Crawford County

Here are key demographics for Crawford County, Illinois.

Population

• Total: 18,679 (2020 Census)

Age

• Under 18: ~21%
• 65 and over: ~19%
• Median age: ~41 years
• Working age (18–64): ~60%

Gender

• Male: ~52%
• Female: ~48% (Note: Male share elevated due to the Robinson Correctional Center.)

Race/ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022, approx.)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~85–87%
• Black or African American: ~7–9%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~2–3%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Asian: <1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: <1%

Households and housing

• Households: ~7,400–7,600
• Persons per household: ~2.3
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~74%
• Renter-occupied: ~26%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey (5-year). Figures are rounded; margins of error apply.

Crawford County, IL (pop. ≈18.7k; land ≈444 sq mi; density ≈42 people/sq mi) is rural with an older-leaning age profile.

Estimated email users

• ≈14–15k residents use email (method: adults ≈79% of population × ~90% email adoption, plus most teens 13–17; Pew Research 2023–24).

Age distribution among users (approx.)

• 18–29: ~16%
• 30–49: ~30%
• 50–64: ~28%
• 65+: ~26% Higher 65+ share reflects local demographics; adoption remains slightly lower in this group than younger adults.

Gender split

• ~50% female / ~50% male; minimal difference in email adoption by gender.

Digital access and connectivity trends

• Broadband access is mixed: fiber/cable more available in and around Robinson (and other towns like Oblong/Palestine), with many rural areas relying on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite; smartphone‑only internet households are present.
• FCC broadband maps show patchier availability of 100/20 Mbps service outside town centers; new fiber builds are gradually improving coverage.
• Public Wi‑Fi via libraries/schools helps bridge gaps.

Notes: Figures are estimates combining 2020 U.S. Census population, county age structure from ACS, Pew Research adoption rates, and FCC broadband mapping patterns.

Below is a planning-focused snapshot of mobile phone usage in Crawford County, Illinois, with best-available estimates and how the county differs from statewide patterns. Figures are estimates derived from Census population baselines, Pew Research Center adoption rates, NTIA/FCC broadband trends, and typical rural-Illinois network deployments; use for scoping, not compliance reporting.

Quick profile

• County size/context: Small, rural county centered on Robinson and smaller towns (Oblong, Palestine, Hutsonville), with agriculture and manufacturing/industrial employers. Population roughly 18,000.
• Market structure: Fewer towers per square mile than metro Illinois; AT&T and Verizon typically strongest; T-Mobile improving along highways/towns but patchier between them.

User estimates

• Estimated residents using any mobile phone: about 13,500–15,500 (roughly 75–85% of residents).
• Estimated smartphone users: about 11,500–13,000. Method: adult population share × rural smartphone adoption (generally 80–85%), plus high adoption among teens.
• Smartphone-only internet households: likely 20–25% locally, several points higher than Illinois overall (often ~12–15%), reflecting limited wired options outside towns and cost sensitivity.
• Plan mix: Higher-than-state share of prepaid and budget plans; longer device replacement cycles; more hotspot use for home connectivity.

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

• Age: Older population share than the state average. Estimated smartphone adoption by age group:
  • 18–44: very high (≈95%+), near statewide.
  • 45–64: high (≈85–90%), slightly below statewide.
  • 65+: moderate (≈60–70%), notably below statewide (which is typically higher).
• Income/affordability: Lower median income than Illinois overall; more price-sensitive behavior (prepaid, smaller data buckets, older Android devices). ACP discontinuation and rising plan prices likely pushed additional users to prepaid and Wi‑Fi offload.
• Workforce/contexts: Agriculture and industrial sites drive demand for reliable rural coverage, push-to-talk/dispatch, and rugged devices. Shift work creates off-peak usage patterns different from urban dayparts.
• Race/ethnicity/language: Predominantly White, fewer LEP households than the state average; less need for multilingual carrier retail support than in metro Illinois.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 4G LTE: Generally solid in towns and along state routes; capacity can dip at the edges and between towns.
• 5G:
  • Low-band 5G covers main corridors and population centers; useful for coverage but only modest speed gains over LTE.
  • Mid-band 5G (C-band/n41) appears in/near towns and along highways; coverage is spotty away from corridors, so true 5G capacity is uneven.
  • mmWave is effectively absent.
• Backhaul: Fiber backhaul along primary routes and to anchor institutions; microwave and longer fiber laterals in the countryside can constrain capacity. Rural fiber builds by incumbents/co-ops are expanding but remain incomplete.
• Dead zones: Low-lying river/creek bottoms, wooded areas, and stretches between towns still see signal fades or band fallback (especially for T-Mobile). Cross-border roaming near the Indiana line can occur in fringe areas.
• Fixed-wireless access (FWA): AT&T/Verizon/T-Mobile 5G FWA is an important alternative where cable/fiber are absent; take-up is higher than in metro Illinois. Cable/fiber concentrated in towns; DSL persists in outlying areas.

How Crawford County differs from Illinois overall

• Adoption and access
  • Slightly fewer smartphone users as a share of adults due to older age structure.
  • Higher share of smartphone-only internet households and mobile hotspot reliance because wired broadband is thinner outside town limits.
  • More prepaid/budget plans; longer device cycles; Android share likely higher than statewide.
• Networks and performance
  • Greater dependence on AT&T/Verizon for wide-area coverage; T-Mobile performance more corridor-dependent.
  • Slower and patchier mid-band 5G buildout; mmWave is a non-factor.
  • More capacity variability tied to backhaul constraints and tower spacing.
• Use cases
  • Heavier reliance on mobile for essential services (banking, government, telehealth) where home broadband is limited.
  • BYOD in agriculture/industrial settings and coverage needs on county roads are more prominent than in metro areas.

Implications for planners and providers

• Prioritize mid-band 5G and additional sectors/backhaul on existing towers between towns; infill small cells are likely less cost-effective than new macros.
• Support prepaid-friendly offers and robust Wi‑Fi offload in public spaces; maintain rugged device and push-to-talk options for ag/industrial customers.
• Coordinate with rural fiber projects to improve tower backhaul first; end-user performance will follow.

Methods and sources (for context)

• Population baseline from U.S. Census Bureau county estimates.
• Smartphone ownership/adoption patterns from Pew Research Center and NTIA Internet Use Survey (rural vs statewide differentials).
• Coverage/buildout patterns based on FCC/National Broadband Map trends and typical rural Illinois deployments by national carriers.
• Estimates combine those sources with county demographics; validate locally before making funding or siting decisions.

Below is a concise, directional snapshot based on applying recent Pew Research Center U.S./rural social-media rates to Crawford County’s size and age mix (≈18.5k residents; ≈15.5k people age 13+). Treat figures as estimates, not measured counts.

Headline user stats

• Any social platform (13+): 72–80% monthly use ≈ 11.0–12.5k people
• Most users check daily; teens/20s are the heaviest users

Most-used platforms (13+, monthly; estimated reach)

• YouTube: 70–75%
• Facebook: 58–65%
• Instagram: 32–40%
• TikTok: 28–35%
• Snapchat: 22–28%
• Pinterest: 24–32% (skews female)
• X/Twitter: 10–15% Note: Nextdoor and LinkedIn are niche; WhatsApp use is modest.

Age-group patterns

• 13–17: 90–95% on at least one platform; top: YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram; Facebook limited
• 18–29: ~95%; top: YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; Facebook moderate
• 30–49: 80–90%; top: Facebook, YouTube; Instagram moderate; TikTok growing
• 50–64: 70–80%; Facebook dominant, YouTube second; Pinterest popular among women
• 65+: 55–65%; mostly Facebook; some YouTube

Gender breakdown (tendencies)

• Women: Slightly higher overall use; higher on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; more participation in local groups and Marketplace
• Men: Higher on YouTube, Reddit, and X/Twitter; more sports/news following and watching vs posting

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the local hub: community groups (schools, sports, weather, obituaries), buy/sell via Marketplace, and event info dominate engagement
• Short-form video is rising: teens and small businesses use TikTok and Instagram Reels; content is often cross-posted to Facebook
• Messaging split: Facebook Messenger for adults 30+; Snapchat DMs for teens/20s; group chats coordinate teams, families, and events
• Local beats national: posts about school closings, outages, road conditions, and community services consistently outperform national topics unless there’s a clear local angle
• Time-of-day peaks: early morning (6–8 a.m.), lunch (11:30–1), and evening (7–10 p.m.)
• X/Twitter has a small local footprint; LinkedIn/Nextdoor usage is limited to specific professional or neighborhood niches

Method note

• Estimates extrapolate national/rural patterns (Pew Research Center, 2023–2024) to Crawford County’s population and age mix. For precise counts, use platform ad tools (geo-targeted reach) or a local survey.