Umatilla County

Key demographics for Umatilla County, Oregon (latest available ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates unless noted):

Population size

• Total population: ~81,300

Age

• Median age: ~36.5 years
• Under 18: ~26%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~16%

Gender

• Male: ~51.5%
• Female: ~48.5%

Racial/ethnic composition

• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~29–30%
• Non-Hispanic White: ~59–60%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (NH): ~4–5%
• Two or more races (NH): ~3–4%
• Black/African American (NH): ~1%
• Asian (NH): ~1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (NH): <1%

Households

• Number of households: ~27,900
• Average household size: ~2.9
• Family households: ~68%
• Married-couple families: ~46–47% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~34–35%
• Tenure: ~64% owner-occupied, ~36% renter-occupied

Insights

• Younger age profile than Oregon overall, with a modest male skew.
• Large Hispanic/Latino community nearing one-third of residents.
• Larger average household size and higher share of family households than the state average.

Umatilla County, OR (pop. ~82,000; density ~25 people/sq. mile) shows strong but uneven digital uptake.

Estimated email users: ~56,000 residents (about 68% of the total population; ~88–90% of adults), reflecting near-universal email use among internet users.

Age distribution of email users (estimated share of users):

• 13–17: 6%
• 18–29: 20%
• 30–44: 29%
• 45–64: 31%
• 65+: 14%

Gender split among users: ~51% male, ~49% female (mirrors county demographics).

Digital access and trends:

• ~92% of households have a computer.
• ~84% have a broadband subscription; ~14% are smartphone-only internet households.
• ~9–10% have no home internet, concentrated in rural tracts.
• Broadband subscription has risen several points since 2019, with notable gains in towns along the I‑84 corridor (Hermiston, Pendleton, Milton‑Freewater) where most connections cluster.
• Fixed wireless and fiber expansion are improving speeds; outlying areas toward the Blue Mountains and parts of the Umatilla Reservation still trail on fixed 100/20 Mbps availability.
• Mobile LTE/5G coverage is strongest near highways and population centers, supporting email use for smartphone‑only households.

Implication: Email reach is broad and reliable in towns; rural gaps persist but are narrowing.

Mobile phone usage in Umatilla County, Oregon — summary focused on what differs from the statewide picture

Headline estimates (2024)

• Population and households: ~82,000 residents and ~28,500 households.
• Estimated mobile phone users (any mobile device): ~72,000–76,000 users.
• Estimated smartphone users: ~60,000–63,000 users. Method: User counts are derived by applying observed household smartphone/cellular-adoption rates from the ACS S2801 series and standard adult/teen adoption rates to local population and household counts; ranges reflect sampling margins and multi-user households.

Adoption and access (households; ACS Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions)

• With a smartphone: Umatilla ~90–92% of households; Oregon ~91–93%.
• With a cellular data plan (smartphone/other device): Umatilla ~72–76%; Oregon ~69–72%.
• Cellular-only internet at home (has a cellular data plan, no cable/DSL/fiber/satellite): Umatilla ~12–14%; Oregon ~7–9%.
• No internet subscription: Umatilla ~9–11%; Oregon ~8–9%.
• Smartphone but no desktop/laptop (smartphone-dependent computing): Umatilla ~11–14%; Oregon ~8–10%.

What’s different vs statewide

• Higher mobile dependence: Umatilla’s share of cellular-only households sits roughly 1.5–2x the Oregon average. This is the single most distinctive difference and translates into more on‑phone data use and tethering in the county.
• More smartphone-dependent households: A larger slice of households rely on smartphones without a desktop/laptop, reflecting cost sensitivity and the practicality of mobile‑first access in rural settings.
• Slightly lower wired subscription intensity: A higher fraction of households lack any internet subscription or rely solely on cellular, versus Oregon overall. This gap is driven by cost and patchy wired options outside the I‑84/US‑395 corridors.
• Similar overall smartphone presence but different mix: Household smartphone presence is on par with Oregon, but Umatilla trades some wired broadband usage for cellular data.

Demographic patterns that shape usage

• Rural and agricultural workforce: Farm and food‑processing shift work increases reliance on mobile communication and hotspotting in the field, which pushes up cellular-only use compared with the state.
• Hispanic/Latino communities: With a county share near 30% (vs ~14% statewide), smartphone-only and prepaid usage are more prevalent in Hispanic households, contributing to higher smartphone‑dependent computing.
• Age and income: Lower‑income households and younger householders are overrepresented among smartphone‑only and cellular‑only subscribers locally, more so than in Oregon’s urban counties.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: All three nationwide carriers (AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon) operate countywide with LTE and 5G. Mid‑band 5G is established in population centers (Pendleton, Hermiston, Umatilla, Milton‑Freewater) and along I‑84/US‑395; rural areas rely more on LTE/low‑band 5G.
• Corridors vs gaps:
  • Strong corridors: I‑84 (Boardman–Hermiston–Pendleton), US‑395, and US‑730 generally have robust multi‑carrier coverage and 5G.
  • Weaker/patchy areas: Southern and southeastern parts (Blue Mountains/Umatilla National Forest, south of Pilot Rock toward Ukiah) and some low‑density farm tracts see reduced signal quality and fallback to LTE or extended range only.
• Backhaul and local ISPs: Spectrum cable and Ziply Fiber serve larger towns; Eastern Oregon Telecom/Windwave and other local providers add fiber and fixed wireless in and around Hermiston and industrial areas (Port of Umatilla/Port of Morrow adjacency). Outside these footprints, DSL and satellite remain common, which helps explain higher cellular‑only reliance.
• Tribal lands: The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation area near Mission/Pendleton has 4G/5G along main routes; intra‑reservation coverage varies away from highways.
• Public safety and resilience: E‑911 and Wireless Emergency Alerts are countywide; terrain-driven shadowing in the mountains can affect in‑building and canyon coverage, prompting the use of boosters in ranch, forest, and recreation sites.

Practical implications for providers and programs

• Prioritize mid‑band 5G infill south and southeast of Pendleton and between farms south of Hermiston to reduce the cellular‑only performance gap.
• Support smartphone‑centric services (billing, telehealth, education platforms) and zero‑rating/affordability plans; these reach a larger share of households here than in Oregon overall.
• Device and booster programs (ACP replacements, Lifeline, tribal and rural grants) have outsized impact in Umatilla because mobile is the primary on‑ramp for more households.

Sources and basis

• American Community Survey (ACS), Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions (S2801), latest available county and state estimates.
• FCC Broadband Data Collection maps (mobile availability by technology and band) and Antenna Structure Registration for macro‑site presence, reviewed at the county level.
• State and local provider footprints (Spectrum, Ziply Fiber, Eastern Oregon Telecom/Windwave) and carrier public 5G coverage disclosures.

Key takeaways

• Umatilla County looks similar to Oregon in raw smartphone presence but is markedly more mobile‑dependent for home internet, with 12–14% cellular‑only households versus 7–9% statewide.
• Terrain and dispersed settlement patterns translate into corridor‑centric 5G and lingering LTE/coverage gaps in the south and forested areas.
• Demographics (higher Hispanic share, younger and lower‑income householders in parts of the county) amplify smartphone‑only and prepaid usage relative to the state.

Social media in Umatilla County, OR — 2025 snapshot

How these figures were built

• Modeled local estimates using: U.S. Census/ACS 2018–2022 demographics for Umatilla County and Pew Research Center 2023–2024 U.S. platform adoption rates, adjusted for rural skew and the county’s age/gender mix. Figures refer to people 13+ unless noted.

User stats

• Overall penetration (adults 18+): 82% use at least one social platform
• Adult users: ~49,000 (of ~60,000 adults)
• Teens (13–17) using social: ~95% (roughly 4,500–4,700 teens)

Most-used platforms (share of adults who use each)

• YouTube: 82%
• Facebook: 71%
• Instagram: 43%
• Pinterest: 34%
• TikTok: 31%
• Snapchat: 26%
• WhatsApp: 24% (notably higher among Spanish-speaking households)
• LinkedIn: 18%
• X (Twitter): 17%
• Reddit: 16%
• Nextdoor: 12% Note: People use multiple platforms; percentages are not mutually exclusive.

Age-group usage (share who use any social media)

• 13–17: 95% (platform mix mirrors U.S. teens: YouTube ~95%, TikTok ~67%, Instagram ~62%, Snapchat ~59%, Facebook ~32%)
• 18–29: 94%
• 30–49: 88%
• 50–64: 80%
• 65+: 63%

Gender breakdown

• Share of adult social users: ~51% male, ~49% female (reflects county’s slight male-skewed population)
• Skews by platform: women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X. Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat are more balanced, with younger women slightly more active on Instagram and TikTok.

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Facebook is the community backbone: heavy reliance on Groups and Marketplace for buy/sell, school and sports updates, local services, and agriculture-related exchanges.
• Event-driven spikes: engagement surges around Pendleton Round-Up, county fair, high school sports, and seasonal agriculture cycles.
• Public safety and weather: Facebook pages/groups are primary for wildfire, winter storm, and road closure updates; posts from county/city agencies are widely shared.
• Bilingual engagement: with a large Hispanic/Latino community, Spanish-language and bilingual posts see higher reach; WhatsApp and Facebook are key for family, work-crew, and church coordination.
• Video-first consumption: short-form video (Reels, TikTok, Shorts) outperforms static posts for local businesses, events, and how-to content (equipment maintenance, hunting/outdoors, DIY).
• Messaging-centric among youth: teens favor Snapchat for daily communication; Instagram DMs and TikTok are content discovery pathways to local accounts.
• Local commerce: Facebook Marketplace is the dominant local channel for vehicles, farm/ranch equipment, rentals, and services; Instagram helps small retailers and food trucks showcase inventory and specials.
• Time-of-day patterns: morning and late-evening checks dominate, aligning with shift and farm schedules; weekend afternoons are strong for events and local dining.
• Paid reach realities: Meta (Facebook/Instagram) provides the most efficient geo-targeted reach (10–25 mile radii around Hermiston–Umatilla–Pendleton); YouTube pre-roll is effective for broad awareness; TikTok ads drive youth reach but require creative native-style video.

Key takeaways for planning

• Prioritize Facebook (Groups + Marketplace) and YouTube for county-wide reach; add Instagram for visual storytelling and TikTok for youth.
• Use bilingual creative where relevant; cross-post important notices in English and Spanish.
• Lean into short-form video; repurpose vertical content across Reels, TikTok, and Shorts.
• Anchor posts to local calendars (sports, fairs, harvest, Round-Up) for peak engagement.