: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon operate countywide; MVNOs ride these networks. AT&T FirstNet public-safety Band 14 is active across the region.
- Coverage
- 4G LTE: essentially universal for populated areas (>99% population coverage).
- 5G low-band: countywide population coverage in the mid-to-high 90% range; anchors reliability and indoor reach.
- 5G mid-band (capacity layers, e.g., T-Mobile n41, Verizon/AT&T C-band): concentrated in and around Tiffin and along primary corridors; far less consistent across rural townships than statewide averages.
- Speeds (typical user experience)
- LTE: ~10–40 Mbps in rural areas; ~25–60 Mbps in towns.
- 5G low-band: ~40–120 Mbps rural; ~70–180 Mbps in towns.
- 5G mid-band pockets (e.g., central Tiffin when available): ~200–400 Mbps downlink, with better uplink and capacity at peak times.
- Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) for home internet
- Eligibility footprint is large for T-Mobile and Verizon; an estimated majority of households (≈60–70%) can order FWA, higher than the Ohio average due to more available spectrum capacity on lightly loaded rural sectors.
- FWA adoption increased after 2022 as an alternative to DSL or higher-cost cable, contributing to the county’s above-average mobile-only share.
- Capacity and backhaul
- Macro sites cluster along US-224, OH-53, and within Tiffin/Fostoria; rural sectors rely on low-band spectrum for reach, limiting peak speeds compared with Ohio’s metro averages.
- Mid-band 5G build-out is ongoing but sparser than statewide, keeping average 5G throughput and consistency below Ohio’s urban benchmarks.
How Seneca County differs from Ohio overall
- Slightly lower smartphone penetration (by ~3–5 percentage points) driven by an older age mix and lower median incomes.
- Higher reliance on prepaid and mobile-only internet, reflecting affordability constraints and the attractiveness of FWA where wired options are limited or costly.
- 5G is widespread on low-band for coverage, but mid-band capacity layers are less dense than the statewide picture; towns see good 5G, while rural areas more often fall back to LTE or low-band 5G with lower peak rates.
- Post-ACP funding lapse in 2024 has had a more visible impact locally, with some households shifting to prepaid or FWA-based plans to manage costs.
Key figures at a glance
- Residents: 54.7k; households: ~22k
- Mobile phone users (13+): ~42k–44k
- Smartphone users: ~38k–39.5k
- Adult smartphone penetration: ~82% (vs Ohio ~86%)
- Prepaid share: ~30–35% (vs Ohio ~24–27%)
- Mobile-only internet households: ~20–22% (vs Ohio ~16–17%)
- 5G coverage: near-universal low-band; mid-band concentrated in Tiffin and major corridors
Sources and approach
- U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Census; Vintage 2023 population and household estimates), ACS 2022 device and internet subscription indicators (S2801), FCC Broadband Data Collection (2023–2024) coverage maps, and national/rural smartphone ownership baselines (Pew Research 2023). County-specific adoption figures are derived by applying rural and income/age-adjusted rates to Seneca County’s demographic mix and rounded to practical planning ranges.
Social Media Trends in Seneca County
Social media usage in Seneca County, Ohio (2025 snapshot)
How this snapshot is built
- County-level surveys aren’t published regularly, so the percentages below use the latest nationally representative adoption rates from Pew Research Center (2024) with local interpretation based on Seneca County’s age profile and urban-rural context.
Overall usage
- Adults using at least one social platform: 83% of U.S. adults; Seneca County’s adult reach is comparable, with slightly higher reliance on Facebook given its older-leaning population.
- Teen usage is very high nationally, which, together with the presence of Tiffin University and Heidelberg University in Tiffin, sustains strong 18–24 activity locally on short‑form video and Snapchat.
Most-used platforms (share of U.S. adults who use each; local usage typically tracks these, with Facebook modestly above and TikTok/Instagram modestly below the U.S. average due to age mix)
- YouTube: 83%
- Facebook: 68% (expect slightly higher locally, especially 30+)
- Instagram: 47%
- Pinterest: 35% (notably higher among women 25–54)
- TikTok: 33%
- Snapchat: 30%
- LinkedIn: 30%
- X (Twitter): 22%
- Reddit: 22%
- WhatsApp: 21%
Age groups (local relevance)
- Seneca County skews modestly older than the U.S. average (roughly one in five residents are 65+ and about one in five are under 18, per U.S. Census patterns for the county), which:
- Raises Facebook’s relative reach and daily use among 45+.
- Lowers Instagram/TikTok penetration versus large metros, but campus presence in Tiffin lifts 18–24 activity on Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.
- Keeps YouTube near-universal across all working-age groups for entertainment, how‑to, and local sports content.
Gender breakdown (platform skews that carry over locally)
- Overall user base: close to a 50/50 female–male split in the county.
- Platform tendencies (U.S. adults; similar locally):
- Facebook: higher female usage than male.
- Instagram: slight female tilt.
- Pinterest: strong female skew (about 50% of women vs ~20% of men).
- Reddit and X: higher male usage.
- LinkedIn: slightly higher male usage.
- TikTok and Snapchat: modest female tilt.
Behavioral trends in Seneca County
- Facebook Groups and Pages anchor community life: school announcements, sports, churches, municipal updates, fairs/festivals, and buy/sell via Marketplace.
- Video-first consumption: YouTube for local sports highlights, home improvement, small-engine/ag how‑tos; short‑form video (Reels/TikTok) for events, food, and campus life.
- Local discovery and commerce: Facebook and Google Business drive foot traffic; Pinterest influences DIY, home, wedding, and seasonal projects.
- Messaging for coordination: Facebook Messenger dominates; Snapchat/Instagram DMs common for under‑30s; WhatsApp concentrated within specific social or work networks.
- Posting and engagement cadence: Peaks evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends; weather events and school sports generate outsized spikes.
- Recruiting and networking: Frontline and service roles recruit via Facebook Groups and Pages; LinkedIn activity is present but smaller, concentrated among healthcare, education, and professional services.
What this means for outreach in the county
- Prioritize Facebook (Posts, Groups, Events, and Marketplace) and YouTube; add Instagram for visuals and 18–34 reach; use TikTok/Snapchat selectively around campus and events; deploy Pinterest for projects/home/lifestyle audiences.
- Lean on short, captioned video; post around evening peaks; cross-post to community groups; use Messenger for responses; keep content locally grounded (schools, teams, seasonal events, roadwork, weather).
Sources
- Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adult adoption by platform, age, and gender).
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey/QuickFacts for Seneca County, OH (age and sex structure).
Table of Contents
Other Counties in Ohio
- Adams
- Allen
- Ashland
- Ashtabula
- Athens
- Auglaize
- Belmont
- Brown
- Butler
- Carroll
- Champaign
- Clark
- Clermont
- Clinton
- Columbiana
- Coshocton
- Crawford
- Cuyahoga
- Darke
- Defiance
- Delaware
- Erie
- Fairfield
- Fayette
- Franklin
- Fulton
- Gallia
- Geauga
- Greene
- Guernsey
- Hamilton
- Hancock
- Hardin
- Harrison
- Henry
- Highland
- Hocking
- Holmes
- Huron
- Jackson
- Jefferson
- Knox
- Lake
- Lawrence
- Licking
- Logan
- Lorain
- Lucas
- Madison
- Mahoning
- Marion
- Medina
- Meigs
- Mercer
- Miami
- Monroe
- Montgomery
- Morgan
- Morrow
- Muskingum
- Noble
- Ottawa
- Paulding
- Perry
- Pickaway
- Pike
- Portage
- Preble
- Putnam
- Richland
- Ross
- Sandusky
- Scioto
- Shelby
- Stark
- Summit
- Trumbull
- Tuscarawas
- Union
- Van Wert
- Vinton
- Warren
- Washington
- Wayne
- Williams
- Wood
- Wyandot