Edwards County

Key demographics — Edwards County, Illinois

• Population size:

  • 6,016 (2020 Decennial Census)
  • ≈5.9k (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimate)

• Age:

  • Median age ≈45 years
  • Under 18: ≈23%
  • 65 and over: ≈21%

• Gender:

  • Female ≈50%
  • Male ≈50%

• Racial/ethnic composition (mutually exclusive):

  • Non-Hispanic White ≈96%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race) ≈2%
  • Black or African American (NH) <1%
  • Asian (NH) <1%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native (NH) <1%
  • Two or more races (NH) ≈2%

• Household data:

  • ≈2.6k households
  • Average household size ≈2.3
  • Family households ≈65% of households
  • Married-couple families ≈50–55% of households
  • Households with children under 18 ≈27%
  • One-person households ≈30%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey (ACS) 2019–2023 5-year estimates.

Edwards County, IL snapshot (estimates)

• Population and density: ~6,000 residents across ~223 sq mi (≈27 people/mi²); most live in/around Albion and West Salem.
• Email users: 4,600–5,100 residents (roughly 75–85% of people age 12+).
• Age mix of email users:
  • 12–24: 15–18%
  • 25–44: 28–32%
  • 45–64: 30–34%
  • 65+: 20–24%
• Gender split among users: ~50/50 (female 50–51%, male 49–50); usage rates are similar by gender.
• Digital access and trends:
  • 75–85% of households have a home broadband subscription; 10–15% are smartphone‑only; 12–20% lack home internet.
  • Primary access via smartphones and home Wi‑Fi; email is checked daily by most working‑age adults and many seniors.
  • Connectivity is strongest in population centers; rural edges rely more on DSL or fixed wireless, with fiber expanding but not universal.
  • Mobile 4G coverage is common along main corridors; speeds and reliability drop in sparsely populated areas.

Notes: Figures are derived from county population, rural Illinois internet‑subscription benchmarks, and national email adoption patterns applied to Edwards County’s older‑leaning age profile.

Below is a practical, county-focused snapshot drawn from public datasets (ACS “Computer and Internet Use,” FCC broadband maps), rural-Illinois benchmarks, and carrier coverage patterns. Figures are estimates and ranges intended for planning, not official counts.

Headline differences from Illinois overall

• Higher reliance on cellular data as a primary home internet connection due to patchy wired broadband.
• Slightly lower overall smartphone adoption, driven by an older age profile.
• Bigger gaps between outdoor and indoor coverage and larger in-county performance variability than in metro Illinois.
• 5G is present but skews to low-band; mid-band capacity is sparser outside towns, so speeds often trail the state median.

User estimates (order-of-magnitude)

• Population base: Edwards County ~6,000 residents; adults (18+) ~4,500–4,900.
• Adult smartphone users: ~3,400–4,200 (roughly 75–85% adult adoption, a few points below Illinois’ ~85–90%).
• Households with a cellular data plan (smartphone/tablet/hotspot): ~65–80% of households, versus a higher share statewide.
• “Cellular-only” home internet (households relying mainly on phone hotspot or mobile broadband): ~12–20% in-county, higher than the statewide share (roughly high single digits).
• Wireless-only voice households (no landline): substantial but likely a few points lower than the Illinois average because of the older age mix; younger renters skew strongly wireless-only.

Demographic patterns shaping usage

• Age: Older-than-state average. Seniors are less likely to own smartphones and more likely to use voice/text only or share devices; this pulls down overall adoption.
• Income and affordability: Lower median incomes increase reliance on prepaid plans and data-capped offers, and raise the share of mobile-only internet households.
• Education and digital skills: A larger share of residents benefit from assistance with app-based services, two-factor authentication, and telehealth platforms; device upgrade cycles are longer than in metro Illinois.
• Rural work patterns: Agriculture, energy, and field trades increase demand for wide-area coverage, push-to-talk, and equipment telemetry; this mix is different from urban Illinois, which leans more toward dense indoor capacity.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage and carriers: All three national carriers reach the county. AT&T and Verizon typically provide the broadest rural footprint; T-Mobile coverage has expanded with low-band 5G, strongest near Albion/West Salem and along state routes. Indoor coverage remains variable in metal, concrete, and low-lying structures.
• 5G profile: Predominantly low-band 5G (good reach, modest speeds). Mid-band 5G capacity is limited outside the towns, so peak speeds and consistency often trail urban Illinois. In practical terms, 4G LTE remains the fallback in much of the county.
• Speeds and reliability: Median mobile speeds are commonly below statewide medians, with noticeable drops at cell edges and inside buildings. Congestion is episodic (school hours, events), and backhaul constraints can be a bottleneck on some sectors.
• Towers and spacing: Sparse macro-tower grid typical of rural counties; performance depends heavily on line-of-sight to a few key sites near towns and highways. Terrain is mostly flat, so coverage is more a function of distance/backhaul than hills.
• Wired alternatives: Cable and fiber footprints are limited outside towns; legacy DSL remains in pockets. Fixed wireless providers serve some rural addresses. These gaps raise the share of households that lean on mobile hotspots for home connectivity.
• Public connectivity: Libraries, schools, and a handful of public Wi‑Fi locations act as important supplements, more so than in metro areas.

Implications and opportunities (county vs state)

• Network planning: Small numbers of strategically placed infill sites or sector upgrades (especially mid-band 5G and microwave/fiber backhaul) can yield outsized benefits versus Illinois’ urban focus on dense small cells.
• Affordability and devices: Subsidy enrollment (ACP successors or state/local programs), low-cost plans, and device upgrade support can move the needle more in Edwards County than in higher-income metro counties.
• Digital skills and telehealth: Training and clinic-partnered outreach address a larger share of residents locally than statewide averages suggest.
• Data needs: Crowdsourced performance drives better targeting; FCC maps may overstate coverage quality. Local drive tests and school-bus/first-responder telemetry can refine priorities.

Below is a concise, county‑level snapshot built from Pew Research Center’s 2024 social usage patterns, rural Midwest benchmarks, and the county’s older-leaning age profile. Exact platform-by-county stats aren’t published; figures are modeled estimates and ranges.

Headline takeaways

• Population context: Small, rural county with an older age mix; internet access is primarily mobile, with patchier fixed broadband outside towns.
• Estimated social users: 4.5k–5.2k total users (roughly 65–75% of adults plus most teens).

Most-used platforms (share of adults; estimated ranges)

• YouTube: 75–85%
• Facebook: 65–75% (dominant local hub: Groups and Marketplace)
• Instagram: 30–40%
• TikTok: 25–35%
• Pinterest: 25–35% (skews female, 25–54)
• Snapchat: 20–30% (heavy under 30)
• LinkedIn: 15–20% (educators, healthcare, small biz/professionals)
• X (Twitter): 10–15% (news/sports watchers)
• Reddit: 10–15% (skews male, younger)
• WhatsApp: 5–10% (family/work groups; lower than national average)
• Nextdoor: 3–8% (limited neighborhood coverage; Facebook fills this role)

Age groups (who’s active and where)

• Teens (13–17): 90%+ on at least one platform. Snapchat 70–80%, TikTok 65–75%, Instagram 60–70%. Facebook minimal except for school/teams.
• 18–24: YouTube 90%+, Instagram 70–80%, TikTok 60–70%, Snapchat 60–70%, Facebook 40–50%.
• 25–34: Facebook 60–70%, Instagram 55–65%, YouTube ~90%, TikTok 45–55%, Snapchat 40–50%.
• 35–54: Facebook 75–85%, YouTube 80–90%, Instagram 35–45%, TikTok 25–35%, Pinterest 30–40%.
• 55+: Facebook 70–80%, YouTube 65–75%, Instagram 15–25%, TikTok 10–20%, Pinterest 20–30%.

Gender breakdown (estimated)

• Overall user base: ~53% women, 47% men.
• Platform skews: Women higher on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men higher on YouTube, Reddit, X. TikTok and Snapchat are closer to balanced, slight female tilt.

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first: Facebook Groups are the public square (school sports, church/community events, yard sales, local services, lost/found pets, weather alerts). Marketplace is very active.
• Trust is local: Posts featuring familiar faces/places and user-generated photos outperform polished brand creative.
• Mobile and short-form: Vertical video under 60 seconds with captions performs best; bandwidth constraints favor compressed, concise clips.
• Timing: Highest engagement around 6:30–8:30am, 11:30am–1:00pm, and 7:00–9:00pm CT; Sunday evening and weekday evenings are strong.
• Seasonality: Planting/harvest periods can pull down daytime engagement; severe weather spikes local sharing; county fair/school seasons lift community content.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger is the default for inquiries and customer service; quick responses matter.
• Ads and reach: Tight geo-targeting (10–25 miles around Albion/West Salem/Bone Gap) and cross-posting into relevant local FB Groups substantially expand reach. Interests that index well: farming/ag, hunting/outdoors, high school sports, local deals/marketplace.

Notes on methodology/limits

• No official platform-by-county data exists. Estimates reflect Pew’s 2024 national platform adoption, adjusted for rural Illinois and older age structure. If you can share ad-platform audience counts (Meta, TikTok, Snap) for the county or ZIPs, we can refine these figures.