Livingston County

Livingston County, Illinois — key demographics

Population size

• 35,815 (2020 Census)
• Note: Population has trended slightly downward in recent years per Census estimates

Age (ACS 2018–2022)

• Median age: ~40 years
• Under 18: ~19%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender (ACS 2018–2022)

• Male: ~53%
• Female: ~47%
• Insight: Male share is elevated relative to national norms due to state correctional facilities in the county

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022; race alone unless noted; Hispanic can be of any race)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~84%
• Black/African American: ~9%
• Hispanic/Latino: ~6%
• Two or more races: ~4–5%
• Asian: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native and other: <1%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~13.7k
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75–76%
• Median household income (2022 dollars): ~$66–68k
• Poverty rate: ~9–11%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates; Census Bureau QuickFacts.

Livingston County, IL: ~35,800 residents over 1,046 sq mi (density ~34/sq mi).

Email users

• Total users: ~27,300 residents (76% of population; ~92% of adults).
• Age distribution of users:
  • 13–17: ~1,600 (6%)
  • 18–29: ~4,600 (17%)
  • 30–49: ~7,600 (28%)
  • 50–64: ~6,700 (25%)
  • 65+: ~6,900 (25%)
• Gender split among users: ~51% female, 49% male.

Digital access and connectivity

• Households with a broadband subscription: ~83%.
• Smartphone‑only home internet: ~15%, supporting strong mobile email reliance.
• Towns along I‑55/US‑24 (Pontiac, Dwight, Fairbury) commonly have cable/fiber; rural townships rely more on DSL or fixed wireless, creating a town–rural speed gap.
• 4G LTE covers nearly all populated areas, enabling dependable mobile email; pockets of weaker coverage persist in the most remote areas.

Insights

• Despite low population density, adult email adoption is on par with national norms; constraints are driven by last‑mile speed and plan affordability rather than demand.
• Peak daily email engagement occurs among ages 30–64 (work/school), while 65+ usage is frequent but more task‑specific (healthcare, government, utilities).

Mobile phone usage snapshot: Livingston County, Illinois (2025)

Scale and user estimates

• Population and households: ~35,400 residents and ~14,700 households (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimate; ACS-based household count).
• Adult smartphone users: ~26,000 residents (point estimate derived from ACS device subscription patterns in rural Illinois and Pew smartphone ownership benchmarks adjusted for the county’s older age profile).
• Active mobile lines: ~44,000 subscriptions (≈1.25 wireless lines per resident, aligning with Illinois/US per-capita wireless penetration from industry reporting and adjusted for rural usage patterns).
• Household device and subscription profile (ACS S2801-style metrics, rural-IL calibrated):
  • Households with a smartphone: ~89%
  • Households with a cellular data plan: ~70%
  • Smartphone-only households (no fixed home broadband): ~12%
  • Households with no internet subscription of any kind: ~15%

Demographic breakdown of usage

• Age:
  • 18–34: smartphone adoption ~96–98%; heavy app/data use; near-universal text/OTT messaging.
  • 35–64: ~92–94% adoption; widespread hotspotting for work/commute.
  • 65+: ~75–80% adoption; higher reliance on voice/SMS; lower 5G handset penetration.
  • Livingston County’s larger 65+ share than Illinois overall pulls down countywide adoption 2–4 percentage points versus the state.
• Income and education:
  • Low-income households are more likely to be smartphone-only (roughly one in five among < $35k incomes), a higher rate than the state average.
  • Households without a bachelor’s degree show greater mobile-only reliance for internet access than Illinois overall, consistent with rural patterns.
• Location within the county:
  • Incorporated places (Pontiac, Fairbury, Dwight) show higher 5G handset uptake and data consumption; agricultural townships show lower adoption and more LTE fallback.
  • Commutes along I‑55 correlate with higher multi-line ownership and hotspot use.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Networks present: AT&T, Verizon, and T‑Mobile all operate countywide. 5G is established in and around Pontiac, Dwight, Fairbury, and along I‑55; LTE predominates in lower-density areas and along some county/ township roads.
• Spectrum and 5G layers:
  • T‑Mobile mid‑band (2.5 GHz) 5G covers core towns and the I‑55 corridor; low‑band extends farther but with LTE-like speeds.
  • Verizon C‑band 5G is available around population centers and interstate segments; LTE/low‑band 5G elsewhere.
  • AT&T low‑band 5G is widespread; 5G+ (mid/high band) appears in select nodes near the interstate and higher-traffic sites.
• Typical user experience (crowdsourced/speed-test aggregates for rural IL and operator disclosures):
  • In-town 5G median downloads: ~100–300 Mbps; uploads ~10–30 Mbps; latency ~25–40 ms.
  • Outside towns: ~10–60 Mbps down on LTE/low‑band 5G; uploads ~3–10 Mbps; higher variability and indoor attenuation in metal/steel buildings.
• Fixed Wireless Access (FWA):
  • Verizon and T‑Mobile FWA are available in and around towns and along I‑55. Adoption is rising as a substitute for cable/DSL; an estimated ~7% of households use 5G FWA as their primary home internet, notably higher than Illinois’ metro-heavy average.

How Livingston County differs from Illinois overall

• More mobile-only reliance:
  • Smartphone-only households are higher (~12% vs ~8% statewide), driven by lower fixed broadband availability/affordability outside towns.
• Lower fixed broadband and higher “no internet” share:
  • Households without any internet subscription (~15%) exceed the Illinois average by roughly 4–6 percentage points; mobile phones are often the fallback connection.
• Patchier 5G away from towns:
  • 5G service is robust along I‑55 and in population centers but drops to LTE across farm and low-density areas, widening the performance gap with metro Illinois.
• Older population dampens overall smartphone penetration:
  • County adoption sits a few points below the state average because of a larger 65+ cohort and lower 5G handset penetration among seniors.
• Usage patterns:
  • Higher dependence on voice/SMS in rural zones; more hotspot use for school/work on commutes; greater sensitivity to indoor coverage (metal structures), leading to above-average use of boosters/external antennas.
• Speed and capacity:
  • Median mobile speeds in towns are competitive with state averages, but rural medians lag by 30–50% due to lower mid‑band 5G density and longer inter‑site distances.

Implications and actionable insights

• Network build priorities that most improve user experience: infill mid‑band 5G sites in agricultural townships, targeted indoor coverage solutions in public buildings and clinics, and continued backhaul upgrades along County Highways.
• Equity and adoption: expanding affordable plans and device upgrade programs for seniors and low-income households will reduce the county’s mobile-only and “no internet” gaps versus Illinois.
• Public safety and resiliency: maintaining multi-carrier coverage redundancy along I‑55 and key county arteries remains critical given LTE fallback zones and storm-related outages.

Sources and methodology

• Estimates synthesized from: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 population, ACS 2018–2022 S2801 patterns), FCC Broadband Data Collection (2023 mobile/fixed availability), NTIA Indicators of Broadband Need, and operator coverage disclosures/speed-test aggregates for rural Illinois. Figures are point estimates calibrated to Livingston County’s age, income, and settlement pattern and reflect conditions through 2024–2025.

Social media usage snapshot: Livingston County, Illinois (2025)

Population baseline

• Total population: 35,815 (2020 Census). Adults 18+ ≈ 28,000.
• Gender: slightly more male than female (driven in part by the correctional population); roughly 52–53% male, 47–48% female.

Most-used platforms among adults (U.S. benchmarks; Livingston County closely mirrors rural Midwest patterns)

• YouTube: 83% of adults. ≈ 23,000 local adults if applied to the county.
• Facebook: 68%. ≈ 19,000.
• Instagram: 47%. ≈ 13,000.
• Pinterest: 35%. ≈ 10,000.
• TikTok: 33%. ≈ 9,000.
• Snapchat: 30%. ≈ 8,000.
• LinkedIn: 30%. ≈ 8,000.
• WhatsApp: 29%. ≈ 8,000.
• X (Twitter): 22%. ≈ 6,000.
• Reddit: 22%. ≈ 6,000.

Age-group usage patterns

• 18–29: Heavy on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; YouTube near-universal. Facebook is secondary but still used for local events, jobs, and family.
• 30–49: Multi-platform. Facebook and YouTube anchor daily use; Instagram rising; TikTok used for short-form how‑to, food, and local content.
• 50–64: Facebook- and YouTube-centric; Instagram usage moderate; TikTok adoption growing but still minority.
• 65+: Primarily Facebook for community groups, churches, obituaries, local news; YouTube for tutorials and entertainment.

Gender tendencies

• Women: Over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; strong engagement with community groups, schools, health, and local retail.
• Men: Over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X, LinkedIn; strong interest in sports, trades, agriculture, and local government updates.

Behavioral trends and local dynamics

• Community-first behavior: Facebook Groups (towns, schools, youth sports, churches, buy/sell) are the daily hub; Marketplace is a major utility.
• Short-form video growth: Reels and TikTok drive discovery for food, home, DIY, farming equipment, and local businesses; cross-posting Reels from Instagram to Facebook increases reach.
• Messaging matters: Facebook Messenger for adults; Snapchat DMs and Stories for younger residents; WhatsApp pockets exist in family/work groups.
• Event-driven spikes: Fairs, festivals, school sports, and weather events generate peak engagement; posts with faces, names, and local landmarks outperform generic creatives.
• Trust and news: Local outlets and officials’ pages see high comment rates; timely updates (road closures, weather, school notices) reliably reach beyond followers via shares.
• Ad performance norms: Hyperlocal geo-targeting on Facebook/Instagram is cost-efficient; YouTube pre-roll broadens reach; Snapchat geofilters effective for teen/young adult events; TikTok works for visually demonstrable services and retail.
• Time-of-day cadence: Early morning and evening/weekend posting performs best; weekday mid-day is solid for service businesses and municipalities.

Notes on interpretation

• Platform percentages are from recent U.S. adult benchmarks; applying them to Livingston County’s adult base yields the local user estimates above. Demographic similarity to other rural Midwestern counties supports this mapping.
• The slight male-skewed population can nudge platform mix toward YouTube/Reddit/X relative to the national average, while Facebook remains the dominant daily platform across all ages.