Clearfield County

Here are key demographics for Clearfield County, Pennsylvania (U.S. Census Bureau; 2020 Census and 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates):

• Population: ~80.6k (2020 Census count ~80,562; 2019–2023 ACS ~80.6k)
• Age:
  • Median age: ~44 years
  • Under 18: ~20%
  • 18–64: ~60%
  • 65+: ~20%
• Gender:
  • Male: ~53%
  • Female: ~47%
• Race/ethnicity (share of total population):
  • White (non-Hispanic): ~89%
  • Black or African American: ~6%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2%
  • Two or more races: ~2%
  • Asian: ~0.5%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.2–0.3%
• Households:
  • Total households: ~32–33k
  • Average household size: ~2.3
  • Family households: ~59% of households
  • Married-couple families: ~44%
  • Households with children <18: ~25%
  • Nonfamily households: ~41% (living alone ~33%)
  • Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75%

Notes: Figures are rounded; use ACS 2019–2023 5-year tables for the most current detailed estimates and margins of error.

• Estimated email users: 50–55k residents. Basis: ~79k population, ~77% adults, ~85% internet adoption, and ~90–95% of internet users use email, plus some teens.
• Age distribution (email adoption rates):
  • Teens (13–17): ~70–80%
  • 18–29: ~95%+
  • 30–49: ~95%
  • 50–64: ~90%
  • 65+: ~80–85% (lower in the most rural areas)
• Gender split among users: roughly even (≈49% male, 51% female); usage gap is small (<2 percentage points).
• Digital access trends:
  • About 80% of households have a broadband subscription; ~10–15% report no home internet.
  • ~10–15% are smartphone‑only for internet, which can limit full-feature email use.
  • Public access points (libraries, schools, municipal buildings) supplement connectivity for lower-income and remote households.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population 79k over ~1,150 sq mi (69 people/sq mi), indicating a largely rural county.
  • Highest fixed-broadband availability in and around Clearfield and DuBois; more gaps in outlying townships where DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite are common.
  • Affordability and coverage variability remain key barriers for seniors and low-income households.

Below is a practical, county-focused snapshot based on the latest available public benchmarks (Pew, FCC/NTIA mapping trends, ACS demographics) and rural Pennsylvania patterns, scaled to Clearfield County’s size. Figures are estimates; use them as planning ranges.

Headline context

• County profile: Largely rural with small borough centers (DuBois, Clearfield, Curwensville), hilly/forested terrain, and I‑80 as the main corridor. Population ≈79–81k; older and lower-income than Pennsylvania overall.
• Big picture: Reliable LTE is common in towns and along I‑80; coverage gaps persist in valleys and state forest areas. 5G mid‑band is present mainly in DuBois/Clearfield and along major roads; elsewhere, service relies on low‑band 5G or LTE.

User estimates

• Adult population: ≈61–63k. Any cellphone ownership: ~95–97% of adults → ~58–61k adult users. Smartphone ownership: ~80–84% of adults (lower than state average) → ~49–53k adult smartphone users.
• Teens (13–17): ~6–7k; smartphone use ~90%+ → adds ~5.5–6.5k users.
• Total smartphone users (adults + teens): roughly 55–59k.
• Mobile-only at home (no fixed broadband, rely on phone hotspot or cellular home internet): ~22–28% of households in Clearfield vs ~15–18% statewide. With ≈33k households, that’s ~7.3–9.2k mobile-primary households.

Demographic patterns that shape usage

• Age: Higher share 65+ than PA average. Senior smartphone adoption trails (roughly 60–70%), leading to more basic/older Android models, longer device lifecycles, and lower app/data intensity.
• Income: Median household income well below PA average. This drives:
  • Higher prepaid/MVNO usage (e.g., Straight Talk, Visible, Cricket) and family-share plans.
  • Sensitivity to plan prices and to the 2024 sunset of ACP subsidies, with some churn to cheaper plans or mobile-only internet.
• Work/education mix: Shift work in healthcare, manufacturing, logistics; strong reliance on highway-corridor coverage. Students often hotspot for homework in areas lacking cable/fiber.

Usage behaviors

• More mobile-primary households than the state: phones double as home internet, especially outside the cable footprints.
• Data usage skew: Heavier hotspotting in mobile-only homes; otherwise similar app mix (YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, messaging) but with more Wi‑Fi offloading where public/school Wi‑Fi is available.
• Device turnover: Slower replacement cycles than state average; used/refurbished devices are common.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• Carriers:
  • Verizon: Widest rural footprint; good along I‑80 and in boroughs; still has dead zones in hollows and near state forest tracts.
  • AT&T: Strong in towns and corridors; FirstNet supports public safety. Similar rural gaps off-corridor.
  • T‑Mobile: Competitive 5G in DuBois/Clearfield and along I‑80; patchier coverage in remote areas.
• 5G profile:
  • Low‑band 5G is widespread but doesn’t always outperform LTE.
  • Mid‑band 5G (Verizon C‑band, T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz) clusters in DuBois/Clearfield and key road segments; outside those areas, LTE remains the workhorse.
• Towers and density:
  • Macro-site spacing is wide; most new activity is co-location on existing masts owned by major tower firms.
  • Small-cell deployments are minimal outside downtown cores or campuses.
• Backhaul and fiber:
  • Strongest along I‑80, PA‑219/322, rail/utility ROWs, and into borough centers; backhaul constraints contribute to variable speeds in remote sectors.
• Fixed alternatives:
  • Cable is available in borough cores; DSL and fixed wireless dominate many outlying areas.
  • 4G/5G home internet (Verizon/T‑Mobile) is gaining subscribers on the I‑80 corridor and town edges where cable/fiber are limited or costly.
• Public safety and community access:
  • FirstNet coverage generally aligns with AT&T’s macro grid; responders still rely on LMR in dead zones, with LTE as data augmentation.
  • Public Wi‑Fi at schools, libraries, Penn State DuBois, and healthcare facilities fills gaps for homework and telehealth.

How Clearfield trends differ from Pennsylvania overall

• Adoption and affordability
  • Smartphone ownership is a few points lower than statewide; prepaid/MVNO share meaningfully higher.
  • A larger slice of households is mobile-only for home internet, reflecting lower income and sparser fixed broadband.
• Coverage and performance
  • More pronounced dead zones off major roads; speed consistency lags due to terrain and backhaul limits.
  • Mid‑band 5G build-out is more limited and concentrated; fewer small cells than urban/suburban PA.
• Reliance patterns
  • Heavier use of hotspots and cellular home internet as substitutes for cable/fiber.
  • Greater dependence on corridor coverage (I‑80, borough centers) for work and school connectivity.

Planning implications

• Targeted new macro sites or sector adds in valley communities and around state forest perimeters would yield outsized benefits.
• Prioritize mid‑band 5G expansions and fiber backhaul upgrades in DuBois–Clearfield, then extend along PA‑219/322 spurs.
• Support device affordability and digital literacy for seniors; promote low-cost plans and refurbished devices.
• Coordinate with schools/health systems for after-hours Wi‑Fi and signal repeaters in community hubs.

Method notes

• Population and household counts reflect recent census estimates; adoption rates are derived from rural vs statewide smartphone ownership benchmarks and observed 5G deployment patterns in rural PA. For funding applications or engineering, validate with fresh carrier RF maps, drive tests, and local provider footprints.

Below is a concise, county-tailored snapshot. Where Clearfield-specific datasets aren’t published, figures are estimates extrapolated from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. social media benchmarks, adjusted for Clearfield’s older/rural profile and ACS population.

County snapshot and user stats

• Population: ~79–81k; adults (18+): ~63–65k
• Adult social media users (est.): 48–53k (≈76–82% of adults)

Most-used platforms among adults (est. share of adults)

• YouTube: 74–80%
• Facebook: 68–74%
• Instagram: 28–34%
• TikTok: 20–27%
• Pinterest: 28–35% (heavily female)
• Snapchat: 12–18% (concentrated under 30)
• LinkedIn: 10–15%
• X/Twitter: 10–14%
• Reddit: 8–12%
• WhatsApp: 9–13%
• Nextdoor: 3–6%

Age-group usage patterns (est. share using at least one platform; top platforms)

• Teens (13–17): 90%+ overall; TikTok/Snapchat dominant; YouTube near-universal; Facebook low
• 18–29: 95%+; YouTube ~90%; Instagram 70–80%; Snapchat 55–65%; TikTok 55–65%; Facebook 35–45%
• 30–49: 85–90%; Facebook 75–85%; YouTube 85–90%; Instagram 35–45%; TikTok 25–35%
• 50–64: 70–80%; Facebook 70–80%; YouTube 65–75%; Instagram 20–28%; TikTok 12–20%
• 65+: 55–65%; Facebook 55–65%; YouTube 55–65%; Instagram 10–18%; TikTok 6–12%

Gender breakdown (est.)

• Population split: ~50–51% female
• Platform skews among local users:
  • Facebook: slight female majority (≈53–56% female)
  • Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat: modest female lean (≈55–60% female)
  • Pinterest: strong female lean (≈70–80% female)
  • Reddit and X/Twitter: male-leaning (≈55–70% male)
  • LinkedIn: slight male lean (≈52–56% male)

Behavioral trends in Clearfield County

• Facebook as the hub: Heavy reliance on local Groups and Pages for school news, high-school sports, fairs, fire/EMS updates, obituaries, road closures, and lost/found pets. Marketplace is a top buy/sell channel (autos, tools, outdoor gear).
• Video consumption: Rising viewership of short-form video—Facebook Reels, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. Under-15s clips with captions perform best; many watch muted.
• Engagement spikes: Evenings (6–9 pm) and during weather events, school closings, hunting season, fair weeks, and HS sports playoffs. Shares to Groups drive most virality.
• Creation vs. curation: More sharing/commenting than original posting; strong “word-of-mouth” via reshares from known locals; distrust of non-local pages.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the default; Snapchat DMs are common among teens/20s; WhatsApp modest and clustered in specific communities/workplaces.
• Device and access: Predominantly mobile use; some bandwidth constraints—optimize images/video size and subtitles.
• Small business use: Facebook/Instagram for promos and events; YouTube for how-tos and product explainers; TikTok effective for 18–34 with authentic, behind-the-scenes clips; LinkedIn primarily for hiring in healthcare, education, manufacturing.
• Content themes that resonate: Local pride, outdoor life (hunting/trout opener/ATV), DIY and home repair, severe-weather prep, community fundraisers, school activities.

Notes and sources

• Sources: Pew Research Center (Social Media Use in 2024); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (population/age structure). County-level platform shares are not directly published; figures above are best-fit estimates based on national patterns adjusted for Clearfield’s older and rural profile. If you have first-party page or ad-account insights, we can refine these to tighter local ranges.