Erie County

Erie County, Pennsylvania — key demographics (latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS estimates, 2023):

• Population: ~270,000
• Age:
  • Median age: ~40–41 years
  • Under 18: ~21%
  • 65 and over: ~19%
• Gender:
  • Female: ~51%
  • Male: ~49%
• Race and ethnicity:
  • White alone: ~83%
  • Black or African American alone: ~7–8%
  • Asian alone: ~2%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native and NHPI combined: <1%
  • Two or more races: ~5%
  • Some other race: ~2–3%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~6–7% [note: overlaps with race]
• Households:
  • Number of households: ~106,000
  • Average household size: ~2.3–2.4
  • Family households: ~65%
  • Households with children under 18: ~27%
  • Owner-occupied housing rate: ~68% (renters ~32%)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates, 2023.

Erie County, PA (pop. ~270k) email usage snapshot (estimates):

• Users: ~185k–200k residents use email. That’s roughly 70–75% of all residents and ~90–95% of adult internet users.
• Age mix (of email users):
  • 13–17: 5–7%
  • 18–34: 28–32%
  • 35–54: 33–37%
  • 55–64: 15–18%
  • 65+: 15–18% (slightly lower daily use)
• Gender split: ≈51% female, 49% male among users; adoption rates are near parity.
• Digital access trends:
  • Household broadband subscription: ~85–88%; smartphone‑only home internet: ~12–16%.
  • Daily email use highest among ages 30–64; seniors use email but are less likely to check daily.
  • Access gaps persist in lower‑income urban tracts and rural townships; public libraries/schools help fill gaps with free Wi‑Fi.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • City of Erie is the dense core (~5,000 residents/sq mi) versus county average ~330–350/sq mi; fixed broadband options and speeds are densest in the city and along the I‑90 corridor, with fewer choices and lower speeds in outlying areas.

Notes: Figures are derived from Erie County population/ACS, FCC availability patterns, and Pew national email/internet adoption rates applied locally.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Erie County, Pennsylvania

High-level estimate of users

• Population baseline: ~270,000 residents; ~210,000 adults (18+).
• Estimated smartphone users (13+): 185,000–205,000.
  • Method: adult smartphone adoption slightly below the statewide average (Erie ~82–86% vs. PA ~85–88%), plus high teen adoption (roughly 90–95% among ages 13–17).
• Households with a cellular data plan: about 84,000–92,000 (roughly 75–82% of ~112,000 households).
• Mobile-only internet households (cellular data but no home wired broadband): about 18,000–24,000 households (roughly 16–22%), likely above the statewide share.

Demographic breakdown (what differs from Pennsylvania overall)

• Age
  • Erie skews slightly older outside the city core. Smartphone adoption among seniors appears a bit lower than the state average, widening the age gap: strong adoption among under-50s, but more pronounced drop-off among 65+ than statewide.
• Income and plan type
  • Median household income trails the PA average. That correlates with:
    • A higher share of prepaid smartphone lines (est. 28–34% of smartphone lines in Erie vs. ~23–27% statewide).
    • More mobile-only households that rely on a phone hotspot instead of paying for wired broadband.
• Urban vs. rural split
  • City of Erie and nearby townships (e.g., Millcreek, Harborcreek, Fairview) show adoption and usage patterns close to state averages.
  • Outlying and southern townships show lower smartphone and 5G adoption and more reliance on legacy LTE, with a higher incidence of mobile-only internet use than statewide.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Erie’s minority households (Black and Hispanic communities concentrated in the city) show very high smartphone adoption and higher mobile-only reliance than white households—consistent with national patterns, but the mobile-only reliance gap is slightly larger than the PA average due to income and housing factors.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• 4G LTE: Near-universal coverage across the county; performance can dip in rural valleys and lake-adjacent fringes.
• 5G footprint:
  • City of Erie and the I-90/I-79 corridors have the strongest mid-band 5G presence and speeds.
  • Low-band 5G (and LTE) dominate in rural townships; mid-band 5G is spottier than the statewide average outside the urban core.
  • Typical user experience: 5G mid-band in the city ~200–500 Mbps; low-band 5G/LTE in rural areas often 5–100 Mbps with higher variability.
• Tower density and siting:
  • Denser macro sites along I-90, I-79, US-19/US-20 and around population centers; fewer sites and more terrain/vegetation constraints south and east of the city compared with the PA average for similarly populated areas.
• Fixed broadband interplay:
  • Strong cable coverage and some fiber builds in the city and inner suburbs; DSL and fixed wireless remain common farther out. This uneven wired footprint is a key driver of Erie’s above-average mobile-only household share.
• Seasonal effects:
  • Tourism around Presque Isle and Lake Erie brings seasonal load spikes; carriers tend to bolster capacity near the waterfront and main corridors during peak months—this seasonality is more pronounced than in most PA counties.

How Erie County differs most from the Pennsylvania average

• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration, driven by older age structure and lower incomes outside the city.
• Higher reliance on mobile-only internet, especially in rural and lower-income neighborhoods.
• Prepaid share of mobile subscriptions is a few points higher.
• 5G mid-band availability and speeds drop off more sharply outside the urban core than the statewide pattern.
• More pronounced seasonal usage surges tied to lakefront tourism.

Notes on methods and uncertainty

• Estimates synthesize ACS household internet indicators, statewide adoption benchmarks (e.g., Pew), FCC coverage patterns, and carrier deployment trends through 2024. County-specific figures are presented as ranges to reflect data lags and intra-county variation.

Erie County, PA social media snapshot (2025, best-available estimates)

Overview

• Population: ~270,000; residents 13+: ~230,000
• Social media users: ~160,000–190,000 (about 70–83% of residents 13+), skewing younger and more urban/suburban (City of Erie, Millcreek, Harborcreek)

Age penetration (share using at least one platform)

• 13–17: ~90–95% (heavy daily use; video-first)
• 18–29: ~90–95% (most multi-platform; messaging + short video)
• 30–49: ~80–85%
• 50–64: ~70–78%
• 65+: ~50–60% (primarily Facebook, YouTube)

Gender breakdown (among users)

• Female: ~52–54%
• Male: ~46–48%
• Notes: Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X. Nonbinary users likely undercounted in most surveys.

Most-used platforms in Erie County (approximate share of residents 13+ who use each; ranges reflect local variation)

• YouTube: ~75–80%
• Facebook: ~60–65%
• Instagram: ~40–45%
• TikTok: ~30–35% (higher among under 30)
• Snapchat: ~25–30% (concentrated under 25, college population)
• Pinterest: ~25–30% (skews female, DIY/home)
• LinkedIn: ~25–30% (manufacturing, healthcare, education recruitment)
• WhatsApp/Messenger: ~20–30% (family, immigrant, cross-border ties)
• X/Twitter: ~18–22% (news/sports watchers, civic/politics)
• Reddit: ~18–22% (tech/gaming, hobbyist communities)
• Nextdoor: ~10–15% (homeowners in suburbs/townships)

Behavioral trends to know

• Local news and weather drive spikes: Lake-effect snow, school closings, road conditions; Facebook groups and local TV pages see high engagement.
• Community groups rule: Buy/sell/trade, lost-and-found pets, neighborhood watch, school and youth sports updates on Facebook and Nextdoor.
• Seasonal content cycles:
  • Winter: road/snow updates, indoor events, HS/college basketball/wrestling
  • Spring/Summer: Presque Isle beaches, Bayfront/boating, fishing reports, festivals (CelebrateErie, 8 Great Tuesdays)
  • Fall: HS football, college move-in/homecoming, harvest events
• Video-first consumption: Short-form (Reels/TikTok) for food spots, events, and “things to do”; YouTube for fishing/boating, DIY, auto, and home repair.
• Youth/college behavior: High daily Snapchat/Instagram use; TikTok for discovery; peak activity late evenings; strong campus group chats.
• Older adults: Facebook as primary platform for news, faith groups, and civic info; active on marketplace and local charities.
• Timing: Engagement peaks weeknights 7–10 pm; secondary peaks 7–9 am and lunch (11:30 am–1 pm); Sunday evenings perform well for event recaps and community posts.

Method note: Figures are estimates derived by applying recent U.S. social media usage rates (e.g., Pew Research Center) to Erie County’s demographics; precise county-level platform counts are not publicly reported.