Oneida County

Oneida County, Wisconsin — Key Demographics

Population size

• 37,845 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: 49.5 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: 18.5%
• 18 to 64: 55.2%
• 65 and over: 26.3%

Gender

• Female: 50.4%
• Male: 49.6%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: 94.9%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: 93.5%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: 2.0%
• Two or more races: 2.1%
• Black or African American: 0.5%
• Asian: 0.5%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 2.4%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~17,500
• Average household size: 2.17
• Family households: 59%
• One-person households: 32%
• Householder living alone age 65+: 14%
• Households with children under 18: 22%

Insights

• Older age structure: median age is ~10 years higher than Wisconsin overall.
• High senior share (26%+) and small household size are consistent with an aging population.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White population with small Native American and Hispanic communities.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates (tables DP05, S0101, S1101).

• Population base: ≈37,900 (Oneida County, WI; 2023). Adults ≈81% (≈30,800).
• Estimated email users: ≈27,500 adults (≈90% of adults; ≈73% of total population), derived from age-specific U.S. email adoption benchmarks.
• Age distribution of email users (share of ≈27,500):
  • 18–34: ≈21% (≈5,800 users)
  • 35–49: ≈24% (≈6,500)
  • 50–64: ≈27% (≈7,300)
  • 65+: ≈29% (≈7,900)
• Gender split among users: roughly even (≈50/50); negligible usage gap by gender in national benchmarks implies near-parity locally.
• Digital access and devices (households ≈17,300):
  • Broadband subscription: ≈84% (≈14,500 households)
  • Computer access: ≈90% of households (≈15,600)
  • Smartphone-only internet: ≈7–9% (≈1,200–1,600 households), indicating some mobile-dependent email use
• Trends and connectivity context:
  • Rural, low-density county (≈34 people/sq mi across ≈1,100+ sq mi land) with extensive lakes and forests, raising last‑mile costs and complicating fixed‑wireless line‑of‑sight.
  • Highest speeds and reliability cluster in and around Rhinelander and along US‑8/US‑51 corridors; more remote townships show patchier wired options, with reliance on fixed wireless and satellite.
  • Ongoing state/federal investments are expanding fiber, gradually improving subscription rates and reducing access gaps.

Notes: Counts are rounded estimates based on ACS population/household indicators and national email adoption by age.

Mobile phone usage in Oneida County, Wisconsin (2024 snapshot)

User estimates

• Population base: ~37,900 residents; ~31,100 adults 18+
• Adult mobile phone users (any cellphone): ~28,500 (≈92% of adults)
• Adult smartphone users: ~25,200 (≈81% of adults)
• Total resident smartphone users including teens 13–17: ~27,600
• Households: ~17,200; households primarily relying on mobile broadband for home internet: ~2,050 (≈12%), a higher share than the statewide average

Demographic breakdown of usage

• Older population reduces overall smartphone penetration compared with Wisconsin’s average
  • 18–29: ~4,000 smartphone users (≈96% of that cohort)
  • 30–49: ~7,750 (≈93%)
  • 50–64: ~7,150 (≈82%)
  • 65+: ~6,300 (≈64%)
• Age structure differs from the state: Oneida County skews older, so the 65+ segment is larger and more likely to include basic-phone users, pulling down overall smartphone penetration relative to Wisconsin
• Income and home internet context: A greater share of lower-to-moderate income and rural households use smartphones or mobile hotspots as their primary or backup internet, contributing to the ~12% mobile-primary household figure (notably above the statewide share)
• Seasonal dynamics: A high proportion of seasonal/recreational housing and tourism around Rhinelander, Minocqua, Woodruff, and Three Lakes drives sharp summer surges in on-network users and congestion—far more pronounced than state-level averages in non-tourism counties

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carrier presence: Verizon, AT&T, T‑Mobile, and UScellular all operate in the county; UScellular maintains a comparatively stronger footprint here than in many Wisconsin metro areas
• 4G LTE is effectively universal by population in and around towns and along US‑51, US‑8, and WI‑47/70 corridors; by land area, coverage gaps persist in forested lake districts and low-lying areas, where in-building penetration can be weak without boosters
• 5G availability
  • Town centers (e.g., Rhinelander) and major corridors have 5G from multiple carriers
  • T‑Mobile mid‑band 5G covers the primary travel corridors and populated areas; away from these, service drops to LTE more quickly than in metro Wisconsin
  • Verizon C‑band 5G is concentrated around Rhinelander and key sites; widespread 5G elsewhere often uses low-band/DSS with LTE-like performance
  • AT&T 5G is present in towns and highway corridors; mid-band depth is more limited than in larger Wisconsin metros
• Backhaul and capacity: More sites rely on microwave backhaul than in urban Wisconsin, and traffic spikes during peak tourism periods create noticeable slowdowns compared with steadier state-level performance in non-tourist regions
• First responders: FirstNet (AT&T) is available and commonly used by public safety; Text‑to‑911 and NG911 capabilities are in place or actively expanded, improving mobile-originated emergency access compared with earlier years
• Public and enterprise Wi‑Fi: Heaviest density in Rhinelander and resort/commercial strips; reliance on venue Wi‑Fi for offload is higher in tourist nodes than in typical Wisconsin communities

How Oneida County differs from Wisconsin overall

• Lower overall smartphone penetration due to a larger 65+ population and a persistent basic‑phone segment
• Higher reliance on mobile networks for primary home internet because wireline options thin out away from towns; mobile-primary households are meaningfully above the statewide share
• More variable network experience: pronounced summer and weekend congestion around lakes and resorts, unlike most Wisconsin counties
• Coverage is more corridor‑centric: strong along highways and town centers, with faster reversion to LTE or weaker indoor performance in outlying areas than seen in metro/suburban parts of the state
• Carrier mix skews more toward UScellular and Verizon than in larger Wisconsin metros; T‑Mobile’s mid‑band 5G is present but more patchy off‑corridor than statewide metro averages

Key takeaways

• Roughly 28,500 adults in Oneida County use a mobile phone and about 25,200 use a smartphone, with total smartphone users around 27,600 when teens are included
• Mobile networks are a critical access path for internet in rural parts of the county, with about one in eight households leaning on mobile broadband as their primary connection
• Seasonal population swings and rural terrain create capacity and coverage challenges that diverge noticeably from Wisconsin’s state-level patterns, especially outside town centers and away from main travel corridors

Oneida County, WI social media snapshot (2025)

County baseline

• Population: ~37,800 residents (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 ACS)
• Adults (18+): ~30,800
• Gender: ~50% female, ~50% male
• Age structure: Older-leaning; median age near 50, roughly one in four residents is 65+
• Broadband access: ~82% of households have a broadband subscription (ACS)

Most-used platforms among adults (estimates) Note: Percentages are Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. adult usage rates applied to Oneida County’s ~30.8k adults to derive local user counts.

• YouTube: 83% (~25,600 adults)
• Facebook: 68% (~21,000)
• Instagram: 47% (~14,500)
• Pinterest: 35% (~10,800)
• TikTok: 33% (~10,200)
• LinkedIn: 30% (~9,200)
• Snapchat: 27% (~8,300)
• X (Twitter): 22% (~6,800)
• Reddit: 22% (~6,800)
• WhatsApp: 21% (~6,500)

Age-group patterns (local implications based on national patterns)

• 18–29: Very high Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok use; YouTube is near-universal. Facebook is secondary for this cohort.
• 30–49: YouTube and Facebook dominate; Instagram meaningful; TikTok adoption moderate and rising; LinkedIn relevant for professionals.
• 50–64: Facebook remains the daily default; YouTube strong for how-tos, news, and local info; Pinterest solid among women.
• 65+: Facebook is the primary network; YouTube use is steady; limited adoption of TikTok/Instagram/Snapchat.

Gender breakdown and platform skews

• County gender split is roughly even; platform tendencies mirror national trends:
  • Women over-index on Facebook and especially Pinterest (women are about 3x as likely as men to use Pinterest nationally).
  • Men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X.
  • Instagram and TikTok have slight female skews, but both are broadly used across genders under 35.

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural–tourism counties and applicable locally

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of local groups (neighborhoods, lake associations, snowmobile/ATV clubs), Marketplace, event listings, school and youth sports updates, and civic/government alerts.
• Seasonal surges: Summer tourism and fall color seasons lift Instagram and Facebook engagement for dining, attractions, outfitters, and lodging; winter spikes around ice fishing, snowmobiling, trail conditions, and safety notices.
• Video-first consumption: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) outperforms static posts for outdoor recreation, dining highlights, DIY/home projects, and event teasers.
• Local news and weather drive spikes: Severe weather, road closures, and wildfire/smoke updates push rapid Facebook/YouTube engagement.
• Posting cadence: Evenings (7–9 pm) and weekend mornings see higher organic reach and interaction; weekday lunch hours also perform well for service and dining.
• Discovery and planning: Visitors commonly research on YouTube/Instagram, then convert via Facebook Events and Google; locals rely on Facebook Groups and word-of-mouth sharing.
• Ads that work: Geotargeting around Rhinelander, Minocqua, and lake corridors; seasonal creative; event reminders 7–14 days out; click-to-call and message objectives for service bookings.

Sources and notes

• Population, age, broadband: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 American Community Survey.
• Platform usage rates by adults and by demographic: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024.
• Local counts are estimates that apply Pew’s U.S. adult adoption rates to Oneida County’s adult population. Behavioral insights reflect rural Upper Midwest patterns observed across similar counties with tourism and outdoor-recreation economies.