Skamania County

Skamania County, Washington — key demographics

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (DP-1) and 2018–2022 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates.

Population size

• Total population (2020 Census): 12,083

Age

• Median age: about 46 years
• Under 18: roughly 20–21%
• 65 and over: roughly 20–21%

Gender

• Male: about 51%
• Female: about 49%

Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census)

• White alone: roughly 87%
• Two or more races: about 7–8%
• Some other race: about 2–3%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: about 1–1.5%
• Asian: about 1%
• Black or African American: about 0.3–0.5%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: about 0.1–0.2%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): about 7–8%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: about 81%

Household data

• Households (2020): about 4,800
• Average household size: about 2.5
• Family households: roughly two-thirds of households
• Average family size: about 3.0
• Individuals living alone: about one-quarter of households
• Households with children under 18: roughly one-quarter to one-third

Insights

• Small, rural county with an older age profile than the U.S. overall.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White, with modest Hispanic and multiracial populations.
• Household sizes near the national average and a majority of family households.

Skamania County, WA – email usage snapshot (2025 estimate)

• Population and density: 12,084 residents (2020 Census) across ~1,656 sq mi of land → ~7.3 people/sq mi. Most housing clusters along SR‑14 (Stevenson/Carson), with extensive federally managed forest inland, which complicates last‑mile builds.
• Digital access: ACS 2018–2022 indicates roughly 9 in 10 households have a computer and about 8.5–9 in 10 have a broadband subscription; smartphone access is widespread, with fixed wireless and satellite commonly filling gaps where fiber/coax are limited.
• Estimated email user count: 8,900 adults. Method: ~80% of residents are 18+ (9,670) and ~92% of U.S. adults use email; applying that adoption locally yields ≈8,900 users.
• Age distribution of email users (aligned to local adult age mix): 18–34 ≈25% (2,200); 35–64 ≈55% (4,900); 65+ ≈20% (~1,800). Older adults are active email users but slightly less likely than prime‑working‑age residents.
• Gender split: Population is roughly balanced (~51% male, 49% female), so email users are near even by gender.
• Trend insights: Rising broadband subscriptions and smartphone dependence sustain high email adoption even in low‑density areas. Service quality is best in river‑corridor communities; interior mountainous terrain sees more fixed‑wireless/satellite reliance and fewer fiber passings, shaping usage patterns and peak‑time reliability.

Skamania County, WA: mobile phone usage snapshot (with county-specific estimates and state comparisons)

Headline takeaways

• Mobile phone use is near-universal along the Columbia River corridor, but rural interior gaps keep adoption and 5G utilization below Washington’s statewide averages.
• Residents rely more on 4G/LTE for day‑to‑day connectivity than urban Washingtonians, and seasonal tourism drives unusual peaks in network load not seen at the state level.

User estimates

• Population and households: Skamania County has roughly 12–13 thousand residents and about 4.8–5.2 thousand households.
• Smartphone users: 9,500–10,800 individuals (about 78–86% of residents) use a smartphone; this is a few points lower than Washington overall.
• Households with a smartphone: 85–90% of households have at least one smartphone (vs roughly 92–94% statewide).
• Wireless‑only households (no landline): 65–70% locally, below Washington’s state average (roughly low‑ to mid‑70s) due to an older age profile and patchier interior coverage.
• Mobile‑data reliance for home internet: 8–12% of households use mobile hotspots or phone tethering as their primary or frequent backup connection, a higher share than metro counties because fixed broadband is sparse in outlying areas.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–44: Highest smartphone penetration (95%+), heavy app/social/media use; strong dependence on mobile for navigation and payments around SR‑14 towns (Stevenson, Carson, North Bonneville).
  • 45–64: High adoption (88–93%), but more mixed device bundles (smartphone + home Wi‑Fi) than younger cohorts; increased use of mobile banking and telehealth versus pre‑2020.
  • 65+: Adoption materially lower than state (roughly 70–78% vs ~80%+ statewide). Many keep basic voice/text-capable devices or use smartphones mainly on Wi‑Fi at home.
• Income and housing
  • Lower‑income and some renters show strong smartphone‑first behavior (mobile as primary internet) where signal is good, but adoption is constrained in valleys and forested areas with weak coverage.
  • Homeowners in rural tracts often pair smartphones with fixed wireless or satellite, using mobile as backup because of signal variability.
• Work and travel
  • Commuters and service workers along the Gorge over‑index on T‑Mobile/Verizon 5G where available, while recreation and forestry workers in the interior rely on Verizon/AT&T LTE for wider rural reach.
  • Tourism season (spring–fall) drives atypical weekend congestion around trailheads, viewpoints, and SR‑14 pullouts; this seasonal spike is more pronounced than in most Washington counties.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Network footprint
  • Strongest, multi‑carrier coverage clusters along the Columbia River corridor (SR‑14) and in/around Stevenson, Carson, and North Bonneville.
  • Interior and upland areas (Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Wind River and Washougal River valleys) have large 4G/LTE‑only zones and notable dead spots; signal attenuation from terrain and canopy is the main limiter.
• 5G availability and performance
  • 5G is available from at least one national carrier in river towns and along SR‑14 segments, but population‑coverage share is well below Washington’s metro‑driven statewide figure. Typical suburban 5G mid‑band speeds are achievable near towns; fall back to LTE is common a few miles off the corridor.
• Backhaul and redundancy
  • Backhaul follows the Gorge transportation/utility corridor; interior sites rely on microwave hops with fewer redundant paths than urban Washington, contributing to slower restoration after storms or wildfire PSPS events.
• Public safety and resiliency
  • First responder coverage prioritizes SR‑14 and populated nodes; interior gaps remain during wildfire season. Backup power exists at key sites, but extended outages affect interior towers more than state averages.

How Skamania differs from Washington state trends

• Adoption and device mix: Slightly lower smartphone and wireless‑only adoption than the state, driven by older median age and rural coverage gaps, despite near‑universal adoption among younger adults.
• Coverage‑driven behavior: Higher reliance on LTE versus 5G outside town centers; more frequent switching between carriers or use of boosters in homes and vehicles than typical statewide.
• Seasonal demand spikes: Tourism and recreation create sharp, localized congestion uncommon in most counties, influencing perceived network quality and prompting greater use of offline maps and caching.
• Fixed broadband substitution: A higher share of households use mobile data as primary or backup internet due to limited fiber/cable outside the river corridor, whereas most Washington households rely primarily on fixed broadband.

Planning implications

• The biggest gains would come from: additional macro/micro sites in interior valleys; mid‑band 5G infill along SR‑14; improved microwave/fiber backhaul diversity; and targeted digital inclusion for seniors to close the age‑driven usage gap.
• For businesses and agencies, design for LTE‑first resiliency, offline capability, and surge capacity during peak recreation months.

Skamania County, WA social media snapshot (best-available estimates grounded in recent U.S./Washington patterns and rural-county profiles)

User stats

• Population baseline: approximately 12–13k residents; roughly 9–10k adults (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 estimates).
• Adult social media penetration: 80–85% of adults use at least one platform, implying about 7.8–8.5k adult users locally (aligned with recent Pew Research national figures and WA’s high internet adoption).

Age groups (share of adults who use at least one platform; expected locally)

• 18–29: ~90%+
• 30–49: ~80–85%
• 50–64: ~70–75%
• 65+: ~50–55% Note: Given Skamania’s older-than-urban age mix, the active user base skews toward 30–64, with strong participation from 50–64 on Facebook and YouTube.

Gender breakdown (expected locally)

• Overall usage is roughly even by gender.
• Platform skews: Women higher on Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest; men higher on Reddit/X (Twitter) and YouTube. Engagement in local Facebook Groups tends to skew slightly female; outdoor/gear content on YouTube skews slightly male.

Most-used platforms among adults (estimated share of adults; based on 2024 U.S./WA usage applied to Skamania’s demographics)

• YouTube: ~80–85%
• Facebook: ~60–70%
• Instagram: ~35–45%
• TikTok: ~30–35%
• Snapchat: ~20–25%
• X (Twitter): ~15–20%
• Reddit: ~15–20%
• Pinterest: ~25–35% (notably higher among women 25–54)
• LinkedIn: ~15–20% (higher among college-educated commuters/remote workers)
• Nextdoor: ~10–15% where neighborhoods have coverage (most common in and around Stevenson/Carson)

Behavioral trends

• Community-first usage: Facebook Groups and Pages are primary for local news, schools, events, road/wildfire updates, and county services; posts with clear utility (closures, safety, deadlines) earn the highest engagement.
• Outdoors-driven content: Strong appetite for YouTube and Instagram/TikTok posts on Columbia River Gorge trails, fishing, wind/kite sports, camping, and gear “how‑to” reviews; short reels and before/after visuals perform well.
• Seasonality: March–October sees elevated posting and engagement tied to tourism and outdoor activities; winter skews toward civic info, preparedness, and home/DIY.
• Posting patterns: Evenings and weekends show the most activity; mobile-first viewing favors vertical short video and concise captions. Connectivity constraints in some areas reward sub‑60‑second videos and lightweight creative.
• Trust and voice: Locally known organizations, agencies, and creators outperform national brands; comments and shares drive reach more than link clicks.
• Commerce and events: Facebook/Instagram remain the most efficient for local event RSVPs and small-business promotions; geotargeting around population centers yields broad county reach with modest spend.

Sources underpinning estimates: U.S. Census Bureau (population and age structure); Pew Research Center 2023–2024 (platform adoption by age/gender); WA state/rural-county usage patterns.