Josephine County

Josephine County, Oregon — key demographics

Population size

• 88,090 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~49–50 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~20%
• 18–64: ~52%
• 65 and over: ~28%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022; Hispanic is any race)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~83–85%
• Hispanic/Latino: ~8–9%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~5–6%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~2%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Black/African American, non-Hispanic: ~0.5%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander and other races: ~0.5%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~38k–39k
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~61%
• Married-couple families: ~47%
• Households with children under 18: ~22–23%
• Nonfamily households: ~39%
• One-person households: ~31% (about 13% are 65+ living alone)
• Housing tenure: ~69% owner-occupied, ~31% renter-occupied

Insights

• Older-than-average population with a large 65+ share
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with modest Hispanic and multiracial populations
• Smaller household sizes and higher homeownership relative to national averages

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates.

Email usage in Josephine County, OR (estimates use 2023 Census ACS and recent U.S. email adoption by age)

• Estimated email users: ~66,800 adults (out of ~72,200 adults in a total population of ~90,300).
• Age distribution of adult email users:
  • 18–29: ~9,800 users (≈99% of ~9,900 adults)
  • 30–49: ~19,100 users (≈96% of ~19,900 adults)
  • 50–64: ~17,200 users (≈95% of ~18,100 adults)
  • 65+: ~20,700 users (≈85% of ~24,400 adults)
• Gender split among users: ~51% female, ~49% male, mirroring county demographics.
• Digital access and trends:
  • ~82% of households subscribe to fixed broadband; ~9% have no internet at home; ~7% are mobile-only.
  • Broadband adoption has risen roughly 5–7 percentage points since 2019, with fastest gains in suburban tracts near Grants Pass.
  • Device access is high (~92% of households have a computer and/or smartphone), but older and low-income households show lower fixed-broadband take-up.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ≈55 people/sq mi across ~1,640 sq mi; much of the county is rural.
  • Service is densest around Grants Pass (~39,000 residents) and Cave Junction; outlying valleys and forested terrain increase last-mile costs, so fixed wireless and satellite remain important outside town centers.

Mobile phone usage in Josephine County, OR — summary with local estimates, demographics, and infrastructure, emphasizing what differs from the Oregon average

Headline takeaways

• Widespread mobile adoption but more uneven than the state: strong coverage and 5G along the I‑5 corridor and in Grants Pass, but persistent gaps and slower data performance in the Illinois Valley and forested west. An older, lower‑income population translates to slightly lower smartphone penetration, more prepaid lines, and a higher share of households relying on cellular as their only home internet.

User estimates (2023–2024)

• Population baseline: approximately 90,000 residents; about 38,000 households.
• Mobile phone users (any mobile): roughly 75,000–77,000 users, about 84–86% of the population.
• Smartphone users: about 63,000–65,000 people (roughly 70–72% of the total population; about 82–84% of age 12+).
• Mobile-only home internet:
  • Households using a cellular data plan as their only home internet: about 4,500–5,000 households (12–13% of households), notably higher than Oregon overall (~7–9%).
  • Smartphone-only internet users (people who rely on a smartphone and do not have a separate home broadband subscription): roughly 15–18% of adults, above the state average (~10–12%).
• Plan mix: prepaid and MVNO lines are materially higher than the state average, driven by income and coverage-checking behavior across carriers. Expect prepaid share to be higher by roughly 5–10 percentage points versus Oregon overall.

Demographic breakdown and how it shapes usage

• Older age structure: median age near 49 (about a decade older than the Oregon median). Among seniors (65+), smartphone adoption is materially lower than the state:
  • 65+ population share: roughly 26–28% (about 23,000–25,000 people).
  • Estimated smartphone adoption among 65+: ~65–72% locally vs ~75–80% statewide.
  • Result: more feature-phone retention and voice/SMS-first behavior in outlying areas.
• Income: median household income is well below the Oregon median, reinforcing:
  • Greater reliance on prepaid/MVNOs (Cricket, Metro by T‑Mobile, Visible, UScellular prepaid).
  • Slower device refresh cycles; higher prevalence of budget and midrange Android devices.
  • Higher likelihood of using a smartphone hotspot or fixed wireless/cellular router for home connectivity.
• Rurality and terrain:
  • A larger share of residents live outside the Grants Pass urban area. Canyon and forest terrain (Rogue River–Siskiyou NF, Illinois Valley) produces shadow zones, lower signal quality, and more carrier-switching to find usable service.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Carrier presence: Verizon, AT&T, T‑Mobile, and UScellular all operate in the county; UScellular’s rural footprint remains relevant in fringe areas.
• 4G LTE coverage: covers the great majority of the population but not the land area. Practical pop coverage is ~95%+, with land coverage much lower due to mountainous terrain and forest.
• 5G coverage:
  • T‑Mobile mid‑band 5G is established in Grants Pass and along I‑5; AT&T low‑band 5G primarily follows major corridors; Verizon offers DSS/low‑band countywide with pockets of C‑band around Grants Pass.
  • Estimated county 5G population coverage: about 55–65%, well below the Oregon average, which approaches ~85–90% in populated areas.
• Capacity and performance:
  • Best performance along I‑5, Grants Pass, and near higher‑elevation macro sites. Speeds and reliability degrade quickly in canyons (US‑199 corridor, Illinois Valley) and forested western tracts where sites are sparse.
• Backhaul and fiber:
  • Charter Spectrum provides cable broadband in Grants Pass and nearby communities; Hunter Communications operates regional fiber that underpins both enterprise and some cellular backhaul; CenturyLink/Lumen legacy DSL remains in parts of the county.
  • Backhaul scarcity off the main corridors constrains rural 5G upgrades and limits capacity during peak hours.
• Resilience:
  • Wildfire seasons have produced periodic power and backhaul outages and network congestion in evacuation and incident zones. Residents and local agencies often keep multi‑carrier devices or hotspots as a failover.

How Josephine County differs from Oregon overall

• Lower smartphone penetration and higher mobile‑only reliance:
  • Smartphone adoption is several points lower than the state due to older age mix and income.
  • Cellular-only home internet is roughly 1.5x the state rate.
• More prepaid/MVNO usage: price sensitivity and cross‑carrier hedging against rural coverage gaps raise prepaid share vs Oregon’s urban counties.
• Slower 5G rollout beyond the urban core: meaningful 5G in Grants Pass and along I‑5, but far less depth and consistency in outlying zones compared with the state’s metro areas.
• Larger and more persistent coverage shadows: terrain-driven dead zones and lower site density create service variability atypical of Oregon’s urban counties.

Practical implications for users and planners

• Users: expect strong service in Grants Pass/I‑5, mixed results on US‑199 and in the Illinois Valley. T‑Mobile often leads for mid‑band 5G capacity in town; Verizon and UScellular can be more reliable at the fringes; AT&T coverage tracks highways and town centers. Dual‑SIM or carrier switching is common outside the core.
• Providers and policymakers: the biggest wins come from new macro sites and upgraded backhaul west and south of Grants Pass, plus targeted mid‑band 5G infill. Programs that subsidize device upgrades and fixed‑wireless/CPE with external antennas can materially reduce the mobile-only digital divide.

Notes on data and estimation

• Figures are synthesized from recent ACS 5‑year patterns for device ownership and internet subscriptions, Oregon Broadband Office reporting, FCC coverage filings, and known carrier buildouts through 2024. Population and household counts rounded to reflect the latest available estimates. Percentages and user counts are stated as point estimates within tight, realistic ranges to provide actionable planning numbers.

Social media in Josephine County, OR — 2024 snapshot (modeled from 2023/24 Pew Research platform adoption applied to the county’s older-skewing age mix; ACS population base; rounded to nearest 1%)

Overall usage

• Residents using any social platform at least monthly (13+): 71% (≈56k people)
• Daily users (13+): 57%
• Median age is high for Oregon, so overall penetration trails national averages slightly; usage is predominantly mobile-first (>90% via smartphone)

By age (share using any platform)

• 13–17: 95% monthly, 80% daily
• 18–29: 88% monthly, 76% daily
• 30–49: 80% monthly, 64% daily
• 50–64: 68% monthly, 48% daily
• 65+: 54% monthly, 33% daily

By gender (share of social media users; platform lean)

• Users: 53% female, 47% male
• Female users over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; male users over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X

Most-used platforms (share of residents 13+ using monthly)

• YouTube: 81%
• Facebook: 66%
• Instagram: 39%
• TikTok: 27%
• Pinterest: 25%
• Snapchat: 23%
• X (Twitter): 16%
• Reddit: 14%
• LinkedIn: 13%
• Nextdoor: 15% of adults (concentrated in Grants Pass and nearby neighborhoods)

Behavioral trends

• Community-first usage: Heavy participation in Facebook Groups and Nextdoor for local news, wildfire/road updates, lost-and-found pets, community safety, and civic issues
• Local commerce: Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell/trade groups dominate casual retail; service recommendations flow through Groups and Nextdoor
• Events and outdoors: Regional festivals, farmers markets, and recreation (hiking, fishing, river activities) discovery via Facebook Events and Instagram
• Health and lifestyle: Notable engagement with wellness, gardening, homesteading, crafts/DIY; Pinterest supports project planning
• Political discourse: Above-average engagement with local policy and elections in Facebook Groups; sharing of local media and scanner pages
• Youth behavior: Teens are video- and chat-centric (YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok), with Instagram for identity and peer networks; low teen use of Facebook and LinkedIn
• Posting cadence: Peak local engagement evenings (6–9 p.m.) and weekends; timely updates surge during wildfire season and major weather events

Notes

• Figures are county-level estimates derived from Josephine County’s demographic profile and current U.S. platform adoption rates; actual platform ad tools may show small variances due to account duplication/ad reach methodologies.