Walla Walla County

Walla Walla County, Washington — key demographics

Population size

• 62,584 residents (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~36.9 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18–64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender

• Male: ~52%
• Female: ~48%

Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census)

• White: ~77%
• Black or African American: ~2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1–2%
• Asian: ~2%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: <1%
• Some other race: ~10%
• Two or more races: ~8%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~27%

Households and housing

• Households: ~22,200
• Average household size: ~2.56 persons
• Family households: ~64% of households
• Married-couple households: ~47%
• Households with children under 18: ~29%
• Tenure: ~62% owner-occupied, ~38% renter-occupied

Insights

• Hispanic/Latino population (~27%) is notably higher than the Washington state average.
• Slightly larger households than the state average.
• Higher male share likely influenced by institutional populations (e.g., state penitentiary).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (DHC, PL 94-171); American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Percentages rounded.

• Population baseline: Walla Walla County had 62,584 residents (2020 Census), about 48 people per square mile across ~1,299 sq mi. Most residents cluster in Walla Walla and College Place, with sparser rural areas elsewhere.

• Estimated email users: ~47,700 residents use email (≈76% of total population), derived from local age structure and national/WA adoption rates.

• Age distribution (email adoption rates):

  • 18–29: ~96%
  • 30–49: ~98%
  • 50–64: ~93%
  • 65+: 86% Adoption among teens 13–17 is high (85%), adding materially to the total above.

• Gender split: County population is approximately balanced but slightly male-leaning due to the state penitentiary; email users reflect this at roughly 51% male, 49% female, with negligible usage gap by gender.

• Digital access trends:

  • Household internet subscription is high; roughly 9 in 10 households have some internet service, with the majority on fixed broadband and a meaningful minority smartphone‑only.
  • Connectivity is strongest in the Walla Walla–College Place urban area; rural pockets rely more on DSL/fixed wireless and show lower adoption among older and lower‑income households.
  • Ongoing fiber and fixed‑wireless buildouts have improved 100/20 Mbps availability, narrowing urban–rural gaps, though the last-mile challenge persists in low‑density zones.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Walla Walla County, Washington (2024)

Overall user estimates

• Population base: ~63,000 residents; ~49,000 adults (18+).
• Smartphone users: ~49,000–52,000 residents (roughly 78–83% of the total population; ~88–92% among residents age 12+), modestly below Washington’s statewide adoption.
• Wireless-only voice households (no landline): roughly 68–72% of adults live in wireless‑only households, aligning with recent national levels but slightly under large metro Puget Sound rates.
• Mobile-broadband–primary households (cellular is the main home internet): 13–16% of households, higher than the statewide share (9–11%), reflecting stronger reliance on mobile data where fixed broadband is sparse or costly.
• Prepaid penetration: estimated 28–32% of mobile lines (vs ~22–25% statewide), tied to income mix, seasonal work, and younger/renter segments.

Demographic patterns that shape usage

• Age split:
  • 18–29: very high smartphone adoption (~94–97%), boosted by Whitman College and Walla Walla University; heavy app, video, and campus Wi‑Fi offload usage.
  • 30–49: high adoption (~92–95%); strong family-plan and postpaid skew.
  • 50–64: solid adoption (~83–88%); higher BYOD on employer plans in healthcare/education.
  • 65+: lower adoption (~70–78%) than state urban cores; more basic and midrange Android devices and longer replacement cycles.
• Income and ethnicity:
  • Median household income trails the Washington average, which correlates with higher prepaid, budget Android share, and longer device lifespans.
  • Hispanic/Latino community (notably higher share than statewide) shows strong smartphone reliance and above-average mobile‑only home internet use during agricultural seasons.
• Urban–rural split:
  • Walla Walla–College Place corridor: near‑urban usage profile with broad 5G availability and higher average data consumption.
  • Smaller towns and unincorporated areas: more LTE‑reliant, lower median speeds, and greater use of hotspotting as a substitute for fixed service.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• 5G footprint:
  • T‑Mobile: mid‑band “Ultra Capacity” 5G broadly covers Walla Walla–College Place and the US‑12 corridor, delivering the county’s most consistent 5G capacity.
  • Verizon: C‑band 5G present in and around the urban core; LTE remains the primary layer outside major corridors.
  • AT&T: 5G present but more low‑band–oriented outside town centers; FirstNet provides prioritized coverage for public safety with select rural buildouts.
• Coverage gaps: Terrain-driven dead zones and signal attenuation persist toward the Blue Mountains, canyon areas, and sparsely populated eastern and southeastern tracts; service commonly falls back to LTE or drops entirely in pockets off main corridors.
• Backhaul and capacity: Fiber-fed macros are concentrated along US‑12/WA‑125 and within town centers; rural sites rely more on microwave, which constrains 5G mid‑band expansion outside the core.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA): T‑Mobile Home Internet is widely offered in the urban core and along primary corridors; Verizon 5G Home is more limited. Availability thins quickly in outlying areas, where LTE FWA remains variable.
• Public venues and institutions: Dense coverage and small‑cell or sectorized sites near colleges, the medical district, and downtown Walla Walla support event traffic; winery/tourism clusters see seasonal capacity boosts.

How Walla Walla differs from Washington statewide

• Adoption: Slightly lower overall smartphone adoption than the state average, driven by older age structure outside the college populations and a higher rural share.
• Plan mix: Higher prepaid and mobile‑only home internet reliance than state averages, reflecting income and rural availability constraints.
• Network experience: 5G is robust in the urban core but falls back to LTE more quickly outside town than in Puget Sound counties; users see larger speed and latency swings by location and season.
• Device lifecycle: Longer replacement cycles and higher share of budget Android devices than Seattle-area norms; iPhone share remains strong among students and professionals in the core.
• Seasonal variability: Harvest-season influx and weekend tourism produce sharper cell‑sector congestion spikes than typical urban Washington markets.

Key takeaways

• Expect excellent 5G performance in Walla Walla–College Place, with rapid reversion to LTE and occasional gaps beyond primary corridors.
• A meaningful minority of households rely on cellular as their main home connection, elevating the importance of generous hotspot policies and capacity planning.
• Prepaid and budget tiers are more prominent than statewide, while student populations sustain high-end device penetration and app-centric usage in the urban core.

Notes on figures

• Figures are 2024 modeled estimates synthesized from recent ACS/Census population and income patterns, Pew Research smartphone adoption by age cohort, FCC mobile coverage data, and Washington state broadband reporting. They are designed to quantify county-level conditions relative to state norms.

Walla Walla County, WA — Social media usage snapshot (2024–2025)

Baseline

• Population: ~62,500 residents (2020 Census). Adults (18+): ~48,000.
• Adults using at least one social platform: ~72% (Pew Research Center, 2024) ≈ 34,000–35,000 local adults.

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adults who use each; Pew 2024, applied locally)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• Pinterest: 35%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• TikTok: 33%
• Snapchat: 27%
• X (Twitter): 22%
• Reddit: 22%
• WhatsApp: 21%
• Nextdoor: 19% Interpreting locally: Facebook and YouTube have the broadest reach across the county; Instagram and TikTok capture younger adults and tourism-facing content; Nextdoor and Facebook Groups are strong for hyperlocal updates.

Age profile (usage patterns; Pew 2024 applied locally)

• 18–29: 90%+ use social media; heaviest on YouTube (95%), Instagram (75%+), Snapchat (65%), TikTok (60%+). University students and service workers drive evening and late-night activity.
• 30–49: 80%+ use; Facebook (70%+), YouTube (90%+), Instagram (50%), TikTok (~40%). Family/life-stage content and local events perform well.
• 50–64: 70%+ use; Facebook (70%+), YouTube (80%+), Pinterest (40%). News, community groups, DIY and home content over-index.
• 65+: 50% use; Facebook (50–55%), YouTube (~60%). Local news, city updates, health, and civic information dominate.

Gender breakdown (directional skews consistent with Pew 2024)

• Overall participation is similar for men and women.
• Women over-index on Facebook and especially Pinterest (about half of women vs ~1 in 5 men use Pinterest).
• Men over-index on YouTube, Reddit (men ~1.5–2x women), and X (Twitter).
• Instagram slightly skews female; LinkedIn usage is balanced.

Behavioral trends observed/expected locally

• Community-first platforms: Facebook Groups and Nextdoor are primary hubs for city alerts, school updates, yard/estate sales, and neighborhood issues. Engagement spikes around local government notices, weather events, and school calendars.
• Tourism and “wine country” content: Instagram and TikTok drive discovery for wineries, tasting rooms, restaurants, and lodging. Short-form video, itineraries, and event reels perform best; hashtags like #WallaWalla and #WAWine improve reach.
• Seasonal spikes: Engagement rises around spring/fall wine release weekends, summer events, and harvest (Aug–Oct). Weekend afternoons and early evenings generate above-average interactions.
• Messaging behavior: Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp are common for reservations, vendor inquiries, and customer service; click-to-message ads convert well for small businesses and wineries.
• Bilingual reach: With roughly one-quarter of residents identifying as Hispanic/Latino, Spanish-language posts on Facebook and WhatsApp improve reach and response rates for community information and local commerce.
• Cross-platform overlap: Many adults use multiple platforms (e.g., Facebook + YouTube + Instagram); retargeting across Meta (Facebook/Instagram) and YouTube captures most reachable adults.

Notes on methodology

• Platform percentages are from Pew Research Center’s 2024 Social Media Use findings. Local user counts are estimated by applying those adult usage rates to Walla Walla County’s adult population; actual counts vary with internet access and incarceration/nonresident factors.