Franklin County

Franklin County, Pennsylvania — key demographics (latest available estimates)

Population

• Total: ~159,000 (ACS 2023 1-year; rounded)

Age

• Median age: ~41.8 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18–64: ~59–60%
• 65 and over: ~19–20%

Sex

• Female: ~50.5%
• Male: ~49.5%

Race/ethnicity

• White, non-Hispanic: ~85–86%
• Black or African American: ~3–4%
• Asian: ~1–2%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~5–6%
• Other (incl. American Indian/Alaska Native, NHPI, some other race): ~1%

Households

• Total households: ~61,000
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~66%
• Married-couple households: ~50%
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~72%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 1-year (tables DP05, S0101, S1101). Figures rounded for clarity.

Franklin County, PA — email usage snapshot

• Population/density: ≈158,000 residents (2023 est.) across ~773 sq mi; ~200 people/sq mi. Population clusters along the I‑81 corridor (Chambersburg, Waynesboro, Greencastle); rural townships are sparser.
• Estimated email users: ≈105,000–115,000 residents use email at least occasionally. That’s ~85–90% of adults and ~66–73% of all residents. Method: applied national internet/email adoption to local age mix.
• Age distribution (of email users, approx.): 13–17: 7–8%; 18–34: 22–25%; 35–64: 45–50%; 65+: 18–22%. Adoption by age: 18–64 ≈95%; 65+ ≈80–90% (lower frequency of use).
• Gender split: Near parity; with the county’s slight female majority, email users are roughly 50/50 female/male.
• Digital access trends:
  • Home broadband subscription in the mid‑80% of households; mobile‑only internet households roughly 12–15% and growing.
  • Faster cable/fiber is concentrated in boroughs and the I‑81 corridor; DSL and fixed‑wireless are more common in rural areas, where some locations still fall below 100/20 Mbps.
  • Expanding 5G improves coverage along major routes; libraries and municipal sites offer free Wi‑Fi and computer access.

Notes: Estimates leverage the 2020 Census/2023 population and national Pew/ACS adoption rates applied to Franklin County’s demographics.

Summary for Franklin County, PA: mobile use, who’s using it, and what’s different from statewide

High-level differences from Pennsylvania overall

• More mobile-first households: A larger share of homes rely on cellular data for home internet than the PA average, driven by patchier fixed broadband outside the I‑81 corridor and price sensitivity.
• Coverage pattern is more “corridor-centric”: Strong 4G/5G along I‑81 (Chambersburg–Greencastle–Waynesboro) with spottier performance in ridge-and-valley terrain to the west and east, unlike the denser, more uniformly covered urban cores that drive statewide averages.
• Usage shaped by logistics and agriculture: Daytime network load is pulled toward warehouses, intermodal sites, and fields rather than office cores; evening peaks are concentrated in small towns and subdivisions rather than dense urban neighborhoods typical of statewide patterns.
• Seniors weigh on adoption slightly: A somewhat larger 65+ share than the state average nudges smartphone take‑up modestly lower among older adults, though growth continues as mid-band 5G and simpler plan/device options expand.

User estimates (order-of-magnitude, triangulated from ACS internet-subscription data, Pew ownership rates, and FCC coverage patterns)

• Population base: roughly 155–160k residents; 120–125k adults.
• Mobile phone users (any cellphone): about 115–120k residents.
• Smartphone users: about 100–110k residents. Adoption is near-universal among under‑50s, high among 50–64, and roughly three-quarters among 65+.
• Mobile-only home internet: approximately 9–13% of households rely primarily on a cellular data plan for home internet (vs roughly 6–9% statewide). Cellular-as-a-backup is also common in fringe areas with weaker fixed options.
• Wireless-only voice households (no landline): broadly on par with Pennsylvania (roughly two-thirds to three-quarters of households), possibly a touch lower due to the county’s older age mix.

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns most relevant to planning)

• Age
  • 18–34: Near-universal smartphone ownership; heavy app/social/video use; highest mobile data consumption. Patterns similar to the state.
  • 35–64: Very high ownership and BYOD for work; strong adoption of hotspotting and fixed wireless access (FWA) where cable/fiber prices or availability are barriers.
  • 65+: Ownership continues to rise but trails younger cohorts; larger local share of seniors than statewide slightly lowers countywide averages. When connected, this group increasingly uses large-screen phones and carrier bundling with health and security features.
• Geography
  • I‑81 towns and boroughs (Chambersburg, Waynesboro, Greencastle): Device ownership and 5G use mirror statewide suburban norms; prepaid and FWA uptake show above-average growth due to cost and convenience.
  • Rural townships and ridge areas: More mobile-only internet, more reliance on hotspots, and greater sensitivity to indoor coverage and power-backup during storms than state urban norms.
• Income and plans
  • Budget and prepaid plans are a larger slice of the market than in Pennsylvania’s metro counties; multi-line family bundles and “home internet via 5G” are common money-saving strategies.

Digital infrastructure highlights (what stands out locally)

• Coverage and technology
  • 4G LTE is broadly available where people live and work; 5G is strongest along I‑81 and in the larger boroughs. Terrain creates dead zones and performance variability in valleys and state forest edges more than statewide averages suggest.
  • Mid-band 5G (where deployed) materially improves indoor performance along the corridor; outlying areas lean on low-band 5G/4G for reach.
• Capacity hot spots
  • Logistics hubs, interchanges, and distribution centers generate daytime traffic spikes atypical of Pennsylvania’s urban-led profile. School campuses and sports complexes create evening/weekend peaks in small towns.
• Backhaul and redundancy
  • Backhaul follows the interstate/US‑route grid; redundancy thins outside the corridor, so single-point fiber cuts or power events can affect larger footprints than in cities.
• Fixed alternatives
  • Cable is strong in boroughs; fiber is present but not ubiquitous; DSL remnants persist in pockets. As a result, 5G fixed wireless access has above-state-average traction as primary or backup home internet.
• Public initiatives and affordability
  • Post-ACP affordability changes have a visible impact; libraries, schools, and community centers see higher Wi‑Fi demand. Grant-funded builds (BEAD and related programs) target remaining unserved/underserved pockets; until those land, mobile fills gaps more than in metro counties.

Implications

• Carriers: Prioritize mid-band 5G infill and sector adds along I‑81 and warehouse clusters; harden macro sites in ridge areas with power and backhaul redundancy; expand FWA where cable/fiber is costly or absent.
• Public sector: Pair last-mile fiber builds with coverage audits in ridge/valley pockets; maintain device/plan assistance for seniors; extend public Wi‑Fi at libraries and parks where mobile-only households cluster.
• Businesses and services: Optimize SMS/WhatsApp/mobile-web channels for outreach; design apps and content for variable bandwidth and offline-friendly use, especially outside the corridor.

Notes

• Figures are estimates synthesized from federal datasets and national ownership benchmarks applied to a county with a mixed small-town/rural profile. For siting or program decisions, validate with the latest ACS S2801 county tables, FCC mobile coverage maps, and carrier-specific local performance data.

Below is a concise, best-available snapshot for Franklin County, PA. County-level social media data aren’t directly published, so figures are modeled from U.S. Census (age/sex mix) and Pew Research Center 2023–2024 platform adoption, with rural/suburban adjustments. Treat as directional estimates.

Headline user stats

• Population base: ~158,000 residents; ~123,000 adults (18+).
• Social media penetration
  • Adults using at least one platform: ~70–74% (≈86k–91k adults).
  • Teens (13–17) using at least one platform: ~90–95% (≈8–9k teens).
  • Total users (13+): ≈95k–100k.

Age profile (share who use any social platform)

• 13–17: ~90–95% (heavy on YouTube, TikTok, Snap, Instagram).
• 18–29: ~90–95% (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snap lead; Facebook lower).
• 30–49: ~82–86% (Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram rising).
• 50–64: ~73–78% (Facebook strongest; YouTube, Pinterest notable).
• 65+: ~45–50% (primarily Facebook and YouTube).

Gender breakdown

• Overall users roughly mirror county demographics: ≈52% women, 48% men.
• Platform skews (directional): Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok skew female; YouTube, Reddit, X (Twitter), LinkedIn skew male; Facebook slightly female-leaning.

Most-used platforms among adults (estimated share of adults)

• YouTube: ~75–80%
• Facebook: ~65–70%
• Instagram: ~40–45%
• TikTok: ~28–35%
• Pinterest: ~30–37% (female-skew)
• Snapchat: ~22–28% (younger skew)
• LinkedIn: ~24–30% (lower where bachelor’s attainment is below U.S. avg)
• X (Twitter): ~18–22% Note: Teens over-index on YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat; seniors concentrate on Facebook and YouTube.

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural/suburban PA counties (and likely in Franklin)

• Facebook as the community hub: Local news, school updates, public safety alerts, events, churches, youth sports, and buy/sell/trade groups. Facebook Marketplace is a primary channel for yard sales, vehicles, tools, and farm/outdoor gear.
• Private messaging first: Many interactions move from public posts to Messenger, Instagram DMs, and texting for coordination, customer service, and group logistics.
• Video-forward consumption: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) is rising for entertainment, local business promotion, and event highlights; businesses often cross-post Reels to Facebook.
• Cross-posting workflow: Small businesses and organizations create once (Instagram/Facebook) and syndicate to TikTok/YouTube Shorts as capacity allows.
• Trust via local signals: Posts with recognizable landmarks, familiar faces, and hyperlocal hashtags/pages outperform generic content. Reviews on Facebook and Google heavily influence service choices.
• Time-of-day patterns: Morning (commute/school), lunch, and 7–10 p.m. see higher engagement; weekend spikes for Marketplace and event discovery.
• Older adults: Facebook for keeping up with family (photos, milestones) and community information; comparatively low adoption of TikTok/Snap.

Sources and method notes

• U.S. Census Bureau (ACS/PEP) for county population and age mix.
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use 2023–2024; Teens and Tech 2022 for platform adoption by age.
• Estimates adjust national rates to a rural/suburban, slightly older county profile.