Susquehanna County

Key demographics for Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania (latest official estimates)

Population

• 2020 Census: 38,434
• 2023 estimate (PEP): ~37,800 (declining modestly since 2020)

Age

• Median age: ~48 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~19%
• 18 to 64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~23%

Sex

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone: ~95%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.2–0.3%
• Asian alone: ~0.4–0.5%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.0%
• Some other race alone: ~0.3%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2% (ethnicity overlaps with race)

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~15,600–15,800
• Average household size: ~2.3–2.4
• Family households: ~63%
• Nonfamily households: ~37%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~78–82%

Insights

• Older age profile (median age ~48) relative to state/nation.
• Predominantly White population with small but present multiracial and Hispanic communities.
• Small household size and high homeownership typical of rural counties.
• Population trending slightly downward since 2020.

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

• Context: Susquehanna County, PA has 38,434 residents (2020 Census) across ~832 sq mi, ≈46 people per square mile—low density that raises last‑mile costs and slows fiber buildouts.

• Estimated email users: ~27,500 adults. Method: ≈30,000 adults (78% of population) × 92% U.S. adult email adoption (Pew). That’s ~72% of total residents.

• Age distribution of email users (modeled to the county’s older profile and age‑specific adoption): 18–34: 21%; 35–54: 34%; 55–64: 19%; 65+: 26%.

• Gender split: ≈51% female, 49% male among users (email adoption shows no meaningful gender gap; distribution mirrors population).

• Digital access trends:

  • Broadband subscription: ≈80–85% of households (typical ACS 5‑year range for rural PA), with the remainder mobile‑only or offline.
  • Coverage: FCC mapping indicates persistent unserved/underserved pockets in rural townships; highest fixed‑speed options cluster around borough centers and major corridors.
  • Trajectory: Gradual uplift from cable upgrades and targeted fiber builds since 2022; adoption growth concentrated among 55+ as telehealth and e‑government usage rise.

• Implications: Despite strong email penetration, low settlement density and terrain create uneven connectivity, leaving a meaningful minority with constrained or no at‑home broadband, which can depress daily email engagement among older and lower‑income households.

Mobile phone usage in Susquehanna County, PA (2024 snapshot)

User estimates (adults)

• Adult population: ≈30,400 (based on ≈38,000 total residents and typical rural age structure)
• Mobile phone users (any mobile): ≈29,000 adults (≈95% adoption, in line with rural U.S. rates)
• Smartphone users: ≈25,200 adults (≈81–83% adoption, a few points below Pennsylvania’s more urbanized average)
• By age (estimated adoption within county):
  • 18–34: ≈6,100 adults; smartphone users ≈5,800 (≈95%)
  • 35–64: ≈14,600 adults; smartphone users ≈13,200 (≈90%)
  • 65+: ≈9,700 adults; smartphone users ≈6,300 (≈65%)
• Device mix: Majority 4G LTE with a growing but uneven 5G-capable base (≈70% of smartphones 5G-capable, concentrated along I-81 and in borough centers)

Demographic context shaping usage

• Older age profile: The county’s median age is materially higher than the Pennsylvania median, increasing the share of non-smartphone and basic-phone users compared with the state overall.
• Income and education: Median household income and bachelor’s attainment are below statewide averages, correlating with more price-sensitive device plans, slower device upgrade cycles, and somewhat higher prevalence of older handsets.
• Commute and work patterns: Coverage needs are highest along the I-81 corridor and around energy, agriculture, and trucking operations; voice/SMS reliability is prioritized in remote townships where data speeds can fluctuate.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Macro coverage: 4G LTE is broadly available along I-81 and state routes; valleys, ridgelines, and sparsely populated roads see dead zones and signal fade, especially indoors.
• 5G availability: Low-band and mid-band 5G are present along I-81 and in/near Montrose, Hallstead/Great Bend, Susquehanna Depot, and Forest City; coverage becomes spotty away from these nodes.
• Carrier landscape: Verizon generally provides the most consistent rural coverage in NEPA; AT&T has good corridor coverage and FirstNet support; T‑Mobile mid-band 5G is strongest near I‑81 and town centers with patchier rural reach off-corridor.
• Backhaul and capacity: Fiber backhaul follows highway and utility ROWs; off-corridor sites often rely on longer microwave hops, contributing to lower peak throughput and more variable latency than in Pennsylvania’s metro counties.
• Public safety and resilience: FirstNet build-outs have improved emergency coverage, but terrain-driven shadows remain in hollows; storm-related outages can cause localized service degradation until power/backhaul is restored.
• Broadband interplay: Ongoing rural fiber projects (e.g., BEAD-era expansions) are improving backhaul and may enable denser 5G and fixed wireless over 2025–2028; today, pockets still rely on satellite or fixed wireless, with some households leaning on mobile hotspots for home connectivity.

How Susquehanna County differs from Pennsylvania overall

• Smartphone adoption: Lower by roughly 3–5 percentage points due to an older age profile and lower incomes than the state average.
• 5G user share and speeds: Slower 5G uptake and more variable performance; mid-band 5G is corridor/town-centric, whereas Pennsylvania’s urban/suburban counties have broader continuous 5G coverage and higher median speeds.
• Coverage reliability: Larger terrain- and distance-driven gaps between macro sites yield more dead zones and indoor coverage challenges than typical in suburban Pennsylvania.
• Usage patterns: Higher emphasis on voice/SMS reliability and practical apps (navigation, messaging, farm/field ops) versus data-heavy entertainment on-the-go; more households using mobile hotspots as a stopgap for home internet in un/underserved areas.
• Network investment cadence: Infrastructure upgrades are paced by rural economics and backhaul availability; metro counties see denser small-cell deployments and quicker mid-band 5G saturation.

Bottom line

• Approximately 29,000 adults in Susquehanna County use a mobile phone, of whom roughly 25,000 use smartphones. Compared with Pennsylvania overall, the county shows slightly lower smartphone penetration, uneven 5G availability away from I‑81 and borough centers, and greater sensitivity to terrain and backhaul constraints—factors that shape a usage profile centered on reliability over peak speed.

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

Population basis

• Total population: ~37,900 (ACS 2023 estimate). Adults 18+: ~30,400 (≈80% of residents). Teens 13–17: ~2,300 (≈6% of residents).

Adult user stats

• Adults using at least one social platform: ≈83% of adults ≈ 25,200 people (Pew Research Center, 2024; YouTube usage as the broadest proxy).

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adult residents; modeled from Pew 2024)

• YouTube: 83% (~25,200 adults)
• Facebook: 68% (~20,700)
• Instagram: 47% (~14,300)
• Pinterest: 35% (~10,600)
• TikTok: 33% (~10,000)
• LinkedIn: 30% (~9,100)
• Snapchat: 27% (~8,200)
• X (Twitter): 22% (~6,700) Note: Shares reflect national adult usage applied to local adult population; in rural/older areas like Susquehanna, Facebook tends to over-index slightly while Instagram/TikTok under-index slightly versus urban areas.

Age-group patterns (Pew 2024 adult benchmarks; % of each age group)

• 18–29: YouTube ~93%, Instagram ~78%, Snapchat ~65%, TikTok ~62%, Facebook ~57%
• 30–49: YouTube ~92%, Facebook ~69%, Instagram ~54%, TikTok ~39%, Snapchat ~30%
• 50–64: YouTube ~83%, Facebook ~73%, Instagram ~29%, TikTok ~15%
• 65+: Facebook ~50%, YouTube ~49%, Instagram ~15%, TikTok ~8%
• Teens (13–17; Pew 2023): YouTube ~93%, TikTok ~67%, Instagram ~62%, Snapchat ~60%, Facebook ~33%

Gender breakdown

• Overall adult social media users ≈ 25,200, split roughly in line with the county’s adult gender mix (about half male/female). National usage skews applied locally indicate:
  • Women are more prevalent on Facebook, Instagram, and especially Pinterest (strong female skew).
  • Men are more prevalent on YouTube, Reddit, and X (Twitter).
  • Platform-agnostic activities (watching, messaging, groups) are near gender-parity; content creation skews slightly male on YouTube/X and female on Instagram/Pinterest.

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural/older counties and consistent with platform skews

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of local Groups for school notices, road closures, yard sales, township updates, local sports, auctions, and storm impacts. Messenger is a default for 1:1 communication across age groups.
• YouTube dominates passive consumption: how‑to/DIY, equipment repair, hunting/fishing, weather briefings, home/garden, and local church services; older adults rely on subscriptions and search more than “following” creators.
• Instagram/TikTok are growth channels for 18–39: Reels/TikToks from local eateries, contractors, boutiques, and outdoor recreation perform well; discovery via hashtags and location tags is common.
• Snapchat remains teen-first for daily messaging and quick Stories; location-based Snap Maps usage spikes around school and sports events.
• Posting vs. lurking: the majority are “browsers” (consume/reshare in Groups); a smaller creator core (local businesses, boosters, coaches, realtors) posts consistently.
• Timing: engagement peaks early morning (commute/school run), lunch, and 7–10 p.m. Evenings see stronger Facebook Group activity; short‑video platforms spike late evening.
• Civic/political bursts: engagement surges during local elections, public meetings, gas industry news, and winter weather; rumor control and official updates often concentrate in a handful of well-moderated Groups.

How these figures were derived

• Counts are modeled by applying Pew Research Center’s 2024 adult platform-use rates (and 2023 teen rates) to the county’s ACS 2023 population structure. Rural/older adjustments are reflected qualitatively in the trend notes.

Sources

• Pew Research Center, “Social Media Use in 2024” (adults) and “Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023”
• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2023, Susquehanna County population estimates