Mckean County

McKean County, Pennsylvania — key demographics (most recent Census/ACS)

Population size

• Total population: ~40,400 (2023 ACS 5-year estimate); 40,432 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~44 years
• Under 18: ~19%
• 18 to 64: ~59–60%
• 65 and over: ~21–22%

Sex

• Male: ~52%
• Female: ~48%

Race and ethnicity (percent of total population)

• White alone: ~90–91%
• Black or African American alone: ~5–6%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.8–1%
• Asian alone: ~0.5–0.7%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2–3%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~88–90%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~16.5–16.7 thousand
• Average household size: ~2.2–2.3 persons
• Family households: ~60–63% of households
• Married-couple households: ~45–48% of households
• Nonfamily households: ~37–40%
• Housing units: ~19–20 thousand
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~70–74%

Insights

• Aging profile with a median age in the mid-40s and about one-fifth 65+.
• Slight male majority, influenced in part by institutional populations.
• Predominantly White, with small Black and Hispanic/Latino populations.
• Smaller household sizes and high owner-occupancy consistent with rural Pennsylvania counties.

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

• Scope: McKean County, PA (pop. ≈39,800; area ≈984 sq mi; density ≈40 residents/sq mi).
• Estimated email users: ≈31,000 residents use email regularly (≈78% of total population), driven by high adult adoption.
• Adult email users: ≈29,000 (≈90% of ≈32,200 adults).
• Age distribution of adult email users (approximate counts, shares):
  • 18–34: 7,600 (26%)
  • 35–54: 9,500 (33%)
  • 55–64: 5,200 (18%)
  • 65+: 6,700 (23%)
• Gender split among email users: roughly even (≈50% female, ≈50% male), mirroring county demographics.
• Digital access and devices:
  • Households with a computer: ≈90%
  • Home broadband subscription: ≈82%
  • No home internet: ≈13%
  • Smartphone‑only internet access: ≈11% of households
  • Libraries and schools in Bradford, Kane, and Smethport serve as key access hubs.
• Connectivity context:
  • Rural terrain and long last‑mile runs limit fiber beyond town centers; cable/DSL dominate along US‑219/PA‑59 corridors.
  • 4G LTE covers most populated areas; 5G availability is emerging around Bradford. Insights: Email use is near-universal among working‑age adults, remains strong among 65+, and correlates with home broadband. Gaps persist in the most rural tracts, where smartphone‑only access and public Wi‑Fi play outsized roles.

Mobile phone usage in McKean County, Pennsylvania — 2024 snapshot

Population baseline

• Residents: 40,432 (2020 Census), predominantly rural with population centers in Bradford, Kane, Smethport, and Mount Jewett.
• Age structure skews older than the state average, which materially affects device mix and plan choices.

Estimated users and adoption (2024)

• Unique mobile phone users (any mobile) among residents: 30,000–32,000 (roughly 74–79% of total population), driven by very high adult adoption and lower adoption among young children.
• Adult smartphone users: 26,000–28,000 (about 80–85% of adults), about 3–5 percentage points below Pennsylvania’s adult benchmark (which tracks the national ~85% level).
• Feature/basic phone users: 2,500–3,500 adults (notably concentrated among older and lower‑income residents).
• Mobile-only home internet reliance: 12–16% of households (vs roughly 9–11% statewide), reflecting more limited fixed-broadband options in outlying townships.

Demographic breakdown (modeled from national adoption by age/income applied to McKean’s age-income profile)

• Ages 18–29: ~95% have smartphones; estimated 4,500–5,000 users.
• Ages 30–49: ~90–93% have smartphones; estimated 8,500–9,500 users.
• Ages 50–64: ~79–85% have smartphones; estimated 6,500–7,500 users.
• Ages 65+: ~61–68% have smartphones; estimated 5,000–5,800 users. Basic/voice-only devices remain common in this cohort.
• Income effect: Prepaid plans and budget Android devices are 10–15% more prevalent than the statewide mix, correlating with lower median household income than Pennsylvania overall.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage
  • Verizon and AT&T provide the broadest LTE/low-band 5G coverage across towns and along US‑219 and US‑6. T‑Mobile coverage is improving but remains spottier away from population centers.
  • Persistent weak/absent service corridors: Allegheny National Forest tracts (notably along PA‑59 and PA‑321), valleys and ridge-shadowed roads, and sparsely populated northern and southeastern townships.
• 5G footprint and quality
  • Low-band 5G (coverage-first) is present in and around Bradford, Kane, Smethport, and along primary highways.
  • Mid-band 5G capacity (fast 2.5–3.7 GHz) is limited to small pockets near the largest towns; mmWave is effectively absent. Result: fewer capacity gains than seen in Pennsylvania’s metro counties.
• Speeds (typical user experience)
  • McKean: median mobile downloads commonly 30–60 Mbps in town centers, dropping below 10–20 Mbps at the rural fringe and in forested terrain.
  • Pennsylvania statewide: roughly 80–100+ Mbps median, with denser mid-band 5G in metros driving higher averages.
• Resilience and seasonality
  • Seasonal congestion spikes occur around Kinzua Bridge State Park and Allegheny National Forest recreation areas; summer weekends can see noticeable slowdowns.
  • Public-safety coverage has improved with FirstNet buildouts since 2019, but terrain-related dead zones persist for all carriers in forest interiors.

How McKean differs from Pennsylvania overall

• Adoption: Slightly lower adult smartphone penetration and a higher share of basic phones, driven by older age structure and income mix.
• Access pattern: More mobile-only households and heavier reliance on prepaid plans than the statewide average.
• Coverage and capacity: Larger geographic coverage gaps, lower median speeds, and a smaller mid-band 5G footprint than typical Pennsylvania counties.
• Usage context: Greater variability by micro‑location (valley vs ridge vs town center) and stronger seasonal demand swings due to tourism and outdoor recreation.

Implications

• Carriers will see the largest quality-of-experience gains from adding mid-band 5G on existing macro sites in Bradford, Kane, and Smethport and by infilling along PA‑59/PA‑321 corridors that traverse forest and ridge terrain.
• Policymakers and emergency services should continue prioritizing buildouts where terrain-induced dead zones overlap high‑traffic recreation routes and evacuation corridors.
• Digital equity programs remain important: affordability constraints and device turnover are more binding locally than statewide, even as overall mobile adoption remains high.

Notes on methodology

• User counts are derived by applying current national/rural adoption benchmarks by age and income to McKean County’s population base (2020 Census) and known rural usage patterns. Speed and coverage characterizations reflect northern Appalachian rural performance norms, FCC carrier coverage disclosures, and recent independent testing trends for Pennsylvania, adjusted for McKean’s terrain and settlement pattern.

Social media usage in McKean County, Pennsylvania (2025 snapshot)

How many people

• Population baseline: ~40K residents; adults (18+) ~31K (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2019–2023 5‑year; rounded).
• Social media penetration (rural adults): ~74% use at least one platform (benchmarked to Pew Research Center’s rural adoption rates).
• Estimated adult social media users in-county: ~23K. Including teens (13–17) adds ~2K–2.5K highly active users.

Most-used platforms among adults (modeled county estimates; percent of adults and approximate user counts)

• YouTube: 79% (24.5K)
• Facebook: 63% (19.5K)
• Instagram: 35% (10.9K)
• Pinterest: 29% (9.0K)
• TikTok: 25% (7.8K)
• Snapchat: 22% (6.9K)
• LinkedIn: 17% (5.3K)
• X (Twitter): 14% (4.3K)
• WhatsApp: 15% (4.7K)
• Reddit: 12% (3.8K)
• Nextdoor: 6% (1.9K)

Age groups (usage patterns)

• Teens (13–17): Very high daily use of Snapchat and TikTok; Instagram strong; YouTube universal. Facebook minimal except for events/school updates.
• 18–29: Heavy on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; YouTube near‑universal; Facebook used mainly for groups/events and Marketplace.
• 30–49: Broad multi‑platform use; Facebook (groups, Marketplace) and YouTube dominant; Instagram solid; TikTok rising.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram/Pinterest moderate; TikTok adoption growing but still secondary.
• 65+: Facebook first, YouTube second; limited use of other platforms.

Gender breakdown (expected skews in engagement)

• Facebook: slight female majority.
• Instagram: slight female majority.
• Pinterest: strong female skew.
• TikTok: slight female skew.
• YouTube: slight male skew.
• Reddit and X: male skew.
• Snapchat: roughly balanced, tilting younger.

Behavioral trends observed in rural Pennsylvania communities (relevant to McKean County)

• Facebook Groups are the community hub: local news and weather, school sports, volunteer fire/EMS updates, lost & found pets, municipal notices, and buy‑sell‑trade/Marketplace dominate engagement.
• Short‑form video is rising everywhere: Reels/Shorts/TikTok perform best when local, human, and under 60 seconds.
• Events and “what’s happening” content travel far: fairs, fundraisers, hunting/fishing seasons, trail and outdoor updates, road closures, and severe‑weather alerts drive high shares and comments.
• Recommendations economy: residents rely on comments/DMs for local service referrals (contractors, healthcare, auto repair), with trust anchored in familiar names.
• Evening peaks: most interaction occurs after work (roughly 6–9 pm); weekend mornings are strong for buy‑sell‑trade and local events.
• Marketplace matters: high activity in reselling/outdoor gear, vehicles, and household goods.
• YouTube usage is practical: how‑tos, product reviews (outdoor, auto, home), and local history content retain viewers.

Notes on methodology

• Exact platform counts at the county level are not published. Figures above are modeled estimates derived by applying Pew Research Center’s 2024 national platform usage (with rural adjustments) to the county’s adult population from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2019–2023). They are intended as planning‑grade numbers.

Sources

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use (latest 2024 update)
• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2019–2023 5‑year estimates