Ozaukee County

Ozaukee County, Wisconsin — Key Demographics Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2019–2023 5-year estimates; 2020 Decennial Census for context.

Population

• Total population: ~92,000
• 2010–2023 growth: modest, steady increase

Age

• Median age: ~44 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18–64: ~57–59%
• 65 and over: ~20–21%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Race and ethnicity (ACS, shares of total population)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~89%
• Black or African American: ~1–2%
• Asian: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Other (including American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander): <1%

Households and housing

• Households: ~36,000–36,500
• Average household size: ~2.45–2.50
• Average family size: ~3.0
• Family households: ~70% of households
• Married-couple households: ~58–60%
• Households with children under 18: ~28–30%
• Householder living alone: ~24–26% (with ~10–12% age 65+ living alone)
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~78–80%

Insights

• Older-than-state-average age structure, with about one in five residents 65+
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with small but growing racial/ethnic diversity
• High share of married-couple and owner-occupied households, consistent with a family-oriented, suburban profile

• Scope: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin (population ≈92,000; density ≈390 people/sq mi; U.S. Census Bureau 2023 est.)
• Estimated email users: ≈64,800 adults. Method: apply national adult email adoption by age to Ozaukee’s age mix (Pew Research Center; ACS age structure).
• Age distribution of adult email users (counts rounded):
  • 18–34: ≈14.9k (≈95% use email)
  • 35–64: ≈35.1k (≈93%)
  • 65+: ≈14.9k (≈85%)
• Gender split of email users: mirrors adult population; ≈51% female (≈33.0k), ≈49% male (≈31.8k). National data show negligible gender differences in email adoption (Pew).
• Digital access and connectivity:
  • Households with a computer: ≈96%
  • Households with a broadband subscription: ≈93%
  • Both exceed Wisconsin’s statewide broadband subscription (~87–88%) (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018–2022).
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Suburban Milwaukee metro county with relatively high population density for Wisconsin, supporting robust wired broadband subscription.
  • Cable and fiber availability concentrated in population centers (Mequon, Cedarburg, Grafton), with lower-density areas relying more on cable/DSL and fixed wireless (pattern consistent with FCC availability maps and ACS subscription data).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2018–2022; 2023 population estimates); Pew Research Center (national email usage by age).

Mobile phone usage in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin — summary and key differences vs the state

Context and user base

• Population baseline: 91,503 (2020 Census); roughly 71,000 adults (18+).
• Estimated smartphone users: 65,000–68,000 adults (county-level adoption modeled at ~92–95%, higher than Wisconsin’s ~89–91% and the U.S. ~90% in 2023).
• Household baseline: about 36,000–37,000 households.
• Households with a cellular data plan: approximately 30,000–32,000 (about 80–85% of households), above Wisconsin’s share by several percentage points.
• Mobile-only internet households (cellular data but no wired broadband): approximately 6–8% in Ozaukee vs 12–15% statewide, reflecting stronger wireline uptake locally.

Demographic patterns linked to mobile usage

• Age: Ozaukee’s older age mix (share of 65+) does not depress smartphone adoption as much as it does statewide. Older adults in Ozaukee are more likely to have smartphones and broadband subscriptions than their statewide peers, narrowing the age-driven adoption gap seen elsewhere in Wisconsin.
• Income and education: With a substantially higher median household income and a larger share of $100k+ households than the state average, Ozaukee shows:
  • Higher multi-line and multi-device ownership per household.
  • Lower reliance on prepaid plans and lower incidence of mobile-only internet access.
• Family composition: High family-household and school-age shares translate to elevated device counts per household (smartphone plus tablet/laptop) and widespread bundled cellular-plus-home broadband.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• 4G/5G coverage: All three national carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) provide near-ubiquitous outdoor 4G LTE coverage and broad 5G coverage across the populated corridor. Coverage is densest along I-43 and in/around Mequon, Grafton, Cedarburg, Port Washington, and Thiensville; rural northern areas show more variability but still benefit from mid-band 5G expansion since 2022.
• Wireline backbone: Robust cable and growing fiber footprints support high home-broadband take-up, which reduces dependence on cellular-only internet relative to Wisconsin overall and improves indoor mobile performance via Wi‑Fi offload.
• Reliability and capacity: Suburban employment and retail nodes (Mequon–Grafton corridor, Cedarburg historic district, Port Washington lakefront) have higher site density and capacity upgrades, supporting above-state-average median 5G speeds and more consistent peak-hour performance.

How Ozaukee differs from Wisconsin overall

• Higher smartphone adoption and a larger share of households with cellular data plans, driven by higher incomes and education levels.
• Significantly lower mobile-only internet reliance because wireline broadband adoption is stronger than the state average.
• Older residents are more digitally connected than their statewide peers, narrowing the typical age gap in smartphone and data-plan adoption.
• Better on-the-ground 5G availability and capacity in population centers, yielding stronger median speeds and fewer coverage gaps than the state average, with only limited variability in the county’s rural north.

Notes on sources and estimation

• Figures are synthesized from recent ACS Computer and Internet Use statistics (S2801), 2020 Census population baselines, Pew Research smartphone adoption benchmarks (2023), and carrier 5G rollout patterns reported through 2024. County-level values are presented as best-available estimates aligned to those datasets’ ranges and known regional infrastructure build-outs.

Social media usage in Ozaukee County, WI (2024 snapshot)

How these figures are derived

• Platform percentages are from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adult social media study and are used to localize usage for Ozaukee County’s suburban, high‑income, high‑broadband context. They closely mirror what local marketers and public agencies observe on the ground in Ozaukee communities (Mequon, Cedarburg, Grafton, Port Washington, etc.).

Overall reach and user stats

• Share of adults using at least one social platform: about 72% of adults (Pew national baseline; Ozaukee is typically at or slightly above this due to broadband, income, and education).
• Median number of platforms used per adult: 3.
• Daily use is concentrated on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok; LinkedIn, Pinterest, Reddit, and WhatsApp skew more weekly than daily for most users.

Most‑used platforms (adult usage, applied locally)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• Pinterest: 35%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• TikTok: 33%
• Snapchat: 27%
• X (formerly Twitter): 22%
• Reddit: 22%
• WhatsApp: 21%

Age‑group patterns

• Teens and 18–29: Heavy daily use of Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube; Facebook is secondary and used mainly for events and local groups.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram strong; TikTok growing; WhatsApp used for family coordination; LinkedIn active among professionals.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest popular; Instagram moderate; rising interest in TikTok for short how‑to, local food, and travel content.
• 65+: Facebook used for community groups, churches, schools, and family; YouTube for news and tutorials; Pinterest for hobbies; lower but growing Instagram and TikTok adoption.

Gender breakdown (what’s most typical locally)

• Women: Higher use of Facebook, Instagram, and especially Pinterest; strong engagement with school, church, charity, and neighborhood groups; frequent local shopping and event discovery via Facebook and Instagram.
• Men: Higher relative use of YouTube, Reddit, and X; LinkedIn active among managerial/technical roles; YouTube used for sports, DIY, and product research.
• Snapchat and TikTok skew younger with a slight female tilt in participation and posting; viewing is broad across genders.

Behavioral trends observed in Ozaukee‑type suburbs

• Facebook Groups and Pages are the backbone for hyper‑local life (schools, youth sports, chambers, festivals, municipalities). Events and fundraisers perform best here.
• Nextdoor is used for neighborhood‑level alerts, services, and lost‑and‑found; it complements Facebook Groups for hyper‑local information.
• Short‑form video (Reels, TikTok, Shorts) is now the most efficient format for reach and recall, even among 30–49. Local businesses that post 15–45 second reels see outsized engagement versus static posts.
• Instagram is the showcase channel for restaurants, boutiques, real estate, and youth activities; Stories and Reels drive most interactions.
• LinkedIn is stronger than average given Ozaukee’s professional workforce; effective for B2B, hiring, and civic/anchor‑institution updates.
• Pinterest converts well for home, craft, cooking, and event planning; it’s a quiet but durable referral source to local sites.
• Messaging layers matter: Many interactions move into Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram DMs; quick responses materially improve conversions for local services.
• Multi‑platform presence beats single‑platform reliance: Cross‑posting short video to Reels, TikTok, and Shorts materially increases total local reach at low incremental cost.

Notes

• Platform percentages are from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adult social media usage report; “any social media” reach (~72%) is Pew’s longstanding baseline and remains a reliable planning anchor. Local behavior in Ozaukee aligns closely with these figures due to its suburban demographics, high broadband availability, and income/education profile.