Northumberland County

Northumberland County, Pennsylvania — key demographics

Population size

• 91,647 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age (ACS 2019–2023)

• Median age: ~44.7 years
• Under 18: ~19–20%
• 65 and over: ~23%

Sex

• Female: ~50.8%
• Male: ~49.2%

Race and Hispanic origin (2020 Census; Hispanic can be of any race)

• White alone: ~86–87%
• Black or African American alone: ~4%
• Asian alone: ~0.5%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.2%
• Two or more races: ~5%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~38,000
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~59% of households; married-couple households: ~44%
• Nonfamily households: ~41%
• Homeownership rate: ~71%

Insights

• Older age profile with roughly one in five residents 65+, above the national share
• Predominantly White, with small but increasing multiracial and Hispanic populations
• Smaller household size and higher homeownership typical of rural/older counties

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

Northumberland County, PA overview

• Population: 91,647 (2020); density ~193 people per sq. mile.
• Estimated email users (age 13+): ~71,000 (≈77% of residents), derived from U.S. email adoption applied to the county’s age mix.

Age distribution of email users (approximate counts)

• 13–17: 6% (~4,600)
• 18–34: 20% (~14,000)
• 35–54: 31% (~22,000)
• 55–64: 17% (~12,000)
• 65+: 26% (~18,000) Older-skewing demographics mean a larger share of users are 55+ compared with the U.S. average, but adoption remains high in all groups.

Gender split of email users

• Female: 51% (36,000)
• Male: 49% (35,000)

Digital access and connectivity

• Households with broadband subscription: ~83%
• Smartphone-only internet at home: ~13%
• No home internet: ~15%
• Connectivity is strongest in boroughs (Sunbury, Shamokin, Milton) with multiple fixed providers; outlying townships show fewer options and slower plans.
• Mobile coverage is broad along Susquehanna Valley corridors, with terrain-driven gaps in interior ridges.

Insights

• Email reliably reaches the vast majority of adults countywide.
• A meaningful offline segment persists in rural areas; pairing email with SMS and print improves reach outside borough centers.

Northumberland County, PA: Mobile phone usage snapshot (focus on how it differs from statewide patterns)

Scope and sources

• Latest available public datasets used: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019–2023 5-year estimates, FCC Broadband Data Collection (2024 releases), national adoption benchmarks from Pew Research (2023), and statewide performance context from Ookla Speedtest Intelligence (2024). Figures are rounded; “households” refers to occupied housing units. County population baseline: 2020 Census count of 91,647.

User estimates

• Smartphone users: Approximately 60,000–65,000 residents use smartphones in Northumberland County. This is derived by applying ACS/Pew smartphone adoption levels to the adult population and is modestly lower than Pennsylvania’s overall adoption due to the county’s older age profile and income mix.
• Cellular-only internet users: Roughly 10,000–13,000 residents live in households that rely on cellular data plans as their primary or only home internet connection—meaning mobile networks are a primary on-ramp to the internet for a sizable minority of households.

Demographic breakdown shaping mobile use (county vs. state contrasts)

• Older population tilt: Northumberland has a higher share of adults 65+ than the Pennsylvania average. This correlates with slightly lower smartphone adoption and higher use of basic phones among seniors compared with the state. Seniors in the county are more likely to use mobile for communication and basic apps but are less likely to rely on mobile-only data than younger cohorts.
• Income and affordability: Median household income is lower than the statewide median. The county consequently shows higher uptake of budget MVNO plans (prepaid and discount carriers) and a greater incidence of cellular-only or mobile-first internet access as cost-saving strategies than the state average.
• Education and digital skills: A lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher relative to Pennsylvania overall aligns with lower rates of multi-device households (smartphone + laptop/desktop + tablet) and more single-device reliance (smartphone-centric) than the state.

Adoption and access metrics (how the county differs from Pennsylvania)

• Smartphone presence (households): High but a few points lower than the Pennsylvania average. County households are less likely to have both a smartphone and a fixed broadband subscription, and more likely to be mobile-dominant.
• Cellular data plan subscriptions (households): A smaller share than the state maintains postpaid premium plans; prepaid/MVNO penetration is higher than the statewide mix, reflecting price sensitivity.
• Cellular-only households: Materially higher share than the Pennsylvania average. Northumberland households are more likely to use a smartphone hotspot or phone-only data plan as their main connection than the state overall.
• No home internet: The county has a higher share of households with no internet subscription of any kind versus the statewide rate; those households still often have at least one mobile phone for voice/text, underscoring mobile’s role as a safety net.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage: Outdoor 4G LTE coverage is effectively universal across populated areas. 5G coverage is widespread in and around Sunbury, Shamokin, Milton, and along the U.S. 11/15 and I-80 corridors, with low-band 5G extending into outlying areas. Pockets in valley-and-ridge terrain experience weaker indoor signal and occasional dead zones.
• Capacity and speeds: County median mobile download speeds trail Pennsylvania’s statewide median, particularly outside towns where spectrum holdings are skewed toward low-band. In-town mid-band 5G delivers solid performance; rural sectors often revert to LTE or low-band 5G with lower throughput.
• Competition: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon all serve the county; MVNO availability is broad. Competitive intensity is lower than in metro counties, and performance is more sensitive to local tower siting and spectrum depth.
• Backhaul and tower siting: Microwave and fiber backhaul are present along the main corridors; tower spacing is wider in rural tracts, which constrains capacity compared with denser Pennsylvania counties.

Key takeaways: trends distinct from the state

• More mobile-reliant households: A meaningfully higher share of Northumberland households are cellular-only or mobile-first than the Pennsylvania average, using smartphones as primary internet access to manage costs or to compensate for limited fixed-broadband options in certain tracts.
• Slightly lower smartphone penetration among seniors: The county’s older age structure dampens overall smartphone adoption compared with the state, although younger cohorts mirror statewide use.
• Performance gap outside towns: While coverage is broad, median mobile speeds lag the state outside the main population centers due to terrain, tower density, and spectrum mix.
• Price-sensitive plan mix: MVNO and prepaid plan usage is higher than statewide, reflecting income differences and reinforcing smartphone-centered connectivity behaviors.

Notes on figures and interpretation

• Population base: 2020 Census (91,647). Household counts and device/plan shares reference ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates; statewide comparisons use the same series. Smartphone user counts are derived by applying adult smartphone adoption rates to the county’s adult population. FCC Broadband Data Collection (2024) informs coverage and technology availability; Ookla provides statewide performance context.

Northumberland County, PA — social media snapshot (2025)

Basis

• Population context: County skews older relative to the U.S. Age structure (ACS 2023): under 18 (19.6%), 18–24 (7.7%), 25–44 (23.6%), 45–64 (26.4%), 65+ (22.7%). Gender: ~50.8% women, 49.2% men.
• Method: County-level estimates modeled from the county’s age/gender mix (ACS 2023) applied to 2024 U.S. platform adoption rates (Pew Research Center). Figures below are adults (18+) and rounded.

Most-used platforms (adults; estimated % of residents using the platform)

• YouTube: 80%
• Facebook: 69–70%
• Instagram: 38%
• Pinterest: 31%
• TikTok: 27%
• Snapchat: 20%
• X (Twitter): 19% Note: Given the county’s older profile, Facebook is relatively stronger and TikTok/Snapchat slightly lower than national averages; YouTube remains the broadest-reach channel across all ages.

User stats by age group (platform adoption within each age group; modeled from Pew 2024)

• Facebook: 18–29 (≈67%), 30–49 (≈73%), 50–64 (≈69%), 65+ (≈58%)
• Instagram: 18–29 (≈78%), 30–49 (≈49%), 50–64 (≈29%), 65+ (≈15%)
• TikTok: 18–29 (≈62%), 30–49 (≈39%), 50–64 (≈24%), 65+ (≈10%)
• YouTube: 18–29 (≈93%), 30–49 (≈92%), 50–64 (≈83%), 65+ (≈60%)

Gender breakdown (modeled, reflecting typical U.S. skews applied to local gender mix)

• Facebook: near-balanced, slight female skew (~52% women, 48% men)
• Instagram: modest female skew (~55% women, 45% men)
• TikTok: modest female skew (~57% women, 43% men)
• YouTube: modest male skew (~54% men, 46% women)
• X (Twitter): male-skewing (~60% men, 40% women)
• Pinterest: strongly female (~70% women, 30% men)
• Snapchat: modest female (~56% women, 44% men)

Behavioral trends observed in counties with similar demographics and reflected locally

• Facebook is the community hub: township/school district pages, volunteer organizations, local news, events, high school sports, and weather/closure updates drive high engagement. Marketplace is widely used for resale and local shopping.
• Video is rising but age-mediated: short-form video (Reels/TikTok) performs best among under-35s for eateries, events, and youth sports; 50+ cohorts engage more with YouTube for how‑to, home/auto repair, outdoor/recreation, and health information.
• Trust and locality matter: posts with recognizable places, people, and practical value (fundraisers, service notices, deals, job postings) outperform generic brand content.
• Messaging and groups: Facebook Groups and Messenger are key for coordination; WhatsApp usage is present but secondary. Direct replies and comment threads often substitute for formal customer service.
• Timing: Evenings (roughly 6–10 pm) and weekend middays see stronger engagement; older audiences are also active in early mornings.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023 (age/gender mix); Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (platform adoption by age/gender). Figures are county-level estimates produced by applying national adoption rates to local demographics.