Snyder County

Snyder County, Pennsylvania — key demographics

Population size

• 2023 population estimate: ~39,700 (U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program)
• 2020 Census: 39,736
• Trend: Essentially stable since 2010–2023 (minimal net change)

Age

• Median age: ~40 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Age distribution: Under 18 ~21%; 18–64 ~60%; 65+ ~19% (ACS 2019–2023)

Gender

• Male ~50–51%; Female ~49–50% (ACS 2019–2023)

Racial/ethnic composition (mutually exclusive; Hispanic can be any race)

• Non-Hispanic White ~92%
• Hispanic/Latino ~3–4%
• Black/African American (Non-Hispanic) ~1–2%
• Asian (Non-Hispanic) ~0.5–1%
• Two or more races and other (Non-Hispanic) ~2–3% (ACS 2019–2023; 2020 Decennial Census shows a similar profile)

Households

• Total households: ~14,500 (ACS 2019–2023)
• Average household size: ~2.6; average family size: ~3.0
• Family households: ~70% of households; married-couple households ~60%
• Households with children under 18: ~25–30%
• Living alone: ~20–25% of households
• Homeownership rate: ~75–80%; renter-occupied ~20–25%

Insights

• Stable, small population with a modestly older age profile (about 1 in 5 residents 65+).
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with small but growing Hispanic and multiracial populations.
• Household structure is family-oriented with high homeownership and moderate household sizes.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (P.L. 94-171 Redistricting Data)
• U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (2023)
• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2019–2023)

Email usage snapshot: Snyder County, Pennsylvania

• Estimated email users: 30,000–32,000 residents. Method: 2020 Census population 39,736; adults ≈78% (31,000). Applying Pew adult email adoption (92%) plus teen adoption lifts total to ~30–32k users.
• Age distribution (adoption rates among residents): 18–29 ≈95–98%; 30–49 ≈95–97%; 50–64 ≈90–93%; 65+ ≈78–85%. Usage is near-universal under 65 and strong among seniors.
• Gender split: Essentially even (~50% female, ~50% male), mirroring minimal gender differences in national email adoption.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Households with a computer: ~90%.
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ~80–83% (ACS-style measure for cable/DSL/fiber).
  • Smartphone-only internet households: roughly 10–12%, indicating some mobile-reliant email use.
  • Fixed broadband availability is strongest along the US‑11/15 corridor (Selinsgrove, Shamokin Dam), with cable/fiber gigabit options; western rural townships have more DSL/wireless dependence and lower speeds.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Population 39,736 over ~332 sq mi yields ~120 people per sq mi (rural). Connectivity is improving via ongoing Pennsylvania broadband initiatives, but adoption gaps persist where last‑mile infrastructure is sparse, making mobile networks an important fallback for email access.

Snyder County, PA: mobile phone usage snapshot (2024–2025)

Headline estimates

• Population and households: roughly 40,000 residents and 15,000 households.
• Unique mobile phone users: about 32,000–34,000 residents use a mobile phone; 29,500–31,000 of them use smartphones. This implies adult-and-teen smartphone adoption in the mid-to-upper 80% range, a few points below Pennsylvania’s statewide rate (around 90%+).
• Smartphone-only home internet: approximately 16–18% of households rely primarily on a cellular data plan for home internet, higher than the statewide share (about 12%).
• Payment type mix: prepaid and value plans account for an estimated 30–35% of lines, above the statewide mix (~24–28%), reflecting price sensitivity and rural coverage preferences.
• Platform mix: Android is somewhat more prevalent than the statewide average. Estimated Snyder County split: roughly 55–60% Android, 40–45% iOS, versus a near-even split in Pennsylvania as a whole.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 13–17: very high smartphone penetration (≈95%), boosted by school and campus connectivity expectations; contributes materially to overall usage because of Susquehanna University’s presence in Selinsgrove.
  • 18–49: near-saturation smartphone ownership (≈94–97%), similar to state.
  • 50–64: high but below younger cohorts (≈85–90%), a few points lower than statewide in this band.
  • 65+: meaningfully lower smartphone adoption (≈70–80%); basic/feature phones remain in use among a notable minority, higher than the state average.
• Income and plan choice
  • Median household income trails the state average, correlating with higher prepaid uptake, greater Android share, and modestly higher “smartphone-only” internet reliance.
• Community factors
  • The county’s rural profile and presence of Anabaptist/Plain communities contribute to a small but visible base of non-smartphone users and voice/text–centric plans, differentiating Snyder from urban Pennsylvania counties.
  • University/retail corridors (Selinsgrove–Shamokin Dam along US 11/15) drive heavier app, streaming, and hotspot use than the countywide norm.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 4G/5G availability
  • 4G LTE is widespread along primary corridors (US 11/15, PA 522, PA 104) and in population centers (Selinsgrove, Shamokin Dam, Middleburg).
  • Low-band 5G covers most populated areas for all three national carriers. Mid-band 5G (Verizon C-band n77, T‑Mobile n41) is concentrated along US 11/15, in and around Selinsgrove/Shamokin Dam, and near schools/campus; coverage becomes patchier toward rural interiors.
• Performance expectations
  • Typical rural LTE/5G speeds range 10–80 Mbps with higher variability indoors. Where mid-band 5G is present, 100–300 Mbps downlink is common. Overall medians are below Pennsylvania’s urban-weighted medians.
• Terrain impacts and gaps
  • Ridges and wooded hollows (e.g., around Shade Mountain and interior secondary roads) create dead zones and LTE-only pockets; call reliability and upload speeds can degrade noticeably in these areas.
• Carrier positioning
  • Verizon maintains the strongest footprint and in-building reliability across rural stretches; AT&T coverage is solid along corridors and supports public-safety Band 14 (FirstNet); T‑Mobile’s low-band is broadly present, with mid-band capacity strongest near the 11/15 retail spine and thinner elsewhere.
• Sites and backhaul
  • Macro towers are the primary radio layer; colocation by multiple carriers is common. Small-cell deployment is limited outside campus and retail zones. Fiber backhaul follows highway corridors and town centers; microwave backhaul appears on some rural sites, which can constrain capacity during peak times.

How Snyder County trends differ from Pennsylvania overall

• Adoption
  • Slightly lower overall smartphone adoption, driven by older age structure and rural cultural factors; a correspondingly higher share of basic/feature phones than the state average.
• Access patterns
  • Higher reliance on smartphones as the primary home internet connection, reflecting limited fixed broadband choices in some census blocks.
• Plan and device mix
  • Larger prepaid/value segment and a modest tilt toward Android relative to the statewide split.
• Network experience
  • Lower mid-band 5G availability outside the main corridor and lower median speeds than metro counties; performance more sensitive to terrain and distance-to-site.
• Carrier preference
  • A stronger lead for Verizon in primary-SIM share and perceived coverage; T‑Mobile’s gains are concentrated where n41 has been lit; AT&T maintains strategic importance for FirstNet/public safety.
• Investment pattern
  • Fewer small cells and slower in-fill of mid-band 5G compared with Pennsylvania’s metro areas; upgrades prioritize US 11/15 and population centers before interior rural pockets.

Numbers and sources behind the estimates

• Population and household baselines from recent Census/ACS vintages for Snyder County.
• Smartphone ownership rates by age from Pew Research (2023) applied to Snyder’s age mix to produce user counts.
• Household “cellular data plan” and “smartphone-only” access tendencies from ACS internet subscription tables, adjusted for rural counties.
• Coverage and technology mix synthesized from FCC mobile coverage maps (2024), carrier public 5G footprints, and typical rural performance ranges observed in central Pennsylvania.

Bottom line Snyder County’s mobile landscape is mature but distinctly rural: almost all residents who want a mobile phone have one, yet a higher-than-average share of users rely on prepaid plans, Android devices, and smartphone-only home internet. Coverage is dependable along major corridors with growing mid-band 5G capacity around Selinsgrove and Shamokin Dam, but speeds and indoor reliability fall off faster than the statewide norm once you move into the ridges and back roads.

Snyder County, PA — Social media snapshot (2025)

Population baseline

• Total population: ~40,600 residents (US Census 2023 est.)
• Age 13+: ~34,700
• Estimated social media users (age 13+): ~28,000 (≈80% of 13+; ≈69% of total population)

User mix by age (share of local social media users)

• 13–17: 9%
• 18–29: 19%
• 30–49: 35%
• 50–64: 23%
• 65+: 14%

Gender breakdown (share of local social media users)

• Female: 53%
• Male: 47%

Most-used platforms in Snyder County (share of local social media users)

• YouTube: 80%
• Facebook: 72%
• Instagram: 40%
• Pinterest: 31%
• TikTok: 28%
• Snapchat: 24%
• LinkedIn: 17%
• WhatsApp: 15%
• X (Twitter): 13%
• Reddit: 12%
• Nextdoor: 6%

Who uses what (directional skews)

• Women over-index on Facebook (+6 percentage points vs men) and Pinterest (+20 pts); men over-index on YouTube (+8 pts), Reddit (+6 pts), and X (+4 pts)
• By age:
  • 13–17: YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok dominate; Facebook is secondary
  • 18–29: YouTube and Instagram lead; TikTok and Snapchat strong; Facebook used mainly for groups/marketplace
  • 30–49: Facebook and YouTube are primary; Instagram rising; TikTok adoption growing
  • 50–64: Facebook is the hub; YouTube heavy for how‑to and news; Instagram moderate
  • 65+: Facebook first; YouTube second; limited Instagram/TikTok

Behavioral trends

• Community-first on Facebook: High reliance on Facebook Groups for school sports, borough/township updates, local events, churches, and buy/sell. Facebook Marketplace is a top shopping channel for used goods and local services.
• Consumption > creation: Most adults primarily browse, share, and comment; short-form video is consumed far more than produced locally.
• Video habits: YouTube is the go-to for DIY, hunting/fishing, equipment repair, farming, auto, sermons, and local music/school performances. Reels and TikTok clips are rising for entertainment and quick tips.
• Messaging and transactions: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat (younger users) are preferred for coordinating meetups, local pickups, and business inquiries; many sellers ask to “DM” rather than negotiate in public comments.
• Local news flow: Regional news is followed via Facebook pages and shares from neighbors; school closings, road work, high school sports, and weather alerts drive spikes.
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends; midday bumps around lunch hours for short-form video.
• Platform roles:
  • Facebook: Event discovery, groups, marketplace, and local business updates
  • Instagram: Visual storytelling for boutiques, salons, food trucks; Stories/Reels engagement is higher than feed posts
  • TikTok: Entertainment and practical “how‑to” clips; creator base smaller than viewer base
  • Snapchat: Daily streaks and private messaging among teens/young adults
  • Pinterest: Home, crafts, recipes, weddings; strong among women 25–54
  • LinkedIn: Concentrated among educators, healthcare, public sector, and manufacturing managers; networking > content creation
  • X/Reddit: Niche use for sports (notably Penn State), gaming, and state/national news; not primary for local organizing

Method note

• Figures are modeled local estimates for 2025 using Snyder County demographics (US Census) and recent US platform usage patterns (Pew Research Center) adjusted to the county’s older/rural-leaning profile. Exact platform counts are not released at the county level; percentages reflect best available localized estimates.