Wayne County

Wayne County, Pennsylvania — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates)

Population

• Total population: ~51,400
• Median age: ~48.5 years

Age distribution

• Under 18: ~18%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~24%

Sex

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and ethnicity

• White (non-Hispanic): ~87%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~6%
• Black or African American: ~3%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Asian: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native and other: <1%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~21,000
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~60% of households
• Married-couple households: ~48% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~24%
• Nonfamily households: ~40% (living alone ~33%; age 65+ living alone ~14%)
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~78%

Insights

• Older age profile with about one-quarter of residents 65+, well above the U.S. share.
• Predominantly White, with modest Hispanic/Latino growth.
• Small household sizes and high homeownership reflect a largely rural, owner-occupied housing market.

Wayne County, PA overview (estimates from recent ACS and national usage benchmarks)

• Population and density: ≈51,500 residents; ≈70 people per sq. mile (rural).
• Email users: ≈38,000–40,000 residents use email (about 75–78% of total; roughly 90% of adults).
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–24: ~16%
  • 25–44: ~26%
  • 45–64: ~34%
  • 65+: ~24% (High adoption across adults; slightly lower among the oldest cohort.)
• Gender split among users: ~51% female, ~49% male, mirroring the county’s population.
• Digital access trends:
  • Households with a computer: ~89–92%.
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ~82–86% (up several points since 2015).
  • Smartphone access is widespread; a notable minority are smartphone‑only, reflecting rural connectivity trade‑offs.
• Local connectivity facts:
  • Low settlement density and dispersed housing mean longer last‑mile runs and fewer wired options than the Pennsylvania average.
  • Broadband adoption is solid but below urban counties; fixed wireless and satellite fill gaps where cable/fiber are limited.

Implications: Email remains a near‑universal communication channel for adults in Wayne County, with particularly strong engagement among middle‑aged and older adults, moderated by rural broadband constraints.

Mobile phone usage in Wayne County, Pennsylvania — 2022–2024 snapshot

Key user estimates (household-based, ACS 2018–2022 5‑year)

• Households: about 21,700.
• Households with a smartphone: about 86% (≈18,700 households). Pennsylvania statewide is about 91%.
• Households with a cellular data plan (any): about 66% (≈14,300 households). Pennsylvania statewide is roughly 72%.
• Cellular‑only households (cellular data plan but no cable/DSL/fiber/satellite subscription): about 12% (≈2,600 households). Pennsylvania statewide is about 7%.
• Households with no internet subscription of any kind: about 15% (≈3,300 households). Pennsylvania statewide is about 12%.

How Wayne County differs from the state

• Lower smartphone presence: Household smartphone adoption is several points below the Pennsylvania average.
• Greater reliance on mobile as the primary connection: Cellular‑only households are notably higher than the state average, indicating more people depend on mobile networks for home internet.
• Higher offline share: A larger share of households report no internet subscription at all.

Demographic context and usage implications

• Older population: About 26% of Wayne County residents are 65+ versus roughly 19% statewide. Older age structure correlates with lower smartphone and cellular‑plan adoption and contributes to the higher no‑subscription share.
• Rural profile: Wayne County is predominantly rural, which is associated with lower fixed broadband availability, pushing more households toward mobile‑only access.
• Income: Median household income in Wayne County is lower than the statewide median (county roughly low‑$60,000s vs Pennsylvania low‑$70,000s), a factor that tends to increase price‑sensitive, mobile‑only connectivity.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Fixed broadband availability: Cable/fiber availability at 100/20 Mbps is materially lower countywide than the Pennsylvania average (a double‑digit percentage‑point gap). Town centers (e.g., Honesdale, Hawley, Lake Wallenpaupack communities) are generally better served; many outlying townships remain DSL, fixed‑wireless, or satellite‑dependent.
• Mobile network coverage: 4G LTE covers most populated corridors and town centers. Low‑band 5G is present along primary corridors, with mid‑band 5G more limited to boroughs and high‑traffic areas; coverage gaps persist in forested terrain and valleys typical of the Pocono plateau.
• Public/anchor connectivity: Libraries, schools, and municipal buildings act as important access points for residents in weak‑coverage areas, consistent with the county’s higher mobile‑only and no‑subscription shares.

Implications

• Mobile plays a disproportionately important role in Wayne County’s connectivity mix compared with Pennsylvania overall, both as a complement to fixed broadband and as the primary or only connection for a sizable minority of households.
• Age structure, rural geography, and income collectively explain the county’s lower smartphone/plan uptake and higher mobile‑only reliance versus the state. Continued expansion of mid‑band 5G and targeted fixed broadband builds in outlying townships would directly reduce the county’s mobile‑only and unconnected shares.

Sources and timeframe

• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2018–2022 5‑year, Table S2801 (Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions) for household smartphone, cellular data plan, cellular‑only, and no‑subscription estimates; ACS DP05 for age structure; ACS income tables for medians.
• FCC National Broadband Map (2024) and carrier public coverage disclosures for qualitative fixed/5G availability patterns. Figures are rounded; ACS estimates carry margins of error.

Wayne County, PA social media snapshot (estimates for 2025; modeled from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2018–2022 demographics/broadband and Pew Research Center 2024 platform adoption rates, adjusted for the county’s older age profile)

Population and connectivity

• Population: ~51,000
• Households with broadband: ~83% (ACS 2018–2022)

User base

• Adults (18+): ~42,000
• Adults using at least one social platform: ~29,000 (≈69% of adults; ≈57% of total population)

Age breakdown of users (share of the ~29,000 adult users)

• 18–29: 17% (5,000)
• 30–49: 33% (9,500)
• 50–64: 32% (9,200)
• 65+: 18% (5,300)

Gender breakdown

• Users: ~52% women, ~48% men
• Notable skews: Facebook and Pinterest lean female; Reddit and X (Twitter) lean male; YouTube is broadly even

Most-used platforms among adults in Wayne County (estimated % of adults; counts in parentheses)

• YouTube: 66% (27,800)
• Facebook: 60% (25,300)
• Instagram: 35% (14,700)
• Pinterest: 27% (11,400)
• TikTok: 21% (8,800)
• LinkedIn: 22% (9,300)
• Snapchat: 17% (7,200)
• X (Twitter): 15% (6,300)
• Reddit: 13% (5,500)

Behavioral trends and usage patterns

• Community-first Facebook: Heavy use of town, school, and volunteer fire/EMS pages and local buy/sell groups; Facebook Events are a primary driver for attendance at fairs, fundraisers, and seasonal festivals.
• Video for learning and leisure: YouTube is strong for DIY/home improvement, outdoor recreation (hunting, fishing, boating), local government meeting replays, and product research.
• Visual discovery and planning: Pinterest is widely used by women 35+ for home, garden, crafts, and seasonal projects; Instagram is key for local tourism, food, and small business showcases.
• Short-form growth but age-limited: TikTok and Snapchat usage concentrates in under-35s; local businesses using short vertical video see outsized reach during tourism peaks (summer/fall).
• Messaging and groups: Facebook Messenger group chats and private Groups function as de facto neighborhood networks; Nextdoor presence is modest relative to suburb-heavy counties.
• Rural cadence and seasonality: Engagement typically peaks early mornings and evenings on weekdays, with strong weekend activity. Seasonal spikes align with lake/river recreation, school calendars, and holiday events.
• Marketplace matters: Facebook Marketplace is a high-velocity channel for vehicles, tools, outdoor gear, and home goods, reflecting strong peer-to-peer trade in a rural economy.
• Device behavior: Mobile-dominant consumption; short videos and stories/reels outperform long text posts; link-outs to slow sites depress engagement.

Notes on methodology

• County-level social platform measures are estimated by applying Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption by age to Wayne County’s older age structure and broadband adoption from ACS. Figures should be treated as informed estimates rather than census counts.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2018–2022 (Wayne County PA demographics; broadband subscription)
• U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts: Wayne County, Pennsylvania
• Pew Research Center (2024), Social Media Use in 2024 (platform adoption by U.S. adults)
• DataReportal/Kepios (2024), Digital 2024: United States (context for national penetration and device behavior)