Bureau County

Key demographics for Bureau County, Illinois (primarily from U.S. Census Bureau: 2020 Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates)

• Population size: 33,244 (2020 Census)
• Age:
  • Median age: ~44–45
  • Under 18: ~21–22%
  • 65 and over: ~22–23%
• Gender (sex):
  • Female: ~50–51%
  • Male: ~49–50%
• Race/ethnicity (ACS, shares of total population):
  • White, non-Hispanic: ~85–87%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~7–8%
  • Black or African American: ~1–2%
  • Asian: ~0.5–1%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.2–0.4%
  • Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~4–5%
• Households (ACS 2018–2022):
  • Number of households: ~13,900
  • Persons per household: ~2.3
  • Family households: ~62–64% of households
  • Married-couple families: ~48–50% of households
  • One-person households: ~29–31% (about ~13–14% age 65+ living alone)
  • Owner-occupied housing rate: ~74–77%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (including tables S0101, DP05, S1101, DP02/DP04).

Bureau County, IL — email usage snapshot (estimates)

• Estimated email users: 23,000–27,000 residents. Basis: ~33k population, high internet adoption among adults, and email being near-universal among internet users (Pew Research trends).
• Age pattern:
  • 18–29: ~95–99% use email
  • 30–49: ~95–99%
  • 50–64: ~85–92%
  • 65+: ~70–80%
• Gender split: roughly even male/female; no meaningful gap in email adoption in recent national data.
• Digital access trends:
  • Home broadband adoption likely a bit below Illinois’ statewide level (~80% of households), typical for rural counties; reliance on smartphone-only access is higher than in metro areas.
  • Public Wi‑Fi (libraries/schools) and mobile hotspots supplement access for students and lower-income residents.
  • Gradual fiber buildouts in towns; fixed wireless and satellite fill gaps in outlying areas.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population 33k over ~870 sq mi (38 people/sq mi): sparse, rural settlement pattern.
  • Connectivity strongest in and around towns (e.g., Princeton, Spring Valley) and along the I‑80 corridor; service quality is more variable in farm and wooded areas.

Sources informing estimates: U.S. Census/ACS for population and broadband, Pew Research Center on internet/email usage.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Bureau County, Illinois (distinctives vs statewide)

How many users (estimates)

• Population baseline: ~33,000 residents; ~26,000–27,000 adults.
• Smartphone users: ~24,000–28,000 total users when including teens. Adult smartphone adoption is likely in the low-to-mid 80s percent range (a few points below Illinois’ urban-heavy average), with most teens using smartphones.
• Feature-phone/limited-use segment: roughly 6–10% of adults, concentrated among 65+ and very-low-income households.
• Smartphone-only internet households: estimated 18–25% (above the Illinois average of roughly mid-teens), reflecting more reliance on mobile data where wired broadband is weaker.

Demographic patterns

• Age: Largest adoption gap is among 65+. Seniors are more likely than the Illinois average to keep basic phones or data-capped plans; younger cohorts (under 45) mirror statewide smartphone saturation.
• Income: Lower-income and fixed-income households show higher smartphone-only internet dependence and prepaid/MVNO usage than the state average.
• Race/ethnicity and language: The county’s small but notable Hispanic/Latino communities (e.g., in/around DePue and Spring Valley) show high smartphone reliance for messaging apps, bilingual communication, and hotspotting, similar to statewide patterns—but with fewer affordable wired options locally, mobile often plays a bigger role for home connectivity.
• Work patterns: Agriculture, logistics along I-80, and skilled trades increase daytime mobile use outside Wi‑Fi zones; more voice/SMS and push-to-talk style coordination than in metro Illinois where data-first apps dominate.

Device and plan mix

• Operating systems: Slightly higher Android share than the state (price sensitivity and MVNO availability), though iOS remains strong in town centers.
• Plans: Above-average share of prepaid/MVNO lines and multi-line family plans with conservative data caps; hotspot usage is common for home connectivity.
• Business lines: Farm operations and small contractors use ruggedized devices, signal boosters, and external antennas more than state norms.

Network and infrastructure (what’s on the ground)

• Coverage patterns:
  • Verizon and UScellular have the broadest rural footprint; AT&T is solid in towns; T‑Mobile coverage has improved rapidly along I‑80 and major state routes but can still be inconsistent on farm roads.
  • 5G: Low-band 5G covers most populated areas outdoors; mid-band 5G (e.g., C‑band/n41) is strongest along I‑80 and in/near Princeton, Spring Valley, and other towns. mmWave is unlikely.
  • Expect more dead zones than the Illinois average in river/creek corridors and sparsely populated sections (e.g., away from I‑80 and US‑6/US‑34).
• Capacity and speeds: Median speeds are typically lower and more variable than metro Illinois; evening and harvest-season congestion are more pronounced on towers serving wide rural sectors.
• Backhaul/fiber: Long-haul fiber follows I‑80 and rail/power corridors; in-town cable or fiber exists in parts of Princeton/Spring Valley, while outlying areas lean on DSL or fixed wireless. Fixed wireless access (FWA) from T‑Mobile/Verizon is available in portions of larger towns and fringes, filling gaps where cable/fiber isn’t.
• Public safety and resilience: STARCOM21 public-safety sites and county 9‑1‑1 upgrades bolster redundancy, but single-feed rural towers are more susceptible to weather/backhaul outages than the statewide average.

How Bureau County differs from Illinois overall

• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration among seniors, but higher household reliance on mobile data/service as a primary internet connection.
• Higher prevalence of Android devices, prepaid/MVNO plans, and use of signal boosters/external antennas.
• Carrier mix tilts more toward Verizon/UScellular for reliability; T‑Mobile’s rapid 5G expansion narrows gaps mainly along highways and in towns.
• More variable performance: greater tower-to-tower speed swings and peak-time slowdowns than in metro counties.
• Infrastructure dependency: Fixed broadband is spottier outside town centers, so mobile networks carry a larger share of everyday connectivity (work, school, telehealth) than the state average.

Notes on method and uncertainty

• These are modeled estimates synthesized from statewide and rural U.S. adoption trends (e.g., Pew), county demographics (ACS), FCC mobile/broadband maps, and known carrier buildouts along I‑80. County-specific measurements can vary by neighborhood and tower sector. For planning, validate with on-the-ground speed tests, carrier coverage tools, and recent ISP buildout announcements.

Bureau County, IL — social media snapshot (estimates)

Topline user stats

• Population: ~33K residents; older-leaning, rural county.
• Estimated social media users: 20K–22K residents (about 60–68% of total population; roughly 70–78% of age 13+).
• Household internet/broadband: roughly 80–85% with access, typical for rural IL.

Most‑used platforms among adults (share of adults who use each; overlap expected)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 72–78%
• Instagram: 35–42%
• TikTok: 25–32%
• Snapchat: 20–26%
• Pinterest: 25–35% (women over-index)
• LinkedIn: 15–20%
• X/Twitter: 15–20%
• Reddit: 12–18%
• Nextdoor: 3–8% (limited neighborhood coverage)

Age mix and tendencies (share of local social users; plus platform skew)

• 13–24: ~18–20% of users. Heavy on YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok; Instagram strong; Facebook mostly for events/school sports.
• 25–44: ~26–28%. Uses Facebook (Events, Groups), Instagram, YouTube; rising TikTok/Reels for local eats, fitness, parenting, deals.
• 45–64: ~30–32%. Facebook is dominant (local news, buy/sell/trade); YouTube for DIY, home/auto/ag; Pinterest for projects/recipes.
• 65+: ~22–24%. Facebook for community updates/church/school sports; YouTube for how‑to and entertainment; light Instagram; minimal TikTok.

Gender breakdown (of social media users; estimates)

• Women: 52–54% (over‑index on Facebook Groups, Pinterest, community/commerce posts).
• Men: 46–48% (over‑index on YouTube, Reddit; Facebook for marketplace/sports).

Behavioral trends to know

• Community first: Facebook Groups and local pages drive information flow (city/county, schools, churches, sports, festivals, buy/sell/trade). Facebook Events is the default for event discovery.
• Practical content wins: YouTube “how‑to” (home, farm/auto repair, outdoor), recipe/craft content on Pinterest/FB, and short local tips on TikTok/Reels.
• Local commerce: High engagement on FB Marketplace and deal/coupon posts; small businesses see best results with promos tied to community events, school sports, or seasonality.
• Short‑form video growth: TikTok and Instagram Reels usage rising among under‑45s; cross‑posting to Facebook Reels expands reach.
• Messaging over public posting for younger users: Snapchat and Instagram DMs for day‑to‑day coordination; Messenger is common across ages.
• Timing: Peaks around 7–9am, 11:30am–1pm, and 7–9pm; weekend spikes tied to games, fairs, and festivals.
• News trust is local: Users prefer updates from known local entities (city, county, sheriff, schools, local media) shared via Facebook.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are modeled for Bureau County using Pew Research Center 2023–2024 U.S. platform adoption, rural vs. urban skews, Census/ACS demographics for small Midwest counties, and typical rural broadband penetration. Use platform ad tools or local surveys for precise campaign planning.