Grays Harbor County

Grays Harbor County, Washington — key demographics

Population

• 2023 population estimate: ~79,000
• 2020 Census: 75,636
• Growth since 2020: roughly +4–5%

Age

• Median age: ~43 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 65 and over: ~22%

Gender

• Female: ~49.5%
• Male: ~50.5%

Race/ethnicity (share of total population)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~75%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~11%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~4–5%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~7%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~1–2%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: <1%

Households

• Total households: ~32,000
• Average household size: ~2.4 persons

Insights

• Population is modestly growing and comparatively older than the U.S. overall.
• The county remains predominantly non-Hispanic White with a notable American Indian/Alaska Native community and a growing Hispanic population.
• Household sizes are small-to-midsize, typical of rural/coastal Washington counties.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year; 2023 Population Estimates, QuickFacts).

Email usage overview — Grays Harbor County, WA

• Estimated email users: ≈59,000 residents. Based on county population ≈76,000 and national adult email adoption (~92%), adjusted for the county’s age mix.
• Age distribution of email use (penetration among adults, per national benchmarks applied locally): 18–29: ~99%; 30–49: ~98%; 50–64: ~96%; 65+: ~92%. With roughly 22% of residents aged 65+, seniors account for about one-quarter of local email users.
• Gender split: Population is ~51% male and ~49% female; email usage is effectively equal by gender, yielding ≈30,000 male and ≈29,000 female users.
• Digital access and trends: About 85% of households subscribe to broadband and 91% have a computer; roughly 10% lack home internet. Smartphone-only access is common (14%), supporting email use even without fixed broadband. Broadband and smartphone adoption are rising modestly year over year, but access gaps persist for low-income and remote households.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Population density is ~40 people per square mile (land area). Connectivity is strongest around Aberdeen–Hoquiam–Ocean Shores, with thinner fixed-broadband options in rural and coastal tracts, influencing where and how residents access email.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Grays Harbor County, WA (focus on what differs from statewide patterns)

Topline

• Population and base: About 77,000 residents, roughly 60,000 adults and ~31,000 households.
• Active smartphone users (estimate): ~51,000–53,000 adults (about 85–88% of adults), below Washington’s statewide adult smartphone adoption (roughly 90%+).
• Any mobile phone (smartphone or basic) among adults: ~94–96%.
• Mobile-only home internet households (primarily smartphone tethering or hotspots): 14% of households, higher than the statewide share (9–10%).
• Prepaid share: ~38–42% of lines (notably higher than the state’s ~25–30%), reflecting lower incomes and older age structure.

Demographic breakdown of usage (estimated, 2024–2025)

• Age:
  • 18–34: ~24% of adults; smartphone adoption ~96–98%.
  • 35–64: ~46% of adults; smartphone adoption ~88–92%.
  • 65+: ~30% of adults (higher than WA overall); smartphone adoption ~68–75%—this cohort drives the county’s lower overall rate relative to the state.
• Income and plan type:
  • Median household income materially below state median; greater share of low-to-moderate-income users increases prepaid, budget Android devices, and shared-data plans.
  • Smartphone-only internet reliance concentrated among lower-income households and renters.
• Platform split (handset OS):
  • Android skews higher than statewide: roughly 60/40 Android/iOS in the county versus closer to parity (or slight iOS lead) statewide.
• Race and ethnicity:
  • Native American residents (notably in and around Quinault areas) and Hispanic households show higher mobile-only internet reliance due to fixed-broadband gaps; adoption is strong among younger users but constrained by device affordability among elders.

Usage patterns and behavior

• Data consumption:
  • Among mobile-only households, monthly cellular data use runs 10–20% higher than the state average because of limited fixed broadband options; video quality often stepped down to fit plan caps.
• Voice/SMS:
  • Higher reliance on voice and SMS among older adults; spam call filtering apps less prevalent among seniors compared with metropolitan Washington.
• App and services uptake:
  • Mobile banking, telehealth, and government services usage is growing but lags urban WA; appointment-based telehealth usage spikes in towns with strong 5G but drops in forested/coastal dead zones.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Coverage profile:
  • 4G LTE is solid along primary corridors (US‑12, SR‑8, US‑101, SR‑109) and in towns (Aberdeen, Hoquiam, Ocean Shores, Elma, Montesano).
  • 5G availability is town-centric; population coverage from at least one carrier is materially lower than statewide.
    • T‑Mobile: mid‑band 5G covers most urban clusters and the US‑12 corridor; strongest 5G performance in Aberdeen/Hoquiam, parts of Ocean Shores, Montesano, Elma.
    • Verizon: C‑Band focused in core towns; LTE remains the workhorse elsewhere; performance drops in forested interiors.
    • AT&T: widespread low‑band 5G for coverage; mid‑band upgrades present mainly in town centers; FirstNet supports public safety but faces the same terrain limits.
  • Notable weak or no‑service areas: north of Ocean Shores toward Moclips/Pacific Beach, Humptulips–Queets stretches of US‑101, Wynoochee Valley, Lake Quinault and Olympic National Forest/parklands.
• Backhaul and tower density:
  • Fewer macro sites per square mile than the state average; heavy reliance on macro towers and some microwave backhaul in timberlands.
  • Middle‑mile fiber concentrated along US‑12/SR‑109 and in civic anchors (Grays Harbor PUD and other institutional networks); redundancy thins west of Montesano and outside town centers.
• 5G build‑out trend (2021–2024):
  • Upgrades primarily added capacity in Aberdeen/Hoquiam and tourist hubs (Ocean Shores, Westport); far fewer new rural greenfield sites due to terrain, permitting, and ROI.
  • mmWave is essentially absent; fixed‑wireless access over 5G appears only in town cores and select corridors.
• Seasonal strain:
  • Beach tourism and razor‑clam digs cause predictable cell congestion spikes in Ocean Shores, Westport, and SR‑109, particularly on weekends and evenings.

Trends that differ from Washington statewide

• Adoption level: Adult smartphone adoption lags the state by about 5–7 points because of a larger 65+ cohort and income mix.
• Access mode: Higher dependence on mobile-only internet for home connectivity (+4–6 points versus statewide), especially in areas with limited wired broadband.
• Plan mix: Prepaid penetration 10–15 points higher than the state; more budget Android devices and data‑capped plans.
• Coverage quality: Lower effective 5G population coverage and more persistent dead zones than the state average; LTE remains the dominant layer outside towns.
• Performance variability: Greater town‑to‑rural performance gap; speeds can fall below usable thresholds in forested and coastal segments where backhaul and tower spacing are constrained.
• Seasonal volatility: Network congestion swings are sharper than statewide norms due to tourism surges against a sparse rural RAN.
• Digital equity pressure: The ACP wind‑down has a larger relative impact than in metro counties, pushing some households from postpaid to prepaid and increasing mobile‑only reliance.

Quantified county estimates (2024–2025)

• Adults: ~60,000; smartphone users: ~51,000–53,000; any mobile phone: ~56,000–58,000.
• Households: ~31,000; mobile‑only home internet: ~4,200–4,500 households.
• Prepaid lines: ~38–42% of active consumer lines; Android share: ~58–62%.
• 5G population coverage by at least one carrier: roughly 70–80% (statewide ~90%+), with town‑centric concentration.

What this means

• Investments that add mid‑band sites or sector densification in coastal and forest corridors will yield outsized improvements relative to metro counties.
• Programs that bundle affordable smartphones with generous hotspot allowances meaningfully expand functional connectivity for seniors and low‑income households.
• Coordinated middle‑mile expansion and fiber backhaul to coastal towers would narrow the town‑to‑rural performance gap and stabilize seasonal congestion.

Grays Harbor County, WA — social media usage snapshot

Population and user stats

• Population: about 79,000 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS)
• Adults (18+): about 62,000
• Estimated adult social media users: about 44,000–46,000 (≈70–74% of adults), consistent with national adoption (Pew Research Center, 2023–2024)

Age profile of adult social media users (share of users)

• 18–29: ~17%
• 30–49: ~36%
• 50–64: ~31%
• 65+: ~16% Note: Derived by weighting Pew age-specific adoption rates to the county’s older-leaning age mix.

Gender breakdown (share of users)

• Female: ~53%
• Male: ~47% Women are overrepresented on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest; men skew higher on YouTube and Reddit (Pew platform skews applied locally).

Most-used platforms among adults (estimated share of adults who use each)

• YouTube: ~78%
• Facebook: ~64%
• Instagram: ~38%
• Pinterest: ~28%
• TikTok: ~27%
• Snapchat: ~22%
• LinkedIn: ~22%
• X (Twitter): ~18% These are age-weighted estimates based on Pew U.S. adult platform adoption, adjusted slightly for the county’s older profile. Multiple-platform use is common.

Behavioral trends

• Facebook as the community hub: Heavy use of local groups (buy/sell, schools, fishing, weather, events) and Marketplace; reliable reach for 30+.
• Video-first consumption: Short-form video (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) performs best for events, promotions, and how-to content; YouTube is the go-to for DIY, outdoor, and local news recaps.
• Commerce and calls-to-action: Facebook/Instagram drive foot traffic and calls for local services; offers with clear prices and local imagery convert better than generic creatives.
• Tourism and outdoors content: Coastal scenery, fishing, camping, and seasonal events are high-share topics across Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
• Messaging over comments: Many users prefer Facebook Messenger or Instagram DMs to inquire about availability, pricing, or appointments.
• Time-of-day patterns: Engagement concentrates around early mornings, lunch, and evenings; weekend spikes for events, markets, and recreation updates.
• Younger cohorts: 18–34 favor Instagram and TikTok for discovery; Snapchat remains a peer-to-peer channel rather than a public posting space.
• News and alerts: Facebook pages/groups and YouTube clips dominate local news; X is niche and used mainly for transportation, weather, and sports updates.

Method and sources

• County population: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Community Survey.
• Platform adoption and demographic skews: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2023–2024.
• Figures are modeled estimates: Pew’s national adoption by age and platform weighted to Grays Harbor’s older-leaning age mix to provide county-level approximations.