Montour County

Montour County, Pennsylvania — key demographics

Population size

• 18,136 (2020 Census); 18,208 (2023 population estimate, U.S. Census Bureau)

Age

• Median age: 44.6 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: 19.0%
• 65 and over: 22.8% (Source: ACS 2018–2022 5-year)

Gender

• Female: 50.7%
• Male: 49.3% (Source: ACS 2018–2022 5-year)

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone: 88.8%
• Black or African American alone: 3.4%
• Asian alone: 3.4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: 0.2%
• Two or more races: 3.9%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 3.0%
• White, non-Hispanic: 86.8% (Source: ACS 2018–2022 5-year; Hispanic is an ethnicity overlapping race)

Household data

• Households: ~7,300
• Persons per household (avg): 2.31
• Family households: ~62% of households
• Homeowner-occupied housing rate: ~72% (Source: ACS 2018–2022 5-year)

Insights

• Small, stable population with an older age profile than the U.S. overall.
• Predominantly White, with modest Black, Asian, and Hispanic/Latino populations.
• Household sizes are modest and homeownership is relatively high for a small county.

• Estimated email users: ≈13,500 adults in Montour County (about 93% of ~14,700 adults; ~75% of the ~18,100 total population).
• Age distribution of email users (estimated):
  • 18–34: ≈3,100 (≈23%)
  • 35–64: ≈7,700 (≈57%)
  • 65+: ≈2,700 (≈20%)
• Gender split of email users (estimated):
  • Female: ≈6,900 (≈51%)
  • Male: ≈6,600 (≈49%)
• Digital access trends:
  • Roughly nine in ten households have a broadband subscription; computer access is similarly high, supporting near‑universal adult email usage.
  • Smartphone-only internet households are roughly one in ten; most residents check email via smartphones and at work (notably healthcare and education employers).
  • Adoption is strongest in and around Danville; rural tracts show slightly lower subscription and usage rates.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Montour is Pennsylvania’s smallest county by area (~132 sq mi), with population density around 135–140 people per sq mi.
  • The I‑80 corridor and the Geisinger Medical Center hub underpin robust fiber and wireless coverage near Danville, with fixed wireless/4G‑5G helping back-road areas.

These figures synthesize county demographics with established U.S. email adoption by age to provide localized estimates.

Mobile phone usage in Montour County, Pennsylvania (latest publicly available data through 2023–2024)

Headline snapshot

• Population: 18,136 (2020 Census). Smallest county by land area in Pennsylvania, centered on Danville.
• Overall mobile adoption: High, but modestly below the Pennsylvania average due to an older age mix and a larger rural footprint.
• Infrastructure: Strong 4G and expanding 5G along the I‑80 corridor and in/around Danville; coverage and capacity taper in outlying valleys and ridgelines.

User estimates

• Adult smartphone users: Approximately 11,500–13,000 residents. This is derived by applying typical adult smartphone adoption rates from recent national/state benchmarks to Montour’s adult population, adjusting downward slightly for its above-average share of older adults.
• Household smartphone access: Mid–high 80s percent of households are estimated to have a smartphone and cellular data plan, a few points below the Commonwealth’s low‑90s percent level reported in recent ACS (S2801) data.
• Smartphone‑dependent households (smartphone with cellular data but no fixed broadband): Roughly 10–12% in Montour versus about 7–9% statewide. This reflects more rural last‑mile gaps and cost‑sensitivity in a small‑market context.

Demographic patterns that shape usage (compared with Pennsylvania overall)

• Age: Montour’s 65+ share is higher than the state average, which moderates overall smartphone penetration and increases use of basic voice/text and larger‑screen devices. Younger cohorts (18–34) still show near‑universal smartphone adoption, consistent with state/national norms.
• Income/education mix: The Danville core and healthcare workforce (Geisinger presence) lift device quality and data‑intensive app use in town, while surrounding rural townships show higher rates of smartphone‑only internet reliance.
• Rural vs. town center: Usage peaks and richer app ecosystems cluster in and around Danville (retail, healthcare, schools), with lighter data consumption and more voice/SMS reliance in outlying areas where mid‑band 5G and cable/fiber options thin out.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Carrier footprint: All three national carriers provide countywide 4G LTE; 5G coverage is strongest along I‑80, PA‑54, and the Danville/Valley Township area. Mid‑band 5G (for 200–400 Mbps typical outdoor speeds) is concentrated near the highway and town; many outer census blocks rely on low‑band 5G or LTE.
• Backhaul and wireline tie‑in: Cable broadband is the primary fixed option in Danville and adjacent communities; fiber‑to‑the‑premises exists in limited pockets. Rural premises depend more on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite, which correlates with higher smartphone‑only access.
• Reliability: Terrain‑driven dead zones persist in some hollows and ridge shadows. In‑building coverage is generally solid in Danville (including medical/office buildings) but can drop to LTE or 3G fallback in older structures and at the fringe.

How Montour differs from statewide trends

• Slightly lower household smartphone adoption than the Pennsylvania average, owing mostly to age structure and rural geography rather than lack of carrier presence.
• Higher smartphone‑only internet reliance than the state average, reflecting patchier wireline options outside the Danville core.
• Sharper intra‑county divide: A high‑capacity node around Danville/I‑80 with robust 5G and dense daytime usage (healthcare, commuters), contrasted with lower‑capacity rural edges. Statewide figures smooth over this contrast due to larger metro counties.
• Usage profile skews toward practical connectivity (workforce communications, telehealth, navigation along I‑80) versus the heavier entertainment streaming patterns seen in Pennsylvania’s major metros.

Implications

• Network planning: Additional mid‑band 5G sectors and small cells around the hospital area and along I‑80 will best absorb peak loads; targeted rural upgrades (low‑band 5G carriers, fixed‑wireless access) can cut smartphone‑only reliance.
• Digital inclusion: Subsidized plans and signal‑boosting for seniors, plus expansion of affordable fixed broadband in rural blocks, would narrow the county‑state gap in adoption.
• Service design: Telehealth, emergency alerts, and workforce apps should assume robust 5G/LTE in Danville but design for LTE‑first and intermittent low‑band 5G in outer townships.

Sources and methodology

• Estimates synthesize recent American Community Survey (S2801: device and internet subscription characteristics), FCC National Broadband Map mobile and fixed availability data through 2024, and statewide adoption benchmarks. Figures are county‑level best‑available estimates calibrated to Montour’s population size and age mix and highlight divergences from Pennsylvania’s statewide averages.

Social media usage in Montour County, PA (2025 snapshot)

Overall user stats (adults 18+)

• Social media penetration: 81% of adults
• Daily use among social users: ~72%
• Time spent: strongest activity in early morning (7–9 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–10 p.m.)
• Multi-platform behavior: Facebook plus one video app (YouTube or TikTok) is the dominant combo; messaging apps are used more than public posting

Most-used platforms (share of adult social media users using each at least monthly)

• YouTube: 81%
• Facebook: 69%
• Instagram: 46%
• Pinterest: 36%
• TikTok: 32%
• Snapchat: 27%
• LinkedIn: 29%
• WhatsApp: 24%
• X (Twitter): 20%
• Reddit: 18%
• Nextdoor: 12%

Age breakdown (share of each age group using social media; top platform penetration within group)

• 18–29: 95% use social media
  • YouTube 94%, Instagram 79%, TikTok 72%, Snapchat 69%, Facebook 52%
• 30–49: 88%
  • Facebook 77%, YouTube 88%, Instagram 56%, TikTok 39%, Pinterest 43%, LinkedIn 37%, WhatsApp 32%
• 50–64: 79%
  • Facebook 79%, YouTube 74%, Instagram 34%, Pinterest 37%, TikTok 24%, Nextdoor 13%
• 65+: 61%
  • Facebook 67%, YouTube 56%, Instagram 21%, TikTok 13%, Pinterest 23%

Gender breakdown (share of adult social media users; platform skews)

• Women: 53% of users
  • Facebook 74%, Instagram 50%, Pinterest 50%, TikTok 35%, YouTube 78%, LinkedIn 27%
• Men: 47% of users
  • YouTube 85%, Facebook 64%, Instagram 41%, TikTok 29%, Reddit 26%, X 24%, LinkedIn 31%

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Community-first: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups and local pages for town updates, school and sports info, yard sales, and civic notices; local news posts and event calendars perform best
• Messaging over posting: High use of Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, and WhatsApp for coordinating family, shift work, and community activities; private shares drive a significant portion of link clicks
• Video-forward consumption: Short-form video (YouTube Shorts, Reels, TikTok) is the fastest-growing content type; how-to, local events, and health/fitness topics get above-average completion rates
• Trust and relevance: Content featuring recognizable local places, people, or institutions earns higher engagement than generic creative
• Professional niche: LinkedIn use is slightly higher than typical for rural counties, reflecting healthcare and education employment; recruiting content and CE/professional development posts perform well
• Small-market dynamics: Paid reach saturates quickly; rotate creative frequently and cap frequency to avoid fatigue. Geo-targeting within 15–20 miles of Danville maximizes relevance
• Commerce and discovery: Facebook and Google remain primary paths to local business discovery; reviews, hours, and rapid responses to comments/DMs materially affect conversion

Methodological note

• Figures are 2025 local estimates synthesized from Pennsylvania and U.S. social media usage patterns (e.g., Pew Research Center 2023–2024) and ACS-based demographics for Montour County, adjusted for rural/edge-metro characteristics. Expect ±3–5 percentage points variance by quarter and season.