Wyoming County

Wyoming County, Pennsylvania — key demographics (latest U.S. Census/ACS)

Population size

• Total population (2020 Census): 26,069
• Change since 2010: down from 28,276 (approx. -7.8%)

Age

• Median age: about 45–46 years (ACS 5-year)
• Under 18: about 20%
• 18 to 64: about 58–60%
• 65 and over: about 21–22%

Gender

• Female: about 50–51%
• Male: about 49–50%

Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census; Hispanic can be of any race)

• White: roughly 94–95%
• Black or African American: ~0.6–1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.2–0.3%
• Asian: ~0.3%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2–3%

Households (ACS 5-year)

• Total households: about 10,000
• Average household size: ~2.4 persons
• Family households: ~65–70% of households; married-couple families around half
• Households with children under 18: roughly one-quarter
• One-person households: roughly one-quarter to one-third
• Homeownership rate: around three-quarters of occupied units

Notes: Figures combine 2020 Decennial Census (for total population and race counts) and recent ACS 5‑year estimates (for age, gender, and household characteristics); values rounded for clarity.

Wyoming County, PA context: rural Northeast PA, population ~26,000 (2020), density ~64 residents per square mile, with connectivity concentrated around Tunkhannock and major corridors.

Estimated email users: 19,000–21,000 adults, reflecting near‑universal adoption among working‑age residents and high but not complete adoption among seniors.

Age distribution of email users (est. share of users):

• 18–29: ~17%
• 30–49: ~33%
• 50–64: ~29%
• 65+: ~21%

Gender split among users: approximately even overall (≈49% male, 51% female), with a slight female tilt in older cohorts due to longevity.

Digital access trends:

• Household broadband subscription is broadly high for Pennsylvania but moderated by rural gaps; expect roughly 80–85% of households with home internet, with remaining households relying on mobile or having limited access.
• Smartphone‑only internet users likely in the 10–15% range, skewing younger and lower‑income.
• Seniors show the widest adoption gap: strong email use among those online, but lower home broadband and more reliance on mobile or public access points.
• Cable/fiber availability is strongest in and near Tunkhannock Borough; outlying townships more often depend on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite, which can affect email reliability and usage frequency.

Wyoming County, Pennsylvania — Mobile phone usage snapshot (distinct from statewide patterns)

Core user estimates

• Population base: 26,069 residents (2020 Census). Adults (18+) ≈ 20,800 (≈80% of residents).
• Adult smartphone users: ≈ 17,300–17,700 (≈83% of adults). Method: Pew Research Center’s most recent adult smartphone adoption benchmarks applied to Wyoming County’s age profile (very high adoption among 18–34, lower among 65+).
• Cellular-only adults (phone is primary/only voice service): ≈ 65–70% (aligned to national rural rates; notably lower than major metros but comparable to rural Pennsylvania). Implication: strong reliance on mobile for voice even where home broadband is limited.
• Household device connectivity: A materially higher share of households rely on cellular data as a primary internet path than the Pennsylvania average, consistent with rural counties where wireline options are sparse or lower-speed.

Demographic breakdown and how it diverges from Pennsylvania overall

• Age-driven differences
  • 18–34: ~96% smartphone adoption; Wyoming County’s smaller share of this cohort (compared with the state’s more urban counties) trims overall adoption.
  • 35–64: ~88–92% adoption; this is the county’s largest adult block and anchors most usage.
  • 65+: ~60–65% adoption; Wyoming County’s higher-than-state senior share pulls total adoption below the Pennsylvania average.
  • Net effect vs state: Pennsylvania’s overall adult smartphone adoption is ~85%; Wyoming County’s weighted rate lands a couple of points lower (≈82–84%) because the county is older and more rural.
• Income and plan mix
  • Wyoming County’s median household income trails the Pennsylvania average; in rural Pennsylvania this correlates with a higher mix of prepaid and value MVNO plans and more conservative data allowances than in urban Pennsylvania (where premium postpaid and bundled device upgrade plans are more common).
• Racial/ethnic composition
  • The county’s largely White, non-Hispanic profile means statewide adoption gaps tied to race/ethnicity (visible in urban counties) are less pronounced locally; age and geography are the dominant drivers.
• Youth usage
  • Teen smartphone adoption is near-universal nationwide; because Wyoming County has a smaller teen share than metro counties, the boost from youth adoption to countywide totals is modest relative to the state.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (what’s different locally)

• Technology footprint
  • 4G LTE: Broadly available across populated corridors; coverage gaps persist in sparsely populated ridge-and-valley terrain—more so than in suburban/urban Pennsylvania.
  • 5G: All three national carriers market 5G in northeast Pennsylvania. In Wyoming County, low-band 5G covers the main travel and population corridors (e.g., around Tunkhannock and along US‑6), while mid-band 5G capacity is patchier than in metro areas like the Scranton–Wilkes‑Barre–Allentown corridor. That capacity gap is the key divergence from the state’s urban counties.
• Capacity and performance
  • Rural inter-site distances are larger than in Pennsylvania’s metros, which depresses signal quality and peak speeds during busy hours. Typical rural throughput lags urban Pennsylvania by double-digit percentages, especially outside towns and along wooded terrain.
• Backhaul and co-location
  • Fewer fiber-fed macro sites per square mile than in urban counties. Fiber backhaul is concentrated along primary roadways; this constrains mid-band 5G densification relative to state hubs.
• Redundancy and resiliency
  • Multi-carrier overlap exists along the main corridors, but single-carrier or weak-signal pockets remain in northern and western townships—more common than in suburban Pennsylvania. First responder networks (FirstNet/AT&T Band 14) are present along key routes but not to the depth seen in metro counties.

Implications and takeaways

• Adoption level: High but slightly below the Pennsylvania average because of age mix and rurality; expect gradual uplift as mid-band 5G expands and older cohorts continue to adopt smartphones.
• Usage patterns: Heavier reliance on voice/text and conservative data plans than state metro areas; hotspotting and cellular-as-primary internet are more common due to wireline gaps.
• Network evolution: The main upside for the county over 2025–2027 is mid-band 5G fill-in along US‑6 and around population centers, which will narrow the capacity gap with Pennsylvania’s metros. Persistent terrain-driven dead zones will continue to differentiate the county’s experience from the state average.

Sources and methods

• Base population from the 2020 Census; age-driven smartphone adoption rates from Pew Research Center’s most recent U.S. adult technology adoption findings; rural-versus-urban network and plan mix patterns from carrier disclosures, FCC National Broadband Map summaries, and industry performance reporting for northeast Pennsylvania. County user counts are derived by applying national/rural adoption rates to the county’s age structure and rounding to reflect estimation uncertainty.

Wyoming County, PA — social media usage snapshot (2025)

Overall reach and users

• Population: ~26,000; adults (18+): ~20,500.
• Adults using at least one social platform: 82% (16,800 adults).
• Access context: Predominantly mobile-first usage; home broadband is widespread but patchy in outlying areas, so video is consumed heavily on phones and often at lower bitrates.

Most-used platforms among adults (modeled local adoption)

• YouTube: 76%
• Facebook: 72%
• Instagram: 36%
• Pinterest: 32%
• TikTok: 28%
• Snapchat: 25%
• WhatsApp: 20%
• LinkedIn: 19%
• X (Twitter): 18%
• Reddit: 15%
• Nextdoor: 10% (limited footprint outside denser boroughs) Percentages are share of adults; figures reflect rural-leaning usage patterns.

Age profile (platform adoption within each age group)

• Ages 18–29: YouTube 95%, Instagram 76%, Snapchat 67%, TikTok 62%, Facebook 55%.
• Ages 30–49: YouTube 91%, Facebook 78%, Instagram 56%, TikTok 38%, Snapchat 32%, LinkedIn 30%.
• Ages 50–64: Facebook 73%, YouTube 79%, Pinterest 41%, Instagram 30%, TikTok 18%.
• Ages 65+: Facebook 60%, YouTube 61%, Pinterest 25%, Instagram 15%, TikTok 10%.

Gender breakdown (platform adoption by gender)

• Women: Facebook 74%, Instagram 43%, Pinterest 46%, TikTok 31%, Snapchat 27%.
• Men: YouTube 80%, Facebook 69%, Instagram 41%, X 22%, Reddit 21%, TikTok 25%. Interpretation: Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X. Instagram is broadly balanced.

Behavioral trends

• Facebook as the community hub: High engagement in local Groups (schools, sports, buy/sell/trade, fire/EMS, road and weather updates). Events, closures, and lost-and-found posts spread quickly via shares.
• Video-first consumption: Short, phone-shot clips perform best. How-to and local-interest videos do well on YouTube; Reels/TikTok capture under-35 entertainment time.
• Practical, local content wins: Service updates, specials, hours, hunting/fishing seasons, county fair and school activities outperform generic brand content. Authentic tone and recognizable local landmarks boost trust and shares.
• Messaging matters: Facebook Messenger is a primary contact channel for local businesses; response-time and clear pickup/appointment info drive conversions.
• Ad targeting: Most effective radii are 10–25 miles around towns and along commute corridors; frequency caps help avoid fatigue in the small audience. Lookalikes based on local engagers outperform broad-interest targeting.
• Platform roles:
  • Facebook = announcements, Groups, customer service.
  • YouTube = tutorials, equipment/DIY, long-tail search.
  • Instagram = visual storytelling for food, retail, tourism; Stories for timely promos.
  • TikTok/Snapchat = youth reach for schools, sports, events.
  • Pinterest = seasonal/home projects; strong among women 30–64.
  • LinkedIn/X = niche audiences (education/healthcare admin, public-sector updates).

Method and sources

• Figures are modeled for Wyoming County’s adult population using the latest U.S. Census Bureau population structure and Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. social media adoption rates by age, gender, and community type (rural), plus U.S. platform benchmarks. They reflect best-available localization for a rural Pennsylvania county where platform-specific county data are not directly published.