Curry County

Key demographics – Curry County, Oregon (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

• Population: ~24,000
• Age:
  • Median age: ~56 years
  • Under 18: ~16%
  • 18–64: ~49%
  • 65 and over: ~35%
• Gender: ~50% female, ~50% male
• Race/ethnicity (alone or in combination unless noted; Hispanic is an ethnicity):
  • White (non-Hispanic): ~85–88%
  • Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~7–9%
  • Two or more races: ~5–7%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: ~2–3%
  • Asian: ~1–2%
  • Black/African American: <1%
  • Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: <1%
• Households:
  • Total households: ~11,000
  • Average household size: ~2.1 persons
  • Family households: ~60% of households (nonfamily ~40%)
  • Average family size: ~2.6 persons

Notes: Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates.

Curry County, OR (pop. ≈24,000; density ≈14/sq mi) is older and rural-coastal, shaping email adoption.

Estimated email users

• Adults (≈86% of pop.): ~20,600
• Applying typical U.S. adult email adoption (≈88–92%, lower among seniors): ≈18,000–19,000 adult users; including teens raises total to ≈19,000–20,000.

Age distribution of users (est.)

• 18–34: ~15–18% of users
• 35–64: ~50–55% of users
• 65+: ~28–32% of users Note: Large retiree share means a higher fraction of older email users than state average.

Gender split

• Population is roughly 51% female / 49% male; email usage is similar by gender, so users mirror this split.

Digital access and trends

• Household broadband subscription roughly in the 75–80% range; 20–25% rely on cellular-only or have no subscription.
• Best fixed broadband in towns (Brookings, Gold Beach, Port Orford); inland areas depend on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite.
• Mobile coverage strongest along US‑101; gaps persist in inland valleys and forested terrain.
• Increasing smartphone-only access, especially among lower-income and some senior households.
• Public libraries and community sites provide key Wi‑Fi/PC access in each coastal town.

Below is a county-level snapshot built from public demographic patterns (ACS), rural Oregon infrastructure norms (FCC maps/carrier disclosures), and reasonable assumptions for a small, older, coastal county. Figures are estimates; ranges signal uncertainty and local variation between Brookings/Gold Beach/Port Orford and inland areas (e.g., Agness).

Mobile user estimates (Curry County)

• Population base: 23,000 residents; ~82–85% adults (18,500–19,500).
• Adults with any mobile phone: 88–92% → ~16,300–17,900 users. Including teens with phones, total users across all ages likely ~18,000–19,500.
• Adults with smartphones: 72–80% → ~13,500–15,500 users.
• Mobile-only internet households (no wired home broadband; rely on smartphone/hotspot): roughly 18–22% of households, above Oregon’s ~12–15%.

Demographic usage profile (how Curry differs from Oregon overall)

• Age-driven gap: Curry has one of Oregon’s oldest populations (median age ~mid‑50s vs Oregon ~40). Smartphone adoption among 65+ is notably lower (roughly 55–65% in Curry vs ~70%+ statewide), pulling down the county average.
• Younger adults (18–34): near-universal smartphone use (≈95%), on par with Oregon.
• Middle ages (35–64): modest gap (≈80–88% in Curry vs ≈88–92% statewide).
• Income/education: Lower median income and lower bachelor’s-attainment correlate with slightly higher basic/feature‑phone retention and a higher share of prepaid plans than the state average.
• Race/ethnicity: County is predominantly White and older; the usual statewide pattern—higher smartphone‑only reliance among younger and Hispanic households—is present but smaller here due to small group sizes.

Usage patterns

• Voice and messaging: Heavy reliance on Wi‑Fi calling in fringe‑coverage zones; landline retention higher than state average among seniors.
• Data: In-town users stream and hotspot routinely; inland users often ration data or supplement with satellite. App adoption among seniors skews toward essentials (telehealth portals, messaging, banking) rather than entertainment/social.
• Mobile as primary internet: More common than statewide in areas lacking cable/fiber/modern DSL.

Digital infrastructure (what’s on the ground)

• Coverage geography: Reliable LTE/low‑band 5G along US‑101 through Brookings, Harbor, Gold Beach, and Port Orford; sharp falloff inland (Rogue River canyon, Agness, Pistol River, Lobster Creek). Terrain (coastal mountains, river valleys) creates shadow zones.
• Carriers:
  • Verizon: Historically strongest rural footprint and emergency coverage along 101; DSS low‑band 5G in towns.
  • AT&T: Good in towns; inland gaps; FirstNet improves public‑safety coverage on key corridors.
  • T‑Mobile: Rapid gains via 600 MHz (Band 71) along 101; still patchy inland; mid‑band 5G limited to town centers.
  • U.S. Cellular historically filled rural gaps; ongoing asset transitions to national carriers may change site ownership/roaming in 2025.
• 5G reality: Mostly low‑band with modest capacity; mid‑band pockets in town centers; mmWave absent. In‑town speeds are typically “good enough” for HD streaming; inland can drop to single‑digit Mbps or no signal.
• Backhaul/resilience: Fiber follows 101; many inland sites still depend on microwave. Winter storms, landslides, and wildfire PSPS events can isolate towers; backup power variability leads to longer outages than in metro Oregon.
• Public access: Libraries, schools, and city facilities provide critical Wi‑Fi offload; limited commercial Wi‑Fi outside town cores.

How Curry County trends differ from Oregon overall

• Lower smartphone penetration overall, driven by older age structure and income.
• Higher mobile‑only internet reliance in specific unserved/underserved pockets despite lower senior smartphone adoption.
• Slower, more uneven 5G rollout and fewer mid‑band sites; larger, persistent dead zones away from 101.
• Greater dependence on Verizon/AT&T low‑band coverage and Wi‑Fi calling; T‑Mobile improvements concentrated along 101.
• Higher outage vulnerability and longer restoration times due to terrain, single‑thread backhaul, and storm impacts.

Implications for providers and programs

• Prioritize mid‑band 5G and new sites along river corridors (Rogue/Illinois) and east of 101 to shrink dead zones.
• Expand backup power at coastal and canyon sites; diversify backhaul where feasible.
• Pair device adoption with digital literacy for seniors; subsidize unlimited plans or fixed‑wireless where fiber/cable unlikely.
• Maintain and publicize community Wi‑Fi hubs and telehealth access points in Gold Beach, Brookings, and Port Orford.

Assumptions and method (for transparency)

• Population and age structure based on recent ACS patterns for Curry (small, older, rural).
• Adoption rates derived from national/state surveys adjusted downward for rural/older populations and upward for mobile‑only in unserved broadband areas.
• Infrastructure characterization synthesized from typical carrier coverage on the south Oregon coast and terrain constraints.

Social media usage in Curry County, Oregon (short, best-available estimates)

Snapshot and user base

• Population: ~23–24k; adults ~19–20k
• Internet access: roughly 80–85% of households have internet service (mix of fixed broadband and mobile-only)
• Estimated social media users: ~13k–16k adults (about 65–80% of adults)

Age and gender profile of users (est.)

• Age mix of social users: 65+ (30–35%), 50–64 (25–30%), 30–49 (20–25%), 18–29 (10–15%), 13–17 (5–8%)
• Gender among social users: ~52% women, ~48% men

Most-used platforms locally (share of adult population; estimates)

• YouTube: 65–75%
• Facebook (incl. Groups/Messenger): 60–70% — highest daily engagement; dominant among 50+
• Instagram: 25–35% — strongest in 18–39
• Pinterest: 25–35% — skews female, 30–64
• TikTok: 20–30% overall; majority of 18–29 use it
• Snapchat: 15–25% overall; concentrated in teens/20s
• Nextdoor: 15–25% (clustered in Brookings, Gold Beach, Port Orford neighborhoods)
• X (Twitter): 10–18%
• Reddit: 10–18% (skews male, 18–34)
• WhatsApp: 8–12% (lower due to smaller immigrant population; Messenger more common)

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first usage: Facebook Groups and Nextdoor for local news, weather, wildfire/road closure updates, lost-and-found, and civic issues; strong sharing during fire season and storms
• Marketplace culture: Heavy use of Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell/trade groups for tools, vehicles, boats, gear, and rentals
• Events and tourism: Festivals, fishing/boating, farmers markets, and seasonal business promos discovered via Facebook and Instagram; scenic coast/wildlife photo and short-form video posts perform best
• Public-sector presence: Sheriff, fire/EMS, and ODOT updates primarily via Facebook; these posts get high trust and reach
• Content patterns: Older residents favor Facebook text/photo updates; younger residents prefer short vertical video (TikTok/IG Reels/Snap) for entertainment; YouTube used broadly for how‑to, outdoors, and streaming
• Timing: Engagement peaks early morning (6–9 a.m.) and evenings (7–10 p.m.), with weekend spikes; seasonal lift in summer tourism and during emergencies
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger and SMS dominate; WhatsApp niche use in family/friend circles

Notes on methodology

• County-level platform data isn’t published directly; figures are derived from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. social media adoption benchmarks adjusted for Curry County’s older age profile and rural context, plus ACS/Census indicators of population and internet access. Treat as directional ranges, not exact counts.