Spokane County

Spokane County, WA — key demographics

Population size

• 2024 population estimate: 561,000 (U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program)
• 2020 Census: 539,339

Age

• Median age: 38.1 years (ACS 2023 1-year)
• Under 18: 22.4%
• 18 to 64: 60.0%
• 65 and over: 17.6%

Gender

• Female: 50.5%
• Male: 49.5% (ACS 2023 1-year)

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2023 1-year)

• White alone, non-Hispanic: 82.2%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): 7.2%
• Two or more races: 5.9%
• Black or African American: 2.5%
• Asian: 2.3%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: 2.1%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.6%

Households (ACS 2023 1-year)

• Number of households: 222,400
• Average household size: 2.45
• Family households: 61.5% of households
• Married-couple households: 45.2%
• Households with children under 18: 28.1%
• One-person households: 30.1%
• Homeownership rate: 63.3%

Insights

• Modest growth since 2020 with gradual diversification.
• Age structure skews slightly younger than many U.S. counties but with a growing 65+ share.
• Majority owner-occupied housing with relatively small household sizes.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates; American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 1-year (DP02/DP05).

Spokane County, WA email usage (latest available estimates)

• Estimated users: ≈395,000 adult email users. Basis: ~430,000 adults (≈78% of ~550,000 residents) with ~92% of U.S. adults using email applied locally.
• Age distribution (share of adults using email): 18–34 ≈95%; 35–54 ≈94%; 55–64 ≈90%; 65+ ≈85%. Given the county’s age mix (≈22% under 18; ≈17% 65+), most email users are 18–54.
• Gender split: Near-even; females are ~50% of the population, and email adoption is similar by gender, so users are roughly 50/50.
• Digital access trends (ACS 2022): ~93% of households have a computer; ~88% have a broadband subscription; ~11% have no home internet; ~10% are smartphone‑only. Broadband and device access are higher in urban Spokane/Spokane Valley and lower in rural eastern and northern pockets.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Population density ≈300 people/sq mi across ~1,781 sq mi; a large majority of residents live in the Spokane–Spokane Valley urban area with multiple fixed‑broadband options, while rural tracts show slower speeds and lower subscription rates.

Implication: Email reach is effectively universal among working‑age adults; seniors remain reachable but at slightly lower adoption.

Spokane County, WA mobile usage snapshot (2024)

Scale and user estimates

• Population: ~541,000; households: ~220,000.
• Active mobile phone users: ~420,000–460,000 residents (roughly 78–85% of all residents, >95% of adults).
• Smartphone users: ~400,000–430,000 (about 90–93% of adults; higher in the urban core).
• Mobile-only internet households (cellular data but no wired/fixed broadband): ~15–18% of households (≈33,000–40,000), higher than the statewide share.
• Connections per capita (consumer + enterprise/IoT): ~1.0–1.2, below the Puget Sound counties but in line with other Eastern Washington metros.

Demographic patterns (how usage differs across groups)

• Age: Near-universal smartphone adoption among 18–49; solid but lower adoption among 65+; seniors more likely to use basic phones and more likely to be mobile-only for home internet than the state average.
• Income: Lower median household income than the state average correlates with a higher share of prepaid plans and mobile-only internet use.
• Urban–rural split: Urban Spokane/Spokane Valley/Liberty Lake show dense 5G and higher average speeds; northern and far-west rural tracts rely on low‑band 5G/LTE with slower rates and more dead zones indoors.
• Students and young workers: Heavy mobile data reliance around universities and the medical district; strong app-centric, Wi‑Fi offload behavior on campus and downtown.
• Cross‑border commuters: Notable I‑90 corridor demand to/from Idaho (Post Falls/Coeur d’Alene) shapes traffic loads and handoffs near the county line.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage: All three national carriers provide countywide LTE and broad 5G; >95% population coverage for 5G in the metro area and ~85–90% countywide by population, with gaps in low‑density northern tracts and along forested terrain.
• 5G layers:
  • T‑Mobile mid‑band (2.5 GHz) widely deployed across the urban area and along I‑90/US‑2/US‑395.
  • Verizon and AT&T C‑band present in the core city, major suburbs, and high‑traffic corridors; mmWave limited to select downtown/event venues.
• Speeds: Median 5G downloads in the urban core typically ~80–100 Mbps; rural tracts often 20–40 Mbps on low‑band. County medians run 15–25% lower than the statewide median due to sparser mid‑band density outside the core.
• Capacity hotspots: Spokane International Airport, Fairchild AFB perimeter, downtown Spokane, Gonzaga/WSU–Spokane campus area, NorthTown/valley retail clusters, and I‑90 interchanges. Annual events (Hoopfest, Bloomsday) trigger temporary densification.
• Backhaul and fiber: Multi-carrier fiber rings (Lumen/CenturyLink, Comcast Business, regional providers) along I‑90 and downtown corridors; carrier hotels and a TierPoint data center support aggregation for macro and small cells.
• Public safety: FirstNet Band 14 coverage is established across critical facilities and corridors; text‑to‑911 is active countywide.

How Spokane County trends differ from Washington state averages

• Higher reliance on mobile-only home internet, reflecting income mix and patchy fixed-broadband in rural tracts.
• Lower median 5G speeds than Puget Sound counties due to fewer mid‑band sectors per square mile and less small‑cell density.
• Higher prepaid penetration and budget MVNO usage than the state average; cable‑bundled MVNOs (e.g., Xfinity Mobile) see strong uptake in the metro.
• More pronounced urban–rural performance gap; coverage is strong along I‑90 and in the valley, but indoor and terrain‑shielded dead zones persist up north.
• Enterprise/IoT share of mobile lines skews smaller than in the Seattle–Tacoma corridor, with traffic more weighted to consumer smartphones and hotspots.

Implications

• Capacity upgrades in the valley and downtown yield outsized benefits; additional C‑band/mid‑band sectors and small cells are the quickest wins.
• Targeted rural enhancements (additional low‑band sites and microwave/fiber backhaul) would close the county’s largest gap with the state.
• Programs subsidizing fixed broadband and affordable postpaid plans could reduce the county’s above‑average mobile‑only dependence.
• Event‑driven temporary cells (COWs/COLTs) should remain part of the annual playbook given predictable spikes.

Spokane County, WA social media snapshot (2025)

Population baseline (for context)

• Total population (2023 est.): ~547,600
• Adults (18+): ~423,000 (77.3% of population)
• Gender: ~50% female, ~50% male Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts (2023 estimates)

Overall social media reach (adults)

• Use at least one social platform: ~72% of adults ≈ ~305,000
• YouTube users (often included in “social”): ~83% of adults ≈ ~351,000 Note: Users overlap across platforms; counts are not additive.

Most‑used platforms among adults (modeled from Pew Research national usage rates applied to Spokane County’s adult population)

• YouTube: ~83% → ~351k adults
• Facebook: ~68% → ~288k
• Instagram: ~47% → ~199k
• TikTok: ~33% → ~140k
• Pinterest: ~35% → ~148k
• Snapchat: ~30% → ~127k
• LinkedIn: ~30% → ~127k
• X (Twitter): ~22% → ~93k
• Reddit: ~22% → ~93k
• Nextdoor: ~20% → ~85k

Age-group usage patterns (share of U.S. adults who use each platform; Spokane follows a similar pattern)

• Ages 18–29: very high on YouTube (90%+), Instagram (75%+), Snapchat (60%+), TikTok (60%); Facebook is still common but secondary
• Ages 30–49: YouTube (90%); Facebook (70%+); Instagram (50%); TikTok (35–40%); LinkedIn and Pinterest meaningful
• Ages 50–64: Facebook (70%+), YouTube (80%+); Instagram/Pinterest moderate; TikTok lower (~15–20%)
• Ages 65+: Facebook (50%); YouTube (60%); others modest

Gender breakdown (directional skews consistent with national patterns)

• Facebook and YouTube: broadly balanced by gender
• Instagram and TikTok: lean female
• Snapchat: leans female (especially under 30)
• Pinterest: strongly female
• Reddit and, to a lesser extent, X (Twitter): lean male
• LinkedIn: slight male skew

Behavioral trends observed in mid-sized U.S. metros and applicable locally

• Community and local info: Facebook Groups and Nextdoor are primary for neighborhood updates, school/winter road closures, wildfire/air-quality and civic services; high engagement with local agencies and media pages
• Marketplace and classifieds: Facebook Marketplace is a daily-driver for buy/sell/trade, vehicles, rentals, and seasonal gear
• Short-form video discovery: Instagram Reels and TikTok dominate food, events, and “things to do” discovery; creators rely on local hashtags and geo-tags; 6–60 second clips outperform
• Messaging first: Under-30 audiences coordinate via Snapchat and Instagram DMs; Facebook Messenger is common across ages for family and community groups
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (roughly 7–10 pm PT) and midday lunch hour; weekend spikes around events and sports
• Cross-platform habits: Users often see discovery on TikTok/Instagram, verify details on Facebook/Google, and discuss in Groups/Nextdoor; local news outlets drive comment threads on Facebook
• Trust and privacy: Increasing reliance on private groups and DMs for sensitive topics; public posting is more curated, private sharing more candid

Implications

• To reach broad adults: prioritize Facebook + YouTube, add Instagram; schedule for evening peaks
• To reach under 30: lean into TikTok + Snapchat + Instagram Reels with short, native video
• For neighborhoods/civic reach: Facebook Groups and Nextdoor outperform brand Pages for discussion and action
• For intent and conversions: pair short-form video (discovery) with Facebook/Instagram clickouts and Marketplace/Lead forms

Sources and method

• Population: U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts, Spokane County, WA (2023 estimates)
• Platform adoption rates: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (national adult usage). Spokane figures above are estimates derived by applying Pew’s national usage percentages to Spokane County’s adult population.