Franklin County

Here are concise, current (ACS 2019–2023 5-year; 2020 Census for baseline) demographics for Franklin County, Vermont:

Population

• Total population: ~50,000–51,000 (2023 estimate; 2020 Census: 49,946)

Age

• Median age: ~40 years
• Under 18: ~22–23%
• 18–64: ~60–62%
• 65 and over: ~16–18%

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Race and ethnicity (ACS, approximate; sums reflect standard non-Hispanic-by-race plus Hispanic any race)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~92–93%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~1%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): ~0.8%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): ~0.7%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~2–3%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~2–3%

Households

• Total households: ~19,000–20,000
• Average household size: ~2.5–2.6
• Family households: ~65%
• Married-couple households: ~48–50%
• Households with children <18: ~30–32%
• Housing tenure: ~73–76% owner-occupied; ~24–27% renter-occupied

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 (5-year estimates) and 2020 Decennial Census.

Franklin County, VT overview (pop ~51k; ~70–75 people per sq. mile)

Estimated email users

• 38–41k residents. Estimate applies national email adoption rates to the county’s age mix.

Age distribution (approximate usage rates)

• 13–17: 70–80%
• 18–34: ~95%+
• 35–64: 90–95%
• 65+: 75–85% Email use is nearly universal among working-age adults; lowest among the oldest cohorts.

Gender split

• ~50/50; no meaningful gender gap in email adoption.

Digital access and trends

• 80–90% of households subscribe to broadband; a growing minority are smartphone‑only (roughly 10–15%).
• Best wireline coverage in denser areas (St. Albans City/Town, I‑89 corridor). Rural northern/eastern towns (e.g., along the Canadian border and in hillier terrain) see more reliance on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite.
• Ongoing state/CUD-led fiber builds are expanding service, improving speeds and reliability each year.
• Mobile LTE/5G covers main corridors; terrain and distance from towers create pockets of weaker signal in remote valleys.

Implication

• Email reach is strong countywide, especially among 18–64. Campaigns should pair email with SMS or social for teens and the oldest adults, and offer low‑bandwidth versions for users on slower links.

Below is a county-specific snapshot built from public sources (U.S. Census 2020 for population baselines, Pew Research for smartphone adoption ranges, Vermont Department of Public Service/CUD announcements for infrastructure trends) plus localized context.

At-a-glance estimates for Franklin County (population ≈50,000; adults ≈39,000)

• Mobile phone users (any mobile handset): 35,000–37,000 adults (≈90–94% of adults)
• Smartphone users: 31,000–34,000 adults (≈80–88% of adults)
• Mobile-only home internet households: likely somewhat above the Vermont average historically (estimate 12–18% of households), but declining as fiber expands
• Lines per household: slightly higher than Vermont average due to a larger share of families with children

How Franklin County differs from Vermont overall

• Younger profile, more families: Franklin County skews modestly younger than the state average, with a larger share of households with children. That supports:
  • Slightly higher smartphone penetration among working-age adults and teens
  • More multi-line family plans and higher evening/weekend usage tied to school/activities
• Cross-border effects (Canada): Proximity to Quebec creates unique network behavior near Highgate/Swanton and lakefront areas:
  • Occasional Canadian-tower capture and roaming prompts; users more likely to lock carriers or manage roaming settings
  • More plans that include Canada roaming; higher prevalence of bilingual app/communications use
• Commute-driven load on I-89 corridor: Daytime population shifts toward Chittenden County and strong travel on I-89 concentrate capacity and 5G upgrades along St. Albans–Swanton–Georgia exits earlier than in many rural VT areas
• Prepaid/MVNO share a bit higher: Median incomes are slightly below the statewide median, which correlates with more cost-conscious plans, Android share above the state average, and episodic reliance on hotspotting where fixed broadband is weak
• Mobile-only reliance changing fast: Historically higher than the VT average in eastern hill towns and farm areas, but dropping more quickly than elsewhere in VT as fiber reaches outlying roads

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

• Ages 18–34: Very high smartphone use (≈95%+). Heavy social/video, mobile payments, and app-based ride/commute tools for Burlington-area work trips
• Ages 35–64: High smartphone use (≈90%±). Strong family-plan participation; device financing and MVNO adoption somewhat above state average
• Ages 65+: Rapidly rising adoption but below younger groups (≈65–75%). More Wi‑Fi calling and larger-font devices; device upgrades often coincide with new fiber/bundled offers
• Teens: Near-universal smartphone access; school-related platforms increase evening data spikes. Parental controls and budget family lines are common
• Geography within the county:
  • I-89/US‑7 corridor (St. Albans City/Town, Swanton, Georgia): Best overall coverage and 5G availability; higher median speeds and capacity
  • Northeastern/hill towns (Berkshire, Montgomery, Enosburg, Bakersfield): More variable signal quality; greater reliance on Wi‑Fi calling, signal boosters, and outdoor antennas

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Carrier coverage and 5G
  • T-Mobile: Broad low-band 5G across the corridor; mid-band 5G capacity strongest near St. Albans/Swanton and along I‑89
  • Verizon: Consistent LTE footprint countywide; mid-band (C‑band) 5G concentrated along I‑89/US‑7 and population centers; often preferred in fringe rural spots
  • AT&T/FirstNet: Solid in towns and major roads; FirstNet upgrades benefit public safety; 5G more spotty off the corridor
  • Border note: Near the international line and lake shore, phones may latch to Canadian towers; residents frequently disable roaming or use plans with Canada included
• Fixed broadband shaping mobile behavior
  • Fiber: Consolidated’s Fidium Fiber and the Northwest Vermont Communications Union District (NW Fiberworx) have accelerated builds in Franklin County since 2022, including less-dense roads; this reduces mobile hotspot dependence
  • Cable: Xfinity is common in St. Albans/Swanton and nearby villages, supporting high-capacity Wi‑Fi offload
  • Legacy DSL still present in pockets; where DSL persists, households more often report mobile-only or mobile-first internet use
• Public and community access
  • Libraries, schools, and municipal buildings provide robust Wi‑Fi offload in towns with weaker outdoor mobile signals
  • Farms and small manufacturers increasingly use private Wi‑Fi plus repeaters/boosters; text and PTT-style apps used for field coordination

Behavioral and plan trends unique to Franklin County

• Higher incidence of Canada-ready plans and roaming management compared with the VT average
• Slightly higher share of prepaid/MVNO lines (cost-sensitive segments; seasonal workers)
• More family bundles and device insurance uptake due to household composition
• Higher adoption of Wi‑Fi calling and in-home signal boosters in eastern/rural census blocks
• Commute-time congestion patterns (I‑89) shape when users experience peak speeds and when carriers prioritize capacity upgrades

Method and confidence notes

• Population base from the 2020 Census; adult share inferred from Vermont’s age structure
• Ownership/adoption rates use Pew Research and rural/U.S. benchmarks, adjusted for Franklin County’s younger profile and commuting/border context
• Infrastructure points derived from carrier build patterns in northwest Vermont, VT Department of Public Service maps, and CUD announcements; exact tower locations and 5G bands vary by neighborhood

Below is a concise, best-available snapshot of social media usage in Franklin County, Vermont. Exact, public, county-level metrics are limited; figures are estimates triangulated from Vermont/rural U.S. patterns and platform norms circa 2023–2024.

Population context

• County population: ~50,000; adults (18+): ~38,000.
• Internet access: high but uneven in rural areas; mobile-first behavior is common.

Overall social usage

• Share of adults using at least one social platform monthly: ~80–85% (≈30,000–33,000 people).

Most-used platforms (share of adults; estimated ranges)

• YouTube: 70–80%
• Facebook: 60–70%
• Instagram: 30–40%
• TikTok: 25–35%
• Snapchat: 25–35% (heaviest among teens/20s)
• Pinterest: 25–30% (female-skewed)
• LinkedIn: 15–20%
• X (Twitter): 10–15%
• Reddit: 10–15%
• Front Porch Forum (Vermont-only community network): widely used for hyperlocal notices; strong reach across Franklin County towns even though exact penetration varies by town.

Age mix by platform (indicative, based on rural/New England patterns)

• Teens (13–17): YouTube 90%+, Snapchat 70%+, TikTok 70%+, Instagram 60%+; Facebook ~25–35%.
• 18–24: YouTube 95%+, Instagram 70%+, Snapchat 70%+, TikTok 70%+; Facebook ~40–50%.
• 25–34: Facebook 60–70%, Instagram 55–65%, TikTok 45–55%, Snapchat 45–55%, YouTube 90%+.
• 35–54: Facebook 70–80%, YouTube 85–90%, Instagram 35–45%, Pinterest 35–45%, TikTok 25–35%.
• 55+: Facebook 65–75%, YouTube 70–80%, Pinterest 25–35%, Instagram 20–25%, TikTok 10–20%.

Gender breakdown among local users (approximate, reflecting platform norms)

• Facebook: ~55% women / 45% men
• Instagram: ~52% women / 48% men
• TikTok: ~60% women / 40% men
• Snapchat: ~60% women / 40% men
• Pinterest: ~70% women / 30% men
• LinkedIn: ~45% women / 55% men
• YouTube: ~45% women / 55% men

Behavioral trends (what people actually do)

• Community-first conversation:
  • Heavy participation in Facebook Groups and Front Porch Forum for town notices, school updates, road closures, storms, lost/found pets, and local politics (selectboard/budget votes).
  • High engagement with local events (e.g., St. Albans–area festivals like the Maple Festival), youth sports, farmers markets, and fundraisers.
• Commerce and swapping:
  • Facebook Marketplace and local buy/sell/trade groups are highly active (household goods, tools, vehicles, seasonal gear).
• Visual, seasonal content performs best:
  • Foliage, lake/river scenes, maple sugaring, snowstorms, and hometown pride posts drive shares.
• Timing:
  • Peaks around early morning (6–8 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–10 p.m.); weekend evenings are strong for events and recaps.
• Messaging and groups > public posting:
  • Messenger and private/closed Facebook Groups carry much of the day-to-day coordination.
• Platform roles:
  • Facebook/Front Porch Forum: local news, services, civic info, buy/sell.
  • Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat: younger audiences, short-form video, school life, sports highlights, local creators.
  • YouTube: how-to, outdoor/recreation, local business explainers; often discovered via search.
  • LinkedIn: professional/services hiring; modest but useful for B2B and commuting professionals.
• Trust and tone:
  • Word-of-mouth and neighbor recommendations are influential; straightforward, community-oriented messaging outperforms slick, corporate creative.

Practical implications

• For broad local reach: Facebook + Front Porch Forum + YouTube.
• For under-35 reach: Instagram + TikTok + Snapchat.
• Lean into community relevance (local faces, events, service updates) and schedule around evening peaks.

Notes

• Percentages are estimates; individual towns (St. Albans, Swanton, Fairfax, Enosburg, Highgate, etc.) can vary.
• Front Porch Forum policies limit overt commercial posting; treat it as a civic channel rather than an ad platform.