Venango County

Key demographics — Venango County, Pennsylvania

Population

• 2023 estimate: ~48,700
• 2020 Census: ~50,450
• Trend: declining population since 2010

Age

• Median age: ~45 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~21–22%

Gender

• Female: ~50.5–51%
• Male: ~49–49.5%

Race and ethnicity

• White (alone): ~94–95%
• Black or African American (alone): ~1.7–2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (alone): ~0.2–0.3%
• Asian (alone): ~0.4–0.5%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~1–2%

Households and housing

• Households: ~21,700–22,000
• Average household size: ~2.25–2.30
• Family households: ~60–62% of households; average family size ~2.8–2.9
• One-person households: ~32–34% (about 14% age 65+ living alone)
• Homeownership rate: ~73–76% (owner-occupied); renters ~24–27%

Insights

• Older age profile, small household sizes, and high homeownership are characteristic.
• Racial/ethnic composition is predominantly White with small but growing multiracial and Hispanic populations.

Email usage in Venango County, PA (estimates, rounded to nearest hundred)

• Estimated email users: ≈39,400 of ≈50,400 residents (about 78% of total population; ≈88–90% of teens/adults with internet access).
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: ≈2,300 (≈6%)
  • 18–34: ≈8,900 (≈23%)
  • 35–64: ≈19,000 (≈48%)
  • 65+: ≈9,200 (≈23%)
• Gender split among users: ≈51% female, 49% male (mirrors county demographics; usage parity by gender).
• Digital access and trends:
  • Roughly 4 in 5 households subscribe to fixed broadband; about 1 in 10 rely on cellular-only internet. Computer access is near 9 in 10 households; smartphone adoption is widespread, supporting near-universal adult email capability.
  • Adoption skews highest among ages 35–64 (work-related email) and modestly lower in 65+ but rising, narrowing the age gap.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ≈74 people per square mile (rural). Coverage is strongest in Oil City, Franklin, and Seneca; outlying townships show more DSL/satellite dependence and lower subscription rates, which slightly suppress email use in the most rural tracts.

Method: County population and age structure aligned to U.S. Census; email adoption rates benchmarked to recent national/Pew findings and scaled to rural Pennsylvania access patterns.

Mobile phone usage in Venango County, Pennsylvania (2024–2025 snapshot)

Population baseline

• Residents: 50,454 (2020 Census). Land area: ~683 square miles (low-density, largely rural).
• Age structure skews older than Pennsylvania overall, with a larger share of residents 65+ and a lower median household income than the state average.

User estimates (residents age 18+ unless noted)

• Adult mobile phone ownership (any mobile): ~39,000–40,000 adults (about 95–97% of the adult population).
• Adult smartphone ownership: 34,000 adults (about 80–85% of adults), below the Pennsylvania statewide rate for adults (88–90%).
• Including teens (13–17), total resident smartphone users are on the order of 36,000–38,000.

Demographic breakdown (modeled from the county’s age mix and recent national ownership rates)

• 18–29: ~6,100 adults; smartphone ownership ~96% → ~5,900 users.
• 30–49: ~12,100 adults; smartphone ownership ~95% → ~11,500 users.
• 50–64: ~11,600 adults; smartphone ownership ~83% → ~9,600 users.
• 65+: ~11,600 adults; smartphone ownership ~60–62% → ~7,000–7,200 users. Key implications:
• Seniors are a much larger slice of Venango than statewide, and senior smartphone adoption (about 60–62%) trails the state average for seniors (roughly high‑60s to ~70%). This pulls down overall county smartphone penetration versus Pennsylvania.
• Lower median household income (Venango roughly in the low‑$50Ks vs Pennsylvania around the low‑$70Ks) and rural geography translate to a higher propensity for prepaid plans, budget Android devices, and smartphone‑dependent internet use compared with the state average.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Networks present: AT&T (including FirstNet Band 14 for public safety), Verizon, and T‑Mobile operate countywide. MVNOs ride these networks.
• 4G LTE: Reported coverage is effectively universal along primary roads and in population centers (Oil City, Franklin, Seneca/Cranberry, Sugarcreek) and the I‑80 corridor at the county’s southern edge.
• 5G:
  • Low‑band 5G is broadly available where residents live and travel.
  • Mid‑band 5G (e.g., T‑Mobile n41; Verizon/AT&T C‑band) is concentrated in and around Oil City/Franklin and along the main corridors; rural valleys and low‑density tracts are more often served by low‑band LTE/5G. High‑band/mmWave is not deployed.
• Terrain effects: River valleys (Allegheny River) and forested/state‑game‑land areas create shadowing and spotty indoor service away from highways and towns, leading to carrier differences that are more pronounced than in Pennsylvania’s urban/suburban areas.
• Backhaul and alternatives:
  • Fiber backbones run along major routes and utility rights‑of‑way; outside these, sites commonly rely on microwave backhaul, which can constrain capacity during peaks.
  • Fixed‑wireless home internet is a meaningful part of the access mix: T‑Mobile 5G Home is widely marketed; Verizon 5G Home/FWA is available in parts of the denser tracts; AT&T is expanding FWA in fringe areas. This FWA presence is more salient locally than in many Pennsylvania metro counties.
• Public safety: FirstNet coverage follows the main corridors and population centers and is used to bolster rural reliability for emergency services.

How Venango County differs from Pennsylvania overall

• Adoption level: Overall adult smartphone penetration is several points lower (roughly low‑80s in Venango vs high‑80s statewide), driven by the county’s older age structure and lower incomes.
• Senior gap: Smartphone ownership among residents 65+ in Venango (about 60–62%) lags the statewide senior rate (near ~70%), widening the digital usage gap in healthcare portals, telehealth, and government services.
• Device/plan mix: A higher share of prepaid and budget Android devices than the state average; families are more likely to manage costs via MVNOs and multi‑line discounts. This mix also reflects the sunset of the federal Affordable Connectivity Program in 2024, which increased price sensitivity in rural counties.
• Network experience: Mid‑band 5G capacity is spottier outside towns than in Pennsylvania metros; users see greater performance swings between carriers and more pronounced dead zones in valleys. Small‑cell densification and mmWave, common in cities, are largely absent.
• Access patterns: A larger slice of households rely on smartphones and fixed‑wireless for primary internet access than the statewide average, reflecting gaps in affordable wired broadband and the practicality of FWA where fiber/cable are limited.

Bottom line

• Venango County has near‑universal basic mobile coverage and broad low‑band 5G, but fewer mid‑band 5G zones and more terrain‑driven dead spots than Pennsylvania’s urban counties.
• About 34,000 adults use smartphones, with total smartphone users around 36,000–38,000 when teens are included. Adoption is robust among working‑age adults and near‑universal among young adults, but materially lower among seniors.
• Compared with the state, the county’s older demographics, income profile, and rural topography produce lower smartphone penetration, greater reliance on prepaid and fixed‑wireless, and more variable 5G experiences outside the main corridors.

Venango County, PA — Social media usage snapshot (2025)

Core population and connectivity

• Population: ~50,000 residents (2020 Census baseline; slight decline since 2010)
• Households: ~21,000
• Broadband at home: ~79% of households have a broadband subscription (ACS 2022)
• Adult share (18+): ~79% of population

How many people use social media (modeled from Pew U.S. adoption by age, applied to Venango’s age mix)

• Total social media users: ~32,000 residents (≈63% of the population)
• Adults (18+) who use at least one social platform: 73% (29,000 adults)
• Teens (13–17) who use at least one platform: 95% (3,000 teens)

Age profile of local social users (share of total social users)

• 13–17: ~9%
• 18–29: ~18%
• 30–44: ~22%
• 45–59: ~25%
• 60–74: ~18%
• 75+: ~8%

Gender breakdown among social users

• Female: ~53%
• Male: ~47% (Note: mirrors county’s slight female-majority population; women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest.)

Most-used platforms in Venango County (share of local social media users who use each; modeled 2025)

• YouTube: 86% (27.5k users)
• Facebook: 77% (24.6k)
• Pinterest: 37% (11.8k) — especially women 25–54
• Instagram: 39% (12.5k)
• TikTok: 28% (9.0k) — concentrated under 35
• Snapchat: 26% (8.3k) — teens/young adults
• X (Twitter): 21% (6.7k)
• LinkedIn: 20% (6.4k) — smaller professional niche
• Reddit: 17% (5.4k)
• WhatsApp: 15% (4.8k)
• Nextdoor: 7% (2.2k) — limited rural footprint

Behavioral trends and engagement patterns

• Facebook as the community hub: Heavy use of local Groups/pages (municipalities, school districts, volunteer fire departments, youth sports, events). Marketplace is a top driver of weekly visits.
• Video-first growth: Short-form video (YouTube Shorts, Facebook/Instagram Reels, TikTok) is rising across age groups; how-to, local highlights, and event recaps perform well.
• Youth split: Teens favor YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat; Instagram for visual updates; Facebook mainly for events and school announcements.
• Older adults: Facebook for news, community updates, church and nonprofit activity; YouTube for tutorials, local history, and hobby content.
• Best posting windows (local time): Early morning commute (6:30–8:30 a.m.), lunch (12–1 p.m.), and evening (7–9 p.m.); weekend mornings see strong community interaction.
• Community-first content wins: Local photos, school sports, hunting/fishing and outdoors, fairs/festivals, small-business spotlights, and public-service updates drive comments and shares.
• Messaging use: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous; Snapchat among teens; WhatsApp is niche (family ties, international contacts).
• Advertising notes: Geo-targeting within county zip codes performs well; creative featuring recognizable places/faces outperforms generic brand assets; video and carousel formats typically deliver lower cost-per-engagement than static posts on Facebook/Instagram.

Method notes and sources

• Demographics and broadband: U.S. Census Bureau (Decennial Census 2020; ACS 2022 “households with a broadband subscription”).
• Platform adoption and age skews: Pew Research Center’s U.S. social media use (2023–2024). Venango-specific figures are modeled by applying Pew’s age-by-platform adoption to the county’s older-skewing age structure.