Outagamie County

Outagamie County, Wisconsin — key demographics

Population size

• 190,705 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~38 years
• Under 18: ~24%
• 18–64: ~60%
• 65 and over: ~16%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and ethnicity (2020 Census; race alone unless noted; Hispanic is of any race)

• White: ~88%
• Black or African American: ~1–2%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: ~1–2%
• Asian: ~3–4%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: ~0%
• Some other race: ~1–2%
• Two or more races: ~4–5%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~5–6%

Households

• Total households: ~75,000
• Average household size: ~2.5 persons
• Family households: ~65% of households
• Average family size: ~3.0 persons
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~70–73%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 5-year estimates). Figures rounded for clarity.

• County snapshot: Outagamie County, WI had 190,705 residents in 2020 (U.S. Census). Land area ~637 sq mi → ~299 people/sq mi.
• Digital access (ACS 2018–2022): 94% of households have a computer; ~89% have a broadband subscription. Roughly 6–8% are smartphone‑only households. Connectivity is densest in the Appleton–Grand Chute corridor; rural townships show lower fiber penetration.
• Network availability (FCC 2023): ≥95% of residents have access to fixed 100 Mbps service; near‑universal coverage in urban census blocks.
• Estimated email users: About 147,000 adults (18+) live in the county; applying Pew Research Center’s 2023 adult email adoption (~92%) yields ≈135,000 adult email users.
• Age distribution of email users (Pew adoption by age applied to local age mix, ACS): • 18–29: ~20% of users • 30–49: ~34% • 50–64: ~27% • 65+: ~19%
• Gender split: Email usage is essentially parity by gender; with the county’s ~50/50 sex mix, email users are ≈50% women and ≈50% men.
• Trend insights: Broadband subscription and smartphone‑only access have both risen over the past five years; high-density neighborhoods drive higher adoption and multi‑device use, while remaining gaps are concentrated in lower‑density areas.

Mobile phone usage in Outagamie County, Wisconsin: key findings and how they differ from statewide patterns

Scope and sources

• Latest available American Community Survey (ACS) device/subscription indicators (2018–2022, county-level), Pew Research Center smartphone adoption benchmarks (2023, for age-specific ownership), and public mobile network deployment disclosures from national carriers and state broadband grant rounds through 2024.

User estimates

• Adult smartphone users: approximately 130,000–140,000 residents in Outagamie County actively use a smartphone. This estimate applies current adult smartphone adoption benchmarks (roughly 88–90% of adults) to the county’s adult population and adds teen adoption (which is above 90% nationally). The county’s younger age profile versus Wisconsin slightly lifts the share relative to the state average.
• Household smartphone penetration: roughly nine in ten Outagamie households have at least one smartphone, marginally higher than the Wisconsin average.
• Mobile-only internet households: modestly lower than the state average. Outagamie shows fewer households relying solely on a cellular data plan for home internet than Wisconsin overall, reflecting strong cable coverage in the Appleton–Kaukauna–Little Chute–Grand Chute corridor.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age: Outagamie skews slightly younger than Wisconsin, which translates into higher smartphone saturation in the 18–44 cohorts and a smaller gap between middle-aged and senior ownership than the state average. Seniors (65+) in Outagamie adopt smartphones at higher rates than seniors statewide, narrowing the age-driven digital divide.
• Income and education: Median household income in Outagamie sits above the statewide median, and educational attainment in the Appleton urban area is comparatively strong; both are associated with higher smartphone and mobile broadband uptake. Consequently, the county sees fewer affordability-driven mobile-only households than the state average.
• Race/ethnicity: The county’s population is predominantly White non-Hispanic, with smaller but growing Hispanic and Asian communities. Disparities in smartphone access by race/ethnicity are present but are smaller in magnitude than statewide, largely due to the county’s concentrated employment base and robust cable footprint reducing reliance on cellular-only connectivity.

Digital infrastructure highlights (mobile and related backhaul)

• 5G footprint: All three national carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) provide 5G coverage across the population centers along the I‑41 corridor (Appleton, Grand Chute, Little Chute, Kaukauna, Kimberly, and Greenville). Mid-band 5G is widely available in these areas, delivering higher median mobile speeds than the statewide median. Coverage becomes more variable north and west of the core (e.g., around Shiocton, Black Creek, and rural townships), where low-band 5G/LTE is common and capacity can be constrained at peak times.
• LTE coverage: Near-universal across populated areas, with rural edge cases showing lower signal quality indoors or along wooded/farm routes. Relative to state averages, Outagamie’s LTE reliability is stronger thanks to dense siting along I‑41 and State Highways 47 and 55.
• Capacity and backhaul: The county benefits from multiple fiber backbones feeding macro sites along I‑41 and municipal/commercial corridors, supporting above-average 5G capacity compared with many Wisconsin counties of similar size. Recent state broadband grants (2022–2024) added new macro sites and fiber laterals that improve rural sector backhaul and resiliency.
• Fixed networks that shape mobile usage: Spectrum’s cable plant covers the urban/suburban core extensively, and selective fiber builds (municipal/private) have expanded in commercial corridors. This fixed-network strength reduces the share of cellular-only households in Outagamie versus the broader state and supports heavy Wi‑Fi offload in homes and businesses.

How Outagamie differs from Wisconsin overall

• Higher smartphone saturation: Outagamie’s smartphone presence is slightly higher than the statewide average due to a younger age mix and higher median income.
• Lower reliance on cellular-only home internet: The Appleton-area cable footprint and growing fiber backhaul mean a smaller share of households depend exclusively on mobile data compared to the state average.
• Stronger 5G capacity where people live and work: The I‑41 urban string provides denser macro coverage and more mid-band 5G than the average Wisconsin county, lifting median downlink speeds in the urban/suburban zones above statewide medians.
• Narrower age gap: Seniors in Outagamie adopt smartphones at somewhat higher rates than seniors statewide, compressing the age-driven adoption gap that is more pronounced elsewhere in Wisconsin.
• Fewer unserved pockets: While rural dead zones exist, the combination of carrier upgrades and state-supported infrastructure has left Outagamie with fewer persistent mobile coverage gaps than many northern and western Wisconsin counties.

Implications

• Mobile usage is capacity-driven along I‑41 and demand-driven in growing suburbs (Greenville/Grand Chute), with stable commuter and retail traffic sustaining high mid-band 5G utilization.
• Continued infill and backhaul upgrades in the county’s northern and western townships will be the biggest lever for reducing the remaining performance and reliability disparity relative to the Appleton core.
• For service planning, expect higher-than-state-average mobile engagement among working-age adults and families, and lower churn to cellular-only home internet because fixed broadband alternatives are widely available in the population centers.

Social media usage in Outagamie County, WI — concise snapshot

Baseline population and composition

• Total population: 190,705 (U.S. Census, 2020)
• Adults (18+): ≈144,900 (≈76% of residents)
• Teens (13–17): ≈12,700 (≈6.7% of residents)
• Gender: roughly balanced (≈50% female, 50% male)

Estimated total social media users

• ≈116,000 users in the county (≈61% of residents)
  • Adults: ≈104,000 (based on 72% of U.S. adults using social media)
  • Teens 13–17: ≈12,000 (based on ~95% using at least one platform)
  • Note: Users can be on multiple platforms; counts do not sum

Most-used platforms (adults), with estimated local reach

• YouTube: 83% of adults; ≈120,000 local adults
• Facebook: 68%; ≈99,000
• Instagram: 47%; ≈68,000
• TikTok: 33%; ≈48,000
• Pinterest: 35%; ≈51,000
• LinkedIn: 30%; ≈43,000
• Snapchat: 27%; ≈39,000
• X (Twitter): 23%; ≈33,000
• WhatsApp: 21%; ≈30,000

Most-used platforms (teens 13–17), with estimated local reach

• YouTube: 95%; ≈12,100 teens
• TikTok: 67%; ≈8,500
• Instagram: 62%; ≈7,900
• Snapchat: 59%; ≈7,500
• Facebook: 32%; ≈4,100
• X (Twitter): 23%; ≈2,900

Age groups and gender dynamics

• Teens: heavy on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram; YouTube near-universal
• 18–29: Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat lead; Facebook is secondary
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram significant
• 50–64 and 65+: Facebook-first; YouTube strong for how‑to and news
• Gender: women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube and X/Reddit (consistent with national patterns)

Behavioral trends observed in similar Midwestern counties and reflected locally

• Community and commerce: Facebook Groups and Marketplace anchor local news, schools, municipal updates, buy/sell/trade, and event discovery
• Short-form video growth: Reels/TikTok increasingly used by local eateries, festivals, and youth sports for highlights and announcements
• Private sharing: Snapchat prevalent for high-frequency, private messaging among high school/college-aged users; stories over public feeds
• Video depth: YouTube used for DIY/home projects, outdoor recreation, and local sports; longer sessions on evenings/weekends
• Timing: engagement typically peaks early morning, lunch, and 7–9 pm; weekend spikes around Packers games, school sports, festivals, and weather events
• Neighborhood chatter: Nextdoor present in suburban areas but remains smaller than Facebook Groups; Messenger/WhatsApp underpin group coordination

Method notes and sources

• County totals: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (Outagamie County, WI)
• Adult platform percentages: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2023 (U.S. adults)
• Teen platform percentages: Pew Research Center, Teens, Social Media and Technology 2022
• Local platform counts are estimates applying Pew’s adoption rates to Outagamie’s adult and teen populations; figures rounded and overlapping across platforms