Lycoming County

Lycoming County, Pennsylvania — key demographics

Population size

• 114,188 (2020 Census)
• 2023 estimate: ~114,000 (minimal change since 2020)

Age

• Under 18: ~20%
• 65 and over: ~21%
• Working-age (18–64): ~59%
• Median age: ~41 years (ACS 2018–2022)

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50% (ACS 2018–2022)

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone: ~88%
• Black or African American alone: ~6%
• Asian alone: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.2%
• Two or more races: ~4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~3% (2020 Census/ACS 2018–2022; note: Hispanic is an ethnicity and can overlap with race)

Household data

• Total households: ~45,700
• Persons per household (avg): ~2.34
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~72% (ACS 2018–2022)

Insights

• Population is stable to slightly declining since 2010.
• Older age structure: roughly one in five residents is 65+.
• Predominantly White, with small but present Black and multiracial populations; Hispanic/Latino community is modest but growing.
• High homeownership and small household sizes typical of many nonmetropolitan Pennsylvania counties.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2023 Population Estimates Program)

Lycoming County, PA snapshot (pop ≈114,000; area 1,244 sq mi; density ≈92 people/sq mi)

• Estimated email users: ≈90,000 residents. Method: U.S. adult email usage (~92%, Pew) applied to Lycoming’s adult population, plus teens 13–17 with high school-based email use.
• Age profile of email use (rates among residents in each group, Pew benchmarks):
  • 18–29: ~99%
  • 30–49: ~98%
  • 50–64: ~95%
  • 65+: ~88% This yields strong penetration across working ages and slightly lower—but still high—use among seniors.
• Gender split: Near-even. U.S. benchmarks show women ~93% and men ~92% using email, implying a roughly 50/50 user mix locally given Lycoming’s balanced sex ratio.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Broadband adoption: about 80–85% of households subscribe to broadband (ACS Computer and Internet Use data for Lycoming County).
  • Smartphone access: most adults own smartphones (≈85–90% per Pew rural benchmarks), with roughly 10–15% likely smartphone‑only internet users.
  • Connectivity context: As Pennsylvania’s largest county by land area, settlement is dispersed outside Williamsport; cable/fiber are concentrated along main corridors, and terrain can limit fixed-line options in northern and wooded townships, making mobile data an important access path.

Implication: Email is a near-universal channel for working-age residents and broadly reliable for seniors, with some rural connectivity gaps influencing access method rather than adoption.

Mobile phone usage in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania — 2024 snapshot

Population and headline estimates

• Residents: ~114,000; households: ~46,800
• Adults (18+): ~86,500; teens (13–17): ~6,800
• Adults with any mobile phone: 95% (82,000 people)
• Adult smartphone users: 83% (72,000 people)
• Teen smartphone users (13–17): 84% (5,700 people)
• Total smartphone users age 13+: ~77,500
• Mobile-only home internet households (no fixed broadband, rely on cellular): 22% of households (10,300), higher than Pennsylvania overall (≈14–16%)

Demographic breakdown and behavior

• By age
  • 18–34: smartphone adoption ~92–95%; heavy app/social video use, hotspotting common among renters and students (Lycoming College, Penn College of Technology)
  • 35–64: ~86–90% smartphone adoption; strong use of mobile banking, navigation, and workplace apps
  • 65+: ~68–72% smartphone adoption; ~94% have a mobile phone of some kind; larger share of basic/feature phones than state average
• By income
  • Under $35k: smartphone adoption ~76–80%; higher reliance on prepaid plans and mobile-only internet
  • $35–75k: ~84–88% adoption
  • $75k+: ~90–94% adoption
• Device and plan mix
  • OS split: Android ~56–58%, iOS ~42–44% (statewide is closer to even in urban counties)
  • Prepaid share among phone lines: ~24–30% (above statewide ~17–22%), reflecting rural coverage strategies and price sensitivity
  • 5G-capable devices: ~58–62% of smartphone users; lower than state’s major metros, but rising quickly

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: Nationwide carriers operate countywide; 5G mid-band coverage is concentrated in the Williamsport–Montoursville–Muncy corridor and along US‑15/I‑180/US‑220; many northern and forested townships remain LTE-only
• Performance
  • Urban/suburban core (Williamsport, Montoursville, Muncy): typical mid-band 5G median downloads ~150–300 Mbps with low double‑digit uploads
  • Rural valleys and ridge/plateau areas (e.g., Loyalsock State Forest, Pine Creek corridor): LTE‑only common; typical downloads ~5–25 Mbps with higher latency; shadow zones in canyons and heavy tree cover
• Terrain effects: The Allegheny Plateau’s ridges, river bends, and forest canopy create localized dead zones and handoff issues on secondary roads (PA‑44, PA‑87, PA‑414), a more persistent problem than the statewide average
• Site density and backhaul: Macro towers cluster along highways and the Susquehanna Valley where fiber backhaul is available; lower tower density and more microwave backhaul in remote areas lead to greater capacity variability than in Pennsylvania’s metro counties
• Event-driven capacity: The Little League World Series in South Williamsport triggers seasonal deployment of temporary cells (COWs/COLTs) and additional spectrum, a unique local pattern not seen in most PA counties

How Lycoming differs from Pennsylvania overall

• Slightly lower adult smartphone adoption (≈83% vs ≈86% statewide) due to older age profile and rural coverage realities
• Higher dependence on mobile as primary home internet (≈22% vs ≈14–16%) because fixed broadband is less ubiquitous outside the Williamsport area
• More Android and prepaid usage, tied to price sensitivity and MVNO availability; state urban counties skew more iOS and postpaid
• Less consistent 5G availability outside population centers; more LTE‑only pockets and terrain‑driven dead zones than the state average
• Greater event‑based demand spikes (LLWS), requiring temporary capacity augments

Key takeaways

• About 77,500 residents age 13+ use smartphones, with near‑universal mobile phone ownership among adults
• Mobile-only connectivity is a critical access channel for roughly one in five households—materially higher than the state average
• 5G delivers strong performance in the Williamsport corridor, but LTE and topographic constraints still define the experience across much of the county’s rural north and east
• The county’s device and plan mix skews more Android and prepaid than Pennsylvania overall, reflecting local demographics and coverage patterns

Lycoming County, PA — social media snapshot (2025)

Scope and method: Figures below are county-level estimates for residents 18+ modeled from Pew Research Center’s 2024 US platform adoption benchmarks, rural vs. urban usage differentials, and the county’s age/sex profile from recent ACS data. They reflect “used in the past month” unless noted.

Overall usage

• Share of adults using at least one social platform: 70–73%
• Typical frequency among users: 60–65% use social media daily; 25–30% several times per week

Most-used platforms (share of adult residents using each)

• YouTube: 80–82%
• Facebook: 68–72%
• Instagram: 40–45%
• Pinterest: 32–36%
• TikTok: 28–32%
• WhatsApp: 24–28%
• Snapchat: 23–27%
• LinkedIn: 22–26%
• X (Twitter): 18–22%
• Nextdoor: 8–12%

Age-group usage (share using any social media; platform skews)

• 18–29: 88–92%. Heavy on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; Facebook is secondary.
• 30–49: 80–85%. Facebook and YouTube dominant; Instagram strong; TikTok moderate.
• 50–64: 68–72%. Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest notable; Instagram moderate.
• 65+: 46–50%. Facebook first; YouTube second; others limited.

Gender breakdown

• Any social media: women 73–76%; men 68–71%.
• Platform skews among users:
  • Facebook: ~55% women / 45% men
  • Instagram: ~57% women / 43% men
  • TikTok: ~60% women / 40% men
  • Pinterest: ~70% women / 30% men
  • YouTube: ~45% women / 55% men
  • LinkedIn and X: slight male tilt (roughly 52–56% men)

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Facebook remains the community hub: highest daily use among 30+, strong engagement for township updates, school districts, churches, EMS/weather alerts, and local buy/sell/trade groups. Giveaways, event posts, and photo galleries of local sports perform best.
• YouTube is the default for “how-to” and leisure: strong consumption of DIY, home repair, outdoor recreation (hunting/fishing), auto/ATV, and local sports highlights. Long-form still works, but short how-to and product walk-throughs drive completion.
• Visual, short-form growth: Instagram Reels and TikTok continue to rise among 18–34, especially for local dining, small-business promos, and fitness/outdoors. Cross-posted Reels from Facebook gain incremental reach in 35–54.
• Messaging is concentrated in Facebook Messenger and SMS; WhatsApp use is steady but niche, skewing toward international family ties and certain trades.
• Teens gravitate to Snapchat and TikTok for daily messaging and trends; Facebook use is largely for groups, teams, and family.
• Timing and cadence: Engagement peaks evenings (6–9 pm) and weekends; storm days and school/sports milestones see spikes. Seasonal surges around high school sports, Little League World Series (August), hunting season, fairs/festivals, and holiday events.
• Content that feels “local” wins: faces of owners and staff, customer spotlights, volunteer features, and community service storytelling outperform generic promotional posts.
• Ads and CTA performance: Offer-driven creatives (discounts, limited-time menus, registration deadlines) convert best on Facebook/Instagram; lead-gen for skilled trades and healthcare recruiting over-indexes on Facebook and LinkedIn. Short vertical video with captions outperforms static by 20–40% on average.

Data notes

• These county-level figures are modeled estimates anchored to Pew Research Center’s Social Media Use (2024) and adjusted for rural adoption patterns; precise platform shares can vary by neighborhood, broadband access, and event cycles.