Huntingdon County

Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania — key demographics

Population size

• 44,092 (2020 Census count)
• 44,337 (2023 Census estimate)

Age

• Median age: about 44 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~18%
• 18 to 64: ~60%
• 65 and over: ~22%

Gender

• Male: ~55%
• Female: ~45% Note: The county’s male share is elevated due to state correctional institutions located in the county.

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~87%
• Black or African American alone: ~7–8%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–3%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Asian alone: ~0–1%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0–1%

Households

• Total households: ~17,600 (ACS 2019–2023)
• Persons per household: ~2.36
• Family households: ~11,000 (about two-thirds of households)
• Married-couple families: ~8,000
• Nonfamily households: ~35–38%
• Living alone: ~31% of households; ~13% are 65+ living alone
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~78%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; Vintage 2023 population estimates.

Huntingdon County, PA has ~44,000 residents (≈50 people per square mile). Estimated email users (age 15+) total ~33,000.

Age distribution of email users:

• 15–24: ~16% (≈5,300)
• 25–44: ~31% (≈10,200)
• 45–64: ~33% (≈10,900)
• 65+: ~20% (≈6,600)

Gender split among email users: ~53% male, ~47% female (male-skew influenced by two state prisons in the borough of Huntingdon).

Digital access and trends:

• ~90% of households have a computer or smartphone.
• ~81% have a home broadband subscription; ~10–12% are smartphone-only.
• Adoption continues to rise, led by smartphone uptake; older and lower‑income households lag home broadband adoption.
• Email usage is effectively universal among working-age adults and students; seniors use it widely but at lower rates than younger cohorts.

Local connectivity facts:

• Predominantly rural and mountainous; service quality clusters in Huntingdon and Mount Union and along major corridors (e.g., US‑22).
• Many outlying townships rely on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite, with variable speeds and affordability constraints.
• Mobile 4G covers most primary roads, but valleys and ridgelines exhibit coverage gaps, affecting consistent email access off Wi‑Fi.

Huntingdon County, PA mobile phone usage — 2025 snapshot

Population baseline

• Residents: ~44,200
• Households: ~18,000
• Adults (18+): ~34,900

User estimates (unique residents; modeled from Pew county-rural adoption patterns and ACS age mix)

• Adults with any mobile phone: ~32,100 (92% of adults), vs ~96% at the state level
• Adult smartphone users: ~29,000 (83% of adults), vs ~89% at the state level
• Teens 13–17 with smartphones: ~2,300 (≈92% of teens), vs ≈95% statewide
• Total unique mobile phone users (12+): ~34,400, roughly 78% of residents

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–34: smartphone adoption ≈95%
  • 35–64: ≈87%
  • 65+: ≈68% (well below the statewide ~78–80%, reflecting the county’s older age profile)
• Income and “mobile-only” internet
  • Households relying on a cellular data plan with no home wired broadband: ~11% countywide, vs ~7% statewide
  • Among households under $35k income, mobile-only reliance is ~20% (driven by affordability and limited wireline options)
• Geography and work patterns
  • Higher share of rural and outdoor occupations uses mobile voice/text as a primary channel; data use is spikier around towns and job sites than in suburban PA
• Device and plan mix
  • Longer device replacement cycles than state average; higher use of budget and MVNO plans tied to coverage and cost considerations

Digital infrastructure points

• Coverage
  • 4G LTE from all three national carriers is strong in and around Huntingdon Borough, Mount Union, and along US-22/522; signal quality weakens in ridge-and-valley terrain, especially south and east of Raystown Lake and in forested hollows
  • Low-band 5G covers population centers and main corridors; mid-band 5G capacity is spotty outside towns, yielding performance closer to LTE in much of the county
• Performance
  • Estimated median mobile download speeds: ~45 Mbps countywide under real-world conditions, vs ~105 Mbps statewide; uploads ~8–12 Mbps vs ~20+ Mbps statewide
  • Notable peak-season congestion around Raystown Lake, campgrounds, and weekend events; midday weekday capacity is comparatively better along US-22
• Towers and backhaul
  • Lower site density than state average; many macro sites on ridge lines and municipal structures
  • Mix of fiber and microwave backhaul; non-fibered sites cap 5G capacity despite radio upgrades
• Public safety and resilience
  • FirstNet (AT&T Band 14) overlays added on key sites since 2019–2022, improving coverage for responders; still terrain-limited indoors in remote valleys
• Fixed wireless and alternatives
  • T-Mobile 5G Home available in and around boroughs and along US-22; Verizon LTE/5G Home is more limited and patchy
  • Multiple WISPs offer 25–50 Mbps in line-of-sight pockets; Starlink adoption has grown in fringe areas lacking cable/fiber
• Wireline context that shapes mobile usage
  • Cable/fiber present in boroughs and village cores; many outer townships remain DSL- or WISP-dependent
  • Ongoing state and federal funding (ARPA/BEAD-era projects) is targeting middle-mile and last-mile buildouts to underserved tracts; benefits will accrue unevenly through 2026

How Huntingdon County differs from Pennsylvania overall

• Adoption: Adult smartphone adoption runs 5–7 percentage points lower than the state average, driven by older age mix and rurality
• Mobile-only internet: ~1.5x the statewide rate, reflecting affordability pressures and limited wireline competition beyond town centers
• Performance: Typical mobile download speeds are 40–60% lower than the statewide median due to sparser towers, terrain, and backhaul constraints
• Coverage quality: More dependence on low-band 5G/LTE, with mid-band 5G capacity mostly confined to towns and primary corridors rather than broadly suburban coverage seen elsewhere in PA
• Seasonal variability: Tourism around Raystown Lake produces sharper congestion spikes than the state norm for non-metro counties
• Affordability pressures: Greater reliance on budget plans/MVNOs and longer device lifecycles than the statewide profile; the wind-down of federal affordability subsidies in 2024 has increased mobile-only reliance at the margins

Key takeaways

• Expect roughly 29,000 adult smartphone users and about 34,400 total mobile phone users countywide
• Coverage is adequate on main routes and in boroughs but remains terrain-limited; capacity, not just coverage, is the binding constraint for 5G outside town centers
• Mobile connectivity is a primary on-ramp to the internet for many lower-income and rural households, materially more so than the statewide pattern
• Infrastructure investments that fiber-backhaul more towers and extend mid-band 5G to secondary corridors would close most of the gap with the statewide experience and reduce seasonal congestion impacts

Huntingdon County, PA — social media snapshot (2025)

Population baseline

• Total population: ~44,700 (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 est.)
• Adults (18+): ~36,100

Overall usage

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~28,200 (78% of adults)

Most‑used platforms (share of adults; approx. users)

• YouTube: 79% (~28,500)
• Facebook: 70% (~25,300)
• Instagram: 38% (~13,700)
• Pinterest: 34% (~12,300)
• TikTok: 27% (~9,700)
• Snapchat: 24% (~8,700)
• WhatsApp: 23% (~8,300)
• LinkedIn: 22% (~7,900)
• X (Twitter): 20% (~7,200)
• Reddit: 18% (~6,500)
• Nextdoor: 10% (~3,600)

Age‑group usage tendencies (share of adults in each age band using platform)

• 18–29: YouTube ~95%; Instagram ~81%; TikTok ~70%; Snapchat ~65%; Facebook ~45%
• 30–49: YouTube ~88%; Facebook ~76%; Instagram ~52%; TikTok ~36%; Pinterest ~35%; WhatsApp ~30%
• 50–64: YouTube ~74%; Facebook ~72%; Pinterest ~35%; Instagram ~24%; TikTok ~16%
• 65+: YouTube ~61%; Facebook ~58%; Pinterest ~20%; Instagram ~14%; TikTok ~7%

Gender breakdown

• Active social users: ~53% female, ~47% male
• Platform skews: Pinterest and TikTok skew female; Instagram slightly female; Facebook slightly female; YouTube, Reddit, and X skew male; LinkedIn slightly male. Note: The county’s incarcerated population inflates the male share in census totals but is not active on social platforms; the active user base therefore skews modestly female.

Behavioral trends (local patterns seen in rural central Pennsylvania)

• Facebook is the community hub: High engagement in local groups (schools, hunting/fishing, yard sales), Marketplace activity, local news and weather alerts, school sports and event updates.
• Video‑first behavior: YouTube dominates for how‑to/DIY, outdoor and equipment content; short vertical video (Reels/TikTok) drives discovery. Captions are important due to frequent sound‑off viewing.
• Timing: Peak engagement early morning (6–8 a.m.) and evening (7–9 p.m.); strong Sunday and weekday‑evening activity; mobile‑heavy consumption.
• Content that performs: Local faces and testimonials, event recaps, deals on practical goods, hunting/fishing seasons, school and community milestones, quick tutorials, and severe‑weather or road updates.
• Platform roles:
  • Facebook for reach, groups, events, and local commerce
  • YouTube for in‑depth tutorials and product research
  • Instagram for visuals and Reels among 18–49
  • TikTok for 18–34 discovery and local creators
  • Pinterest for DIY, recipes, crafts, and seasonal planning (skews female 25–54)
  • Snapchat for teens/young adults’ daily messaging
• Advertising implications: Geo‑target within townships/boroughs; emphasize video + local credibility; use Facebook Groups/Events/Marketplace; lean on Reels/Shorts for reach; keep creative concise and mobile‑first.

Notes and methodology

• Figures are 2025 county‑level estimates derived from applying Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. social platform adoption rates (with rural adjustments) to Huntingdon County’s 2023 Census population and age structure. Multiple‑platform usage means platform percentages sum to more than 100%.