Wayne County

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

Population size

• Total population: ~117,000 (2023 estimate; 2020 Census: 116,894)

Age

• Median age: ~39.9 years
• Age distribution: 0–17: 23.1%; 18–24: 9.1%; 25–44: 24.9%; 45–64: 25.7%; 65+: 17.2%

Gender

• Female: 50.3%
• Male: 49.7%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone: 92.0%
• Black or African American alone: 2.2%
• Asian alone: 1.1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: 0.2%
• Some other race: 0.9%
• Two or more races: 3.6%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 4.2% [Note: overlaps with race categories]

Households and housing (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~44,700
• Average household size: 2.63
• Family households: ~70% of households
  • Married-couple families: ~52% of all households
• Households with own children under 18: ~28%
• Nonfamily households: ~30%; living alone: ~25%; age 65+ living alone: ~11%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~74%
• Average family size: ~3.1

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey (5-year estimates); 2023 Population Estimates Program. Figures rounded for clarity.

Wayne County, OH overview (2024):

• Population: ≈117,000; density ≈210 people/sq mi across ~555 sq mi.
• Email users: ≈88,000 residents (≈75% of total; ≈94% of connected adults use email).
• Gender split among email users: ≈50.6% female, 49.4% male (mirrors county demographics).

Age distribution of email users (share of users; counts rounded):

• 13–17: ≈6% (≈5.5k)
• 18–34: ≈25% (≈22k)
• 35–54: ≈32% (≈28k)
• 55–64: ≈16% (≈14k)
• 65+: ≈21% (≈18k)

Digital access and connectivity:

• Households with a broadband subscription: ≈85%; households with no home internet: ≈9–10%.
• Households with a computer (any type): ≈90%+; smartphone-only internet access: ≈6–8%.
• Connectivity is strongest in and around Wooster; rural townships and Amish communities show lower fixed-broadband adoption, contributing to more smartphone-only reliance.
• Trend: steady gains in broadband subscriptions and fiber/5G build‑outs, but a persistent urban–rural gap in fixed broadband availability and adoption remains.

Insights:

• Email penetration is effectively universal among connected adults, with usage differences driven more by access constraints than by gender.
• Older adults (65+) represent a substantial one-fifth of email users, reflecting improving adoption in that cohort.

Wayne County, Ohio: Mobile phone usage snapshot (distinct from statewide patterns)

Key user estimates

• Adults using any mobile phone: ~85,000 out of ~90,000 adults (≈95% adult mobile penetration; aligns with national adult cell ownership, adjusted to county age mix).
• Adult smartphone users: ~72,000–76,000 (≈80–84% adult smartphone penetration; slightly below Ohio’s ≈85–88% due to older age mix, lower incomes in rural tracts, and a sizable Plain/Amish population that under-adopts smartphones).
• Households (ACS 2018–2022 baseline ≈44,500):
  • With a smartphone: ≈85–88% (≈38,000–39,000 households), a few points lower than Ohio (≈90–92%).
  • With a cellular data plan (for a smartphone/other mobile device): ≈82–85%, vs Ohio ≈86–89%.
  • With home broadband (cable/DSL/fiber): ≈78–82%, vs Ohio ≈83–86%.
  • No internet subscription at home: ≈15–18%, vs Ohio ≈11–14%.
  • Cellular-only internet (households relying on a mobile plan without fixed broadband): ≈9–12%, vs Ohio ≈7–10%.

Demographic breakdown (drivers of variance vs Ohio)

• Age: Wayne County skews slightly older and has a higher share of seniors than large urban Ohio counties, depressing smartphone adoption and especially home broadband take-up among 65+.
• Income and education: Lower median household income and bachelor’s attainment than Ohio’s metropolitan average correlate with:
  • More cellular-only households (price-sensitive substitution for fixed broadband).
  • Lower upgrade rates to 5G-capable devices among low-income users.
• Rural and Plain (Amish/Mennonite) communities: An estimated near-10% Plain population significantly reduces smartphone and home-internet adoption relative to the state; where devices are present, basic/feature phones remain more common than in metro Ohio.
• Family composition: Larger households in rural/Plain areas raise the number of people per connected household, which can mask per-capita device gaps when looking only at household-level indicators.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage
  • 4G LTE: Near-universal outdoor coverage from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon across populated areas; indoor coverage still varies in the hilliest/eastern townships and wooded valleys.
  • 5G: Broad low-band (“extended range”) coverage countywide, but mid-band 5G (higher capacity, faster) is concentrated in Wooster, Orrville, and along major corridors (US-30, OH-3/83/585). Mid-band 5G footprint is smaller than in Ohio’s metro counties, which limits peak and median speeds.
• Capacity and speeds
  • Median mobile download speeds in Wayne County trail the Ohio statewide median, reflecting less mid-band 5G density and more LTE fallbacks in rural sectors. Urbanized tracts (Wooster/Orrville) see 5G mid-band typical downlink >150 Mbps; rural tracts often operate on LTE/low-band 5G with typical 10–50 Mbps.
  • Peak speeds where mid-band is present are competitive with statewide results, but consistency (especially uplink and indoor penetration) lags outside town centers.
• Fixed wireless and residential substitution
  • 5G Home/Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) from T‑Mobile is available in much of the county; Verizon/AT&T FWA is present in pockets. Uptake is higher than in metro Ohio due to price, availability of spectrum, and cable DSL/fiber gaps—contributing to the county’s higher cellular-only share.
• Wireline backbones
  • Cable plant covers cities and villages; DSL persists in rural townships; fiber-to-the-home remains limited outside select pockets. Compared to Ohio’s suburbs/exurbs, Wayne has fewer fiber passings per household, pushing more users to rely on mobile data.
• Reliability and gaps
  • Terrain-induced dead zones and fewer macro sites per square mile than metro counties contribute to variable signal strength in eastern and southeastern townships. School, farm, and small-manufacturing clusters report time-of-day congestion during peak shifts and events.

Trends uniquely different from the Ohio statewide picture

• Lower smartphone and home-broadband adoption, with a distinctly higher cellular-only segment, driven by rurality and Plain communities—this pattern is more pronounced than in the state aggregate.
• 5G mid-band availability is spottier than in metro Ohio; performance gains are concentrated in Wooster/Orrville, yielding a larger intra-county performance gap than typical in urban counties.
• Faster uptake of mobile-first home internet (FWA) relative to fiber, reflecting pragmatic substitution where cable/FTTH aren’t accessible or affordable—this runs above the statewide average reliance on wireline broadband.
• A wider urban-rural divide in indoor coverage quality and upload speeds than at the state level, with topography playing a larger role in Wayne than in Ohio’s flatter metro markets.

Sources and methodology

• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022, Table S2801 (Household Internet and device access) for household-level smartphone, cellular data, broadband, and no-subscription shares; county values compared to Ohio statewide.
• FCC National Broadband Map (2024) and FCC mobile coverage filings for 4G/5G availability by technology and carrier.
• Pew Research Center (2023) smartphone adoption by age group, applied to county age structure to derive adult user estimates.
• Demographic context from ACS and the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies for the Plain community share.

Social media usage in Wayne County, Ohio (2025 snapshot)

• Population baseline

  • Total population: 116,894 (U.S. Census, 2020).
  • Estimated adult social media users: ~73,000 (assumes ~81% of adults use at least one platform, consistent with Pew Research Center national adult adoption).

• Most-used platforms (share of U.S. adults who use each; Wayne County’s mix closely tracks these with a slightly older/rural tilt)

  • YouTube: 83%
  • Facebook: 68%
  • Instagram: 47%
  • Pinterest: 35%
  • TikTok: 33%
  • Snapchat: 30%
  • LinkedIn: 30%
  • WhatsApp: 29%
  • X (Twitter): 22%
  • Reddit: 22%
  • Nextdoor: ~20% Notes: In rural Ohio, Facebook use tends to be somewhat higher and TikTok/Instagram modestly lower among 35+ than big-city areas, while YouTube remains universally strong.

• Age patterns (any social media; U.S. adult benchmarks that reflect local behavior)

  • 18–29: 90%+; heavy Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; YouTube near-universal.
  • 30–49: ~80%+; Facebook and Instagram anchor; YouTube high; Messenger central for coordination.
  • 50–64: ~70%; Facebook dominates; YouTube strong; Pinterest notable among women.
  • 65+: ~40%; primarily Facebook and YouTube; basic messaging.

• Gender breakdown

  • Overall usage is near parity (men ≈ women).
  • Women skew higher on Facebook and Pinterest; men skew higher on YouTube and Reddit. Instagram leans female among under‑35s; Snapchat leans younger across genders.

• Behavioral trends specific to Wayne County

  • Facebook Groups and Marketplace are central for community commerce (farm equipment, vehicles, home goods), local services, and volunteer/charity coordination.
  • Strong spikes around local institutions and events: Wayne County Fair, school sports, churches, 4‑H/FFA, municipal updates, road closures, and weather alerts.
  • Short‑form video growth: Reels/TikTok drive discovery for restaurants, shops, and events in Wooster/Orrville; cross‑posting to Facebook broadens reach.
  • YouTube is a go‑to for how‑to in trades, home/auto repair, and small/ hobby farming; creators benefit from locally tagged content.
  • Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the default for community interactions; Snapchat is prevalent among teens/young adults; WhatsApp is niche but present.
  • Time‑of‑day peaks: early morning (6–8 a.m.), lunch (11 a.m.–1 p.m.), evening (7–10 p.m.); weekends show elevated Marketplace and event engagement.
  • Platform mix skews slightly older than urban Ohio, with heavier Facebook reliance and somewhat slower TikTok uptake among 35+.
  • Amish and conservative Anabaptist communities lower countywide digital penetration and favor offline networks, shaping outreach strategies.

• Practical takeaways

  • To reach countywide audiences quickly: prioritize Facebook + YouTube; add Instagram/Reels for under‑35s and event discovery, and TikTok for campus/younger segments.
  • Invest in Facebook Groups/Marketplace presence and short‑form video; pair with localized visuals (schools, fairgrounds, farms) and timely posts for shares.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020) for population; Pew Research Center (2024) for U.S. adult platform usage and adoption rates. Where county‑level platform splits are not published, local estimates are inferred from rural Ohio patterns and national benchmarks.