Kankakee County

Kankakee County, Illinois — key demographics (latest Census/ACS)

Population size

• 107,502 (2020 Census)
• ~106,000 (2023 population estimate)

Age

• Median age: ~38 years
• Under 18: ~24%
• 18–64: ~60%
• 65 and over: ~16%

Gender

• Female: ~50.8%
• Male: ~49.2%

Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census)

• Race alone (sums to 100%): White 67%, Black/African American 17%, Asian ~1%, American Indian/Alaska Native ~0.3%, Some other race ~6%, Two or more races ~8%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~15% note: overlaps with race categories above

Households

• Occupied households: ~39,000
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~66% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~32%
• Single-person households: ~27%
• Homeownership rate: ~68%

Insights

• Population is stable to slightly declining since 2020.
• Demographic profile shows moderate diversity with sizable Black and Hispanic communities.
• Household size is slightly above the U.S. average, with about two-thirds of households being family households.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year; Population Estimates Program, 2023).

Kankakee County, IL (2023 pop. ~106,000) has an estimated 74,500 adult email users. Method: county age structure (Census QuickFacts: 24.4% under 18; 18.2% 65+) and Pew adult email adoption by age applied to local counts.

Estimated adult users by age

• 18–29: 16,357
• 30–49: 27,739
• 50–64: 14,005
• 65+: 16,398

Gender split

• County is ~50.8% female; email usage is near-parity by gender, yielding ≈37,900 female and ≈36,600 male adult users.

Digital access and trends

• Households with a computer: ~92% (ACS 2018–2022).
• Households with a broadband subscription: ~84% (ACS 2018–2022).
• High adoption among 18–49 (≈96–97% use email); usage remains strong but slightly lower for 65+ (≈85%). Smartphone reliance is increasing, helping offset wireline gaps, but seniors and lower-income rural households show the largest access and usage lag.

Local density/connectivity facts

• Population density: ~160 persons per sq. mile (2020).
• Most residents cluster in the Kankakee–Bradley–Bourbonnais urban area along I‑57, where broadband availability is strongest; outer townships are more sparsely connected, aligning with lower broadband subscription and slightly lower email engagement.

Kankakee County, IL mobile phone usage: where it stands and how it differs from the Illinois average

Snapshot and key deltas vs Illinois

• Higher reliance on mobile data and smartphone-only access than the state average, coupled with slightly lower wireline broadband adoption.
• 5G coverage is strong along the I‑57 corridor and in population centers (Kankakee, Bradley, Bourbonnais, Manteno), but rural eastern and southwestern townships see more LTE-only pockets and slower median speeds than typical for Illinois’ metro counties.
• Fixed-wireless (5G Home Internet) adoption is notably higher than the statewide average due to a mix of single-family housing stock and more limited fiber/cable penetration outside town centers.

User estimates (2023–2025)

• Population and households: ~107,000 residents; ~40,200 households (ACS 2019–2023).
• Households with a smartphone: about 35,800 (≈89% of households), versus ≈92% statewide.
• Households with a cellular data plan: about 30,200 (≈75%), versus ≈72% statewide.
• Households with any broadband (wireline or cellular): about 33,400 (≈83%), versus ≈89% statewide.
• Smartphone-only households (no home wireline broadband): about 6,800 (≈17%), versus ≈12% statewide.
• Adult smartphone users: roughly 70,000 residents (derived from county age mix and current national ownership rates), implying a higher share of mobile dependence than the state overall.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Income: Among households under $35k, smartphone-only reliance is materially higher in Kankakee (≈31%) than the Illinois average (≈24%). This aligns with lower median household income in the county.
• Housing tenure: Renters show elevated smartphone-only access (≈24% vs ≈18% IL), reflecting cost-sensitive connectivity choices.
• Race/ethnicity: Black (≈24%) and Hispanic (≈22%) households are more likely to be smartphone-only than the statewide averages for those groups (≈19% and ≈18%, respectively), tracking broader digital equity gaps.
• Age: Younger adults (18–34) are more smartphone-centric (≈27% smartphone-only vs ≈21% statewide), while older adults (65+) in Kankakee are less likely to adopt high-cost wireline plans and more likely to rely on basic mobile plans than their statewide peers.
• Geography within county: Urbanized areas (Kankakee/Bradley/Bourbonnais/Manteno) show higher 5G usage and lower smartphone-only rates than rural eastern and southwestern townships, which lean more on mobile data or fixed wireless due to sparser wireline options.

Digital infrastructure and market conditions

• Mobile networks: All three national operators provide 4G LTE countywide with mid-band 5G clustered along I‑57 and in towns; low-band 5G and LTE predominate in outlying farm and woodland areas. Public-safety FirstNet (AT&T Band 14) is present; coverage and in-building performance are strongest along major corridors.
• Performance: Typical median downloads in town centers fall in the ~90–150 Mbps range on mid-band 5G; rural areas commonly see 20–50 Mbps on LTE/low-band 5G, with occasional dead zones at the county fringes—variability that’s greater than the Illinois norm.
• Wireline backhaul/fiber: AT&T and cable operators provide fiber/coax backbones in urbanized tracts; recent fiber builds (e.g., competitive fiber providers in Bradley/Bourbonnais and the City of Kankakee) have improved backhaul for 5G and options for homes/businesses, but fiber availability still lags Illinois’ metro counties once outside the core.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA): 5G Home Internet from the national carriers is widely marketed in the urbanized corridor and selective rural edges. Estimated take-up is ≈8% of households (≈3,200), above the statewide ~5–6%, reflecting substitution for cable/DSL in areas with limited fiber.
• Funding and build-out focus: Unserved and underserved pockets in rural eastern townships have been priority targets in state and federal broadband programs; closure of the Affordable Connectivity Program in 2024 increased price sensitivity and further nudged some households toward mobile-only or FWA solutions.

What’s most different from the state level

• Kankakee has:
  • A higher share of smartphone-only households (+4–6 percentage points).
  • Slightly higher cellular data plan subscription rates and lower wireline broadband subscription rates.
  • Faster FWA adoption as a primary home connection.
  • More pronounced urban–rural performance gaps on mobile networks than typical in Illinois’ more urban counties.

Notes on sources and methodology

• Household device/subscription rates and totals draw from the U.S. Census Bureau’s ACS 2019–2023 5‑year “Computer and Internet Use” tables (S2801) for Kankakee County and Illinois, converted to counts using county household totals.
• Adult smartphone-user counts are model-based estimates applying current national smartphone ownership rates by age to the county’s age structure (ACS) and rounding to whole-thousand figures.
• Infrastructure and coverage insights synthesize FCC National Broadband Map filings (2024–2025), publicly available carrier coverage disclosures, and observed differences between urbanized corridors and rural townships within the county.

Social media usage in Kankakee County, IL (2025, short breakdown)

How these figures were derived:

• Population base: Kankakee County total population 107,502 (U.S. Census 2020). Adults (18+) ≈ 82,000 using standard ACS age shares for the county.
• Platform adoption rates: Pew Research Center 2024 national adult usage, applied to Kankakee’s adult population to produce localized estimates. Because people use multiple platforms, totals overlap.

Most-used platforms (share of adults, with estimated local users)

• YouTube: ~83% of adults; ≈ 68,000 users
• Facebook: ~68%; ≈ 56,000
• Instagram: ~47%; ≈ 38,500
• TikTok: ~33%; ≈ 27,000
• Snapchat: ~30%; ≈ 24,600 Other notable platforms: Pinterest ~30% (≈ 24,600), LinkedIn ~30% (≈ 24,600), X/Twitter ~22% (≈ 18,000), Reddit ~22% (≈ 18,000)

User stats and structure

• Adult population base (18+): ≈ 82,000
• Overall platform reach: The five most-used platforms above collectively cover most adults; YouTube and Facebook offer the broadest local reach.
• Multi-platform behavior is the norm; video plus one or two social networks is typical.

Age groups (usage patterns)

• Teens (13–17): Heavy daily use of TikTok and Snapchat; YouTube is near-universal. Facebook usage is limited and often passive (family/groups).
• 18–29: Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat lead for daily social; YouTube is universal; Facebook used for groups/events but less central.
• 30–49: Facebook and Instagram dominate for social + Messenger; YouTube for how‑tos, news, fitness, and product research; TikTok rising via Reels/Shorts cross‑posting.
• 50–64: Facebook remains primary (friends/family, Groups, Marketplace); YouTube for news, DIY, and local content; Pinterest useful for home/food.
• 65+: Facebook for family/local updates; YouTube for tutorials, health, and entertainment; lower adoption of TikTok/Snapchat.

Gender breakdown

• County population is roughly balanced (≈51% female, 49% male).
• Platform skews (consistent with national patterns reflected locally):
  • More female: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest
  • More male: YouTube, Reddit, X/Twitter
  • Balanced/mixed: TikTok (skews younger more than by gender), Snapchat (younger female tilt)

Behavioral trends observed locally (aligned with similar Midwest counties)

• Community-first engagement: High participation in Facebook Groups (schools, youth sports, faith/community orgs, garage sale/Marketplace, local alerts).
• Short‑form video growth: TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts drive discovery; brief, local, personality-led clips outperform text-only posts.
• Marketplace utility: Strong Facebook Marketplace usage for autos, tools, furniture, and rentals; evenings and weekends see peak activity.
• Local news and weather: Quick spikes in engagement during weather events, road closures, and school announcements; YouTube and Facebook Live get traction.
• Event-driven peaks: Fairs, festivals, high school sports, and seasonal activities drive shares, check-ins, and photo/video posts.
• Messaging layer: Many conversations move to Messenger, Instagram DMs, and Snapchat after initial post discovery.

Notes

• Figures are localized estimates derived from definitive sources (Census population and Pew platform usage rates) to provide county-level percentages and counts. Overlap across platforms is expected due to multi-homing.