York County

York County, Pennsylvania — key demographics

Population

• 466,000 (July 1, 2023 estimate)
• 456,438 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~41.6 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Sex

• Female: ~50.7%
• Male: ~49.3%

Race/ethnicity (shares; Hispanic is an ethnicity and overlaps with race)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~77–78%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~9–10%
• Black or African American: ~6–7%
• Asian: ~2%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, NHPI, other: <1%

Households and housing (2018–2022 ACS 5-year)

• Households: ~182,000
• Average household size: ~2.56–2.57
• Family households: ~66% (married-couple families ~48–49%)
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• Living alone: ~27%
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~73%
• Median household income: ~$76,000
• Persons below poverty: ~8–9%

Insights

• Slow but positive population growth since 2020; median age in the low 40s indicates an aging profile.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with a growing Hispanic community; Black and Asian populations are smaller but present.
• High homeownership and moderate household size typical of suburban counties.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 Population Estimates; 2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year).

York County, PA email usage (2024 estimate)

• Estimated users: ~332,000 adult residents use email. Method: ≈361,000 adults in the county × 92% U.S. adult email adoption (Pew), yielding a robust local penetration rate.
• Age distribution of email users: 18–29: 17%; 30–49: 33%; 50–64: 28%; 65+: 22%. Adoption is highest among 30–49 and 50–64, with slightly lower—but still strong—use among 65+.
• Gender split: Approximately 51% female, 49% male among email users, mirroring the county’s population; adoption rates are effectively equal by gender.
• Digital access trends: About 89–91% of households have a broadband subscription, and ~94–95% have a computer or smartphone (U.S. Census ACS S2801). Around 7–9% are smartphone‑only internet households, relevant for mobile‑first email behavior. Fixed 100/20 Mbps service is available to roughly 95% of residents, and ≥1 Gbps to ~80% (FCC 2023), with fiber buildouts expanding in suburban and exurban tracts since 2022.
• Local density/connectivity context: Countywide population density is roughly 500 people per square mile, with the York–Hanover urban corridor markedly denser and better served; rural southwestern townships show the largest gaps in gigabit availability, influencing email access primarily via mobile networks.

York County, PA — mobile phone usage snapshot (2023–2024)

Headline estimates

• Total population: about 460,000; households: about 180,000–185,000.
• Estimated smartphone users: 350,000–380,000 residents.
• Estimated active mobile lines (includes personal, work, tablets/IoT): 400,000–450,000.
• Household cellular data plan penetration (proxy for smartphone adoption; ACS S2801-based): approximately mid‑80s percent.
• Households that rely on cellular data only for home internet (smartphone/fixed‑wireless without wireline broadband): roughly low‑ to mid‑teens percent.

How York County differs from Pennsylvania overall

• Cross‑border commuter county: Heavy daily flows on I‑83 to/from Maryland (Baltimore metro) concentrate mobile traffic on highway corridors and park‑and‑ride zones more than the PA average, affecting peak load timing and handoff density.
• Higher fixed‑wireless uptake: A larger share of households use 5G fixed wireless (T‑Mobile, Verizon) for home internet versus statewide, reflecting patchier fiber availability outside the county’s denser cores. This elevates mobile network load in evenings relative to state patterns anchored by urban wireline fiber.
• Industrial/warehouse IoT: The county’s sizable logistics and light‑manufacturing base adds above‑average machine‑to‑machine lines per capita (fleet tracking, sensors, handhelds), producing steadier daytime uplink traffic than in more office‑centric PA counties.
• Urban–rural contrast: York City and inner suburbs show high smartphone penetration and app‑centric usage, while rural southern/western townships exhibit higher smartphone‑only/home‑internet reliance and more variable indoor coverage—sharper intra‑county contrast than in the big‑metro counties of PA.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age: Adults 18–64 form the dominant user base and drive commuter‑corridor traffic; older adults 65+ show growing but still lower smartphone adoption and are more likely to keep voice/text‑centric plans. Youth (13–17) smartphone ownership is near‑universal, concentrated in York City/suburban school districts with high streaming/social media intensity.
• Income and affordability: Lower‑income neighborhoods in and around York City and Hanover have higher rates of prepaid lines and smartphone‑only home connectivity; suburban tracts show higher postpaid family plans and multi‑device bundles. This income‑linked split is more pronounced locally than statewide averages.
• Race/ethnicity: Growth in Hispanic residents over the past decade correlates with strong mobile‑first adoption (multilingual messaging, OTT apps, and cross‑border payments), contributing to above‑average smartphone‑only households in specific tracts.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Carrier footprint: AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon provide county‑wide LTE with broad 5G coverage across York, Springettsbury, West Manchester, Hanover, Red Lion/Dallastown, and along I‑83/US‑30. Mid‑band 5G (C‑band/2.5 GHz) is common in population centers and highway corridors; low‑band 5G fills rural areas.
• Capacity hotspots: Dense site spacing and small‑cell infill along I‑83, US‑30 retail corridors, and industrial parks to handle commuter and enterprise loads. Venue coverage enhancements exist at hospitals, campuses, and large retail centers.
• Backhaul and wireline context: Cable broadband is prevalent in populated areas; DSL remains in pockets; fiber is present but not yet county‑wide. This mix sustains demand for mobile and 5G fixed‑wireless substitutes, particularly beyond the York/Hanover cores.
• Public safety and coverage resilience: FirstNet/Band 14 and low‑band spectrum help shore up rural coverage and in‑building penetration for first responders; storm‑related outages generally restore quickly along the I‑83/US‑30 backbone where fiber backhaul is redundant.

Behavioral and network trends to watch

• Evening mobile traffic growth outpaces state averages in neighborhoods using 5G fixed wireless for home internet.
• Corridor‑centric daytime peaks (I‑83/US‑30) are more pronounced than statewide, reflecting Maryland‑linked commuting and freight movement.
• IoT and private‑LTE/CBRS pilots at warehouses and campuses are expanding device counts beyond handsets, lifting per‑capita line density.
• Carrier optimization is focusing on mid‑band 5G sector adds and small‑cell densification rather than solely new macro towers, targeting indoor and edge‑of‑cell performance in suburban/rural transition zones.

Method notes

• User and line counts are derived from ACS household connectivity indicators, Pew smartphone adoption benchmarks, and county population/household totals, converted to county‑level estimates. Percentages and adoption tiers reflect 2023–2024 conditions and align with observed carrier deployments and service availability in York County.

York County, PA social media snapshot (best-available county estimates)

Headline stats

• Population: ~460,000 (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 est.); adults (18+): ~360,000
• Households with broadband internet: ~88–90% (ACS 2022–2023)
• Smartphone adoption: ~85% of adults (Pew U.S. average; York County aligns closely given suburban profile)

Age and gender profile (Census-based)

• Age: ~22% under 18; ~22% ages 18–34; ~27% ages 35–54; ~13% ages 55–64; ~16% ages 65+
• Gender: ~51% female, ~49% male

Most-used platforms (share of adults; York County counts modeled by applying Pew’s 2024 U.S. rates to ~360k adults)

• YouTube: 83% (~299k)
• Facebook: 68% (~245k)
• Instagram: 47% (~169k)
• Pinterest: 35% (~126k)
• TikTok: 33% (~119k)
• LinkedIn: 30% (~108k)
• X (Twitter): 22% (~79k)
• Snapchat: 20% (~72k) Notes: Percentages reflect U.S. adult usage (Pew Research Center, 2024), scaled to York County’s adult population; multi-platform use is common, so counts overlap.

Behavioral trends (local patterns consistent with similar suburban counties)

• Facebook as the community hub: Heavy use of Groups for school districts, municipalities, weather/traffic alerts, and hyperlocal news; Marketplace is a top channel for resale and small local commerce.
• Short‑form video growth: TikTok and Instagram Reels increasingly drive discovery of restaurants, events, and small businesses; cross-posting of short clips from local venues and creators is common.
• YouTube for DIY and trades: Strong viewership for home improvement, automotive, and outdoor content; local businesses leverage how-to videos and testimonials.
• Younger audiences split attention: Ages 18–29 are concentrated on Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat for messaging, campus/high‑school life, nightlife, and creator content; Facebook is used mainly for event details and family.
• Older adults anchored on Facebook: Ages 55+ rely on Facebook for community info and family updates; YouTube used for tutorials and entertainment.
• Gender skews: Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, and especially Pinterest (home, food, crafts); men over-index on YouTube, Reddit-like forums, and X for sports and real-time updates.
• Business and jobs: LinkedIn is active for hiring in manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, and skilled trades; Facebook job posts also perform well for hourly roles.
• Messaging and private sharing: Facebook Messenger dominates private local coordination; WhatsApp present among multilingual/immigrant communities but smaller than national hotspots.
• Local news consumption: High engagement with regional outlets’ Facebook pages and YouTube clips; X is used by a smaller subset for live weather, emergencies, and prep sports.
• Buying behavior: “See on social, buy locally” pattern—users discover via short video or Instagram posts, then convert via Facebook pages, DMs, or in-store; seasonal peaks around back‑to‑school, holidays, and spring DIY.

Method and sources

• Population, age, gender, broadband: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2022–2023).
• Platform usage percentages: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use (2024). York County counts are modeled by applying Pew’s U.S. adult usage rates to the county’s estimated adult population.