Clinton County

Key demographics — Clinton County, Pennsylvania

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates). Figures rounded.

• Population size: 37,450 (2020 Census)
• Age:
  • Median age: ~41
  • Under 18: ~19%
  • 65 and over: ~22%
• Gender:
  • Female: ~49%
  • Male: ~51%
• Race/ethnicity (share of total population):
  • White, non-Hispanic: ~89%
  • Black or African American: ~4–5%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3%
  • Two or more races: ~3%
  • Asian: ~0.5%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.3%
• Household data:
  • Households: ~14,900
  • Average household size: ~2.3
  • Family households: ~60% of households
  • Owner-occupied housing rate: ~73%

Clinton County, PA context: ~37,000 residents, roughly 40–45 people per sq. mile (rural; hub in/around Lock Haven).

Estimated email users

• 26,000–29,000 residents, based on adult population share and typical U.S. email adoption.

Age distribution of email users (approx.)

• 13–17: 6–8%
• 18–29: 16–18%
• 30–49: 30–33%
• 50–64: 27–30%
• 65+: 20–22%

Gender split (approx.)

• ~50% female, ~50% male (mirrors local population balance).

Digital access and trends

• About 80–85% of households have a broadband subscription; 88–92% have a computer and/or smartphone.
• 12–18% of households are smartphone-only for home internet.
• Broadband is strongest in and near Lock Haven and along main corridors; service can drop to DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite in outlying valleys/hollows.
• 4G mobile coverage is widespread on primary roads; 5G is present but patchier outside population centers.

Notes

• Estimates combine recent ACS population structure for rural PA with national email-adoption rates by age. Local conditions (terrain, provider buildouts) can create pockets with lower fixed-broadband uptake, which may shift email use toward mobile.

Clinton County, PA mobile phone usage summary (what’s different from Pennsylvania overall)

Headline estimate

• Population base: ~38,000 residents; roughly 29,000–30,000 adults.
• Mobile users: 28,000–31,000 residents use a mobile phone of some kind.
• Adult smartphone users: 24,000–26,000 (about 83–86% of adults; several points below the state average).
• Total active mobile lines (phones, hotspots, tablets, IoT): roughly 33,000–42,000.

How the county differs from the state

• Adoption level: Smartphone adoption is lower, mainly among ages 50+ and 65+, producing a 3–6 point gap vs. statewide averages.
• Plan type: Higher reliance on prepaid/MVNO plans (about 25–30% of lines vs. ~19–22% statewide) due to income mix and credit constraints.
• Internet substitution: Larger “smartphone-only” segment (about 17–22% of households vs. ~13–16% statewide), reflecting patchy fixed broadband in outlying townships.
• Coverage and speeds: More variability than the state average. 5G mid-band is concentrated near Lock Haven/Mill Hall and key highways; many northern and western areas remain LTE-only or low-band 5G with lower speeds.
• Network reliability: Greater exposure to terrain-driven dead zones, backhaul limitations, and weather impacts than typical Pennsylvania counties.

Demographic breakdown (estimates, scaled from Pew, ACS, and rural-PA patterns)

• Age:
  • 18–29: 95–98% smartphone adoption (close to statewide).
  • 30–49: ~90–93% (slightly below statewide).
  • 50–64: ~80–85% (noticeably lower than statewide).
  • 65+: ~60–70% (well below statewide; basic phones still present).
• Income:
  • Under $35k: smartphone adoption ~80–85%, but higher smartphone-only internet reliance (25–35% of these households).
  • $35k–$75k: adoption ~85–90%; prepaid share elevated vs. state.
  • $75k+: adoption ~95%+; postpaid family plans dominate.
• Education:
  • BA+ resembles state averages; sub-BA groups show lower adoption and more prepaid use.
• Geography within the county:
  • Lock Haven/Mill Hall/US‑220 corridor: highest 5G availability and speeds; strong Wi‑Fi offload (campus, businesses).
  • Northern/western townships (mountain/forest): more LTE-only pockets, weaker indoor coverage, and greater use of Wi‑Fi calling/repeaters.

Digital infrastructure notes (what stands out locally)

• Radio access:
  • 4G LTE broadly available in populated valleys and along US‑220/I‑80; ridge-and-hollow terrain creates shadow zones, especially toward Sproul State Forest and the PA‑120 corridor.
  • 5G:
    • Low-band (all carriers): fairly wide but speed-limited.
    • Mid-band (capacity 5G): clustered around Lock Haven, Mill Hall, Lamar, and major interchanges; coverage thins rapidly off-corridor.
  • Carrier mix: Verizon generally strongest footprint; AT&T competitive on highways and public-safety (FirstNet Band 14) sites; T‑Mobile best near the valley floor and highways, drops faster in the hills.
• Performance:
  • Mid-band 5G near corridors: roughly 150–400 Mbps down typical.
  • Low-band 5G/LTE in fringe areas: roughly 5–50 Mbps down, highly variable; uplink can be the limiting factor for video calls.
• Backhaul:
  • Fiber is concentrated along I‑80/US‑220 and to anchor institutions (e.g., university, hospitals, schools). Away from corridors, more microwave-fed sites mean congestion during peaks and slower recovery from outages.
• Resiliency:
  • Fewer overlapping sectors than urban PA; power or backhaul events can produce wider service impacts. Many sites depend on limited battery backup; generators not universal.
• Device/work patterns:
  • Above-average use of rugged devices, signal boosters, and Wi‑Fi calling among outdoor, logistics, and resource-sector workers.
  • Public-safety coverage benefits from AT&T FirstNet buildouts but still contends with canyon effects along waterways.

Why these differences exist

• Terrain: Steep ridges and deep valleys obstruct line-of-sight and raise tower costs, slowing 5G mid-band buildouts off the main corridors.
• Settlement pattern: A small urban core (Lock Haven/Mill Hall) and dispersed rural population make capacity investments highly localized.
• Socioeconomics: Lower median income and an older age structure depress postpaid adoption and accelerate prepaid and smartphone-only internet reliance.

Method notes

• Estimates triangulated from: Pew smartphone adoption (2023), ACS device/subscription patterns for rural PA counties (S2801/DP02 series), FCC mobile coverage filings (2023–2024), carrier public 5G disclosures, and typical rural network performance characteristics. Figures are county-level approximations; validate with the latest ACS 1‑year tables and FCC mobile maps for procurement or engineering decisions.

Clinton County, PA social media snapshot (short)

What to know about the audience

• Population baseline: ~37–38k residents; ~32k are age 13+.
• Estimated social media users (13+): ~22–26k people (≈70–75% of residents 13+). Note: County-level user counts aren’t published; these are estimates applying Pew Research U.S. usage rates to local age mix.

Age mix of social users (approx.)

• 13–17: 9–12%
• 18–29: 24–28%
• 30–49: 30–35% (largest cohort)
• 50–64: 18–22%
• 65+: 8–12%

Gender breakdown (approx.)

• Overall users: ~53–56% women, ~44–47% men.
• Skews by platform: women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X. Nonbinary users are present but a small share in available surveys.

Most-used platforms in the county (share of residents 13+ using each at least occasionally; estimates from national patterns adjusted for local age mix)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 55–65%
• Instagram: 45–50%
• TikTok: 30–40%
• Snapchat: 20–30%
• Also used: Pinterest 25–35%; WhatsApp 20–25%; X (Twitter) 15–20%; LinkedIn 15–20%; Reddit 10–15%.

Behavioral trends to plan around

• Community-first on Facebook: Local news, weather/closures, school and youth sports, events, and buy/sell/trade groups drive the highest participation. Facebook Groups and Marketplace outperform Pages for organic reach.
• Video-forward everywhere: Short video (Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts) is the fastest path to reach under 40; how‑to and “what’s happening this week” content performs well countywide.
• Age-split habits:
  • Teens/college-age: TikTok + Snapchat for daily messaging and trends; YouTube for creators and how‑tos; Instagram for peers/events.
  • 30–49: Heavy Facebook + Instagram; strong engagement with school, recreation, and local business updates.
  • 50+: Facebook is primary; YouTube for tutorials, local meetings, and hobby content.
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends; morning spikes on weather/school updates.
• Local relevance wins: Posts tied to county life (outdoors, hunting/fishing, trails, fairs, school calendars, road/utility alerts) outperform generic content.
• Messaging layer: Facebook Messenger is widely used for business inquiries and community coordination; WhatsApp pockets exist via family/worker networks.

Notes on method

• County-specific platform stats aren’t directly published. Figures above are derived from U.S. Census demographics for Clinton County and recent Pew Research Center social media adoption by age/gender, scaled to the county’s likely age mix. Actual local percentages may vary a few points.