Jefferson County

Jefferson County, Oregon — key demographics

Population size

• 24,502 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~37
• Under 18: ~26%
• 65 and over: ~16%

Sex

• Female: ~49–50%
• Male: ~50–51%

Race/ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023, share of total population)

• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~24%
• White, non-Hispanic: ~60%
• American Indian and Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~12–15%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~3–6%
• Black, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: <1%

Households and families (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~8,900
• Average household size: ~2.9–3.0
• Family households: ~70–72% of households
• Married-couple families: ~50–52% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~35–38%

Notable insights

• Younger age profile and larger households than Oregon overall
• Higher shares of Hispanic/Latino and American Indian/Alaska Native residents relative to the state

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year: tables DP05, S0101, S1101)

• Scope: Jefferson County, Oregon (pop. ~26,300; density ~14 people/sq. mile—significantly more rural than Oregon’s ~44/sq. mile).

• Estimated email users: ~18,600 residents (≈71% of all residents; ≈90% of adults). Active users include work, school, and personal accounts.

• Age distribution of email users (share; approx. counts):

  • 13–17: 6% (~1.1k)
  • 18–34: 24% (~4.5k)
  • 35–54: 34% (~6.3k)
  • 55–64: 16% (~3.0k)
  • 65+: 20% (~3.7k)

• Gender split among users: 51% female (9.5k), 49% male (9.1k); usage rates are effectively parity by gender.

• Digital access and trends:

  • ~80% of households have a broadband subscription; ~11% have no home internet; ~12% are smartphone‑only.
  • Fixed 100/20 Mbps service is available to roughly the low‑to‑mid‑80% of addresses; cable/fiber concentrated in and around Madras/Metolius, with gaps in outlying rural and tribal areas (e.g., parts of the Warm Springs Reservation).
  • Public access points (libraries, schools, government buildings) and mobile coverage anchor email access for residents without reliable home broadband.
  • Adoption continues to inch upward with ongoing fiber builds and affordability programs, but distance and terrain keep rural pockets below state averages.

Mobile phone usage in Jefferson County, Oregon — summary with county-specific estimates, demographics, and infrastructure, with emphasis on how the county differs from statewide patterns.

Headline estimates

• Residents using a mobile phone: about 22,000–24,000 out of roughly 26,000 residents (point-in-time 2023–2024), reflecting high overall adoption even in rural areas.
• Smartphone users: approximately 19,000–21,000 residents (about 85–90% of adults).
• Households relying on cellular data as their primary/only home internet: approximately 15–18% (vs Oregon ~9–10%).
• Households with no home internet subscription of any kind: about 13–16% (vs Oregon ~7–8%).
• Households with no computer/smartphone: roughly 6–9% (vs Oregon ~4–5%). Interpretation: Jefferson County’s residents are more dependent on mobile connectivity for everyday internet access than the statewide average, with a materially higher share of “cellular-only” homes and a higher share of households offline entirely.

Demographic context and how it shapes mobile use

• Population profile: Small, rural county centered on Madras, Metolius, Culver, and Warm Springs; 2020 Census counted 24,502; 2023–2024 administrative estimates place the county near 26,000.
• Race/ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022 pattern): Non‑Hispanic White ~58–60%; Hispanic/Latino ~24–26%; American Indian/Alaska Native ~15–17% (substantially higher than Oregon overall); small shares Asian, Black, and multiracial.
• Age structure: Younger than Oregon overall. Under‑18 share ≈ 24–26% (Oregon ~21%); 65+ share ≈ 16–18% (Oregon ~19%).
• Income and education: Median household income and bachelor’s attainment below state averages; poverty rates a few points above state norms. Implications for mobile usage:
• Higher mobile dependence: Lower incomes and sparser wired options are associated with more “smartphone‑only” and “cellular‑only” households than the Oregon average.
• Language and access: A larger Spanish‑speaking population and the substantial Warm Springs tribal community increase the importance of mobile plans that are affordable, have broad rural coverage, and support hotspotting for school/work.
• Age skew: A larger youth share boosts smartphone and app-centric usage; seniors’ adoption lags the state average but is rising via caregiver and telehealth use.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (what’s on the ground)

• Networks present: AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon, and UScellular operate in the county. 5G service is established along the US‑97 and US‑26 corridors (Madras, Metolius, Culver) with LTE/5G coverage thinning in canyons and sparsely populated areas (e.g., parts of the Warm Springs Reservation and upland terrain).
• Fixed wireless access (FWA): 5G Home Internet from T‑Mobile and Verizon is marketed in and around Madras/Metolius/Culver, providing a mobile‑network‑based substitute for wired broadband that is gaining subscribers where cable/fiber are limited.
• Backhaul and middle‑mile: Fiber backbones follow the main highway corridors; smaller ISPs and WISPs leverage microwave/CBRS in rural stretches. Outside town centers, last‑mile fiber and cable footprints are limited compared to metro Oregon.
• Public access and resilience: Libraries and schools in Madras and Warm Springs provide public Wi‑Fi and hotspot lending. Wildfire seasons elevate the importance of mobile network hardening and backup power; temporary capacity additions are periodically deployed on major corridors. Infrastructure difference vs state-level: Compared with most Oregon metros, Jefferson County has fewer dense mid‑band 5G sectors and a smaller wired broadband footprint, which accelerates adoption of FWA and cellular‑only home internet.

County-versus-state usage trends that stand out

• Mobile as primary home internet: Significantly higher share of households are cellular‑only, and FWA uptake is above the statewide average for rural counties, narrowing the practical gap between “mobile” and “home” internet in daily use.
• Offline households: A materially larger slice of households remain without any subscription at home, increasing reliance on smartphones plus public Wi‑Fi for essential services.
• Coverage variability: Strong along highways and town centers; more pronounced dead zones in river canyons and sparsely populated reservation lands than typical in Oregon’s urban counties.
• Affordability-driven behavior: Greater use of budget plans, hotspotting, and shared data among multi‑generational and multilingual households compared to the state as a whole.

What the numbers collectively imply

• Jefferson County is a “mobile-first” locality by necessity: mobile networks shoulder a larger share of the county’s everyday connectivity than they do statewide.
• Expanding mid‑band 5G and adding rural fiber or robust fixed wireless backhaul will directly reduce the county’s overrepresentation of cellular‑only and unconnected households.
• Outreach in Spanish and collaboration with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, schools, and libraries materially improves digital inclusion because these groups are disproportionately mobile-dependent.

Jefferson County, OR social media snapshot (modeled to 2024–2025) Note: County-level platform datasets aren’t published. Figures below are best-available modeled estimates that apply Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adoption rates to the county’s ACS-estimated population. They are suitable for planning and benchmarking.

Population baseline

• Total population: ≈26,000
• Adults (18+): ≈20,000
• Teens (13–17): ≈1,700

Overall social media users

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~83% of adults ≈ 16,500
• Teens using at least one social platform: ~95% of teens ≈ 1,600

Most-used platforms (adults), with modeled local reach

• YouTube: ~83% of adults ≈ 16,500 users
• Facebook: ~68% ≈ 13,600
• Instagram: ~47% ≈ 9,400
• TikTok: ~33% ≈ 6,600
• Pinterest: ~35% ≈ 7,000
• Snapchat: ~27% ≈ 5,400
• LinkedIn: ~30% ≈ 6,000
• X (Twitter): ~22% ≈ 4,400
• WhatsApp: ~21% ≈ 4,200
• Reddit: ~22% ≈ 4,400 Note: Rankings reflect U.S. adult adoption; rural counties like Jefferson typically over-index on Facebook and under-index slightly on Instagram/TikTok relative to urban areas.

Age-group breakdown

• Teens (13–17): Extremely video- and messaging-heavy
  • YouTube ~95% ≈ 1,600 users; TikTok ~63% ≈ 1,070; Snapchat ~60% ≈ 1,020; Instagram ~59% ≈ 1,000; Facebook ~20% ≈ 340.
• Adults 18–29: High Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; YouTube near-universal; Facebook used but not primary.
• Adults 30–49: YouTube and Facebook dominate; Instagram strong; TikTok growing for entertainment and local discovery.
• Adults 50–64: Facebook is the hub; YouTube strong; Pinterest meaningful (projects, DIY, recipes).
• 65+: Facebook first; YouTube for how‑to and news.

Gender breakdown (behavioral skews reflected locally)

• Women: More likely to use Facebook and Pinterest; Instagram engagement higher for lifestyle, family, community, and shopping content.
• Men: More likely to use YouTube, Reddit, and X; higher engagement with sports, how‑to, tech, and local civic topics.
• Practical takeaway: Expect stronger female response on Facebook/Pinterest/Instagram and stronger male response on YouTube/Reddit/X; plan creative and placements accordingly.

Behavioral trends in a rural county context

• Facebook as community backbone: High reliance on Facebook Groups, Pages, and Marketplace for local news, events, schools, youth sports, and buy/sell. Organic discussion and word‑of‑mouth drive reach.
• Video-first discovery: Short-form (YouTube Shorts, TikTok, Instagram Reels) is the fastest-growing format for 18–44, used for local businesses, dining, outdoors, and events.
• Messaging matters: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous; WhatsApp adoption is meaningful among bilingual and Latino households—effective for service updates and customer support.
• Trust and locality: Content featuring recognizable people, places, and organizations outperforms generic creative. Clear calls to visit, call, or message drive conversion more than off-platform web clicks.
• Timing: Engagement clusters in evenings (post‑work, 6–10 pm) and weekend mornings; schedule live updates and stories accordingly.
• Content types that perform: Local announcements, safety/weather, youth programs, outdoor recreation, farming/ranching, construction/home improvement, and seasonal events.

Sources and methodology

• Population baseline: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (recent estimates, 2023–2024).
• Platform adoption rates: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (adults) and Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023 (teens).
• County figures are modeled by applying national adoption rates to Jefferson County age cohorts; rural usage skews are incorporated qualitatively based on Pew’s urban–suburban–rural differentials.