La Salle County

La Salle County, Illinois — key demographics

Population size

• Total population: 108,300 (2023 estimate)
• 2020 Census: 109,658; 2010 Census: 113,924 (down ~5% since 2010; ~1% since 2020)

Age

• Median age: ~42 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Female: ~50.5%
• Male: ~49.5%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White, non-Hispanic: ~80%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~12–13%
• Black or African American: ~2–3%
• Asian: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.3%
• Two or more races and other: ~4–5%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~45,000
• Persons per household (average): ~2.4
• Family households: ~2/3 of households
• Homeownership rate: ~74%
• Housing units: ~49,000

Notes and sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 Population Estimates and 2019–2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year for age, race/ethnicity, and household/housing metrics; 2010 and 2020 Decennial Census for historical population. Numbers rounded for clarity.

• Scope: La Salle County, Illinois (population ≈108,000; land area ≈1,148 sq mi; density ≈94 residents/sq mi).
• Estimated email users: ≈80,000 residents use email regularly (derived from adult penetration near 92% and high teen adoption per Pew benchmarks).
• Age distribution (share using email):
  • 18–29: ~98%
  • 30–49: ~97%
  • 50–64: ~93%
  • 65+: ~85–90% Older adults participate heavily but with lower frequency and more mobile-only access.
• Gender split: Essentially even; men and women each account for roughly half of email users (usage rates ~92–94% for both).
• Digital access and devices:
  • Household broadband subscription: ≈84% (ACS 2018–2022), rising over the past decade from the low 70s.
  • Smartphone adoption: ~90%+ of adults; mobile-only internet households ~15–20%, supporting email via phones.
  • 5G/LTE coverage is strong along the I‑80/US‑51 corridor and in Ottawa–La Salle–Peru–Streator; rural townships show slower fixed speeds and more satellite/DSL reliance.
• Connectivity insights: Urban centers concentrate higher-speed options and public Wi‑Fi (libraries, schools), while lower-density areas face higher costs and fewer providers, shaping email access patterns but not broad adoption.

Mobile phone usage in La Salle County, Illinois (2024 snapshot)

User estimates

• Adult population: ~85,900 (of ~108,700 total residents).
• Mobile phone users (any type): ~77,300 adults (≈90% of adults).
• Smartphone users: ~72,200 adults (≈84% of adults).
• Households with at least one smartphone: ≈90% of 45,000 households (40,500 households).
• Households relying on a cellular data plan as their only internet subscription (“cellular-only”): ≈18% (8,100 households), above the Illinois average (13%).

Demographic breakdown (smartphone adoption and reliance patterns)

• By age (estimates using county age mix and 2023 Pew adoption rates):
  • 18–29: ~14,000 smartphone users (≈96% adoption within this group).
  • 30–49: ~25,300 users (≈95%).
  • 50–64: ~21,400 users (≈83%).
  • 65+: ~11,500 users (≈61%).
  • Implication: Overall adoption is pulled down by La Salle’s older age profile (65+ share ≈21%), which is higher than Illinois overall (~17%).
• Income: Median household income in La Salle is materially below the state median (roughly mid-$60Ks vs Illinois high-$70Ks). Lower incomes correlate with higher mobile-only internet reliance; La Salle’s cellular-only share (≈18%) is several points above the state.
• Urban/rural split: Towns along I‑80 (Ottawa, Peru, La Salle) and Streator area show near-urban smartphone saturation; rural townships have higher rates of feature-phone use and cellular-only home internet, reflecting gaps in fixed broadband and patchier mid-band 5G.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Network availability:
  • 4G LTE: Near-universal population coverage across the county; performance is consistent in towns and along highways (I‑80, US‑6, IL‑23, IL‑251).
  • 5G: All three national carriers present. Mid-band 5G (T‑Mobile n41, Verizon/AT&T C‑band n77) is strong in and around Ottawa–Peru–La Salle and along I‑80, with weaker or intermittent mid-band coverage in outlying rural areas where low-band 5G/LTE predominates.
• Typical speeds (observed ranges from carrier maps and crowd-sourced testing in rural IL):
  • Town centers with mid-band 5G: ~150–300 Mbps downlink.
  • Rural/edge areas on LTE or low-band 5G: ~20–60 Mbps downlink, with uplink often <10 Mbps.
• Coverage gaps: Low-lying river corridors (Illinois and Fox Rivers), wooded areas, and low-density farm roads show more frequent band handoffs and occasional dead zones, especially indoors without Wi‑Fi calling.
• Device mix and plans:
  • Higher share of hotspot use and phone-based tethering for home connectivity than the state average, consistent with the county’s elevated cellular-only household rate.
  • Prepaid and value MVNO plans see relatively higher uptake in rural portions of the county compared with metro Illinois, reflecting price sensitivity and variable 5G performance.

How La Salle County differs from Illinois overall

• Slightly lower adult smartphone adoption (≈84% vs ≈88% statewide), driven primarily by a larger 65+ population share.
• Meaningfully higher reliance on cellular-only home internet (≈18% vs ≈13% in Illinois), tied to patchy fiber/DSL availability beyond town centers and to income mix.
• 5G availability is more uneven: strong along I‑80 and in population centers but notably weaker by area coverage than the state average, which is buoyed by dense, high-capacity networks in Chicago and larger metros.
• Performance gap: Median 5G speeds in La Salle’s towns are competitive, but the county’s rural stretches see lower sustained speeds and higher latency/jitter, increasing dependence on Wi‑Fi offload where fixed broadband exists.

Method notes and sources

• Adult and household baselines from recent ACS population and housing counts; device and subscription patterns from ACS S2801 “Computer and Internet Use” (households with smartphones; cellular-only subscriptions).
• Smartphone adoption rates by age from Pew Research Center (2023) applied to La Salle’s age structure to produce user estimates.
• Coverage and performance synthesized from carrier coverage disclosures (2024), FCC Broadband Data Collection, and rural Illinois speed-test aggregates.

La Salle County, IL — Social media snapshot (2025)

Method note: County-specific tracking isn’t published, so figures use Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. social media adoption applied to La Salle County’s demographic profile (U.S. Census/ACS). Percentages reflect adult usage unless noted; local behavior aligns closely with Midwest/rural-suburban norms.

Overall user stats

• Population: ~108,000 residents.
• Active social media users (13+): ~69,000 (≈64% of residents).
• Adult penetration: ~72% of adults use at least one social platform (Pew baseline), consistent with counties of similar size and rural-suburban mix.

Most-used platforms (share of adults using)

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• TikTok: ~33%
• Snapchat: ~30%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• X (Twitter): ~22%
• Reddit: ~22%
• WhatsApp: ~21% These rates represent expected reach among La Salle County adults and track Illinois/Midwest patterns: Facebook and YouTube are dominant; Instagram is strong and growing; TikTok and Snapchat are significant among under-35s.

Age groups (usage patterns)

• Teens (13–17): Near-universal YouTube; heavy Snapchat and TikTok; Instagram strong; Facebook low.
• 18–29: Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok lead; YouTube near-universal; Facebook secondary.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube core; Instagram steady; TikTok growing but still minority; LinkedIn relevant for professionals.
• 50–64: Facebook primary; YouTube strong for news/how‑to; Pinterest common; Instagram modest.
• 65+: Facebook first; YouTube for tutorials/news; other platforms limited.

Gender breakdown (composition and skew)

• User base is roughly balanced by sex (county population is ~50/50).
• Women over-index on Facebook and especially Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X.
• Instagram usage is slightly higher among women; LinkedIn tilts toward men due to occupational mix.

Behavioral trends in La Salle County

• Facebook is the community hub: local groups, schools, municipal updates, events, and especially Marketplace drive daily engagement.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for DIY, trades, auto repair, home projects; short-form TikTok/Instagram Reels for dining, local attractions, and regional news snippets.
• Messaging-centered sharing: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are the default for private/local coordination; public posting skews older on Facebook, younger on Snapchat/Instagram Stories.
• Shopping discovery: Facebook/Instagram for local businesses and seasonal promotions; Pinterest influences home, garden, crafts, and wedding planning.
• News and emergencies: Facebook pages/groups and YouTube live streams dominate local information flow; X is niche but timely during weather or breaking updates.
• Time-of-day: Peaks around lunchtime and 7–10 pm; weekend spikes tied to sports, festivals, and yard-sales/Marketplace activity.

Sources

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adult platform adoption).
• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (county population/demographics).