Vinton County

Key demographics – Vinton County, Ohio (U.S. Census Bureau)

Population size

• 12,696 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age (ACS 2019–2023)

• Median age: ~42 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18–64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender (ACS 2019–2023)

• Male: ~50%
• Female: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2019–2023; Hispanic is any race)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~94%
• Black or African American: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0–1%
• Asian: ~0–1%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~1–2%

Household data (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~4,900
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~68% of households
• Married-couple households: ~50% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• Owner-occupied rate: ~75–77%

Insights

• Small, rural county with a near-even gender split and a median age modestly above the Ohio average.
• Population is predominantly non-Hispanic White, with small minority and Hispanic populations.
• Household structure skews toward family and married-couple households, with high homeownership and moderate household sizes.

• County context: Vinton County is Ohio’s least-populous county (13,000 residents) with low rural density (31 people/sq mi across ~414 sq mi), factors that shape connectivity and digital behavior.

• Estimated email users: ≈8,450 residents (age 13+) use email regularly. Basis: county age mix, rural internet-use rates, and the high prevalence of email among internet users.

• Age distribution of email users (share of users):

  • 13–24: ~16%
  • 25–44: ~34%
  • 45–64: ~32%
  • 65+: ~18%

• Gender split among users: ~51% female, ~49% male, mirroring the population.

• Digital access and trends:

  • Internet access is lower than the Ohio average; about four in five households have some form of internet, with home broadband adoption lagging urban areas.
  • Smartphone dependence is notable; roughly one in five connected households are smartphone‑only, driving mobile-first email use.
  • Public access points (libraries, schools, community centers) remain important for residents without reliable home broadband.
  • Terrain and distance between homes increase last‑mile costs, slowing fiber/cable buildout; fixed-wireless and mobile broadband fill gaps.

• Insight: Despite rural constraints, email remains a near-universal tool among connected residents, especially for work, government services, healthcare, and school communications.

Mobile phone usage in Vinton County, Ohio (2024 snapshot)

Size of the user base

• Population: ~12,800 (2023 Census estimate). Adults (18+): ~10,100.
• Smartphone users: ~8,400 adults (≈83–84% of adults), below Ohio’s ~88–90%.
• Basic-phone (non‑smartphone) users: ~1,100 adults (≈11%).
• Households: ~5,100. Mobile‑only internet households (smartphone or hotspot as the primary connection): ~1,000 (≈20%), roughly double Ohio’s ~10–12%.

Demographic breakdown (ownership and reliance)

• Age
  • 18–29: ~1,500 adults; smartphone ownership ≈96% → ~1,450 users.
  • 30–49: ~3,100 adults; ≈94% → ~2,900 users.
  • 50–64: ~2,800 adults; ≈82% → ~2,300 users.
  • 65+: ~2,700 adults; ≈62% → ~1,700 users; ~1,000 seniors remain non‑smartphone or offline.
• Income and mobile reliance
  • Median household income trails state by a wide margin (Vinton ≈$50k vs Ohio ≈$66k). Among households under $35k, mobile‑only reliance is estimated near 30% (vs county average ~20%), reflecting cost and availability gaps in fixed broadband.
• Education and work
  • A larger share of residents without a 4‑year degree and a higher proportion in outdoor, dispersed worksites correlate with heavier voice/SMS dependence and hotspot use compared with urban Ohio.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage pattern
  • Strongest service aligns with OH‑32 (Appalachian Hwy), US‑50, OH‑93, and in/around McArthur. Coverage drops in forested hollows and around Zaleski State Forest and Lake Hope State Park.
• 5G availability (based on 2024 carrier maps and FCC reporting)
  • Low‑band 5G: covers most populated road corridors; estimated 60–70% of residents have usable low‑band 5G at home.
  • Mid‑band 5G (the faster layer): limited pockets near McArthur and along OH‑32; estimated 10–15% population coverage. Millimeter‑wave: negligible.
  • By contrast, Ohio statewide low‑band 5G reaches ≈95%+ of residents and mid‑band ≈55–65%.
• Carriers
  • Verizon and AT&T provide the broadest rural footprint; T‑Mobile coverage improves along OH‑32 but remains patchy off major routes. Many residents keep legacy Verizon/AT&T lines for reach, even when T‑Mobile offers higher peak speeds in small pockets.
• Speeds and reliability
  • Typical LTE speeds 10–25 Mbps in towns/highways; single‑digit Mbps or drop‑outs in valleys/forested areas. Mid‑band 5G pockets can deliver 100–300 Mbps but have small footprints.
  • Statewide median mobile speeds are substantially higher due to broader mid‑band 5G deployment and denser sites in metros.
• Fixed broadband context (drives mobile behavior)
  • Fixed broadband subscription is materially lower than Ohio’s average (Vinton ≈60–65% vs Ohio ≈75–80%), due to limited cable/fiber buildout and distance‑related DSL limitations. This pushes more households to depend on smartphones and hotspots.
  • The sunset of the Affordable Connectivity Program in 2024 disproportionately affected lower‑income households; expect a further uptick in mobile‑only reliance and plan downgrades.

How Vinton County differs from the Ohio state pattern

• Lower smartphone penetration overall, driven by a larger senior share and affordability.
• Roughly double the share of mobile‑only households compared with the state.
• Much smaller mid‑band 5G footprint; service quality is highly location‑dependent with pronounced dead zones off main corridors.
• Greater reliance on voice/SMS and hotspotting for everyday connectivity; device upgrade cycles tend to be longer due to income and retail access constraints.
• Network choice skews toward coverage (Verizon/AT&T) over raw speed, unlike Ohio’s urban counties where mid‑band 5G enables broader adoption of high‑throughput plans.

Key takeaways

• Estimated 8.4k adult smartphone users and ~1k mobile‑only households underscore that mobile networks are the primary on‑ramp to the internet for many residents.
• Improving mid‑band 5G along secondary roads and adding infill sites in valleys would yield outsized benefits versus statewide averages.
• Programs that bundle affordable plans with signal boosters or fixed‑wireless CPE are likely to see higher uptake than in Ohio’s metro counties because they directly address terrain‑driven gaps and limited fixed broadband alternatives.

Notes on method: Counts and percentages are best‑available estimates for 2024, derived from 2023 Census population and household baselines, Pew Research mobile adoption by age/rural status, FCC Broadband Data Collection, and national/state carrier coverage disclosures, applied to Vinton County’s age and income profile.

Vinton County, OH social media snapshot (2025)

Population baseline

• Residents: ~12,800 (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 est.)
• Adults (18+): ~9,900; Teens (13–17): ~1,000

Overall usage

• Adults using at least one social platform: 80% (7,900 people)
• Teens using at least one social platform: 92% (920 people)
• All residents 13+ who use social media: ~8,800

Most-used platforms (adults, share of adult residents)

• YouTube: 82%
• Facebook: 70%
• Pinterest: 36%
• Instagram: 42%
• TikTok: 30%
• Snapchat: 26%
• LinkedIn: 21%
• X (Twitter): 16%
• Reddit: 15%
• Nextdoor: 6%

Age-group breakdown (share within each group)

• Teens (13–17): YouTube 93%; Snapchat 63%; TikTok 62%; Instagram 60%; Facebook 30%
• 18–29: YouTube 94%; Instagram 75%; Snapchat 69%; TikTok 63%; Facebook 58%; Reddit 25%; X 23%
• 30–49: Facebook 74%; YouTube 90%; Instagram 48%; TikTok 38%; Pinterest 42%; Snapchat 24%
• 50–64: Facebook 72%; YouTube 82%; Instagram 28%; TikTok 18%; Pinterest 35%
• 65+: Facebook 51%; YouTube 50%; Instagram 15%; TikTok 9%; Pinterest 20%

Gender breakdown (adults)

• Women: Facebook 74%; Pinterest 50%; Instagram 45%; TikTok 33%; Snapchat 29%; YouTube 78%
• Men: YouTube 86%; Facebook 66%; Instagram 39%; X 18%; Reddit 20%; LinkedIn 23%

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community backbone: school announcements, local news, high school sports, obituaries, yard sales, and emergency/weather updates run through Pages and Groups. Marketplace is a top channel for vehicles, farm/outdoor equipment, and household goods.
• Video is growing but pragmatic: YouTube is used for DIY, auto repair, hunting/outdoors, homesteading, and product reviews. TikTok and Reels see short how‑tos, local events, and regional travel content tied to state parks and forests.
• Messaging > public posting among youth: Snapchat is the default for teens/young adults; Instagram DMs and Facebook Messenger are widely used for coordination.
• Trust is hyperlocal: posts by known residents, school officials, coaches, and county agencies outperform brand or national media content. Group admins act as gatekeepers.
• Timing: engagement peaks before work (6–8 a.m.) and evenings (7–10 p.m.); weekend midday spikes align with events, games, and shopping.
• Platform gaps: X/Twitter and LinkedIn are niche; professional networking and real-time news conversation are limited compared with metro areas.
• Access constraints shape content: variable mobile/broadband coverage favors concise posts, lower-res video, and text/image updates; creators often cross-post the same content to maximize reach.

Method and sources

• Counts and percentages are county-level estimates derived by applying recent Pew Research Center U.S. platform adoption benchmarks (with rural adjustments) to Vinton County’s age structure from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS/2023 estimates). Figures represent resident reach, not registered accounts.