Henry County

Henry County, Illinois — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau)

Population size

• 49,284 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: about 42–43 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~86–87%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~8%
• Black or African American: ~2%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Asian: ~0.5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.3%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~19,500
• Average household size: ~2.36
• Family households: ~66% of households
• Married-couple households: ~50% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• One-person households: ~29%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~78%

Insights

• Stable but slowly declining population around 49,000 since 2020.
• Older age profile than the U.S. overall, with about one in five residents 65+.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White, with a modest Hispanic community and small shares of other groups.
• Household structure skews toward married-couple and family households, with relatively small average household size.

Henry County, IL email usage snapshot

• Estimated email users: ≈32,000 adult users (about 82–85% of ~38k adults), derived from local internet adoption and national email-usage norms.
• Age distribution (estimated adoption among adults):
  • 18–34: ~95%
  • 35–54: ~94%
  • 55–64: ~90%
  • 65+: 85% Given Henry County’s older median age (43), roughly one-third of email users are 55+.
• Gender split: Mirrors population (≈51% female, 49% male among users); gender differences in email adoption are negligible.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Household broadband subscription: ~86% (ACS S2801). About 14% of households lack a home broadband plan, with many of these relying on smartphones or public access.
  • Smartphone-only access: ~10–12% of households (typical for downstate IL), supporting heavy mobile email usage.
  • Connectivity is denser in Kewanee and Geneseo; rural areas rely more on fixed wireless, with fiber expanding since 2020 via state and federal investments.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Population ≈49,000 across ~823 sq mi (≈59 people/sq mi), indicating mixed urban-rural density that correlates with a small but persistent rural broadband gap.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS (population, S0101; internet access, S2801) and Pew Research Center benchmarks for email adoption.

Henry County, Illinois: mobile phone usage summary

Scope and baseline

• Population and households: 49,284 residents (2020 Census); roughly 20,000–21,000 households; persons per household 2.4.
• Age structure: approximately 21% aged 65+, notably older than the Illinois average (~17%).
• Income and education context: median household income in the mid-$60Ks (below the Illinois median ~upper-$70Ks) and a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree compared with the state. These traits correlate with slightly lower overall smartphone adoption but higher reliance on mobile-only internet among lower-income households.

User estimates (derived from recent ACS 5‑year patterns and national mobile adoption)

• Adult smartphone users: 32,000–35,000 residents (roughly 85–90% of adults). The county’s older age mix pulls adoption a few points below Illinois’ large-metro rates, but usage among adults under 50 remains near-universal.
• Households with smartphones: approximately 9 in 10 households have at least one smartphone.
• Cellular data as home internet: roughly 7–10% of households rely primarily on a cellular data plan (smartphone hotspot or dedicated mobile broadband) for home connectivity, a higher share than the Illinois average.
• Smartphone-only households (no computer or fixed broadband): on the order of 1,400–1,900 households, concentrated among lower-income and younger-renter segments.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age:
  • 18–34: >95% smartphone adoption; heavy app-based communication and streaming; high 5G utilization where available.
  • 35–64: ~90% adoption; pronounced use of mobile for navigation, work coordination, and telehealth; meaningful LTE fallback in fringe-coverage areas.
  • 65+: ~70–80% adoption; text/voice dominant with growing telehealth uptake; device upgrade cycles longer than younger cohorts.
• Income:
  • < $35K: elevated smartphone-only reliance and prepaid plans; mobile hotspot use to substitute for fixed broadband.
  • $35K–$100K: mixed fixed-plus-mobile usage; most households run both cable/fiber (where available) and smartphone data.
• Geography:
  • Towns (Geneseo, Kewanee, Colona): denser site grids; 5G coverage more consistent; higher average downlink speeds.
  • Rural townships: larger LTE “cells,” more band-12/13 low-band coverage; occasional dead zones in low-lying or wooded areas; signal boosters used in farmsteads/outbuildings.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Networks and coverage: AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile, and UScellular all provide county-wide 4G LTE; 5G is present in and around the larger towns and along major corridors (I‑80/IL‑84/US‑6), with LTE serving most remaining areas. Low-band 5G extends reach; mid-band capacity is spotty outside towns.
• Backhaul and fixed networks that influence mobile quality: cable (Mediacom) in population centers; legacy DSL in pockets; local fiber builds (e.g., Geneseo area) improve mobile backhaul and offload capacity. Where fixed broadband is limited, cellular networks shoulder more peak-hour load.
• Public-safety and resilience: FirstNet (AT&T) coverage overlays major population centers and corridors; macro sites are the primary layer, with limited small-cell density outside town cores.
• Performance characteristics: town centers see stronger mid-band aggregation and higher median speeds; rural sectors rely on low-band spectrum for reach, with speed variability at cell edges.

How Henry County differs from Illinois statewide

• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration driven by an older population share, but usage among working-age residents is in line with state norms.
• Higher dependence on cellular data for home internet and a larger smartphone-only household segment than the statewide average, reflecting rural last-mile gaps and income mix.
• 5G availability is more corridor- and town-centric; LTE remains the de facto coverage layer across much of the county, whereas Chicago-area counties have denser 5G mid-band footprints and more small cells.
• Greater variability in signal quality by micro‑geography (terrain, tree cover, distance to sites) than typical in metro Illinois, leading to wider swings in user experience and a higher incidence of consumer signal-boosting.
• Daytime traffic patterns tie closely to agriculture, logistics, and commuting to the Quad Cities, producing peak loads along arterials and town centers rather than the uniformly dense demand seen in urban counties.

Key takeaways

• Around nine in ten households have smartphones, with 32,000–35,000 adult users countywide.
• Cellular networks play a disproportionately important role in everyday connectivity compared with Illinois overall, both as primary broadband for a notable minority of households and as a critical fallback where fixed options are constrained.
• Investment that expands mid-band 5G beyond towns, strengthens rural backhaul, and accelerates fiber builds will most directly narrow the county’s mobile experience gap with Illinois’ metropolitan counties.

Social media usage in Henry County, Illinois (2025 snapshot)

How these numbers were derived

• County population baseline (≈49,000) from recent Census/ACS; age mix typical of rural Illinois (about 78% adults 18+, ~6–7% teens 13–17).
• Platform adoption rates from Pew Research Center (2023–2024). County-level figures are modeled by applying those rates to Henry County’s population and rounding.

Headline user stats (13+)

• Estimated residents using at least one social platform: ≈35,000 (≈85% of 13+ residents)
• Adult users (18+): ≈32,000; Teen users (13–17): ≈3,000
• Gender split of users: ≈52% women, 48% men (women over-index slightly on Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest; men on YouTube/Reddit/X)

Most-used platforms and local reach (adults 18+)

• YouTube: 83% of adults (~31.5k)
• Facebook: 68% (~25.9k)
• Instagram: 47% (~17.9k)
• Pinterest: 35% (~13.3k)
• TikTok: 33% (~12.5k)
• Snapchat: 30% (~11.4k)
• LinkedIn: 30% (~11.4k)
• X (Twitter): 22% (~8.4k)
• Reddit: 22% (~8.4k)
• WhatsApp: 21% (~8.0k)

Most-used platforms (teens 13–17)

• YouTube: 95% (~3.0k)
• TikTok: 67% (~2.1k)
• Instagram: 62% (~2.0k)
• Snapchat: 59% (~1.9k)
• Facebook: 23% (~0.7k)

Age-group patterns (local implications)

• 13–29: Very heavy on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat; Facebook mainly for groups/events.
• 30–49: Multiplatform; Facebook and YouTube dominant; Instagram rising; TikTok used but not universal.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest meaningful among women; lower Instagram/TikTok adoption.
• 65+: Facebook is the anchor; YouTube for news/how‑to; minimal TikTok/Snapchat.

Gender breakdown (behavioral skews)

• Women: Higher propensity for Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; active in community groups, school/activities, local shopping, recipes/home projects.
• Men: Higher propensity for YouTube, Reddit, X; more sports, local government/emergency updates, tech/DIY content.
• LinkedIn usage is similar by gender but limited to professional pockets (healthcare, education, manufacturing).

Behavioral trends observed in rural Midwestern counties and reflected locally

• Facebook as the community hub: Heavy use of Groups (schools, churches, youth sports, buy/sell/trade), Marketplace, and local government updates. Private groups are common.
• YouTube for practical video: How-to/DIY, agriculture and equipment, home improvement, local sports streams, church services.
• Short-form growth: TikTok and Instagram Reels are gaining for discovery; local businesses use short videos for events, specials, and hiring.
• Messaging-first among youth: Snapchat for day-to-day communication; Instagram DMs common; Facebook Messenger for family and community coordination.
• Local commerce: Facebook and Instagram drive foot traffic for boutiques, restaurants, salons; effective radius-based ads (≈15–25 miles).
• News and alerts: Facebook pages/groups and some X usage for weather, road closures, school notices, and high school sports scores.
• Pinterest remains strong among women for crafts, landscaping, recipes, and home projects; drives search-like behavior rather than conversation.
• Time-of-day engagement: Peaks before work/school (6–8 a.m.) and evenings (7–9 p.m.); weekend afternoons for events and sports.
• Device reality: Mobile-first consumption; patchy broadband in some rural areas favors short-form, lower-friction content.

Notes

• Figures are modeled local estimates using Pew Research Center platform adoption benchmarks (2023–2024) applied to Henry County’s population structure (Census/ACS). Rounding is used; totals may not sum perfectly.