Dauphin County

Here are concise, recent estimates for Dauphin County, Pennsylvania (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 ACS 5-year; tables DP05, S0101, DP02). Figures rounded.

Population

• Total population: ~288,000
• Total households: ~118,000

Age

• Median age: ~40
• Under 18: ~20%
• 18 to 64: ~61%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender

• Female: ~51.5%
• Male: ~48.5%

Race and ethnicity

• White (alone): ~62%
• Black or African American (alone): ~19%
• Asian (alone): ~4–5%
• Two or more races: ~6–7%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, other (each): ~1% combined
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~9–10%

Households

• Average household size: ~2.4
• Family households: ~61%
• Married-couple households: ~44%
• One-person households: ~30–31%
• Households with children under 18: ~27%
• Average family size: ~3.0

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2019–2023 5-year estimates (DP05, S0101, DP02).

Dauphin County, PA email usage (estimates)

• Estimated users: 210k–225k residents. Method: county pop ≈286–288k; ~78% adults; ~90–92% of adults use email (Pew). Including teens 13–17 lifts the high end.
• Age distribution of email users (approx.):
  • 18–29: 20–22% of users; very high adoption (~90%+).
  • 30–49: 32–35%; near-universal (~95%+).
  • 50–64: 23–25%; high (~90%).
  • 65+: 18–20%; somewhat lower but widespread (~80–88%).
• Gender split: Roughly even; mirrors county demographics (~51% female, ~49% male), as national email adoption shows minimal gender gap.
• Digital access trends:
  • Household broadband subscription is high (about 88–91% per ACS-like county figures), with most households owning a computer/smartphone; a notable minority are smartphone‑only (roughly low‑teens percent).
  • Strong cable/fiber presence in urban/suburban areas (Harrisburg, Hershey, Lower Paxton, Susquehanna); northern rural townships see more gaps or slower fixed service.
  • 5G mobile coverage is broad in the metro core; mobile data mitigates access gaps for some lower‑income or rural users.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ≈500–520 people/sq. mi. (dense in the Harrisburg urbanized area).
  • Commuter corridors (I‑81, I‑83, US‑322, PA Turnpike) and public institutions (libraries, schools) provide additional Wi‑Fi access points that support regular email use.

Dauphin County, PA — mobile phone usage snapshot (how it differs from Pennsylvania overall)

User estimates

• Estimated smartphone users: roughly 200,000–235,000 residents countywide. Method: apply typical adult smartphone adoption rates (about 80–90% of adults) plus high teen ownership to Dauphin’s ~290k population.
• Households with a mobile data plan: on the order of 90,000–100,000 households. Method: apply ACS S2801 “cellular data plan” rates to Dauphin’s ~115k households.
• Smartphone-only (mobile as primary/only internet): likely a few points higher than the state average. Expect low-to-mid teens percentage in the city of Harrisburg and adjacent ZIPs, versus high single digits to low teens statewide. This reflects urban income mix, limited fiber-to-the-home, and good 4G/5G coverage in the metro core.

Demographic patterns (relative to state-level)

• Urban vs. rural split: Dauphin’s mix of an urban core (Harrisburg) plus suburban (Lower Paxton, Susquehanna, Swatara) and rural northern townships produces a wider spread in mobile dependence than the statewide average. Urban tracts show notably higher smartphone-only reliance; northern ridge-and-valley areas show more legacy phone use and weaker signals.
• Age: Slightly younger profile in and around Harrisburg (state workers, health care, students) drives near-saturation smartphone ownership under 45. Rural north skews older with lower smartphone and lower mobile-data-plan adoption. Net effect: greater within-county variance than the state as a whole.
• Income and race/ethnicity: Harrisburg neighborhoods with higher shares of Black and Hispanic residents show above-average “mobile-only” internet reliance compared with county and state averages, consistent with ACS patterns seen in similar mid-sized metros. Prepaid plans and MVNOs are more common in these tracts than in suburban townships.
• Work patterns: A large public-sector and health-care workforce means strong daytime device use in the Capitol Complex, hospital/medical campuses, and office corridors—more pronounced than in many PA counties.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage and capacity:
  • 4G LTE is effectively countywide along I‑81, I‑83, I‑76, US‑322/422, and the urban/suburban belt; capacity spikes occur around the Capitol Complex, Farm Show Complex, Hersheypark/Giant Center, and Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
  • 5G mid‑band service (C‑band/2.5 GHz) is broadly available in the Harrisburg–Hershey corridor across the national carriers; mmWave is limited to small pockets, if present at all. Compared with much of PA, the metro core has earlier and denser mid‑band 5G deployment.
  • Terrain-driven gaps north of Blue Mountain/Peters Mountain (Clarks Valley, Lykens Valley) persist; performance there lags the state’s denser eastern and southwestern metros.
• Home broadband interplay:
  • Cable is dominant; fiber-to-the-home is patchy outside select developments. Relative scarcity of FTTH versus the big PA metros (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh) makes mobile data and 5G fixed wireless attractive substitutes, lifting mobile-only and FWA uptake above the state average in metro Dauphin.
  • The sunset of the federal Affordable Connectivity Program has a visible impact in city tracts (higher churn to prepaid and mobile-only), with less impact in affluent suburbs—this divergence is sharper than the statewide pattern.
• Carrier mix:
  • All three national MNOs have strong presence; FirstNet sites support public safety. Verizon and T‑Mobile market 5G Home broadly in the metro; AT&T mobile coverage is strong in the core but rural performance varies by valley.
  • Tower density and small-cell nodes are concentrated along interstates, downtown Harrisburg, Hershey entertainment venues, and hospital campuses—denser than typical mid-sized PA counties.

What’s most different from Pennsylvania overall

• Higher mobile-only and 5G fixed‑wireless reliance in Harrisburg/Hershey due to good mid‑band 5G and limited FTTH, versus lower mobile-only rates in PA’s fiber-rich suburbs.
• Larger intra-county disparity: urban tracts near the Capitol have big-city usage patterns, while the northern tier has rural coverage and adoption constraints—wider spread than many PA counties.
• Event- and workforce-driven capacity peaks (government, health care, entertainment) are more pronounced than statewide norms for similarly sized populations.

Notes on data and validation

• Use ACS 5‑year table S2801 (Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions) for county vs. Pennsylvania benchmarks on “cellular data plan” and “smartphone-only” households.
• Cross-check population/base denominators with the latest Census county estimates.
• For infrastructure, validate 4G/5G availability with carrier coverage maps, FCC Broadband Data Collection, and Ookla/OpenSignal for performance differentials, and compare Dauphin vs. PA aggregates to quantify the gaps stated above.

Here’s a concise, data‑informed snapshot of social media in Dauphin County, PA. Figures are estimates based on 2023–2024 Pew U.S. usage rates applied to local population; county‑specific platform data is limited.

Population and user base

• Residents: ≈289,000 (2023 est.)
• Adults (18+): ≈225,000
• Adult social media users: ≈185,000–195,000 (≈82–86% of adults)

Most‑used platforms among adults (share of adults who use each; est.)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 65–70%
• Instagram: 45–50%
• Pinterest: 30–35%
• TikTok: 30–35%
• Snapchat: 25–30%
• LinkedIn: 28–32%
• X (Twitter): 18–22%
• Reddit: 18–22%
• WhatsApp: 18–22%
• Nextdoor: 15–25% of households engaged (varies by neighborhood)

Age profile

• Adoption by age (any social media; est.): 18–29 ≈95%, 30–49 ≈84%, 50–64 ≈73%, 65+ ≈45%
• Share of county social media users by age (est.): 18–29 ≈24%, 30–49 ≈37%, 50–64 ≈26%, 65+ ≈13%

Gender breakdown

• Overall users: ≈52% women, ≈48% men (mirrors local population)
• Platform skews: Pinterest and Instagram skew female; Reddit and X skew male; Facebook close to parity but older; Snapchat/TikTok skew younger with slight female tilt.

Behavioral trends to know

• Community/news: Facebook dominates for township/borough groups, school districts, events (Hersheypark, local sports), yard sales, and storm/traffic updates. Nextdoor active in homeowner areas for safety, utilities, and municipal notices.
• Short‑form video: Instagram Reels and TikTok drive discovery for restaurants, festivals, small retail, and attractions; “what to do this weekend” and food content over‑index.
• Youth/college influence: Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram are strong among HACC and Penn State Harrisburg students; heavy use of Stories/DMs.
• Professional niche: LinkedIn use is healthy (state government, healthcare, logistics/warehousing); weekday, work‑hour engagement.
• YouTube habits: How‑tos, local government uploads, and Connected‑TV viewing are common; pre‑roll ads reach broad households.
• Timing: Peaks on weekdays 7–10 pm and lunch hour; Sunday evenings; weather events drive spikes on Facebook/X.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous; WhatsApp clusters among immigrant and international communities.
• Content that performs: Utility (road closures, school delays), local pride/news, giveaways, behind‑the‑scenes, and seasonal/holiday guides. Authentic photos/video outperform polished creative.

Notes on method

• Estimates use national adult adoption rates (Pew Research Center, 2023–2024) applied to Dauphin County’s adult population; platform penetration can vary by neighborhood and demographics.