Cumberland County

Cumberland County, Illinois — key demographics

Population

• 10,450 (2020 Census)
• ~10,300 (2023 estimate, U.S. Census Bureau)

Age

• Under 18: ~22.7%
• 18 to 64: ~56.7%
• 65 and over: ~20.6%
• Median age: ~42 years (ACS 2018–2022)

Sex

• Male: ~50.6%
• Female: ~49.4% (ACS 2018–2022)

Race/ethnicity

• White, non-Hispanic: ~95–96%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~1.7–2.0%
• Two or more races: ~2.3%
• Black or African American: ~0.2–0.3%
• Asian: ~0.3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.3% (ACS 2018–2022; categories are percent of total population)

Households and housing

• Total households: ~4,100
• Persons per household: ~2.5
• Family households: ~68% of households
• Married-couple households: ~55% of households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~79% (renter ~21%) (ACS 2018–2022)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2023 population estimate).

Cumberland County, IL snapshot

• Population and density: ~10,400 residents (2020), ~30 people per sq. mile; main towns include Toledo, Greenup, and Neoga along the I-70 corridor.
• Estimated email users: 7,800–8,600 residents (assumes ages 13+ and 85–90% adoption in a rural Midwest county).
• Age distribution (approx. adoption among each group):
  • 13–17: 85–95% (school-driven use)
  • 18–34: 92–98%
  • 35–64: 88–94%
  • 65+: 60–75% (lower but rising, especially for healthcare and banking)
• Gender split: Near 50/50; no material difference in basic email adoption or frequency.
• Digital access trends:
  • Household internet subscription: roughly 70–80%; computer access higher in town centers than outer rural areas.
  • Smartphone ownership: ~80–90% of adults; 15–25% are smartphone-only internet users.
  • Connectivity is strongest in and around Toledo/Greenup/Neoga and along I-70; outlying areas have more DSL/fixed wireless reliance and patchier speeds, though incremental fiber/coax expansions continue.
• Implications: Most adults can be reached reliably by email; seniors benefit from simplified layouts and mobile-friendly formatting due to higher smartphone-only use.

Mobile phone usage in Cumberland County, Illinois: summary with county-specific differences

Context and method

• County-level mobile stats aren’t published directly. The figures below are modeled from recent rural adoption research (e.g., Pew), state and federal datasets (ACS/NTIA/FCC) and the county’s rural demographic profile. Numbers are presented as reasonable ranges, not precise counts.

Key ways Cumberland County differs from Illinois overall

• Slightly lower smartphone adoption, driven by an older age mix and lower median incomes.
• Higher share of prepaid lines and basic/flip phones than the state average.
• More households rely on mobile data as their primary home internet because fixed broadband is less available outside towns.
• 5G availability is more spotty and more often low-band; mid-band 5G capacity is concentrated near the interstate corridor and town centers.
• Coverage gaps are more common on county roads and in low-lying/wooded areas away from I‑70, leading to greater use of Wi‑Fi calling and signal boosters.

User estimates (2025, approximate)

• Population baseline: ~10.3–10.6k residents; ~7.9–8.3k adults (18+).
• Adults with any mobile phone: 7.4–7.8k (about 93–95% of adults), a bit below Illinois overall (~96–97%).
• Adult smartphone users: 6.4–7.0k (about 81–85% of adults), vs Illinois ~88–90%.
• Adult basic/feature-phone users: 0.7–1.0k (8–12%), higher than state average (3–5%).
• Teens (13–17) with smartphones: ~0.5–0.6k.
• Plan type mix (all lines): prepaid 35–45% (higher than IL’s ~28–32%); postpaid/family plans 55–65%.
• Mobile-only internet households: 20–25% of households (vs IL ~15–18%), reflecting patchy fixed broadband.
• Heavy reliance on hotspotting among mobile-only households; average per-line data consumption skewed higher than state average for this segment.

Demographic patterns behind the gap

• Age: A larger 65+ share dampens smartphone penetration; seniors are more likely to keep flip/basic phones and limited-data plans.
• Income and credit: More price-sensitive adoption patterns (prepaid, BYOD, refurbished devices) than statewide norms.
• Work profile: Agriculture, trades, and shift work increase dependence on voice/SMS and coverage along travel corridors (notably I‑70), with practical device choices (rugged phones, boosters) more common than in metro Illinois.

Digital infrastructure points

• Macro coverage: Two national carriers provide the most consistent LTE/low‑band 5G coverage; the third shows more variability off the interstate and outside towns.
• 5G profile: Low‑band 5G is the default outside town centers; mid‑band 5G capacity is chiefly along I‑70 and in/near towns like Toledo and Greenup. mmWave is effectively absent.
• Capacity/backhaul: Sparse tower spacing and a mix of microwave backhaul limit peak speeds and busy-hour performance compared with metro Illinois; upload speeds are a frequent pain point for telework and ag data.
• Fixed broadband interplay: Cable and newer fiber serve parts of town centers; many outlying areas still rely on legacy DSL, fixed wireless ISPs, or satellite. This drives higher mobile substitution than the state average.
• Public/anchor connectivity: Libraries, schools, and municipal buildings act as key Wi‑Fi hubs; free public Wi‑Fi is less ubiquitous than in urban Illinois.
• Emergency and resilience: Rural dead zones persist off-corridor; residents and first responders lean on Wi‑Fi calling, external antennas/boosters, and carrier diversity to maintain service during storms or power outages.
• Affordability programs: With ACP funding lapsed in 2024, low‑income households have shifted toward prepaid mobile plans and hotspotting; this effect is more visible here than statewide due to fewer fixed-broadband alternatives.

Implications

• Consumer: Coverage and reliability vary meaningfully by micro‑location; carrier choice and signal-boosting hardware matter more than in most Illinois counties.
• Providers: Greatest wins come from infill sites and backhaul upgrades off the I‑70 corridor, plus targeted mid‑band 5G in town centers.
• Public sector: Investments that extend fiber backhaul to towers and expand last‑mile fixed broadband will reduce mobile-only dependency and narrow the usage gap with the state.

Notes and confidence

• These are best-available estimates for planning. For project-level decisions, validate with current FCC/NTIA maps, carrier coverage/performance data along specific roads (especially beyond I‑70), local ISP build plans, and county institutions (schools, libraries) on public Wi‑Fi availability.

Cumberland County, IL — Social Media Snapshot (modeled 2025)

How many users

• Population ~10.5–10.7k; age 13+ roughly 8.8–9.2k
• Estimated social media users (13+): 6.3k–7.2k (≈70–80% penetration; rural rates slightly below national)

Most-used platforms (share of residents 13+; daily use in parentheses)

• YouTube: 70–80% (50–60%)
• Facebook: 60–70% (50–55%)
• Instagram: 35–45% (25–30%)
• TikTok: 30–40% (25–30%)
• Snapchat: 20–30% overall; concentrated under 30 (15–20% daily)
• Pinterest: 15–20% overall; 25–35% of women (10–15% daily)
• X/Twitter: 10–15% (6–10%)
• Reddit: 8–12% (5–8%)
• WhatsApp: 8–12% (5–8%)
• Nextdoor: 5–10% (low daily)

Age profile (share using each platform within the age group)

• Teens (13–17; ~1.1–1.3k): YouTube 90%+, Snapchat 70–80%, TikTok 65–75%, Instagram 55–65%, Facebook 15–25%
• 18–34 (~2.3–2.6k): YouTube 90–95%, Facebook 65–75%, Instagram 65–75%, TikTok 60–70%, Snapchat 50–60%, Reddit 15–20%, X 12–18%
• 35–54 (~2.9–3.1k): Facebook 80–85%, YouTube 80–90%, Instagram 35–45%, TikTok 30–40%, Pinterest 30–40% (higher among women)
• 55+ (~2.8–3.1k): Facebook 65–75%, YouTube 65–75%, Instagram 20–30%, TikTok 15–25%, Pinterest 20–30%

Gender notes (share within gender)

• Women: Facebook 75–85%; Instagram 45–55%; Pinterest 30–40%; TikTok 35–45%
• Men: YouTube 85–90%; Facebook 55–65%; Instagram 35–45%; TikTok 25–35%; Reddit 12–18%; X 12–18%

Behavioral trends

• Community-first usage: Strong reliance on Facebook Groups/Marketplace for local news, school sports, church and civic updates, buy/sell/trade, farm and yard equipment
• Video is king: Short vertical clips on Facebook Reels/TikTok/YouTube Shorts (high school sports, severe weather, harvest/planting, hunting/fishing)
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are the primary DMs; group chats common among students and teams
• Timing: Peaks 6–8 a.m., noon hour, and especially 7–10 p.m.; weekend and Sunday afternoon spikes
• Local trust: Posts featuring recognizable locals, sponsors of school/league events, and community causes outperform generic ads
• Commerce: Strong response to limited-time offers, giveaways, and job postings; users will travel 20–30 minutes for value (Effingham/Mattoon/Charleston)
• Information sources: County EMA/Sheriff pages and nearby TV/newspaper pages drive weather, road, and emergency engagement

Notes and method

• Figures are modeled from U.S. Census/ACS demographics and 2024–2025 Pew/national platform usage, adjusted for rural Illinois patterns and small-county effects. Treat percentages as ranges/estimates rather than exact counts.