Clatsop County

Clatsop County, Oregon — key demographics (latest available ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates unless noted)

• Population: ~41,500 (2023 estimate). 2020 Census: 41,072.
• Age:
  • Median age: ~44
  • Under 18: ~19%
  • 18–64: ~58%
  • 65 and over: ~23%
• Gender:
  • Female: ~49–50%
  • Male: ~50–51%
• Race/ethnicity:
  • White alone, not Hispanic: ~81%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~10–11%
  • Two or more races: ~7–8%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~2–3%
  • Asian alone: ~1–2%
  • Black or African American alone: ~0.5–1%
  • Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander alone: <1%
• Households:
  • Total households: ~18,000
  • Average household size: ~2.3
  • Family households: ~55–57% of households
  • Households with children under 18: ~24–26%
  • One-person households: ~30–33%

Clatsop County, OR snapshot (2024 est.):

• Population and density: ~41,000 residents; ~50 people per square mile. Most residents live along the Astoria–Seaside–Warrenton coastal/river corridor.
• Estimated email users: 29,000–33,000 residents. Method: apply typical U.S./Oregon adult email adoption (88–92%) to Clatsop’s adult population plus some teens who use school accounts (Pew/ACS-based rates).
• Age pattern:
  • 18–34: very high email use (~95%+).
  • 35–64: near-universal (~90–95%).
  • 65+: slightly lower but majority use email (~75–85%).
• Gender split: Essentially even; no meaningful male/female gap in email adoption.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Household broadband subscription likely mid-to-high 80s percentile, a bit below Oregon’s metro rates but higher in towns (Astoria, Seaside); lower in rural/south-county pockets.
  • Mobile coverage (4G/5G) is strongest along US‑101 and OR‑30; interior forested areas see more gaps. Smartphone‑only internet access is notable among lower‑income renters.
  • Continued upgrades (fiber/cable) in population centers; libraries and schools provide important public Wi‑Fi.
  • Remote work/telehealth and school platforms sustain regular email use across adults.

Notes: Figures are estimates extrapolating national/state adoption and ACS connectivity patterns to Clatsop’s demographics.

Below is a planning-grade summary built from 2023–2024 public datasets (ACS, FCC), Pew Research benchmarks, and carrier coverage disclosures, translated into county-level estimates. Figures are ranges to reflect data lags and uncertainty.

Headline takeaways

• Clatsop County’s smartphone adoption is a bit lower than Oregon’s overall, largely due to an older population and patchier rural coverage, but mobile reliance is higher among lower-income and seasonal workers.
• Cellular-only home internet is notably more common than the state average, and summer tourism drives sharp, recurring congestion spikes along the US‑101 corridor.
• 5G is present in the coastal towns, but mid-band 5G coverage is less contiguous than in the Willamette Valley metros; inland forested areas still have material gaps.

User estimates (people and lines)

• Population baseline: ~41,000 residents; ~33,000 adults (18+).
• Adult smartphone users: ~28,000–31,000 (≈82–88% of adults). Oregon statewide is typically 2–4 points higher.
• All mobile lines (phones + watches/tablets/hotspots): ~45,000–55,000 active SIMs (≈1.1–1.3 lines per resident), inflated seasonally by visitors and second-home users.
• Cellular-only home internet: ~9–12% of households rely primarily on a cellular data plan (vs ~6–8% statewide).

Demographic breakdown (how Clatsop differs from Oregon)

• Age
  • 18–34: very high smartphone adoption (~93–96%), similar to state.
  • 35–64: high adoption (~88–92%), 1–2 points below state.
  • 65+: noticeably lower (70–75%) than Oregon overall (78–82%); this cohort drives most of the county’s adoption gap.
• Income and plan type
  • Lower-income households are more likely to be mobile-first: higher use of prepaid plans and cellular-only home internet than the Oregon average.
  • Estimated prepaid share: ~28–32% of phone lines (vs ~22–26% statewide).
• Race/ethnicity and language
  • Hispanic/Latino residents are somewhat more mobile-dependent (smartphone + hotspot) than white, non-Hispanic residents, consistent with statewide patterns; Clatsop’s Hispanic share is lower than the state average, but within-group mobile-first reliance is relatively high due to seasonal work and housing churn.
• Geography within the county
  • Astoria, Warrenton, Seaside, Cannon Beach, and the US‑101 spine: strongest 4G/5G and highest data consumption.
  • East County and parklands (e.g., Hwy 202/103 corridors, mountainous/forested areas): more dead zones and voice/data reliability issues.

Behavioral and seasonal patterns

• Tourism and events produce large, predictable peaks (summer weekends, holidays), often doubling daytime populations in Seaside/Cannon Beach and straining sector capacity, especially uplink and hotspot use.
• A sizable subset of second homes and short-term rentals rely on mobile hotspots instead of fixed broadband, lifting cellular-only traffic above state norms.
• Shift workers in hospitality/retail/fishing log more off-peak mobile use; text and messaging apps dominate in areas with marginal coverage.

Digital infrastructure points

• Carriers and coverage
  • All three national MNOs serve the county. Verizon and T‑Mobile generally lead coverage along the coast; AT&T coverage is solid on highways and improved for public safety via FirstNet Band 14.
  • 5G status: mid-band 5G is present in the main towns (Astoria/Warrenton/Seaside/Cannon Beach), with low-band 5G and LTE along highways. Contiguity drops in hilly, forested terrain; handoff and indoor penetration can be weak in older buildings.
• Capacity constraints
  • Summer congestion along US‑101 and in waterfront downtowns; carriers occasionally augment with temporary capacity during major events.
  • Uplink and hotspot performance degrade fastest during peaks; C-band/mid-band helps in towns but backhaul and sector density still limit throughput at busy times.
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Primary fiber routes run along US‑101 and OR‑26 toward the Portland metro; additional lateral fiber exists to municipal sites, schools, and some business districts. Microwave backhaul still serves remote sites.
• Known weak zones
  • Forested canyons, state parks, and interior corridors (e.g., portions of Ecola/Saddle Mountain areas; stretches of Hwy 202/103) see intermittent or no service across carriers.
• Public safety and resilience
  • Coastal hazard profile (windstorms, flooding, tsunami risk) makes backup power and quick refuel access at tower sites important; not all rural sites have long-duration generation.
  • Wireless Emergency Alerts and FirstNet adoption are active, but coverage gaps in interior terrain remain a planning concern.

How Clatsop differs most from Oregon statewide

• Slightly lower overall smartphone adoption, concentrated in the 65+ cohort.
• Higher reliance on cellular-only internet and hotspots, driven by second homes, rental stock, and rural gaps in wired options.
• More pronounced seasonal congestion spikes and weekend/daytime swings.
• Less contiguous mid-band 5G; more terrain-driven dead zones than in the Willamette Valley and I‑5 corridor.
• Higher share of prepaid plans and mobile-first behavior among lower-income and seasonal workers.

Notes on methods and uncertainty

• Adoption rates blend ACS device/subscription indicators (household-level), county age structure, and Pew age-specific smartphone benchmarks to produce individual-level estimates.
• Coverage and 5G status reflect FCC maps and carrier disclosures through 2023–2024; exact site inventories and C‑band/mid-band footprints can change quickly.

Clatsop County, OR — social media snapshot (modeled) Note: Direct, platform-by-platform county stats aren’t published. Figures below use U.S. adult usage rates (Pew Research Center, 2024) applied to Clatsop’s population profile (ACS). Treat as directional estimates.

Topline user stats

• Population: ~41K; adults (18+): ~33–35K.
• Adults using at least one social platform: ~24–27K (≈72–78% of adults).

Most-used platforms (estimated share of adults; if Clatsop mirrors U.S. rates)

• YouTube: 83% (27–29K adults)
• Facebook: 68% (22–24K)
• Instagram: 47% (15–17K)
• Pinterest: 35% (11–12K)
• TikTok: 33% (10–12K)
• Snapchat: 30% (10–11K)
• LinkedIn: 30% (10–11K)
• X (Twitter): 22% (7–8K)
• Reddit: 22% (7–8K)
• Nextdoor: not reliably measured nationally; locally active in homeowner-heavy neighborhoods and among 35+.

Age patterns (qualitative, mirroring national trends)

• 18–29: Heavy on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; lots of Stories/Reels, event discovery, and UGC from beaches/trails. Facebook mainly for Groups/Marketplace, less for posting.
• 30–49: Facebook + Instagram are the core; YouTube for how‑to, family, and travel content. Uses Groups for childcare, rentals, and buy/sell.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest for home/décor/recipes; growing but selective TikTok consumption.
• 65+: Facebook for community/news and YouTube for info/entertainment; lower use of short‑form apps but rising for passive viewing.

Gender tendencies (directional)

• Women: Higher on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; strong engagement with community groups, events, décor/food content.
• Men: Higher on YouTube, Reddit, X; tech, sports, outdoors, and news content over-index.

Local behavioral trends to know

• Community-first Facebook: City- and neighborhood-focused Groups (Astoria, Seaside, Warrenton, Cannon Beach, Gearhart) drive local news, lost & found, housing, and marketplace activity.
• Public safety and weather: County/city agencies and media see spikes on Facebook during storms, coastal flooding, closures, razor clam dig openings/closures, and road incidents.
• Tourism seasonality: May–Sept brings higher volumes of Instagram Reels/TikTok and Google/YouTube discovery for lodging, dining, beaches, trails; businesses post deals and live updates.
• Visual storytelling wins: Scenic coast, pets-on-beach, and short-form video outperform static images. UGC and creator collaborations (micro‑influencers in travel/food) perform well.
• Event-driven engagement: Festivals and weekend events (e.g., Astoria-area cultural/heritage events) see strong pre‑event discovery on Instagram and day‑of updates on Facebook.
• Messaging and Groups: Facebook Messenger and Groups are primary for local coordination; WhatsApp is present but secondary.
• Timing: Highest engagement typically evenings (7–10 pm PT) and weekend late mornings; test locally to refine.

Sources/method

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adult platform reach).
• U.S. Census Bureau, ACS county population and age structure (to scale estimates). These are modeled estimates; validate with your own page insights/ad accounts and local platform analytics where possible.