Cass County

Here are concise, recent demographics for Cass County, Illinois.

Population

• Total: 12,547 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~39
• Under 18: ~26%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Gender

• Male: ~51%
• Female: ~49%

Race/ethnicity (mutually exclusive)

• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~27%
• White, non-Hispanic: ~63%
• Black, non-Hispanic: ~2%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~2%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~4%
• Other, non-Hispanic: <1%

Households

• Number of households: ~4,880
• Persons per household: ~2.6
• Family households: ~65% of households
• Married-couple families: ~47% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~31%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 ACS 5-year estimates).

Cass County, Illinois snapshot (pop. ~13,300; ~34 people/mi²)

Estimated email users: 9,000–10,000 residents.

• By age (approximate users):
  • 18–29: ~1.6k–1.7k (very high adoption)
  • 30–49: ~3.0k (highest adoption)
  • 50–64: ~2.3k–2.5k
  • 65+: ~2.1k–2.3k (lower but growing)
  • Plus several hundred teens who use email for school. Gender split: Roughly even; women may be a few points more likely to use email than men, consistent with national patterns.

Digital access and trends:

• Broadband availability is reasonably high in and near towns (Beardstown, Virginia) but adoption lags rural Illinois averages outside them; many households rely on smartphones for primary internet.
• Household broadband subscription is likely in the low-to-mid 70% range, below the Illinois statewide average, with lower adoption among seniors and low-income households.
• Cellular data is widely used; fixed-wireline performance and choice can be limited in sparsely populated areas, which dampens frequent email use on desktops.
• Public libraries, schools, and community centers act as important Wi‑Fi/access anchors.

Notes: Estimates derived from county population + national/rural Illinois email adoption by age and gender (Pew/ACS-style patterns).

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Cass County, Illinois (focus on what differs from state-level)

Headline differences vs Illinois overall

• Higher reliance on smartphones as the primary/only internet connection, especially among lower‑income and Spanish‑speaking households.
• Older population share depresses overall smartphone adoption relative to the state average, but younger and Hispanic residents show very high adoption and heavy app-based communication (WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger).
• Coverage and speeds are more uneven: strong service in towns and along main corridors, with noticeable rural dead zones and slower 5G mid‑band availability than in metro Illinois.
• Prepaid plans and Android devices are more common than in metro areas, driven by price sensitivity and migrant workforce churn.
• Agriculture and food-processing schedules shape off‑peak usage (very early morning/evening spikes) more than in urban Illinois.

User estimates (order-of-magnitude; see “Data notes”)

• Population baseline: about 13–14k residents; adult population roughly 10–11k.
• Estimated adult smartphone users: 8.1k–9.0k (assumes 78–85% adult ownership, lower than IL statewide due to older age structure, but buoyed by high adoption among younger/Hispanic adults).
• Household smartphone‑only internet: likely 20–30% of households (higher than Illinois statewide, which is closer to the mid‑teens), reflecting cost constraints and limited wireline options outside towns.

Demographic patterns shaping usage

• Age: Cass County skews older than Illinois overall. Adults 65+ are substantially less likely to own smartphones or use mobile data intensively, pulling down the county’s overall adoption rate.
• Ethnicity/language: A comparatively large Hispanic/Latino community (notable in Beardstown) pushes up smartphone adoption and smartphone‑only reliance; Spanish‑language messaging, social, and payments/remittance apps are used more than the state average.
• Income: Lower median household income than the Illinois average increases use of prepaid plans, hotspotting, and mobile-only internet access.
• Occupation: Agriculture and meat/food processing drive practical, work‑centric mobile use (shift coordination, weather, logistics), with fewer luxury streaming devices per household than in metro IL.

Digital infrastructure points

• Cellular coverage and 5G:
  • Good LTE/low-band 5G coverage in population centers (Beardstown, Virginia, Ashland) and along key corridors (e.g., US‑67 river crossing/IL‑100 corridor), but patchier service in river bottoms and low‑density farmland.
  • T‑Mobile’s extended‑range 5G and Verizon/AT&T low‑band 5G are present; mid‑band/capacity 5G is limited compared with metro Illinois (fewer sites lit with C‑band/n41), so average 5G speeds trail state urban norms.
  • UScellular remains a relevant rural carrier option in this part of Illinois, more so than in metro areas.
  • Public‑safety: AT&T FirstNet coverage improvements benefit first responders but don’t fully eliminate rural gaps.
• Wireline and fixed wireless:
  • Towns are primarily served by the local cable/fiber provider (Cass Communications) with pockets of fiber; rural areas still see legacy DSL and fixed‑wireless providers filling gaps.
  • Co‑op fiber and new BEAD/ARPA-funded builds are expanding, but progress is incremental; many farmsteads remain better served by fixed wireless or satellite (Starlink uptake is higher than state average).
• Community access:
  • Libraries and schools in Beardstown and Virginia are important Wi‑Fi anchors; public hotspots carry heavier load than in metro Illinois where home broadband is more universal.

Behavioral/plan differences from statewide norms

• Higher share of prepaid and budget plans; more SIM churn among seasonal workers.
• More hotspot use to connect household devices due to lack of cable/fiber outside town limits.
• Voice/SMS and zero‑rated/social apps see relatively higher engagement where data performance is variable; streaming video quality and mobile gaming performance lag state urban levels.

Data notes and how to validate locally

• These are best‑effort estimates based on rural Midwest patterns, Pew smartphone ownership by community type, Illinois county demographics, and ACS “Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions” patterns for rural counties with similar profiles.
• For Cass County‑specific figures, check:
  • ACS Table S2801 (households with smartphone; smartphone‑only internet) and DP05 (age, ethnicity) for Cass County vs Illinois.
  • FCC National Broadband Map and NTIA Indicators of Broadband Need for fixed and mobile coverage.
  • Carrier coverage maps and Ookla/OpenSignal for 5G availability and speeds in Beardstown, Virginia, Ashland, and rural tracts.

Below is a concise, best-available estimate for Cass County, IL. Direct, county-level social media metrics aren’t published; figures are inferred from Pew Research Center 2023–2024 surveys, rural Illinois adoption patterns, and local demographics. Treat as directional (±5–10 percentage points).

Headline user stats

• Population: ~13–14k residents; ~11–12k are age 13+.
• Social media users (13+): ~7.7k–9.0k (about 70–75% penetration).
• Access: ~75–80% have home broadband; 15–20% are smartphone-only internet users.
• Daily time: commonly 1–2 hours; heavier among teens/young adults.

Age mix of social users (share of social media users)

• 13–17: 8–10% (heavy daily use; creation/short video/messaging)
• 18–29: 18–20% (video-first; messaging; commerce via Marketplace)
• 30–44: 25–27% (families; groups; local info; Marketplace)
• 45–64: 28–30% (news, community groups, local businesses)
• 65+: 15–18% (primarily Facebook; local news/church/school updates)

Gender breakdown (of social media users)

• Female: 52–55%
• Male: 45–48%
• Note: Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men on YouTube, Reddit.

Most-used platforms (share of social media users; monthly active, with daily where relevant)

• Facebook: 80–85% monthly; 60–65% daily. Hub for local news, schools, churches, sports, buy/sell.
• YouTube: 75–80% monthly; 50–55% daily. How-to, local sports clips, hunting/fishing, farm and maintenance content.
• Messenger: 60–65% monthly; 40–45% daily (family, group coordination).
• Instagram: 40–45% monthly; 20–25% daily (younger adults; local events, boutiques).
• TikTok: 35–40% monthly; 25–30% daily (teens/20s; short-form entertainment, local creators).
• Snapchat: 30–35% monthly; 20–25% daily (teens/college-age messaging).
• WhatsApp: 20–30% monthly (driven by the county’s sizable Hispanic/Latino community; family, cross-border ties).
• Pinterest: 20–25% monthly (women 25–54; recipes, crafts, home).
• LinkedIn: 12–15% monthly (job-seeking, trades, healthcare, public sector).
• X/Twitter: 10–12% monthly (state news, sports).
• Reddit/Discord: 8–10% each (younger/gamer/tech niches).
• Nextdoor: 3–5% (low rural penetration; Facebook Groups fill this role).

Behavioral trends

• Community-first: Very high engagement in Facebook Groups (schools, youth sports, churches, hunting/fishing, yard sales, severe weather, local government).
• Marketplace matters: Strong buy/sell culture; farm/ranch, tools, vehicles, furniture.
• Local trust: Higher engagement with posts from known people, local businesses, schools, and churches versus national brands.
• Bilingual content: Notable Spanish/English usage (Beardstown area); WhatsApp and Facebook are key for Spanish-speaking households.
• Video-forward: Short-form video (TikTok/Reels/Shorts) growing, but creation is concentrated among younger users; older users consume more than post.
• Timing: Peaks 7–9 pm; secondary checks 6–8 am and lunchtime. Weekend spikes around sports, events, and church.
• News/weather: Severe weather and school closures drive spikes; local broadcasters’ Facebook pages are influential.
• Ads/offers: Coupons, limited-time offers, and event promos perform well when geo-targeted to Beardstown, Virginia, Ashland ZIPs and posted in relevant Groups.

Notes on uncertainty

• Percentages are modeled from national/rural Midwest patterns and local demographics; expect neighborhood-level variation. For campaign planning, validate by test posts/ads in key ZIPs and top Groups and review post-level insights within 1–2 weeks.