Jefferson County

Key demographics — Jefferson County, Illinois

Population

• Total population: 37,113 (2020 Census)
• 2023 estimate: ~36,800 (U.S. Census Population Estimates Program)

Age

• Median age: ~41 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023, percentages rounded)

• White alone (non-Hispanic): ~82–84%
• Black or African American alone: ~11%
• Two or more races: ~4%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3%
• Asian: ~0.6%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.3%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0%

Households and housing (ACS 2019–2023)

• Number of households: ~15,000
• Average household size: ~2.3–2.4 persons
• Family households: ~62%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~70%
• Average family size: ~2.9

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program (2023). Figures rounded for clarity.

Jefferson County, IL (2025 est.) email usage

• Estimated email users (18+): ~26,500 of ~29,000 adults (≈91% adoption).
• Gender split among users: ~51% female (≈13,500), ~49% male (≈13,000).
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 18–29: ~21% (≈5,600)
  • 30–49: ~36% (≈9,500)
  • 50–64: ~25% (≈6,600)
  • 65+: ~18% (≈4,800)

Digital access and trends

• Household broadband subscription: ~78% of households, with most non‑subscribing homes in rural areas relying on mobile data, DSL, or satellite.
• Smartphone‑only internet users: ~17% of households, indicating a meaningful mobile‑first/only segment for email access.
• Network coverage: Fixed broadband (≥25/3 Mbps) available to >95% of addresses; 4G/5G strongest in and around Mt. Vernon and along I‑57/I‑64, with weaker last‑mile options in outlying townships.
• Public access: Libraries, schools, and municipal Wi‑Fi are important supplemental access points, raising practical email reach beyond in‑home broadband.

Local density/connectivity context

• Population ~37,000; density ≈65 people per sq. mile, with Mt. Vernon as the connectivity hub and sparser outlying areas driving the adoption gap.
• Overall insight: Email penetration is high and stable, but engagement and deliverability improve when optimized for mobile and lower‑bandwidth users outside the Mt. Vernon core.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Jefferson County, Illinois (2024)

Headline trends different from Illinois overall

• More mobile dependence: A larger share of households rely on cellular data as their primary or only home internet compared with the statewide average.
• Slightly lower smartphone penetration: Smartphone ownership trails Illinois by several percentage points, driven by older age and lower-income profiles.
• Higher prepaid and Android share: Cost-sensitive plans and devices are more common than statewide.
• Patchier 5G capacity outside the Mount Vernon urban core and interstate corridors; fixed fiber availability is thinner than the Illinois average, reinforcing cellular reliance.

User estimates

• Population base: ~37,000 residents; ~28,500 adults (18+).
• Mobile phone users (any mobile device, adults): 26,500–27,000 (≈93–95% of adults).
• Smartphone users (adults): 23,500–24,500 (≈82–86% of adults), versus Illinois ≈90–92%.
• Cellular-only home internet households: ~2,800–3,200 households (≈18–22% of households), versus Illinois ≈12–14%.
• Daily active devices in the county: ~40,000–45,000 on a typical weekday when accounting for commuters, travelers on I‑57/I‑64, and non-resident devices.

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

• Age
  • 18–34: Smartphone adoption ≈95–97%; heavy app and video use; high mobile payments usage.
  • 35–64: ≈88–92% smartphone adoption; mixed postpaid/prepaid; frequent hotspotting for remote work where fixed broadband is weak.
  • 65+: ≈70–75% smartphone adoption; higher basic/feature-phone retention (≈10–12%); increased use of telehealth and messaging post-2020.
• Income and plan type
  • Households under ~$35k: Elevated smartphone-only internet access (≈25–30%); prepaid penetration ≈30–35% (state ≈20–25%).
  • Middle-income households show higher hotspot and fixed–wireless substitution where cable/fiber is limited.
• Urban vs rural within the county
  • Mount Vernon: Highest 5G capacity and indoor coverage; better device mix (more iOS/postpaid).
  • Outlying towns and unincorporated areas: More Android, prepaid, and cellular-only home internet; noticeable coverage and capacity dips off major roads.
• Platform and usage mix
  • OS share: Android ≈65–70%, iOS ≈30–35% (Illinois closer to ~55/45).
  • Voice and messaging remain important among older adults; younger cohorts primarily data/app-first.

Digital infrastructure points

• Carrier presence: AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile, and UScellular all operate in the county; AT&T FirstNet sites support public safety.
• 5G footprint and performance
  • T‑Mobile: Broadest mid-band 5G along I‑57/I‑64 and across Mount Vernon; typical median download ~100–200 Mbps in town, 10–50 Mbps in rural areas depending on distance to sites and terrain.
  • AT&T and Verizon: Wide low-band 5G coverage with solid LTE fallback; typical median download ~40–120 Mbps in town, 5–30 Mbps in rural areas; stronger along interstate corridors.
• Tower and backhaul pattern: Macro sites cluster along I‑57/I‑64 and around Mount Vernon; sparser site density to the west and south of the county leads to more variable signal indoors and at field edges; microwave backhaul persists on some rural sectors, limiting peak throughput.
• Fixed broadband interplay
  • Cable is available in and near Mount Vernon; fiber-to-the-home availability is limited outside pockets, below the Illinois average. This gap raises cellular hot-spotting and fixed–wireless (5G home internet) uptake.
  • Public assets: Libraries, schools, and county facilities offer Wi‑Fi that offloads mobile traffic during daytime.

How Jefferson County differs from Illinois (quantified deltas)

• Smartphone adoption: ≈5–8 percentage points lower than the state.
• Cellular-only home internet: ≈6–9 points higher than the state.
• Prepaid plan share: ≈8–12 points higher than the state.
• Android share: ≈10–15 points higher than the state.
• 5G mid-band capacity coverage: Good along highways and in Mount Vernon, but materially less consistent countywide than the state average in metro regions.

Implications

• Network planning: Additional rural infill sites and mid-band overlays would improve indoor reliability and upload performance for telehealth and education.
• Digital equity: Subsidized device/plan programs and expanded fiber or licensed fixed-wireless can reduce overreliance on metered cellular data in lower-income and senior households.
• Commercial strategy: Prepaid and value MVNO offerings, device financing, and Android-first optimization will over-index in outlying areas, while premium 5G propositions fit best in Mount Vernon and along interstates.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are 2024 estimates synthesized from recent ACS Computer and Internet Use, FCC broadband availability/coverage datasets, industry performance panels, and rural Midwest comparables; values are rounded to reflect county-scale uncertainty while preserving directional accuracy relative to Illinois.

Social media usage in Jefferson County, Illinois (2024 snapshot)

Size and penetration

• Adult population (18+): ≈28.5k
• Adults using at least one social platform (excl. YouTube): 70–75% ≈ 20–21.5k
• Including YouTube as “social”: 75–80% ≈ 21.5–22.8k

Most‑used platforms among adults (share of adults; estimated users)

• YouTube: 75–80% (≈21.4–22.8k)
• Facebook: 60–65% (≈17.1–18.5k)
• Instagram: 30–35% (≈8.6–10.0k)
• TikTok: 22–28% (≈6.3–8.0k)
• Snapchat: 20–25% (≈5.7–7.1k)
• Pinterest: 25–30% (≈7.1–8.6k; heavy female skew)
• X (Twitter): 10–15% (≈2.9–4.3k)
• LinkedIn: 10–12% (≈2.9–3.4k)
• Nextdoor: 3–5% (≈0.9–1.4k; pockets in/around Mt. Vernon)

Daily use (share of each platform’s local users who are daily users; behavioral proxy)

• TikTok ≈75–80% daily; Snapchat ≈75–85%; Facebook ≈65–75%; Instagram ≈60–65%; YouTube ≈50–55%; X ≈45–55%

Age profile (share of the county’s social media audience)

• 18–29: 24–26%
• 30–49: 34–36%
• 50–64: 22–24%
• 65+: 16–18%

Platform-by-age tendencies (localized from national patterns)

• Facebook: broad; strongest 35–64; solid 65+ penetration
• YouTube: truly cross‑age; 18–49 heaviest viewers
• Instagram: concentrated under 35; secondary 35–44
• TikTok: under 35 dominant; growing 35–44
• Snapchat: teens/20s core
• Pinterest: women 25–54 (home, crafts, recipes)
• X: 25–44 (sports, weather, news)
• LinkedIn: 25–54; management/healthcare/education professionals

Gender breakdown

• Overall social audience: ≈53–56% female, 44–47% male
• By platform: Pinterest ≈70–80% female; Instagram ≈55–60% female; TikTok ≈55–60% female; Facebook ≈54–56% female; YouTube ≈52–55% male; X ≈60–65% male; LinkedIn ≈54–58% male

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Facebook is the community hub: school and church groups, garage‑sale/Swap pages, event discovery, Marketplace, and Messenger for customer service. Local news and severe‑weather updates drive spikes.
• Short‑form video is ascendant: Reels/TikTok clips of local sports, small‑business promos, trades/DIY, faith content, and “day‑in‑the‑life” rural themes perform well.
• YouTube is for how‑to and long‑form: home repair, hunting/fishing, equipment reviews, recipes, and church streams.
• Shopping and discovery: Facebook Marketplace and Instagram/Pinterest for boutiques, crafts, and home projects; TikTok increasingly influences food choices and local attractions.
• Timing: Peak engagement evenings 7–9 pm CT; weekend mid‑day; mobile‑first. Weather events and school announcements create real‑time surges.
• Trust leans local: Posts from recognizable community voices, schools, churches, first responders, and local media outperform brand pages. UGC and employee‑fronted videos increase completion and shares.
• Ads: Best ROI for local services on Facebook/Instagram (lead forms + Messenger); short vertical video outperforms static; geofencing Mt. Vernon and commuter corridors improves relevancy.

Method note

• Figures are 2024 estimates derived by applying recent Pew Research Center platform‑usage benchmarks (by age/gender) to Jefferson County’s adult population (ACS) and adjusting for rural age mix. Platform totals are overlapping (multi‑platform users).