Kendall County

Kendall County, Illinois — key demographics

Population size

• 137,300 (2023 Census Population Estimate)
• 131,869 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: 36.3 years (2019–2023 ACS)
• Under 18: 28.9% (2019–2023 ACS)
• 65 and over: 12.2% (2019–2023 ACS)

Gender

• Female: 50.4% (2019–2023 ACS)
• Male: 49.6% (2019–2023 ACS)

Racial/ethnic composition (mutually exclusive; 2019–2023 ACS)

• White, non-Hispanic: 64.7%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): 18.6%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: 6.2%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: 4.3%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: 5.4%
• Other (including AIAN, NHPI), non-Hispanic: 0.8%

Household data (2019–2023 ACS)

• Households: ~44,700
• Persons per household: 3.24
• Family households: ~79% of households
• Married-couple families: ~66% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~46%
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~86%
• Average family size: ~3.6

Insights

• Younger, family-oriented county with above-average household size and high owner-occupancy, continuing steady post-2020 population growth.

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

• Snapshot: Kendall County, IL (pop. ≈135,000) is a fast‑growing Chicago‑metro suburb with high connectivity (~400 people per sq. mile).
• Email users: ≈100,000 residents use email regularly (derived from local broadband/device adoption and national email‑use norms).

Age distribution of email users (share and count):

• 13–17: 8% (≈8,000)
• 18–34: 26% (≈26,000)
• 35–54: 33% (≈33,000)
• 55–64: 16% (≈16,000)
• 65+: 17% (≈17,000)

Gender split among users:

• Female ≈51%
• Male ≈49%

Digital access and usage trends:

• Household connectivity is strong: ≈96% have a computer and ≈93% have a broadband subscription; smartphone access is widespread.
• Mobile‑only internet households account for roughly 8–10%, supporting always‑on email access but with data‑cap sensitivity.
• Remote/hybrid work growth in the Chicago metro has lifted daytime residential email activity and multi‑device use.
• Connectivity is densest in and around Oswego, Yorkville, Montgomery, and Plano; southern rural townships show slightly lower fixed broadband options but robust cellular coverage supports email continuity.

Insights:

• Email penetration is effectively mainstream across all adult age bands; the 35–54 cohort is the largest user block.
• The near‑universal device ownership and broadband coverage indicate stable, high‑frequency email usage countywide.

Mobile phone usage in Kendall County, Illinois — 2023–2024 snapshot

Scale and user estimates

• Population: ~136,000; adults (18+) ~101,000.
• Adult smartphone users: ~94,000–97,000 (about 92–95% of adults), modestly above Illinois overall (about 89–92%).
• Households: ~45,000.
• Households with a cellular data plan: ~41,000 (about 90–92% of households), vs ~86–88% statewide.
• Mobile-only internet households (cellular data plan but no fixed home broadband): 8–10% in Kendall (3,600–4,300 households), lower than Illinois overall (~12–14%).

Demographic breakdown (ownership and reliance patterns)

• Age:
  • 18–49: Near-universal smartphone ownership (>95%), in line with state and national norms.
  • 50–64: ~86–90% ownership in Kendall, 2–4 points higher than Illinois overall; most also maintain home broadband, so mobile-only reliance is comparatively low.
  • 65+: ~70–75% ownership, several points higher than the Illinois average; mobile-only reliance remains uncommon among seniors locally thanks to high fixed-broadband availability and income.
• Income:
  • < $35k: Smartphone ownership ~85–90%; mobile-only reliance ~18–22% (still lower than state, where it is typically a few points higher).
  • $35k–$100k: Ownership ~92–95%; mobile-only ~8–12%.
  • ≥ $100k: Ownership ~96–98%; mobile-only ~3–6%. Kendall’s higher median household income (roughly $100k+ vs Illinois ~high-$70k) shifts the distribution toward high ownership and lower mobile-only dependence.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Ownership is high across groups; gaps are small locally. Hispanic and Black residents show slightly higher smartphone-only internet reliance than White and Asian residents, but countywide rates are lower than state averages due to better fixed-broadband take-up.
• Household type:
  • Family and multi-line plan penetration is high; combined with robust home broadband, this reduces mobile-only reliance compared with Illinois overall.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Network availability: All three national carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) provide 4G LTE and broad 5G coverage across Oswego, Yorkville, Montgomery, Plano, and along US‑34/US‑30/IL‑47/IL‑71. Rural/southwestern pockets see more LTE fallback and occasional indoor coverage limitations.
• 5G footprint: Predominantly mid-band 5G across population centers; practical user speeds typically 100–300 Mbps where mid-band is available, with LTE fallback more often 10–50 Mbps in edge areas.
• Capacity and reliability: Proximity to the Chicago metro fiber backbone, dense roadside coverage on commuter corridors, and strong fixed-broadband availability (cable/fiber from major ISPs) support heavy Wi‑Fi offload and stable mobile experience during peak commute periods.
• Emergency and public-safety overlays: County and municipal sites host multi-tenant towers supporting E-911 and FirstNet (AT&T) coverage; this enhances resilience relative to more rural downstate counties.

How Kendall County differs from Illinois overall

• Higher ownership, lower mobile-only: Smartphone ownership is a few points higher than the state average, while mobile-only internet reliance is several points lower, reflecting higher incomes and stronger fixed-broadband options.
• Younger and more family-oriented subscriber base: A larger share of users in the 35–49 bracket and fewer seniors than the state overall result in heavier app-centric usage and strong multi-line plan uptake.
• Better 5G availability where people live and work: Suburban settlement patterns and adjacency to Chicago’s network buildout produce more consistent mid-band 5G in daily-use areas than many downstate counties.
• Smaller urban–rural divide: While rural edges of the county still experience LTE fallback, the performance gap between town centers and outskirts is narrower than the statewide pattern.

Bottom line Kendall County exhibits near-ubiquitous smartphone adoption, strong household cellular plan penetration, and comparatively low mobile-only dependence. Its suburban demographics and robust digital infrastructure yield above-average 5G availability and stable performance, diverging favorably from Illinois-wide trends that reflect higher mobile-only reliance and more uneven coverage in rural regions. These conditions point to sustained growth in 5G usage, high rates of Wi‑Fi offload, and continued dominance of multi-line family plans.

Kendall County, IL — social media usage snapshot (2024)

Scope and method

• Figures reflect adult residents (18+) and use the latest nationally representative 2024 Pew Research Center platform-usage rates applied to Kendall County’s suburban age mix. This is the best-available way to produce county-level percentages where local platform audits are not published.

Overall reach

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~84–86% of residents 18+.

Most-used platforms (share of adults using each)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• TikTok: 33%
• Pinterest: 35%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• WhatsApp: 29%
• Snapchat: 27%
• X (Twitter): 22%
• Reddit: 22%

Age-group patterns (share using selected platforms)

• 18–29: YouTube ~95%; Instagram ~78%; Snapchat ~65%; TikTok ~62%; Facebook ~67%.
• 30–49: YouTube ~92%; Facebook ~77%; Instagram ~49%; TikTok ~39%; LinkedIn ~37%; Pinterest ~40%.
• 50–64: Facebook ~73%; YouTube ~83%; Instagram ~29%; Pinterest ~33%; LinkedIn ~28%; TikTok ~18%.
• 65+: Facebook ~65%; YouTube ~60%; Instagram/Pinterest ~15%; LinkedIn ~12%; TikTok ~7%.

Gender breakdown highlights

• Pinterest skews female (women ~50% vs men ~19%).
• TikTok and Snapchat lean female (TikTok women ~38% vs men ~28%; Snapchat women ~32% vs men ~23%).
• Reddit skews male (men ~29% vs women ~15%).
• Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube are broadly used by both genders with smaller gaps.

Behavioral trends in Kendall County’s suburban context

• Facebook is the community hub: high engagement with local Groups (schools, youth sports, HOA, buy/sell) and Marketplace; event RSVPs and local business discovery are common.
• YouTube dominates “how-to,” home improvement, auto, and family-oriented content; strong use for product research before local purchases.
• Instagram and TikTok drive visual discovery for food, boutiques, salons, fitness, real estate; Reels/shorts consumption peaks evenings and weekends.
• Snapchat is entrenched among teens/young adults for messaging and ephemeral sharing; location-based lenses see strong uptake around school and sporting events.
• WhatsApp use is steady for family and international ties; group coordination among community and faith organizations is common.
• LinkedIn usage tracks the county’s professional commuter base; effective for recruiting and B2B visibility.
• Local information flows through Facebook Groups and neighborhood apps; public-safety posts, school updates, weather/road alerts, and “what’s open” threads spur rapid spikes in engagement.
• Commerce behavior: residents commonly price-check via social before store visits; offers with clear local relevance (geo-targeted promos, limited-time deals) outperform generic creative.

Sources

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (adult platform reach and demographics).
• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (age structure informing local applicability).