Fayette County

Key demographics – Fayette County, Illinois

Population

• Total population: ~21.4k (2023 estimate; 2020 Census ~21.5k)

Age

• Median age: ~41
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~19–20%

Gender

• Male: ~52%
• Female: ~48% (Note: Presence of the Vandalia Correctional Center skews the population more male.)

Race/ethnicity (Hispanic can be of any race; percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding)

• White: ~88–90%
• Black or African American: ~5–6%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~3–4%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Asian: ~0.3–0.5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.2–0.4%

Households

• Total households: ~8,200
• Average household size: ~2.45
• Family households: ~61% of households
• Married-couple families: ~47%
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• One-person households: ~29%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~73–75%
• Average family size: ~3.0

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

Here are best-available estimates for Fayette County, Illinois (population ~21.5k; density ~30 people/sq mi across ~716 sq mi):

• Estimated email users: 17,000–18,500 residents (≈80–86% of population), derived from rural internet adoption and national email use rates.
• Age distribution (share of email users; adoption in parentheses):
  • 13–24: 18–20% (≈95%+ use email)
  • 25–44: 34–36% (≈94–97%)
  • 45–64: 28–30% (≈88–92%)
  • 65+: 16–18% (≈70–80%)
• Gender split among users: roughly 49% male, 51% female (mirrors county population).
• Digital access trends:
  • Home broadband penetration estimated at ~75–80% of households; 15–20% are mobile-only internet users.
  • Smartphone adoption ~80–85% of adults; public library/school access helps close gaps.
  • Coverage strongest along the I‑70/Vandalia corridor; more rural townships see slower fixed options and patchier 5G, leading some households to rely on satellite or cellular hotspots.
• Connectivity notes: Rural topology and long last-mile runs raise costs; ongoing state/federal investments (e.g., BEAD-era fiber builds) are targeting unserved pockets.

Estimates synthesize ACS/Census population, Pew email adoption, and rural broadband trends; local conditions may vary by township/ISP.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Fayette County, Illinois (focus on ways it differs from statewide patterns)

Snapshot and user estimates

• Population context: Fayette County is small and largely rural (about 21–22k residents, county seat Vandalia). Adults are roughly 75–80% of residents.
• Mobile users (any cellphone): 15–16k adults, based on a rural cellphone ownership rate around the low-to-mid 90s percent, slightly below Illinois’ overall rate (which tracks closer to national ~95%).
• Smartphone users: about 13–14k adults. Expected smartphone penetration is a few points lower than Illinois statewide (county ~80–83% vs Illinois ~86–90%), reflecting older age structure and lower incomes.
• Mobile-only home internet: higher than the state. An estimated 20–25% of households rely primarily on a cellular data plan for home internet (vs roughly mid-teens statewide), driven by patchier fixed broadband and price sensitivity.

Demographic patterns that shape usage (and differ from statewide)

• Age: Fayette has a larger 65+ share than Illinois. Seniors’ smartphone adoption lags (often 60–70%), pulling down overall smartphone penetration. By contrast, younger adults’ adoption is comparable to the state (90%+), but they are more likely to be smartphone-dependent for home internet than their peers in metro Illinois.
• Income and education: Median income and college attainment are below the state average. This correlates with:
  • Higher reliance on prepaid/MVNO plans and budget Android devices.
  • Greater smartphone-only internet use (for bills, school portals, telehealth), especially among working-age and low-income households.
• Race/ethnicity: The county is predominantly White non-Hispanic; racial gaps in smartphone access seen in urban parts of Illinois are less pronounced here. Instead, the largest divides are age- and income-based.

Usage behaviors that diverge from the Illinois norm

• Connectivity strategy: More conservative data use and heavier Wi‑Fi offload where available; streaming and high-bandwidth mobile activities are tempered by data caps and variable speeds.
• Work and sector needs: Agriculture, logistics, and trades rely on voice/text and basic app usage in the field; precision ag and telematics are growing but constrained by coverage on secondary roads and in fields.
• Mobile safety net: Smartphones serve as the primary internet on-ramps for a sizable minority of households, used for job search, government services, and telehealth more than in better-wired metro counties.

Digital infrastructure notes (what’s on the ground)

• Coverage pattern: Strongest along I‑70, US‑51, and in/around Vandalia, St. Elmo, and Ramsey. Outside towns and highways, signal quality dips, with known dead zones in low-lying or timbered areas and inside metal buildings.
• 5G availability: Predominantly low-band 5G for broad coverage; mid-band 5G (e.g., 2.5 GHz or C‑band) is mostly along the I‑70 corridor and near Vandalia. Statewide, mid-band 5G is much more common in metros; Fayette’s mid-band footprint is sparser.
• Device mix: A lower share of 5G-capable handsets than statewide, reflecting slower upgrade cycles and prepaid usage. This keeps many users on LTE even where 5G exists.
• Carrier dynamics: All three national carriers cover the corridor; Verizon and AT&T tend to have steadier rural coverage across fields and backroads, while T‑Mobile’s performance is strongest near highways and towns where mid-band has been deployed. Fixed wireless/5G home internet is available in and near towns but is inconsistent in outlying areas.
• Infrastructure density: Rural macro sites are widely spaced; capacity constraints show up at peak times near interchanges and events. Residents and farms often use boosters or external antennas to stabilize service—less common in metro Illinois.

How Fayette differs from Illinois overall

• Lower smartphone penetration and 5G device adoption, primarily due to age and income mix.
• Higher share of mobile-only households using cellular as their main home internet.
• Greater dependence on coverage bands (low-band LTE/5G) and on legacy voice/SMS for work coordination; less mid-band 5G capacity than state urban areas.
• More prepaid/MVNO usage and slower upgrade cycles.
• Coverage quality varies sharply with terrain and building type; this variability is less pronounced in metro Illinois.

Method/assumptions and where to verify

• Estimates synthesize: U.S. Census/ACS demographics for rural Illinois counties, Pew Research smartphone adoption benchmarks by age/income, and FCC mobile coverage filings/Broadband Data Collection patterns observed in rural IL. Use local ACS tables (age, income, internet subscription), FCC coverage maps, and carrier availability tools to validate block-level conditions.
• Treat figures as directional ranges; local surveys or carrier drive tests will refine them.

Below is a concise, planning-ready snapshot. Figures are modeled estimates based on Pew Research Center (2020–2024) platform adoption, rural adjustments, and Fayette County demographics; exact county-level platform stats aren’t published.

Snapshot and user count

• Population ~21.5k; residents 13+ ≈ 17.5–18.5k
• Estimated social media users: ~14–15k (≈80–85% of residents 13+)
• Daily use: ~70% of users check at least once per day

Age breakdown (approximate usage rates within each cohort)

• 13–17: 95%+ use; heavy on YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat; Facebook mainly for teams/groups
• 18–29: ~95%; YouTube, Instagram, TikTok dominate; Snapchat strong
• 30–49: ~85–90%; Facebook and YouTube primary; Instagram ~35–45%; TikTok ~30–35%
• 50–64: ~75–80%; Facebook and YouTube core; Pinterest notable (women)
• 65+: ~60–65%; Facebook first, YouTube for news/how‑to; limited Instagram/TikTok

Gender

• Share of local social users: ~52–55% women, ~45–48% men
• Skews: Women over-index on Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube/Reddit/X

Most-used platforms in Fayette County (share of residents 13+, estimated)

• YouTube: ~75–80%
• Facebook: ~65–72%
• Instagram: ~28–35%
• TikTok: ~28–33%
• Snapchat: ~22–28%
• Pinterest: ~22–28% (mostly women)
• X (Twitter): ~15–20%
• Reddit: ~12–18%
• WhatsApp: ~12–18% (lower than urban areas)
• Nextdoor: ~5–8% (limited rural coverage)

Behavioral trends to know

• Community-first: Facebook Groups for buy/sell, school, sports, churches, county alerts; Marketplace is a key shopping channel
• Short video surge: TikTok, Reels, and Shorts drive discovery; cross-posting common
• Messaging > links: Facebook Messenger and DMs are major inquiry/conversion paths; SMS still common
• Content that travels: Local weather/road conditions, HS sports, fairs/festivals, hunting/fishing, ag tips, DIY/home
• Trust cues: Local faces, testimonials, and candid UGC outperform polished creative; comments/reviews matter
• Timing: Evenings (7–10 pm) and early mornings (6–8 am) are most active; weekend spikes around games/events and church
• Ads that work: Tight geo-targeting (15–25 miles), clear value (offers/coupons) for 35+; short vertical video and creator-style posts for under 35

Note: Figures are best-fit estimates for Fayette County’s rural/age profile; use them as directional inputs for planning and benchmarking.