Baker County

Key demographics – Baker County, Oregon (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2019–2023 5‑year estimates)

• Population: ~16,600
• Age:
  • Median age: ~48 years
  • Under 18: ~20%
  • 18–64: ~56%
  • 65 and over: ~24%
• Sex:
  • Male: ~51%
  • Female: ~49%
• Race (alone):
  • White: ~92%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: ~2%
  • Black: ~0.5%
  • Asian: ~0.5%
  • Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%
  • Some other race: ~1%
  • Two or more races: ~3%
• Ethnicity:
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~6–7%
• Households:
  • Total households: ~7,300
  • Average household size: ~2.2
  • Family households: ~58%
  • Married-couple households: ~47% of all households
  • Nonfamily households: ~42%
  • Households with children under 18: ~22%
  • 65+ living alone: ~15%

Notes: Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding; Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity and overlaps with race.

Summary for Baker County, Oregon (estimates)

• Population baseline: 16,000 residents; low density (5 people/sq mi across ~3,000 sq mi).
• Estimated email users: 10,000–13,000 residents (about 65–80% of the total population; roughly 75–90% of adults).
• Age distribution (population): 0–17: ~18–22%; 18–34: ~16–20%; 35–64: ~38–42%; 65+: ~24–28% (older than Oregon overall).
• Email by age (usage tendency): 18–34: ~90–95%; 35–64: ~85–92%; 65+: ~70–80%.
• Gender split: Approximately even; no meaningful difference in email adoption by gender.
• Digital access:
  • Household broadband subscription: ~75–82%.
  • Device access (computer or smartphone): ~85–90% of households; ~10–15% are smartphone‑only.
  • Connectivity strongest in Baker City and along the I‑84 corridor; many outlying areas rely on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite, with spotty speeds/latency.
  • Public/library Wi‑Fi and school/anchor institutions help fill gaps.
• Trendline: Gradual improvement from new fixed‑wireless and fiber builds (state rural broadband efforts and federal programs such as BEAD/RDOF), but last‑mile costs and terrain keep some pockets underserved.

Notes: Figures are synthesized from recent ACS-like rural Oregon patterns applied to Baker County’s population; treat as directional estimates.

Here’s a planning-grade snapshot of mobile phone usage in Baker County, Oregon, with emphasis on how it differs from statewide patterns. Figures are estimates based on recent national/state rural tech-adoption research and county demographics; use them as directional, not exact.

Topline user estimates

• Population base: ~16,000 residents; adult share ~82–84%.
• Individual mobile users (any mobile phone): ~12,000–14,000 people.
• Smartphone users: ~10,500–12,000 people (roughly 80–86% of adults; lower than Oregon’s ~90%+).
• Households that are mobile-only (no landline): ~60–65% (below Oregon’s ~70–75%).
• Households using cellular as primary home internet (hotspots or fixed wireless): ~10–15% (above Oregon’s ~5–8%), reflecting limited wired broadband outside Baker City and along I-84.

Demographic breakdown (directional)

• Age
  • 18–34: near-universal smartphone adoption (95%+), similar to state.
  • 35–64: high adoption (88–92%), a bit below state.
  • 65+: 65–75% with smartphones, notably below Oregon’s ~80%+; more basic/feature phone retention.
• Income/plan type
  • Higher reliance on prepaid/MVNO plans (e.g., Straight Talk, Cricket, Boost, Visible) versus postpaid; data caps and hotspot limits shape usage.
  • Longer device replacement cycles (often 3–5 years vs. 2–3 in metro Oregon).
• Race/ethnicity
  • County is predominantly White non-Hispanic; Hispanic households form most of the minority mobile market. Small sample sizes make fine-grained comparisons noisy, but mobile-only reliance tends to be similar or slightly higher in Hispanic households, mirroring state and national patterns.
• Work and lifestyle
  • Agriculture, forestry, trucking, and outdoor recreation drive heavy use of voice, text, and basic mapping where data is patchy; push-to-talk apps and Wi‑Fi calling are common workarounds.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Coverage pattern
  • Strongest, most consistent service along I‑84 and in Baker City; service attenuates in canyons, forested areas, and sparsely populated valleys (e.g., toward Hells Canyon and the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest).
• Networks/carriers
  • Verizon and AT&T are the most consistently usable across the county; T‑Mobile coverage is improving along the interstate and in town but remains spottier off-corridor than in western Oregon metros.
  • FirstNet (AT&T) presence supports public safety; performance still depends on site locations and power resilience.
• 5G availability
  • Predominantly low‑band 5G in and around Baker City and the I‑84 corridor; mid‑band 5G is limited, and mmWave is effectively absent. Many outlying areas remain LTE-only.
• Capacity and resilience
  • Sparse tower density; co-located sites on ridgelines and transport corridors. Backup power varies; wildfire smoke, power shutoffs, and winter storms can degrade site uptime and backhaul.
  • Seasonal surges (tourism to Hells Canyon, through-traffic on I‑84) can strain capacity at a small number of macro sites.
• Device/network behavior
  • Wi‑Fi calling is key indoors. Users often keep LTE preferred due to more consistent coverage versus spotty 5G in fringe areas.

How Baker County trends differ from Oregon overall

• Adoption: Lower adult smartphone penetration and more basic phone retention among seniors.
• Access: Greater reliance on cellular service for home internet where wired options are slow or unavailable; at the same time, slightly more households retain a landline than in metro counties.
• Carriers: Verizon/AT&T dominance is more pronounced; T‑Mobile’s share and mid‑band 5G footprint lag metro Oregon.
• Performance: More LTE-only zones, fewer mid‑band 5G sites, and wider dead zones caused by terrain; average speeds and consistency trail state urban averages.
• Spending and plans: Higher prepaid/MVNO usage and tighter data budgets; longer device lifecycles.
• Seasonality/resilience: Larger seasonal swings (tourism, wildfire season) and greater sensitivity to power/backhaul disruptions.

Estimation notes and data caveats

• Population baseline from recent ACS/Census estimates for Baker County; adoption rates benchmarked to Pew Research and rural-state differentials, then adjusted downward for the county’s older age mix and income profile.
• Coverage and network characterizations reflect typical rural Eastern Oregon patterns and carrier public footprints; exact tower counts, speeds, and 5G bands vary by micro‑location.
• For precise planning, validate with the latest FCC coverage maps, carrier field engineering data, and independent drive tests (Ookla/RootMetrics/OpenSignal) in Baker City, Richland/Halfway, Sumpter, Durkee, Huntington, and along OR‑86 and I‑84.

Below is a concise, locally tuned snapshot for Baker County, Oregon. Because platform-by-county data aren’t published, figures are modeled from 2023–2024 Pew Research Center platform use, rural-versus-urban deltas, and Baker County’s age mix from the U.S. Census. Treat percentages as directional ranges.

At a glance

• Population: about 16.7k residents; roughly 14.4k are age 13+
• Estimated social media users (13+): 10.5k–11.5k people (≈73–80% of 13+)

Age mix and adoption

• Teens 13–17: very high adoption (≈90–95% use at least one platform). Heavy YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok; Instagram moderate; Facebook low.
• 18–34: high adoption (≈85–92%). YouTube, Instagram, TikTok strong; Snapchat moderate; Facebook still widely used for events/groups.
• 35–54: solid adoption (≈75–85%). Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram moderate; TikTok growing but lower.
• 55+: moderate adoption (≈55–65%). Facebook is primary; YouTube strong for how‑to and news; minimal on TikTok/Snapchat.

Gender breakdown (users, 13+)

• Overall users are roughly balanced: ≈49–51% male / 49–51% female.
• Platform skews: Facebook and Pinterest lean female; YouTube and Reddit lean male; TikTok slightly female‑leaning.

Most‑used platforms in Baker County (share of residents 13+ using each at least monthly; modeled ranges)

• YouTube: 70–78%
• Facebook: 55–65%
• Instagram: 25–35%
• TikTok: 22–30%
• Snapchat: 18–25% (concentrated under 30)
• Pinterest: 20–28% (largely women 25–64)
• X (Twitter): 10–15%
• Reddit: 8–13% (skews male, under 45)
• LinkedIn: 10–15% (mainly working‑age professionals)
• Nextdoor: 8–12% (coverage pockets around Baker City/neighborhoods)
• WhatsApp: 5–10% (niche, family/immigrant ties)

Behavioral trends specific to a rural, older‑tilting county

• Facebook is the local hub: community groups, school/sports updates, county/city alerts, wildfire/road conditions, buy‑sell‑trade, and events. Marketplace is heavily used.
• YouTube is “how‑to” central: home/auto repair, agriculture/outdoors (hunting, fishing, snow reports), equipment reviews, and long‑form local meeting replays.
• Younger residents split time across Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat; short‑form video drives discovery, but Facebook still used for coordination.
• Trust flows through known local pages: county/city governments, sheriff’s office, ODOT regional, school district, chambers, and event organizers.
• Peak activity windows: early morning (before work/school) and evenings; weekend spikes around local sports, fairs, and seasonal outdoor activities.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger dominates; SMS remains common; WhatsApp is niche; Discord pockets among teens/gamers.
• Content that performs: local faces and places, timely service info (closures, weather), practical tips, and photo/video from community events; hard-sell ads underperform unless hyper‑local and timely.

Method and sources

• Modeled from Pew Research Center Social Media Use (2023–2024), U.S. Census/ACS for Baker County age structure, and rural adoption differentials seen in Pew/NTIA internet use surveys. Ranges reflect rural broadband access and the county’s older median age.