Morrow County

Morrow County, Oregon — key demographics (latest available)

Population size

• Total population: 12,186 (2020 Census). Recent estimates place the county at roughly 12.6k residents.

Age

• Median age: ~34 years
• Under 18: ~30%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~12%

Gender

• Male: ~52%
• Female: ~48%

Racial/ethnic composition (Hispanic is an ethnicity; categories shown as mutually exclusive by ethnicity)

• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~41%
• Non-Hispanic White: ~52%
• Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native: ~2%
• Non-Hispanic Black: ~1%
• Non-Hispanic Asian: <1%
• Non-Hispanic Two or more/Other: ~3%

Households

• Total households: ~4,100
• Average household size: ~3.0 persons
• Family households: ~75% (average family size ~3.5)
• Tenure: ~63% owner-occupied, ~37% renter-occupied

Key insights

• Younger age profile than Oregon overall, with a larger share of children.
• One of the highest Hispanic/Latino shares in Oregon (~4 in 10 residents).
• Larger households than the state average.

Morrow County, OR email usage (estimates grounded in ACS and Pew benchmarks)

• Estimated users: ~7,900 adult email users (≈65% of total population ~12,200; ≈91% of adults).
• Age distribution of users:
  • 18–34: ~32%
  • 35–54: ~36%
  • 55–64: ~15%
  • 65+: ~18%
• Gender split among users: ~52% male, ~48% female (mirrors local population structure).

Digital access and trends

• Broadband subscription: ~80% of households have an internet subscription (fixed or mobile), with roughly one in eight relying on smartphone‑only access.
• Coverage pattern: Strong fixed broadband and robust LTE/5G along the I‑84 corridor (Boardman/Irrigon); more limited fixed options and lower adoption in southern interior communities (e.g., Heppner area).
• Density and connectivity: ~6 residents per square mile across ~2,000 sq mi; low density raises last‑mile costs, contributing to mobile reliance and pockets of slower service.
• Adoption trend: Email use is near‑universal among connected adults; growth is concentrated among older residents as smartphone ownership rises. Industrial employers around the Port of Morrow bolster work‑related email usage, while rural dispersion sustains a modest digital divide in southern and outlying areas.

Mobile phone usage in Morrow County, Oregon — summary with county-specific estimates, demographics, and infrastructure, emphasizing how patterns differ from statewide norms

Context

• Population base: 12,186 (2020 Census). The county is predominantly rural, with population concentrated along the Columbia River/I‑84 corridor (Boardman, Irrigon) and smaller, more remote communities to the south (Heppner, Lexington, Ione).
• Demographics differ markedly from Oregon overall: a substantially higher Hispanic/Latino share (about 40% vs ~14% statewide) and a younger age profile than the state average. Agriculture, food processing, transportation/logistics, and energy/industrial activity around the Port of Morrow shape connectivity needs.

User estimates (mobile adoption and dependence)

• Estimated smartphone users: 9,000–10,500 residents use a smartphone regularly (roughly 75–85% of the total population; ~88–92% of adults). This is slightly below Oregon’s urbanized counties in raw adoption, but above typical rural US rates due to the younger, working-age skew along the I‑84 corridor.
• Smartphone-only internet access (cellular data as primary/only home internet): materially higher than the Oregon average. Expect roughly 1.5–2× the statewide rate of “cellular-only” households, driven by:
  • Greater distances from fixed broadband plant outside the corridor.
  • Lower median household income than the state average, favoring prepaid and handset-tethered plans.
  • Higher share of renters and seasonal/mobile workers in corridor industries.
• Multiline/Prepaid mix: prepaid penetration is higher than the statewide mix, with family plans and employer-subsidized lines common among corridor workers. BYOD and multilingual customer support (Spanish/English) matter more than in Oregon’s metro counties.

Demographic breakdown and usage tendencies

• Age:
  • Teens/young adults: near-universal smartphone use; heavy reliance on mobile data for school/work in households that lack fixed broadband.
  • Older adults: adoption trails the state average; more basic plans and voice/text-first usage outside the corridor, with increased reliance on Wi‑Fi calling where cellular indoor coverage is weak.
• Income and housing:
  • Lower-income and rental households are more likely to be smartphone-only for home internet and to use hotspotting in lieu of wireline service.
  • Agricultural/shift workers often carry multiple SIMs or switch carriers to match coverage by worksite.
• Race/ethnicity and language:
  • The high Hispanic/Latino share correlates with above-average use of WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Spanish-language plans/support. Community hubs (schools, churches, co-ops) frequently serve as Wi‑Fi offload points.

Digital infrastructure and coverage patterns

• Coverage geometry:
  • Strongest 4G/5G service along I‑84 and the Columbia River (Boardman, Irrigon, US‑730). All three national carriers operate here, with mid-band 5G in/near towns and low-band 5G along the highway.
  • South of the corridor (Heppner, Lexington, Ione), service becomes more variable: 4G LTE is prevalent but with dead zones in foothills and canyons; 5G availability is limited or spotty outside town centers.
• Backhaul and core networks:
  • Robust long-haul fiber along the Columbia/I‑84 corridor and into the Port of Morrow industrial areas enables strong mobile capacity and higher peak speeds in the north.
  • Away from the corridor, sites rely more on microwave backhaul and longer fiber laterals, contributing to higher latency and congestion at peak times.
• Fixed alternatives and offload:
  • Cable/FTTN/fiber are available in and near corridor towns; fixed wireless ISPs and satellite serve outer areas. This mix drives substantial Wi‑Fi offload in towns and greater smartphone-only reliance in dispersed housing south of I‑84.
• Public safety and resilience:
  • FirstNet/Band 14 coverage is solid along highways and town centers; remote stretches still experience gaps that affect both public safety and commercial users during outages or wildfires.

How Morrow County’s trends differ from Oregon’s statewide pattern

• Higher cellular-only dependence: A materially larger share of households rely on smartphones/cellular data as their primary or only internet connection than the statewide average, reflecting rural distance from wireline plant and affordability considerations.
• More pronounced urban–rural coverage divide: North–south disparity is sharper than the state’s average pattern. Corridor towns see strong 4G/5G capacity; southern uplands face patchier service, slower data rates, and greater indoor coverage challenges.
• Different demographic drivers: A younger workforce and a much higher Hispanic/Latino share mean greater use of multilingual plans, prepaid options, and messaging apps, and higher device-per-household counts in multi-generational homes.
• Mobility-centric work patterns: Agriculture, logistics, and industrial jobs increase on-the-go data use, hotspotting, and the need for device durability and coverage across fields, plants, and railyards—usage profiles less typical of Oregon’s metro counties.
• Price sensitivity and plan mix: Greater reliance on prepaid and MVNO offerings than in urban Oregon, with seasonal churn tied to harvest and construction cycles.

Implications

• Network build priorities that matter locally: adding south-county macro sites, deploying more mid-band spectrum in town centers, and improving backhaul beyond the corridor will reduce the county’s gap with statewide performance.
• Digital equity focus: plans and programs that bundle affordable handsets with generous hotspot data and Spanish-language support will reach more users than wireline-first approaches alone.
• Public services: county-wide emergency communications, telehealth, and education benefit most from improved south-county coverage and community Wi‑Fi/CBRS in schools and clinics to complement corridor 5G capacity.

Morrow County, OR — social media snapshot (2024)

Most‑used platforms among adults (modeled local share of residents 18+ who use each platform)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook (incl. Messenger): 65–70%
• Instagram: 40–45%
• TikTok: 30–35%
• Pinterest: 28–33% (female‑skew)
• WhatsApp: 25–30% (higher in bilingual/Hispanic households)
• Snapchat: 22–28% (strongest under 30)
• X (Twitter): 12–18% (news/sports niche)
• LinkedIn: 18–22% (lower given local industry mix)
• Nextdoor: 8–12% (limited by dispersed rural geography)

User base and access

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~80–85% of residents 18+
• Smartphone access among adults: ~85–90% (rural Oregon benchmark)
• Primary access is mobile; desktop use concentrated in workplaces and schools

Age patterns (share using any social media; local behavior closely tracks national)

• 18–29: ~95%; heaviest on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube Shorts
• 30–49: ~88%; Facebook, Instagram, YouTube for news, local groups, marketplaces
• 50–64: ~73%; Facebook dominant; YouTube for how‑to and local sports/faith content
• 65+: ~45%; Facebook for community groups, school and church pages; YouTube for streaming

Gender breakdown

• Overall social media users: ~51% female, ~49% male (mirrors adult population)
• Platform skews: Pinterest and Instagram lean female; X and Reddit lean male; Facebook and YouTube broadly balanced

Behavioral trends that matter locally

• Community and information: Facebook groups/pages are the de facto public square for school updates, local sports, wildfire/emergency notices, city/county offices, buy/sell/trade, and event promotion.
• Video first: Short‑form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) drives discovery and shares; YouTube remains the go‑to for tutorials, farm/ranch equipment guides, DIY, and faith content.
• Messaging hubs: Messenger and WhatsApp coordinate family, church, sports teams, and shift‑work schedules; Spanish‑language and bilingual content sees above‑average engagement.
• Commerce: Facebook Marketplace and local groups outperform standalone classifieds; Instagram Shops use is growing for crafts/seasonal farm goods.
• Timing: Engagement peaks early morning (5:30–7:30 a.m.) before shifts/school, lunchtime, and evenings (7–10 p.m.); weekends show strong marketplace and event activity.
• Trust and news: Residents favor information from known local entities (school districts, county EMS, churches, local media) over national sources; X usage remains niche for live sports/news.
• Professional networking: LinkedIn activity is relatively low; trade/industry communities occur more via Facebook groups and YouTube channels.

Notes on figures

• County‑specific platform user counts are not publicly published. Percentages above are 2024 modeled estimates for Morrow County derived from: Pew Research adult platform adoption; rural Oregon smartphone/broadband benchmarks from federal/ACS data; and typical rural‑county usage patterns in the Pacific Northwest. They are intended as decision‑ready ranges for planning and outreach.