Columbia County

Columbia County, Oregon — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau)

Population size

• 2020 Decennial Census: 52,589
• ACS 2018–2022 5-year estimate: ~53–54K

Age (ACS 2018–2022)

• Median age: ~42 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender (ACS 2018–2022)

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: ~90%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~6–7%
• Two or more races: ~5–6%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~1–2%
• Asian alone: ~1–1.5%
• Black or African American alone: ~0.5–0.7%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.3–0.4%
• White alone, not Hispanic: ~85%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~20.2–20.4K
• Average persons per household: ~2.55
• Family households: ~67% of households
• Married-couple households: ~52–54% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• One-person households: ~23%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (PL 94-171) and American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates (tables DP05, S0101, S1101).

Columbia County, OR email usage (estimates):

• Users: 35,000–39,000 adult email users (about 65–75% of total population), derived from ~54,000 residents, ~42,000 adults, ~90–92% internet adoption (ACS-like) and ~92–95% email use among internet users (Pew).
• Age: Email adoption is highest for 18–49 (95%+), strong for 50–64 (90%), lower for 65+ (~75–85%). Given the county’s older-leaning profile (median age low 40s), the user base skews 30–64.
• Gender: Roughly 50/50; differences are minimal (<2–3%).
• Digital access trends: Most households have broadband; fiber/cable are strongest along the US‑30 corridor (St. Helens–Scappoose). Rural hills/Coast Range edges rely more on mobile or fixed wireless; “smartphone‑only” internet users likely in the mid‑teens percent. Public libraries and schools provide important Wi‑Fi/PC access.
• Density/connectivity facts: 54k people across ~650–700 sq mi (75–85/sq mi). Best connectivity in towns along the Columbia River and main corridors; patchier service in forested west/south areas. 4G/5G coverage is good along highways, weaker in valleys and heavy canopy.

Overall: Email remains near‑universal among connected adults, with growth tied to ongoing fiber and 5G build‑outs and gradual declines in legacy DSL.

Columbia County, OR mobile phone usage snapshot (focus on what diverges from state-level)

Baseline

• Context: A mostly rural/suburban county northwest of Portland anchored by St. Helens, Scappoose, Rainier, Clatskanie, and Vernonia. Population roughly 54,000 (2024 est.), with residents concentrated along the US‑30 river corridor and fewer, more dispersed households in the forested Coast Range to the west.

User estimates (2025, reasoned estimates)

• Adult mobile phone owners: 38,000–40,000 (about 92–94% of ~42k adults). Slightly below Oregon’s overall ownership rate due to older/rural mix.
• Adult smartphone users: 34,500–36,000 (about 82–85% of adults), a few points lower than Oregon statewide.
• Teens (13–17) with smartphones: ~2,900–3,100 (90–95% of ~3.2k teens).
• Total smartphone users (adults + teens): ~37,000–39,000.
• Smartphone‑only internet users: higher share than statewide, estimated 16–22% of households vs roughly low‑to‑mid teens statewide, reflecting patchier home broadband in outlying areas and more budget‑conscious plans.

Demographic factors that shape usage (and how they differ from Oregon)

• Older age structure: Columbia County skews a bit older than the Oregon median, which modestly reduces smartphone adoption and increases voice/SMS‑first usage compared with the state.
• Education and income: Lower BA attainment and slightly lower median household income than the state contribute to:
  • Higher reliance on prepaid plans and budget MVNOs.
  • More smartphone‑only households where fixed broadband is expensive or unavailable.
• Commuter patterns: A large share of workers commute toward the Portland metro via US‑30. That creates:
  • Daytime device presence and data demand that shifts out of the county on weekdays.
  • Heavy peak‑hour loading along US‑30 relative to local streets—more pronounced than in non‑commuter rural Oregon counties.
• Race/ethnicity: The county is less diverse than the state overall; targeted language access and culturally specific digital outreach are needed, but at smaller scale than in metro Oregon.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (local realities vs statewide)

• Where service is strong:
  • US‑30 corridor (Scappoose–St. Helens–Columbia City–Rainier–Clatskanie): generally solid LTE and broad 5G coverage, with mid‑band 5G present in town centers. This corridor anchors most capacity investments.
• Where service is weaker:
  • OR‑47/Nehalem Valley and forested hills west of the river corridor (e.g., around Vernonia and outlying communities such as Mist/Birkenfeld): more frequent dead zones, terrain shadowing, and handoff gaps. This rural “donut” of weaker coverage is more extensive than in many Oregon counties with flatter topography.
• Backhaul and redundancy:
  • Fiber backbones track the river/highway corridor; lateral routes into the hills are sparser. Compared to statewide urban corridors (I‑5), there are fewer redundant fiber paths, so single points of failure can cause wider outages.
• Power resilience:
  • Winter storms and wildfire-season events can interrupt service; some tower sites have limited backup power. Network resilience is generally lower than in Oregon’s urban counties.
• Home internet interplay:
  • Cable internet (e.g., along US‑30) supports robust Wi‑Fi offload in towns; outlying areas rely more on DSL, fixed wireless (T‑Mobile/Verizon 5G Home where available), or satellite. Starlink adoption is notable in the hills. This mixed landscape pushes a higher share of smartphone‑only households than the state average.

Carrier dynamics (tendencies)

• Verizon and AT&T retain strong rural coverage reputations, especially off the river corridor; T‑Mobile has expanded mid‑band 5G and is competitive along US‑30. Compared with Oregon’s urban centers where T‑Mobile often leads on 5G breadth, Columbia County’s off‑corridor areas still favor carriers with legacy rural footprints.

Behavioral patterns observed/expected

• Heavier peak usage on commute corridors and at riverfront towns, with weekend spikes tied to outdoor recreation. Off‑peak and off‑corridor usage lags the state average due to patchy signal and fewer public Wi‑Fi nodes.
• More price‑sensitive plan selection and MVNO use than statewide, consistent with income/education mix and variable fixed-broadband availability.

What’s notably different from Oregon overall

• Slightly lower smartphone adoption but higher smartphone‑only reliance.
• Capacity and 5G buildouts are concentrated along a single transportation corridor (US‑30) rather than more uniform metro‑style grids.
• Greater terrain‑driven coverage gaps and fewer redundant fiber routes, making outages more impactful.
• Carrier choice skews toward historically strong rural networks off‑corridor; statewide, urban users see more balanced competition.

Notes on method and sources to validate

• Estimates synthesize: county population from recent ACS/Census trends; Pew Research on smartphone ownership by rural/suburban demographics; FCC/National Broadband Map patterns; and carrier public coverage maps. For planning, verify with:
  • Oregon Broadband Office maps and local ISP build plans
  • FCC National Broadband Map and cell-site filings
  • Carrier coverage maps and crowd‑sourced apps (e.g., CellMapper, OpenSignal)
  • County emergency management for backup power/resiliency specifics

Columbia County, OR — social media snapshot (modeled 2025)

Important note: Direct county-level social media datasets aren’t publicly reported. Figures below are modeled from U.S. Census Bureau population estimates, Oregon/rural U.S. usage patterns (Pew Research Center, DataReportal), and platform ad-planning tools. Treat as directional ranges, not exact counts.

Quick user stats

• Population: ~53–54k
• Estimated social media users: 37–42k (≈69–78% of total population; ≈80–88% of internet users)
• Household internet access is slightly below Oregon’s metro average; mobile-only access is relatively common in outlying areas.

Age mix of social media users (est.)

• 13–17: 7–9%
• 18–29: 18–22%
• 30–49: 34–38%
• 50–64: 22–25%
• 65+: 10–12% Skews slightly older than statewide averages; families with school-age kids and commuters to the Portland metro are prominent cohorts.

Gender identity (est. share of social users)

• Women: 51–53%
• Men: 46–48%
• Nonbinary/other: 1–2% Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on Reddit and X.

Most-used platforms in the county (share of social users using monthly; est.)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 60–70% (dominant for local news, groups, buy/sell)
• Instagram: 40–50%
• TikTok: 30–40% (strong under 35)
• Pinterest: 25–35% (home, crafts, recipes; female skew)
• Snapchat: 20–30% (teens/young adults)
• LinkedIn: 12–18% (commuters, healthcare, manufacturing, education)
• Reddit: 12–18% (DIY, outdoors, tech)
• X (Twitter): 10–15%
• Nextdoor: 8–12% (higher in St. Helens/Scappoose neighborhoods)

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the local hub: community groups, school athletics, youth sports, church/community events, wildfire/road/ODOT updates, and Marketplace see high engagement.
• Video first: short vertical video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) outperforms photos; live streams for town halls, school board, and sports get spikes.
• Hyperlocal trust: posts from known local pages/people outperform national outlets; practical updates (weather, closures, lost/found, fundraisers) drive comments and shares.
• Seasonal spikes: winter storms and wildfire season; spring sports; county fair and summer festivals; holiday markets.
• Shopping behavior: Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell groups are highly active; couponing and “shop-local” posts perform well.
• Outdoors/DIY content travels: hunting/fishing, camping, off-road, home projects, and small acreage “how-to” content over-index.
• Timing: engagement tends to peak 6–9 pm on weekdays, and mid-morning weekends; school-year schedules influence parent activity patterns.

Sources informing estimates: U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2023), Pew Research Center Social Media Use (2023–2024), DataReportal Digital 2024 (U.S.), and platform ad-planning tools (Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, LinkedIn).