Tioga County

Tioga County, Pennsylvania — key demographics

Population size

• 41,664 (2020 Census)
• 40,3xx (2023 Population Estimates Program; down roughly 3% since 2020)

Age

• Median age: ~45 years
• Under 18: ~20%
• 65 and over: ~22%

Gender

• Female: ~49.5%
• Male: ~50.5%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone (any ethnicity): ~95%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.3–0.4%
• Asian alone: ~0.5%
• Two or more races: ~2.5–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~94%

Household data

• Persons per household: ~2.36
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~78–79%
• Family households: ~67%
• Married-couple households: ~52%
• Households with children under 18: ~26%
• Nonfamily households: ~33%
• Living alone: ~27%

Insights

• Small, aging population with a median age several years above the U.S. median and a modest population decline since 2020.
• Predominantly White, with relatively low racial/ethnic diversity.
• High owner-occupancy and smaller household sizes typical of rural Pennsylvania.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2023). Figures rounded; ACS values are estimates with margins of error.

• Population and density: Tioga County, PA has about 40,400 residents, spread over ~1,135 sq mi, ≈36 people per square mile.
• Estimated email users: ~30,500 residents use email (adults 18+), or roughly three-quarters of the total population.
• Age mix of email users:
  • 18–29: ~17%
  • 30–49: ~31%
  • 50–64: ~28%
  • 65+: ~24%
• Gender split: Email users are roughly even by gender (≈51% female, 49% male), mirroring the county’s population.
• Digital access and connectivity:
  • Households with a computer: ~89–90%.
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ~82%.
  • No home internet: ~13% of households; a further share relies on mobile-only service.
  • Fixed broadband capable of at least 100/20 Mbps reaches about 88–90% of occupied locations; adoption lags availability by several points, typical of rural markets.
  • Access and adoption are strongest in and around boroughs like Wellsboro and Mansfield and weaker in remote townships, reflecting the county’s low population density and terrain.
• Insight: Email is effectively universal among working-age adults and strong among seniors, but gaps track rural broadband availability and affordability; improving last-mile fixed service and affordable plans would convert remaining non-users.

Mobile phone usage in Tioga County, Pennsylvania — 2024 snapshot

Overview and user estimates

• Population baseline: roughly 40–41 thousand residents; about 31–33 thousand adults (18+).
• Adult cellphone users: estimated 30–31 thousand (95–96% of adults), slightly below Pennsylvania’s ~97%.
• Adult smartphone users: estimated 24.5–26 thousand (78–82% of adults), versus Pennsylvania’s ~86–88%.
• Mobile-only home internet: estimated 1,500–2,100 households primarily relying on cellular data/hotspots (about 9–12% of households), above the statewide ~6–9%.
• Prepaid share: estimated 28–32% of smartphone lines (approx. 7–8.5 thousand users), a few points higher than the statewide mix, reflecting older and lower-income profiles.

Demographic breakdown (Tioga County vs Pennsylvania)

• Age
  • 18–34: smartphone adoption ~95–98% (near state levels).
  • 35–64: ~85–90% (2–4 points below state).
  • 65+: ~60–70% (notably below the state’s ~70–78%), with a higher share of basic/flip phones and shared family plans.
• Income
  • Under $35k: smartphone adoption ~70–78%; prepaid/MVNO plans more common and longer device replacement cycles.
  • $35–100k: ~82–90%; higher rates of family plans but more cautious data allowances than urban counterparts.
  • $100k+: 95%+ with multiple devices per household similar to state averages.
• Education
  • ≤High school: smartphone adoption ~70–78%, with heavier reliance on a single shared device per household.
  • Bachelor’s+: ~92–95%, close to statewide norms.
• Race/ethnicity
  • County is predominantly White; observed usage gaps by race are small locally compared with state-level urban areas.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage
  • 4G LTE: strong along primary corridors (US‑15, US‑6, PA‑287) and in boroughs (Wellsboro, Mansfield, Blossburg, Elkland); coverage weak or absent in some valleys and forested hollows.
  • 5G: low‑band 5G present in and around towns and along US‑15; mid‑band 5G (e.g., n41/C‑band) is spotty and typically clustered near Mansfield/Wellsboro and the US‑15 spine. This is meaningfully sparser than in Pennsylvania’s metro counties.
• Speeds (typical user experience)
  • LTE: ~5–25 Mbps in fringe/rural pockets; 15–50 Mbps along main roads and in town centers.
  • 5G low‑band: ~30–100 Mbps in most covered areas.
  • 5G mid‑band: ~100–300+ Mbps where available, but with small footprints around upgraded sites.
• Reliability and calling
  • Wi‑Fi calling is widely used indoors due to signal attenuation in older homes and topographic shadows.
  • Seasonal congestion occurs near recreation areas (e.g., Pine Creek Gorge/Rail Trail) during peak tourism weekends.
• Backhaul and fiber context
  • Fiber backhaul is strongest along US‑15 and in borough centers; some rural macro sites still rely on microwave, which constrains peak 5G capacity.
  • Ongoing rural fiber-to-the-home builds by the regional electric cooperative and other ISPs are reducing unserved pockets; this is beginning to shift some households from mobile‑only to fixed broadband, but gaps persist on the most remote roads.

How Tioga County differs from the state

• Adoption: smartphone penetration is lower by roughly 4–8 percentage points, driven by an older age profile and lower median incomes than the Pennsylvania average.
• Device mix: noticeably higher share of basic/flip phones among seniors; longer device replacement cycles countywide.
• Access pattern: a higher proportion of households use cellular as their primary or fallback home internet due to legacy DSL and limited cable footprints off the main roads.
• Network density: far fewer mid‑band 5G sites per square mile; more dead zones and greater reliance on low‑band spectrum for coverage than in urban/suburban Pennsylvania.
• Plan economics: prepaid/MVNO usage modestly higher; average data buckets are smaller, and hotspot use is more common for household connectivity.
• Usage behavior: voice/SMS and utility apps (banking, telehealth portals, maps) dominate; sustained 4K streaming and cloud gaming are less prevalent outside mid‑band 5G pockets.

Actionable insights

• Targeted mid‑band 5G upgrades along US‑6 spurs and secondary valleys would yield outsized gains in real‑world speeds and indoor reliability.
• Closing backhaul bottlenecks at rural towers (fiber laterals where feasible) will translate directly into better 5G capacity and consistency.
• Coordinated outreach for senior digital literacy and affordable device programs will lift smartphone adoption in the 65+ cohort, where Tioga lags the state the most.
• As rural fiber expands, expect a gradual decline in mobile‑only households, but sustained growth in mobile data usage per user as coverage and app adoption improve.

Notes on methodology

• Estimates combine recent national and Pennsylvania usage benchmarks with Tioga County’s rural, older, and lower‑income profile to weight adoption and plan types. Ranges are provided where county‑specific measurements are limited, and they are suitable for planning and program design.

Tioga County, Pennsylvania — Social Media Snapshot (2024)

Population baseline

• Residents: ≈40,500 (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimate)
• Adults (18+): ≈33,000
• Rural county with an older age profile (median age mid-40s)

Most-used platforms among adults (modeled local estimates using Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. adoption rates, adjusted for rural areas)

• YouTube: 82% of adults (27,000)
• Facebook: 70% (23,000)
• Instagram: 42% (14,000)
• Pinterest: 34% (11,000)
• TikTok: 27% (9,000)
• Snapchat: 21% (7,000)
• LinkedIn: 24% (8,000)
• X (Twitter): 18% (6,000)
• Reddit: 17% (5,500) Notes: Percentages reflect adult adoption, not unique users across platforms (many people use multiple platforms).

Age-group patterns

• Teens (13–17): Heavy on Snapchat and TikTok; light on Facebook; YouTube is near-universal.
• 18–29: Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat are primary; YouTube ubiquitous; Facebook used for events and local groups.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram solid; Pinterest strong among parents; TikTok moderate.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube lead; Pinterest and LinkedIn moderate; Instagram light; TikTok limited.
• 65+: Facebook remains the anchor; YouTube for news/how‑tos; other platforms minimal.

Gender breakdown

• Overall social audience mirrors county population (roughly 51% female, 49% male).
• Platform skews:
  • Pinterest: predominantly female (roughly 70% of users)
  • Reddit: predominantly male (roughly two-thirds of users)
  • Facebook: slight female tilt
  • TikTok and Instagram: slight female tilt
  • YouTube: broadly balanced
  • LinkedIn: slight male tilt

Behavioral trends and local context

• Community-first usage: Facebook Groups and Pages are the hub for local news, school updates, municipal notices, sports, church events, and volunteer fire company fundraisers.
• Marketplace culture: Strong buy/sell/trade activity (equipment, vehicles, hunting/outdoor gear, household goods), favoring local pickup and cash deals.
• Video habits: YouTube is used for DIY, small engine repair, homesteading, hunting/fishing, and farm/rural life content; short-form TikTok/Reels use rises among under‑35.
• Youth presence: Mansfield University and area high schools feed younger cohorts onto Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat; event discovery often runs through Instagram Stories and FB Events.
• Trust and messaging: Word-of-mouth via Facebook shares and Messenger is influential; older adults rely more on Facebook posts/comments; under‑30s use Snapchat for daily messaging.
• Seasonality: Engagement spikes around high school sports seasons, county fairs, hunting seasons, severe weather, and holiday shopping periods.
• Content that performs: Locally shot photos/videos, clear community benefits, “support local” narratives, practical tips/how‑tos, and promotions with straightforward value and easy redemption.
• Ad implications: Facebook and YouTube deliver the broadest reach; Instagram is effective for 18–39; TikTok can efficiently reach under‑35; Pinterest suits DIY/home/outdoor verticals; LinkedIn is niche (healthcare, education, public sector).

Method note

• Figures are modeled from Tioga County’s adult population and Pew Research Center 2024 platform adoption rates, with adjustments typical for rural areas; they provide practical planning estimates rather than a tally of unique individuals.