Juniata County

Juniata County, Pennsylvania — key demographics

Population size

• 24,763 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: 42.3 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Age distribution: Under 18: 22.2%; 18–64: 58.8%; 65 and over: 19.0% (ACS 2018–2022)

Gender

• Male: 50.2%; Female: 49.8% (ACS 2018–2022)

Racial/ethnic composition (shares of total population)

• White (non-Hispanic): 92.9%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): 3.4%
• Two or more races: 2.4%
• Black or African American: 0.5%
• Asian: 0.2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: 0.1%
• Other: 0.5% (ACS 2018–2022)

Household data

• Total households: 9,525
• Average household size: 2.60
• Family households: 67% of households
  • Married-couple families: 53% of all households
• Nonfamily households: 33%
  • One-person households: 26%; 65+ living alone: 11%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: 79% (ACS 2018–2022)

Insights

• Small, stable population with a median age in the early 40s, indicative of an older-than-national age profile.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with a modest but growing Hispanic/Latino presence.
• Household structure skewed toward family and married-couple households, with relatively high homeownership and moderate household size.

Juniata County, PA snapshot (2023 est.)

• Population: ~23.6k; density ~60 people per sq. mile (rural).
• Estimated email users: ~17.4k adults (≈94% of ~18.5k adults; ≈74% of total population).

Age distribution of adult email users (estimated):

• 18–34: ~4.2k (24%)
• 35–54: ~5.7k (33%)
• 55–64: ~2.9k (17%)
• 65+: ~4.6k (26%)

Gender split among email users:

• Roughly even, mirroring population (~50% male, ~50% female).

Digital access and connectivity:

• Households: ~9.1k; with a broadband subscription ~80% (≈7.3k); smartphone‑only internet ~9%; no home internet ~16%.
• Rural topology and low density mean uneven last‑mile coverage; cable and DSL are most common, with fiber limited but slowly expanding; fixed‑wireless and satellite fill gaps for outlying areas.
• Mobile access supports email continuity where wired broadband is weak; seniors show slightly lower usage than younger groups but still high adoption.

Overall: Email is near‑universal among adults, with usage strongest in working‑age cohorts. Access constraints are driven more by rural infrastructure than by user propensity to use email.

Mobile phone usage in Juniata County, Pennsylvania — summary and county-specific insights

User estimates

• Adult smartphone users: ≈16,300 (about 83–84% of the county’s adult population). This estimate weights Juniata’s older age profile against Pew Research’s age-specific smartphone adoption rates and the 2020 Census adult population.
• Seniors (65+): ≈3,100 smartphone users; adoption among seniors is notably lower than other age groups but growing year over year.
• Overall handset lines in use: on the order of 22,000–27,000 active mobile handset lines (human-used), roughly tracking the county’s population when excluding IoT and data-only devices.

Demographic breakdown (usage characteristics)

• Age-driven adoption:
  • 18–49: Near-universal smartphone adoption (>90%).
  • 50–64: Mid-80s percent adoption.
  • 65+: Low-60s percent adoption, with a meaningful minority using basic/feature phones or shared household devices rather than personal smartphones.
• Income and device access:
  • A higher share of “smartphone-only” internet households than the Pennsylvania average. Estimate: about 12–15% of Juniata County households rely on a smartphone but lack a desktop/laptop at home (vs roughly 7–9% statewide). This reflects lower fixed-broadband availability/affordability in rural areas and pushes heavier reliance on mobile data for everyday online access.
• Cultural factors:
  • The presence of Plain Anabaptist communities (Amish/Mennonite) modestly depresses smartphone penetration compared with state averages, though usage norms vary by community and over time.

Digital infrastructure points

• Coverage and technology mix:
  • 4G LTE from the national carriers is strong along the Juniata River/US‑22/322 corridor and in boroughs such as Mifflintown and Port Royal, with documented dead zones in ridge-and-valley terrain, state forest lands, and sparsely populated hollows.
  • 5G low‑band (coverage-first) signals are present across most populated corridors. Mid‑band 5G (T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz; Verizon/AT&T C‑band) is more limited and concentrated along US‑22/322 and in town centers; it attenuates quickly off-corridor due to terrain and tower spacing.
• Network density and resilience:
  • Macro site density is characteristically rural; towers cluster on ridgelines and along major roads, with few small cells. This yields good corridor performance but variable in-building coverage off the main routes.
  • Power and backhaul outages during severe weather can affect pockets of the county due to limited route diversity; Wi‑Fi calling is an important fallback for many households.
• Public safety and alerts:
  • FirstNet (AT&T) coverage is available for public-safety users; Wireless Emergency Alerts function countywide where service is present.

How Juniata County differs from Pennsylvania overall

• Adoption rate: Adult smartphone adoption in Juniata County (≈83–84%) trails the statewide rate (upper‑80s to ~90%) by several percentage points, largely due to an older age mix and cultural factors.
• Device dependence: Smartphone‑only households are materially more common in Juniata than statewide, indicating higher reliance on mobile networks for primary internet access.
• 5G availability profile: Juniata’s 5G mid‑band footprint is corridor‑centric and less contiguous than metro Pennsylvania, producing wider swings in real‑world speeds. Users experience a larger gap between “on-corridor” and “off‑corridor” performance than the state average.
• Performance: Typical rural median download speeds are lower and more variable than Pennsylvania’s metro medians; users see strong speeds where mid‑band 5G is present and a quick drop to LTE‑like rates in shadowed valleys or forested areas.
• Market mix: A higher share of cost‑sensitive plans and MVNO usage is observed relative to metro counties, reflecting rural income/price dynamics and the practicality of unlimited smartphone data where fixed broadband is limited.

Implications and trends

• Gradual catch-up via low‑band 5G and selective mid‑band infill will improve corridor speeds, but terrain and tower spacing will continue to shape coverage gaps.
• Smartphone‑only reliance is likely to persist until fixed broadband availability and pricing improve deeper into rural townships.
• Seniors remain the growth segment for smartphone adoption; digital literacy and subsidized device/plan programs (ACP successor programs, Lifeline, and carrier value tiers) materially influence uptake in the county.

Juniata County, PA — Social Media Usage Snapshot (2024)

What these numbers represent

• Modeled 2024 estimates for Juniata County adults (18+), derived by age-weighting national/rural usage benchmarks (Pew Research Center 2023–2024) to the county’s older-leaning population base (2020 Census total pop. 24,763; adults ≈ 19,300). Figures reflect typical monthly use. Multiple-platform use is common, so platform shares sum to >100%.

User stats

• Adult social media users: ≈ 13,000 (≈ 67% of adults)
• Average platforms used per person: 2–3
• Primary access: mobile-first (smartphone-dominant)

Age mix of local social media users

• 18–24: 12%
• 25–34: 16%
• 35–44: 18%
• 45–54: 18%
• 55–64: 18%
• 65+: 18%

Gender breakdown (among local social media users)

• Women: 54%
• Men: 46%

Most-used platforms (share of local social media users who use monthly)

• YouTube: 86%
• Facebook: 77%
• Instagram: 39%
• Pinterest: 35%
• TikTok: 28%
• Snapchat: 21%
• X (Twitter): 19%
• LinkedIn: 19%
• WhatsApp: 17%
• Reddit: 11%

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Facebook as the “local hub”: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups and Pages for schools, churches, township/borough updates, volunteer fire companies, and community events; Marketplace widely used for vehicles, farm/hunting gear, and home goods.
• Video leads attention: Short-form video (Reels/Shorts) outperforms static posts; practical content (how‑tos, local sports highlights, county fair coverage) gets strong completion rates.
• Event-driven spikes: Noticeable engagement lifts around the Juniata County Fair, school-year milestones, hunting season, and severe weather updates.
• Timing: Engagement clusters before work (6–8 a.m.) and in the evening (7–10 p.m.), with weekend late-morning scroll peaks.
• Trust and word-of-mouth: Recommendations in local groups drive action more than polished ads; creator/neighbor endorsements outperform brand-led messaging.
• Messaging layer: Facebook Messenger dominates local 1:1 and small-group coordination; WhatsApp is present but secondary; SMS remains common for older residents.
• Ad performance norms: Broad-interest Facebook placements and YouTube In-Stream/Shorts deliver cost-efficient reach; Instagram and TikTok work best for 18–34 with creative that feels native; LinkedIn is niche (professional services, hiring).

Notes for application

• The county’s older age structure boosts Facebook and Pinterest relative to national averages and moderates TikTok/Snapchat uptake.
• Expect multi-touch journeys: discovery on Facebook/YouTube, validation in groups/comments, and conversion via Messenger or local phone/web.