Union County

Union County, Pennsylvania — key demographics

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates). Household figures exclude group quarters (e.g., prisons, dorms).

Population size

• Total population: 42,681 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: 39.2 years
• Age distribution: Under 18: 18%; 18–24: 16%; 25–44: 25%; 45–64: 25%; 65+: 17%

Gender

• Male: 57.5%
• Female: 42.5%
• Note: Male-skewed due to multiple federal/state correctional facilities; 18–24 share elevated by Bucknell University

Race and ethnicity (shares sum to ~100 using non-Hispanic race plus Hispanic of any race)

• White (non-Hispanic): 82.7%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): 8.1%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): 5.1%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): 1.7%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): 2.1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, NH/PI, other (non-Hispanic): 0.3%

Households and housing

• Total households: 14,800
• Average household size: 2.53
• Family households: 61% (married-couple families: 48%)
• Nonfamily households: 39% (1-person households: 29%)
• Households with children under 18: 26%
• Tenure: owner-occupied 71%; renter-occupied 29%

Concise insights

• Population is small and stable, with a pronounced male share driven by the prison population.
• Age profile is balanced but slightly younger than Pennsylvania overall due to college and group quarters.
• Racial/ethnic makeup is predominantly White, with a higher Black share than neighboring rural counties, reflecting correctional facilities.
• Household structure leans toward married-couple families and owner occupancy, typical of rural Pennsylvania.

• Context: Union County, PA population about 42,700; density about 130 people per sq mi; core hub Lewisburg/Bucknell, with largely rural western townships.

• Estimated email users: about 33,000 residents (est.), roughly 90% of residents age 13+ and about 77% of total population.

• Age distribution (share using email, est.): 13–17: 85%; 18–29: 96%; 30–49: 95%; 50–64: 91%; 65+: 84%. Email is effectively universal among working-age adults, with modest drop-off among seniors.

• Gender split (users): approximately 50% female, 50% male; usage parity by gender.

• Digital access and trends:

  • About 86% of households have a broadband subscription; about 91% have a computer.
  • Roughly 13% are smartphone‑only internet households, relying on webmail rather than desktop clients.
  • FCC availability indicates >95% of locations can get at least 25/3 Mbps and about 90% can get 100/20 Mbps; cable/fiber is concentrated in Lewisburg and along US‑15/I‑80, while western ridges see more DSL/fixed‑wireless dependence.

• Insight: High broadband and near‑universal email among working‑age residents make email a reliable channel countywide; improvements in rural last‑mile connectivity would primarily lift engagement among seniors and lower‑income households.

Mobile phone usage in Union County, Pennsylvania — 2025 snapshot

Headline user estimates (modeled from ACS S2801 computer/Internet indicators, Pew smartphone adoption rates, and county demographics)

• Population and households: ~44,000 people; ~16,500–17,500 households.
• Smartphone users (persons age 12+): approximately 33,000–35,000 active users.
• Smartphone households: about 90% of households have at least one smartphone, implying roughly 15,000–16,000 smartphone households.
• Cellular-data–only home Internet: approximately 15–20% of households rely primarily on a cellular data plan for home Internet (notably above the Pennsylvania average, which is closer to the low-to-mid teens).
• Wireless-only voice households (no landline): roughly 65–75% of households, in line with or slightly above statewide levels.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–34: very high smartphone adoption (mid- to high-90s percent), boosted by Bucknell University’s student population concentrated in and around Lewisburg; heavy app-based communication and high per-user data consumption.
  • 35–64: high adoption (around 90%+), balanced between postpaid family plans and employer-provided devices in the corridor towns (Lewisburg, East/West Buffalo, Kelly).
  • 65+: substantial but lower adoption (roughly 75–85%); more mixed device profiles (smartphones plus some basic/feature phones) in rural townships.
• Income and plan type
  • Lower-income households are more likely to be smartphone-dependent for Internet access, with a higher incidence of cellular-only home Internet subscriptions than the state average.
  • Post–Affordable Connectivity Program wind-down in 2024 has increased price sensitivity, with observable shifts to prepaid and budget MVNO offerings in rural areas.
• Household composition
  • Student-heavy blocks near Bucknell show multi-device households and strong 5G utilization; agricultural and exurban blocks show higher rates of single-device households and LTE fallback.
• Work and lifestyle
  • Commuters along US‑15 and near the I‑80 interchange exhibit higher daytime mobile data peaks and robust network handoffs; off‑corridor rural areas experience more variable signal quality and speed.

Digital infrastructure and coverage characteristics

• Carrier presence: Verizon, AT&T, and T‑Mobile all operate LTE and 5G in the county. Practical coverage and capacity are strongest along the US‑15 corridor, around Lewisburg/East Buffalo/Smiths, and near the I‑80 junctions; service quality diminishes across ridgelines and deeper rural valleys toward the county’s western and northern townships.
• 5G footprint and performance:
  • Mid-band 5G capacity is concentrated in and around boroughs, university/campus areas, commercial strips, and major highway corridors.
  • LTE remains the de facto coverage layer across much of the agricultural west and ridge/valley terrain; users there see more variable uplink and in-building performance.
• Tower and radio access network siting:
  • Sites cluster along US‑15, borough edges, and highway interchanges; macro towers and small cells supplement coverage in and around campus and commercial zones. Terrain shading is the main constraint in rural pockets.
• Fixed broadband interplay:
  • Fiber/cable competition is strong near Lewisburg and selected boroughs, but DSL/legacy cable and longer loop lengths persist in rural townships. This uneven fixed footprint pushes a higher share of households to rely on cellular data plans for primary or backup home Internet compared with the statewide average.

How Union County differs from Pennsylvania overall

• More bimodal connectivity: campus/borough zones are very well served (high 5G utilization, high device density), while outlying rural areas depend more on LTE and show higher cellular-only home Internet rates than the state average.
• Slightly lower average smartphone adoption in the oldest cohorts than statewide, but offset by exceptionally high adoption and data use among university-age residents, yielding countywide adoption close to Pennsylvania overall but with sharper neighborhood-level contrasts.
• Greater reliance on mobile as a substitute for fixed broadband in rural tracts; this is less pronounced statewide where cable/fiber penetration is broader across suburbs and small metros.
• Network experience is more corridor-dependent than the statewide pattern: users traveling off US‑15/I‑80 see larger swings in signal and throughput due to topography and sparser site density.

Implications

• Capacity investments along US‑15 and in borough cores will continue to pay off, but targeted rural infill (additional sectors, low‑band overlays, and fixed‑wireless access with high‑gain CPE) would close the largest user-experience gaps.
• Affordability pressures post‑ACP heighten the importance of competitively priced plans and MVNO options for rural households that are mobile-dependent for home Internet.
• Public–private partnerships to extend fiber backhaul and neutral-host infrastructure in ridge/valley areas would reduce the corridor dependency and better align Union County’s experience with statewide norms.

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

Method note: County-level platform stats aren’t directly published; figures below are modeled local estimates using recent Pew Research Center U.S. adoption rates blended with Union County’s age mix (Census/ACS). Expect small (±3–5 point) variance.

Headline user stats (adults 18+)

• Share of adults using at least one social platform: ~75%
• Multi-platform use (2+ platforms): ~55% of adults
• Mobile-first access: ~85% of social users primarily on smartphones

Age mix of adult social media users (share of users by age)

• 18–29: ~24%
• 30–49: ~34%
• 50–64: ~27%
• 65+: ~15%

Gender breakdown of adult social media users

• Women: ~53%
• Men: ~47% Notes: Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X.

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adults using each at least occasionally)

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~48% (lifted slightly by Bucknell student presence)
• TikTok: ~35%
• Snapchat: ~32%
• Pinterest: ~31%
• LinkedIn: ~28%
• X (Twitter): ~22%
• WhatsApp: ~22%
• Reddit: ~18%

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Facebook is the community backbone: strong use of Groups for school athletics, municipal updates, buy/sell, local events (e.g., fairs, sports, weather/emergency info). Best reach for 30+.
• Campus-driven short video: Bucknell students and local teens drive above-average use of Instagram Reels, TikTok, and Snapchat Stories; content skews toward events, dining, and campus life.
• Messaging layers: Facebook Messenger dominates; WhatsApp pockets among international students and academic/professional circles.
• YouTube as utility: how-to, local government streams/recaps, and high school/college sports highlights; effective for broad awareness via pre-roll.
• Time-of-day patterns: engagement peaks evenings (7–10 pm) and around local events; teens/college activity spikes late night; weekday lunch hours show light upticks for news and community updates.
• Content that performs: hyper-local topics (road closures, weather, school schedules), sports, event calendars, and small-business promos with faces and short-form video; static flyers underperform unless paired with timely group posts.
• Ads and outreach:
  • Facebook/Instagram: best for event turnout and retail within 10–20 miles; use Groups and localized interests.
  • TikTok/Snapchat: strongest under-30 reach for employer branding, eateries, and entertainment.
  • LinkedIn: niche but useful for healthcare, education, and professional recruiting.

Notes for planners

• Expect platform splits to mirror national patterns with a modest youth-driven lift for Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.
• Creative should be mobile-first, short-form video-forward, and community-specific to capitalize on local group dynamics.