Columbia County

To keep the figures exact and current, which data vintage would you like me to use: 2020 Decennial Census, or the latest ACS 5‑year estimates (2019–2023)? I’ll then provide concise, sourced numbers for population size, age, gender, racial/ethnic composition, and key household metrics (households, persons per household, family vs. nonfamily).

Columbia County, WI snapshot (estimates based on Pew, ACS, and WI rural benchmarks):

• Population and density: 58,000 residents across ~760–800 sq mi (70–80 people/sq mi). Residents cluster in Portage, Columbus, Lodi, and along the I‑39/90/94 corridor; connectivity is strongest in and near towns.
• Email users: ~42,000 adult users (≈92% of ~45k adults). Including teens, total email users likely ~44,000–48,000.
• Age distribution (share using email):
  • 18–29: ~95–99%
  • 30–49: ~94–97%
  • 50–64: ~90–94%
  • 65+: ~82–88%
• Gender split: Near parity; men and women both ~90–93% email adoption.
• Digital access trends:
  • Household broadband subscription likely mid‑80s percent; roughly 10–15% of households rely on smartphone‑only access or have no home internet.
  • Computer/smartphone access in the high‑80s to low‑90s percent of households.
  • Speeds and reliability are good in city centers and along major highways; service is patchier in sparsely populated lake/woodland areas.
  • Ongoing incremental gains in broadband availability and mobile coverage; public libraries and schools serve as key internet access points.

Notes: Figures are modeled from state/national patterns applied to local population; actual values may vary slightly.

Below is a pragmatic, data-informed snapshot of mobile phone usage in Columbia County, Wisconsin, with emphasis on where local patterns diverge from statewide trends. Figures are estimates based on 2020–2024 public data patterns (ACS/Pew/FCC) and known regional market dynamics; treat them as directional, not exact.

Headline takeaways versus Wisconsin overall

• Slightly lower smartphone ownership rate (older age profile) but slightly higher reliance on mobile data for home internet (rural last‑mile gaps).
• Larger role for UScellular alongside Verizon/AT&T/T‑Mobile than the state average.
• Capacity and usage spike more along commuter corridors (to/from Dane County) and near seasonal recreation areas than in typical Wisconsin counties.

User estimates (people and households)

• Population base: ~59,000; adults (18+): ~46,000.
• Adults with any mobile phone: ~43,000–44,000 (about 93–96% of adults; WI is typically ~95–97%).
• Adult smartphone users: ~38,000–41,000 (about 82–88% of adults; WI statewide is closer to 85–90%).
• Households using mobile data as primary/only internet (“smartphone- or cellular-only”): ~10–13% of households countywide, a bit higher than the WI average (often ~8–11%). This is elevated in the more rural townships lacking cable/fiber.
• Prepaid share: modestly higher than state average in lower‑density areas (budget plans and MVNOs), but postpaid still dominates in the larger towns.

Demographic patterns that matter locally

• Age:
  • 18–34: Near-universal smartphone ownership; above-average reliance on unlimited plans and hotspotting where fixed broadband is weak.
  • 35–64: High ownership; heavy commuter usage to/from Dane County drives daytime demand near I‑39/90/94, US‑51, and WI‑60 corridors.
  • 65+: Ownership noticeably lower than state averages; however, adoption is rising due to telehealth and banking apps. Seniors in cable/fiber‑served towns (Portage, Lodi, Poynette) rely less on cellular for home internet than seniors in rural townships.
• Income and education:
  • Lower‑income households show higher mobile‑only internet reliance than county average, similar to state trends, but the gap is amplified in rural tracts where wired options are sparse.
  • Households with higher education commuting to Madison tend to have robust home broadband and use mobile for redundancy and travel.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • The county’s population is predominantly White non‑Hispanic, with smaller Hispanic/Latino and other minority communities. As seen statewide, minority households are more likely to be smartphone- or cellular‑only for home internet, but their smaller share of the local population means this lifts the county’s overall mobile‑only rate only modestly.
• Geography within the county:
  • Towns/cities (Portage, Lodi, Poynette, Columbus areas) show high smartphone adoption with balanced use of home broadband.
  • Rural northern/eastern tracts and river‑adjacent bluffs see more cellular‑only internet and greater sensitivity to signal quality.

Digital infrastructure and network performance

• Carriers and footprint:
  • All three nationals (Verizon, AT&T, T‑Mobile) plus UScellular have macro coverage; UScellular’s legacy rural footprint remains influential locally compared with statewide subscriber mix.
• 5G availability:
  • Low‑band 5G covers most populated corridors.
  • Mid‑band 5G (T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz) is strong along main roads and in towns; Verizon C‑band nodes appear in higher‑traffic zones (e.g., Portage/commuter corridors); AT&T mid‑band is more selective but growing. UScellular 5G is present in pockets, often on low band with improving capacity.
• Capacity and speeds:
  • Towns and highways: generally strong performance; mid‑band 5G routinely delivers fast median speeds.
  • Rural interiors and river valley shadows: performance drops to LTE or low‑band 5G; upload speeds and latency can lag, affecting video calls and telework.
• Known pain points:
  • River corridors and bluff/moraine terrain near the Wisconsin River and natural areas can cause dead zones or rapid cell-to-cell handoffs.
  • Seasonal surges near recreation/tourism edges (spillover from Wisconsin Dells area) and weekend lake traffic can strain sectors without recent upgrades.
• Backhaul and densification:
  • Fiber backhaul is robust along interstate/rail corridors; microwave persists on some rural sites.
  • Small-cell deployments are limited outside of town centers; most capacity increases come from sector adds, carrier aggregation, and mid‑band 5G overlays.
• Public safety:
  • FirstNet (AT&T) coverage is established on primary routes and towns; local agencies also rely on UScellular/Verizon in rural response areas.

How Columbia County differs from statewide patterns

• Ownership level: Slightly lower smartphone penetration driven by a somewhat older age mix than the Wisconsin average.
• Mobile dependence: Slightly higher share of cellular‑only/home internet households than the state average, driven by rural last‑mile gaps rather than urban socioeconomic factors.
• Carrier mix: UScellular retains a stronger foothold than in many Wisconsin metro counties; T‑Mobile mid‑band gains are visible but not as uniformly dense as in the state’s largest metros.
• Usage hotspots: Daytime and peak‑direction loads concentrate on commuter routes to Dane County and near recreation zones, whereas many Wisconsin counties see more uniform town‑centric load.
• Investment focus: Tower/sectors and backhaul upgrades tend to follow I‑39/90/94 and town centers first, with slower improvements in low‑density interiors—widening the performance gap between corridor/town users and rural homesteads compared with the typical Wisconsin county.

Below is a concise, data‑grounded snapshot. Because platform data at the county level aren’t published, figures are estimates for Columbia County adults derived from national benchmarks (mainly Pew Research Center 2024; teens from Pew 2022) applied to local population.

Context and user base

• Population: ~58,000 residents; adults (18+) ~45,000.
• Adults using at least one major social platform: ~80–85% → roughly 36,000–39,000 adult users.
• Teens (13–17): very high social/video use; patterns mirror national teen trends.

Most‑used platforms (estimated share of Columbia County adults; Pew 2024 U.S. adult adoption rates)

• YouTube: ~83% → ~37K adults
• Facebook: ~68% → ~31K
• Instagram: ~47% → ~21K
• Pinterest: ~35% → ~16K
• TikTok: ~33% → ~15K
• Snapchat: ~27% → ~12K
• Reddit: ~22% → ~10K
• X (Twitter): ~22% → ~10K
• WhatsApp: ~21% → ~9–10K
• LinkedIn: ~30% → ~13–14K Note: These represent platform reach among adults; many people use multiple platforms.

Age patterns (what’s most active)

• Teens (13–17; Pew 2022): YouTube ~95%, TikTok ~67%, Instagram ~62%, Snapchat ~60%. Heavy daily use of short‑form video and DMs.
• 18–29: High daily use of Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; Facebook used more for Groups/Events than posting.
• 30–49: Core on Facebook + YouTube; Instagram moderate; TikTok growing; Pinterest for DIY/home.
• 50–64: Facebook strongest; YouTube for how‑to/news; Pinterest notable; TikTok creeping in.
• 65+: Facebook + YouTube dominate; lower adoption elsewhere; strong engagement in local groups and Messenger.

Gender skews (directional, from Pew 2024)

• Women: More likely to use Pinterest (female‑skewed) and slightly more active on Facebook/Instagram; heavy use of local Facebook Groups and Marketplace.
• Men: Over‑indexed on Reddit and X; YouTube strong for sports, outdoors, gear, and how‑to.

Behavioral trends specific to a rural/suburban county profile

• Facebook is the community hub: Local news, school sports, events, buy/sell (Marketplace), road closures, weather impacts, lost/found pets. Facebook Events can materially lift attendance for fairs, fundraisers, and school functions.
• Groups > Pages for engagement: Town/neighborhood, parent/booster, hunting/fishing, snowmobile/ATV, and buy/sell groups drive conversation and referrals for local businesses.
• Video first: Short‑form (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) consumption continues to rise; YouTube remains the go‑to for tutorials, product research, and local government/public safety updates.
• Messaging over posting: Many interactions move to Messenger, Instagram DMs, and Snapchat after initial discovery in Groups/feeds.
• Marketplace behavior: Price‑sensitive, quick‑response buyers; weekend and evening activity spikes.
• Timing: Engagement commonly peaks evenings (roughly 7–9 pm) and weekend mornings; mobile‑first usage dominates.
• Cross‑posting: Local businesses often publish to Facebook and auto‑share to Instagram; Reels perform better than static posts for reach.

Method notes and sources

• Population base: U.S. Census Bureau (ACS; county population ~58K; adults ~45K).
• Platform adoption rates: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adults).
• Teen platform use: Pew Research Center, Teens, Social Media and Technology 2022.
• County figures are estimates applying national adoption rates to local adult counts; actual local usage may vary.