Whitman County

Whitman County, Washington — key demographics

Population

• 48,639 residents (2023 population estimate, U.S. Census Bureau)

Age

• Median age: 24.4 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: 12.7%
• 18–24: ~36%
• 65 and over: 11.3%

Sex

• Male: 54.3%
• Female: 45.7%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone, non-Hispanic: 70.7%
• Asian alone: 10.4%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): 7.4%
• Two or more races: 8.8%
• Black or African American alone: 2.3%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 1.1%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: 0.2%

Households and housing

• Households: 17,933 (ACS 2018–2022)
• Persons per household: 2.29
• Owner-occupied housing rate: 49.6%; renter-occupied: 50.4%

Insights

• A large student presence (Washington State University) produces a very young age profile, a very large 18–24 cohort, and a majority-renter housing market.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts (population estimate 2023; race/ethnicity shares), American Community Survey 2019–2023 and 2018–2022 5-year estimates (median age, households, occupancy).

• Scale: Whitman County has about 48,000 residents; roughly 41,000 are adults. Estimated active email users: 38,000–40,000 adults (≈92–96% of adults), reflecting very high adoption tied to Washington State University (WSU) and strong broadband availability in population centers.
• Age distribution of email users (driven by WSU’s large student population): 18–24: 35–40%; 25–44: 30–32%; 45–64: 18–20%; 65+: 10–12%. Usage is near-universal among 18–44, remains high for 45–64, and modestly lower for 65+.
• Gender split: Approximately even (≈50/50) among adult email users, mirroring the county’s overall sex distribution.
• Digital access trends:
  • 95–97% of households have a computer.
  • 89–92% of households have a broadband subscription; an additional 6–8% are smartphone‑only.
  • Pullman and Colfax enjoy cable/fiber with widespread 1 Gbps offerings; rural communities rely more on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite, with lower and less consistent speeds.
  • Mobile coverage is strong along US‑195 and in towns; patchier in the county’s northeastern and southern agricultural tracts.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Population density is about 22 people per square mile, but over 60% of residents live in or around Pullman. The county’s unusually young median age and university-centric economy drive heavy daily email reliance for education, work, and services.

Whitman County, WA mobile phone usage summary (distinct from statewide patterns)

Population context

• Population: roughly 50,000 residents (2023 Census estimate), with an unusually young age profile due to Washington State University (WSU) in Pullman; median age ~25.
• Settlement pattern: about three-quarters of residents live in or adjacent to Pullman; the remainder are in smaller towns (Colfax, Palouse, Tekoa) and dispersed rural areas.

User estimates

• Estimated mobile phone users: 44,000–46,000 people, or about 88–92% of residents.
• Adult smartphone ownership: ~92% of adults (driven by the county’s large 18–24 cohort). That equates to roughly 39,000–41,000 adult smartphone users.
• Teen smartphone ownership (13–17): ~95%, adding roughly 2,500–2,700 users.
• Wireless-only trend: Adults relying solely on mobile (no landline) are materially higher than the Washington average, estimated mid-70s percent in Whitman versus roughly 70% statewide, reflecting the student-heavy, renter-heavy local mix.

Demographic breakdown shaping usage

• 18–24 (largest swing group, anchored by WSU): near-universal smartphone ownership (~96%), heavy app and data usage, high reliance on unlimited or high-cap data, and strong uptake of digital payments/messaging. This cohort has far higher mobile-only rates than the state as a whole.
• 25–44: smartphone ownership ~90%+, skewing toward bundled family plans and work-enabled devices for university, health care, and public sector roles common in the county seat areas.
• 45–64: ownership in the low-to-mid 80% range; more pronounced than state averages in adopting mobile as primary voice service, but with more conservative data use than younger cohorts.
• 65+: ownership near 60% (smartphone) with a meaningful minority still on basic/feature phones; rural coverage and affordability drive plan choice more than in Western Washington.
• Income and housing: median household income is materially lower than the state average, with a high share of renters and students. This elevates price sensitivity, pushes demand for low-cost unlimited plans and MVNOs, and raises mobile-only internet reliance versus the state.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Carriers present: All three national MNOs (AT&T/FirstNet, T‑Mobile, Verizon) have coverage; Inland Cellular also serves parts of the Palouse. Retail presence and network investments cluster in Pullman.
• 5G footprint:
  • Pullman and Colfax: 5G from all three national carriers is widely available; T‑Mobile mid‑band (n41) and Verizon C‑band are the main capacity layers. AT&T 5G is present, primarily low-band with spot mid-band.
  • Outside towns: 5G is patchier and falls back to LTE along much of SR‑26, SR‑27, US‑195, and farm roads; hills and canyons in the Palouse create dead zones more often than in Western WA metros.
• Capacity and speeds:
  • Urban core (Pullman/WSU): mid‑band 5G commonly delivers 150–400 Mbps down and sub‑40 ms latency under light-to-moderate load; campus and event days can strain sectors but are offset by small‑cell/DAS and strong Wi‑Fi offload.
  • Rural: LTE is dominant; typical downlink 10–40 Mbps with higher variability and occasional no‑service pockets in low-lying areas.
• Sites and backhaul:
  • The county is served by on the order of several dozen macro cell sites, plus small cells/DAS nodes concentrated around WSU and main venues. Macro sites cluster along US‑195, SR‑26, SR‑27, and in Pullman/Colfax.
  • Fiber backhaul into Pullman (university networks, regional carriers, and public fiber consortia) underpins urban 5G capacity; rural sectors are more backhaul‑constrained than in Puget Sound.
• Public safety and resilience: FirstNet (AT&T) coverage emphasizes the Pullman–Colfax corridor and county facilities; rural resilience lags the state’s urban west due to sparser grid/fiber diversity.

How Whitman County differs from Washington State overall

• Younger and more mobile‑first: A far higher share of 18–24 residents drives smartphone ownership and mobile-only reliance above state averages. This also raises demand for unlimited data and campus‑centric performance.
• More prepaid/MVNO and price‑sensitive adoption: Student/renter mix and lower median income tilt plan selection toward lower-cost unlimited and MVNO options more than in metro King, Snohomish, or Pierce counties.
• Sharper seasonal swings: Network load spikes at semester start, graduation, and home football weekends in Pullman—seasonality far more pronounced than statewide patterns.
• Sparser rural coverage and backhaul: Once outside Pullman/Colfax, 5G availability and capacity trail state averages; coverage gaps along agricultural corridors are more common than on the west side.
• Less mmWave and enterprise densification: Unlike Seattle/Bellevue cores, Whitman relies mainly on mid‑band and low‑band layers; mmWave is limited or venue‑specific.

Key takeaways

• Penetration is high and skewed toward smartphones: roughly nine in ten residents carry a mobile phone, and about 92% of adults use smartphones—both higher than the state when adjusted for age mix.
• Infrastructure is “two-speed”: Urban Pullman has big‑city‑like 5G capacity; rural stretches remain LTE‑heavy with notable gaps, keeping Whitman behind state averages outside towns.
• Demand profile is student‑driven: Unlimited data, strong campus coverage, and affordable plans matter more here than in much of the state, with visible semester-based surges and a higher prevalence of mobile-only households.

Below is a concise, county-specific snapshot built from 2023–2024 ACS demographics, Pew Research Center platform adoption by age, and platform demographic studies, weighted to Whitman County’s unusually young profile (Washington State University). Figures are modeled local estimates for residents 13+.

Topline

• Active social media users: ~88% of residents 13+
• Average time on social per day: ~2.6 hours (higher than U.S. adult average due to the large 18–24 cohort)
• Median platforms used (18–24): 4

Age profile of active users (share of Whitman County’s social media users)

• 13–17: 8%
• 18–24: 41%
• 25–34: 18%
• 35–44: 10%
• 45–64: 14%
• 65+: 9%

Gender breakdown of active users

• Women: 51%
• Men: 48%
• Nonbinary/Other: 1%

Most-used platforms (share of residents 13+)

• YouTube: 88%
• Instagram: 62%
• Facebook: 58%
• TikTok: 55%
• Snapchat: 52%
• Reddit: 28%
• LinkedIn: 26%
• X (Twitter): 24%

Behavioral trends

• Student-driven usage: With 18–24 making up the largest user block, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube dominate; Facebook is used more for Marketplace, rentals/sublets, and local groups than for posting personal updates.
• Ephemeral and DM-first habits: Snapchat and Instagram DMs/Stories are primary for day-to-day communication among students; public posting volume is lower than view/DM activity.
• Event- and semester-linked spikes: Activity jumps around WSU move-in/out, home games, campus events, and housing cycles; local groups and Marketplace see predictable surges each term.
• Local information flows: Facebook groups and Reddit (e.g., WSU/Pullman subs) are key for housing leads, rideshares, lost & found, and community alerts; TikTok/Instagram Reels are common for venue/food recommendations and campus life.
• Video-first consumption: Short-form vertical video (TikTok/Reels/Shorts) drives the majority of discovery among 18–34, with YouTube dominating longer-form viewing and sports highlights.
• Platform skews by gender: Instagram/TikTok skew slightly female; Reddit and X skew male; Facebook usage is balanced but older.
• Career networking uptick: LinkedIn usage is above typical for a rural county due to internship and early-career search among WSU students, peaking around recruiting seasons.
• Cross-posting and marketplace behavior: Items often cross-listed (Facebook ↔ Reddit) to reach both student and non-student audiences; faster turnover at semester boundaries.
• Privacy and alt accounts: Higher incidence of secondary/alias accounts among students for social segmentation (friends vs. public vs. academic/professional).

Notes on method

• Percentages are modeled local estimates (2024) using Whitman County’s ACS age structure and national platform adoption by age from Pew, adjusted for a large university population.