Mason County

Mason County, Washington – key demographics

Population size

• 65,726 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: 45.6 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: 20.8%
• 65 and over: 22.9%

Gender

• Male: 51.0%
• Female: 49.0% (ACS 2018–2022)

Race/ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: 84.7%
• Black or African American alone: 1.2%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 3.2%
• Asian alone: 1.5%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: 0.6%
• Two or more races: 8.8%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 11.2%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 75.8%

Households and housing (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~26,900
• Average household size: 2.45
• Family households: ~67% of all households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~74%
• Median household income (2022 dollars): ~$71,500
• Total housing units: ~33,500
• Vacancy rate: ~16%

Insights

• Older age profile than the state overall; nearly one in four residents is 65+
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with notable Hispanic and multiracial shares
• High homeownership and smaller household sizes consistent with rural/amenity/retirement communities

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Mason County, WA — email usage snapshot

Estimated email users: ≈48,000–52,000 residents (age 13+) use email; ≈30,000–32,000 use it daily. Estimate applies Pew Research’s near‑universal email adoption to Mason County’s population profile.

Age distribution (adoption rates):

• 13–17: ~85–90%
• 18–29: ~93%
• 30–49: ~92%
• 50–64: ~90%
• 65+: ~85% Given Mason County’s older‑leaning demographics, total users skew slightly toward 45+.

Gender split: Near parity; email use mirrors the adult population (~49% female, ~51% male).

Digital access trends:

• Computer access: roughly ~90% of households.
• Home broadband subscription: mid‑80s percent of households.
• Smartphone‑only internet: ~12–18% of adults.
• Trend: steady post‑2020 growth in broadband subscriptions and speeds, with continued reliance on mobile data among lower‑income and commuter households.

Local density/connectivity facts:

• Population density is in the mid‑60s per square mile, indicating a largely rural county.
• Strongest connectivity along the US‑101 corridor, in Shelton, and around Hood Canal; persistent gaps and slower fixed service in forested interior and some tribal/rural areas, where below‑25/3 Mbps coverage remains more common.

Sources: U.S. Census/ACS (household device and broadband indicators) and Pew Research (email adoption by age).

Mobile phone usage in Mason County, Washington (2024–2025)

Key differences vs. Washington statewide

• Slightly lower adult smartphone adoption than the state average, driven by an older age profile and higher rural share.
• Higher reliance on mobile phones as the primary internet connection (“smartphone-only” households) due to patchier fixed broadband outside Shelton and along the Hood Canal.
• 5G availability concentrated along major corridors (US‑101, SR‑3, Shelton) with sizable LTE/coverage gaps in forested, mountainous, and shoreline areas; mid‑band 5G is far less prevalent than statewide.
• Seasonal congestion is more pronounced (tourism/recreation in Hood Canal, Olympic foothills) compared to statewide averages, stressing capacity on weekends and summer months.

User estimates (population-based, county-adjusted)

• Total population: approximately 70,000 (2023–2024).
• Adults (18+): about 56,000.
• Adult smartphone adoption (county): approximately 85–88% (vs. ~90% statewide), yielding 48,000–49,000 adult smartphone users.
• Teens (13–17): about 4,200; smartphone adoption ~95%, adding ~4,000 users.
• Total smartphone users in Mason County: approximately 51,000–53,000 (around 73–76% of the total population when including children under 13 who typically do not own smartphones).
• Smartphone-only households (use mobile data as their primary or sole home internet): estimated 13–16% of households in Mason County vs. roughly 10–12% statewide. With about 27,000–29,000 households, this implies roughly 3,500–4,600 smartphone-only households in the county.

Demographic breakdown and adoption patterns

• Age: Mason County skews older than Washington overall (more residents 65+). Expected smartphone adoption by age locally:
  • 18–34: very high (mid-to-high 90s%).
  • 35–64: high (around low 90s%).
  • 65+: materially lower (around low 70s%), but rising year over year as device affordability improves.
• Income and plan mix: Lower median household income than the state average correlates with a higher share of prepaid/MVNO plans and budget Android devices, plus a higher incidence of mobile-first connectivity to manage costs.
• Workforce and travel: Daytime mobile load concentrates around Shelton, the SR‑3 corridor toward Kitsap/Thurston, and US‑101; commuting and construction/forestry trades increase weekday daytime usage and hotspot use.
• Tribal and rural communities: The Skokomish and Squaxin Island areas experience more frequent coverage and affordability gaps than county averages, contributing to the higher smartphone-only share.

Digital infrastructure points

• Network footprint
  • 4G LTE is the baseline countywide technology; 5G is strongest in and around Shelton, along SR‑3 (Shelton–Belfair) and US‑101 (Shelton–Union/Hoodsport). Outside these corridors, service steps down to LTE and, in pockets (e.g., Skokomish Valley, Tahuya, parts of the eastern Olympics), to weak or no signal.
  • Terrain (dense forest, hills, shorelines) creates shadowed areas and short cell overlaps, increasing call drops and reducing uplink performance indoors and in vehicles off-corridor.
• Carriers and spectrum
  • T‑Mobile’s low‑band 600 MHz (Band 71) underpins broader rural coverage; mid‑band 5G (n41) appears mainly in Shelton and select corridor segments.
  • AT&T provides FirstNet Band 14 for public safety; 5G coverage follows travel corridors and population centers.
  • Verizon coverage is extensive on highways and in Shelton; capacity and indoor penetration depend on low‑band LTE/5G, with mid‑band 5G more limited than in urban Washington.
• Capacity and performance
  • Median mobile speeds trail Washington’s metro averages due to limited mid‑band 5G density and fewer small cells; weekend and summer peaks around Hood Canal and recreation sites produce noticeable slowdowns.
  • Indoor coverage challenges are common in older or metal‑framed buildings and in forested valleys; signal boosters and Wi‑Fi calling mitigate gaps.
• Backhaul and fiber
  • Fiber backhaul is present along primary corridors and in Shelton (notably via Hood Canal Communications and public utility fiber), but tower backhaul options thin out off-corridor, constraining 5G mid‑band buildout depth in rural pockets.
• Resilience
  • Power and backhaul redundancy are improving but remain uneven in remote areas; prolonged outages (windstorms, wildfire season) can degrade coverage outside Shelton more than the statewide norm.

Trend outlook (next 12–24 months)

• Gradual infill of low‑band 5G and selective mid‑band sector upgrades along US‑101 and SR‑3; persistent coverage holes likely in low‑density forested areas.
• Continued growth of smartphone-only households unless fixed broadband expands deeper into unincorporated areas.
• Device mix shifting toward more 5G-capable phones, narrowing the adoption gap for seniors as carrier promotions and used/refurbished markets expand.

Method and data notes

• Estimates combine Mason County population and household counts with national and Washington-adjusted smartphone adoption rates (Pew Research, ACS S2801 trends) and rural adjustments reflecting county age profile and settlement pattern; network characterizations reflect FCC maps, carrier public coverage data, and typical rural performance differentials observed across Western Washington.

Mason County, WA — social media snapshot (2025, modeled from best-available data)

Overall usage

• Share of residents 13+ who use at least one social platform: ~80%
• Adult daily use (18+ using any platform daily): ~65%
• Typical device split among users: mobile-first (~90% primarily on smartphones)

Age-group adoption (share using any platform)

• 13–17: ~95%
• 18–29: ~96%
• 30–49: ~88%
• 50–64: ~79%
• 65+: ~67%

Gender breakdown

• Estimated share of social media users: ~51% female, ~49% male (in line with county population mix)
• Platform skews: Pinterest and TikTok skew female; Reddit and X (Twitter) skew male; Facebook and YouTube relatively balanced; Snapchat slightly female.

Most-used platforms (adults, estimated share who use the platform)

• YouTube: ~84%
• Facebook: ~72% (especially strong among 30+ and community groups)
• Instagram: ~42%
• Pinterest: ~33% (notably higher among women, DIY, crafts, home projects)
• TikTok: ~28% (concentrated 13–34)
• Snapchat: ~23% (teens/young adults)
• Nextdoor: ~20% (neighborhood updates, public safety, local services)
• Reddit: ~19%
• X (Twitter): ~18%
• LinkedIn: ~22%
• WhatsApp: ~19%

Behavioral trends

• Community-first usage: Very high engagement with Facebook Groups and local pages (road closures, outages, wildfire/smoke updates, buy/sell/trade, school sports, fishing/outdoors). Nextdoor is used for neighborhood issues, lost/found pets, contractor recommendations, and safety alerts.
• Video is rising: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) outperforms static posts for events, dining, outdoor recreation (Hood Canal/Lake Cushman), and local business promotions.
• Messaging over comments: Residents commonly shift to Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs for customer service, booking, and quotes; younger cohorts favor Snapchat DMs.
• Time-of-day patterns: Peaks evenings (6–10 pm) and weekends; sharp surges during storms, power outages, and wildfire smoke events.
• Local commerce: Strong response to geo-targeted Facebook/Instagram promotions; marketplace and group posts remain a primary discovery channel for services and seasonal work. Older users prefer Facebook posts/images; younger users engage more with short-form video and Stories.
• News and civic info: County and city updates, emergency management, and school district notices see high shares and reshares on Facebook and Nextdoor; YouTube is used for longer briefings and recordings.

Notes on method and sources

• Figures are 2025 modeled estimates for Mason County derived from the county’s older-than-average age profile (ACS 2019–2023 5-year demographics) combined with U.S. platform adoption by age from Pew Research Center’s 2024 social media study and U.S. usage baselines from DataReportal (2025). Adjustments reflect rural/suburban behavior patterns typical of Western Washington counties.