Macon County

Macon County, Illinois — key demographics

Population size

• 100,700 (2024 Census Bureau estimate, PEP)
• 103,998 (2020 Census count)

Age

• Median age: ~41.0 years (ACS 2023)
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Female: ~51.6%
• Male: ~48.4% (ACS 2023)

Racial/ethnic composition (mutually exclusive; Hispanic can be any race)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~75–76%
• Non-Hispanic Black: ~18–19%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~3%
• Non-Hispanic Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Non-Hispanic Asian: ~0.7%
• Other races (incl. AIAN, NHPI): <1% combined (ACS 2023)

Household data

• Households: ~43,500
• Average household size: ~2.30
• Family households: ~59% of households
• Married-couple households: ~44% of households
• One-person households: ~32%
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• Tenure: ~67% owner-occupied, ~33% renter-occupied (ACS 2023)

Insights

• Continued population decline since 2020; aging age structure with roughly one in five residents 65+.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with a sizable Black population and small but growing Hispanic community.
• Smaller household sizes and a majority of family households; homeownership about two-thirds.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates Program (PEP); 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year; 2020 Decennial Census. Estimates are subject to ACS sampling error.

• Population and connectivity: ≈103,000 residents, ≈178 people per sq mi. About two‑thirds live in Decatur, which has the strongest cable/fiber coverage; outer townships have thinner fixed‑line options.

• Estimated email users (2024): ≈82,000 residents.

• Age distribution of email users:

  • 13–17: 6%
  • 18–29: 17%
  • 30–49: 31%
  • 50–64: 22%
  • 65+: 24%

• Gender split among users: ≈52% female, 48% male (≈43k women, 39k men).

• Digital access and trends:

  • Household broadband subscription: ≈82% countywide; ≈10–12% have no home internet; ≈15–18% are smartphone‑only.
  • Device access: ≈90% of households have a computer or smartphone; multi‑device use is highest in Decatur.
  • Email adoption: ≈93% of adults use email; seniors 65+ at ≈85–90%.
  • Usage is increasingly mobile, with a majority of email opens occurring on smartphones. Ongoing fiber build‑outs in and around Decatur are raising speeds and reliability, while a persistent rural gap remains in subscription rates and plan quality.

These figures reflect Macon County’s mixed urban–rural profile: high email penetration anchored by Decatur’s connectivity, coupled with lower broadband adoption and more smartphone‑reliant access in outlying areas.

Mobile phone usage in Macon County, Illinois — 2024 snapshot

Overview

• Population and households: ~102,000 residents and ~43,000 households. An older age profile and lower median income than the Illinois average shape mobile adoption and reliance patterns.
• Bottom line: Macon County is broadly connected by mobile, with near-ubiquitous LTE and expanding 5G in and around Decatur. Compared with Illinois as a whole, the county shows slightly lower overall adoption but higher reliance on mobile service as the primary way to get online, especially among lower-income and older residents.

User estimates and adoption

• Mobile phone ownership (any mobile): ~94–96% of adults, translating to roughly 75,000–78,000 adult mobile users countywide.
• Smartphone ownership: ~88–91% of adults, or roughly 70,000–73,000 adult smartphone users.
• Household smartphone penetration: about 89–91% of households report having a smartphone.
• Household cellular data subscriptions: about 66–70% of households pay for a cellular data plan.
• Households with no home internet subscription: about 11–13% (higher than the Illinois average).
• Mobile-only internet reliance (households that rely primarily on cellular/mobile for home internet): meaningfully higher than the state average; commonly seen among renters and lower-income households.

Demographic breakdown (key patterns)

• Age: Smartphone adoption among adults 65+ trails the state average by several points; younger adults (18–34) are effectively saturated. Older residents are more likely to be mobile-only (smartphone plus cellular data) when they do not maintain a home broadband subscription.
• Income: Lower-income households are more likely than the county average to rely on a smartphone and a cellular data plan instead of a fixed broadband subscription. This group shows higher usage of prepaid plans.
• Urban vs. rural: Residents in Decatur and along the I‑72 and US‑51 corridors have stronger 5G availability and faster typical speeds; outlying rural areas are more dependent on LTE or low-band 5G with lower throughput.

Digital infrastructure

• Networks and coverage:
  • All three national carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) provide countywide LTE with 5G in and around Decatur and along major corridors.
  • Mid-band 5G (e.g., C‑band/n77 or 2.5 GHz/n41) is concentrated in Decatur and adjacent townships; low-band 5G and LTE serve most rural sectors.
• Performance patterns:
  • In Decatur and close-in suburbs, typical mid-band 5G download speeds range from low hundreds of Mbps in good signal conditions.
  • Rural areas often fall back to LTE or low-band 5G with typical speeds tens of Mbps, and greater variability indoors or in low-lying terrain.
• Sites and backhaul:
  • Macro site density is highest in Decatur; additional capacity is added via small cells in commercial zones.
  • Fiber backhaul is available along the I‑72 corridor and within Decatur (incumbent fiber and cable providers), enabling denser 5G deployment in the urban core.
• Fixed wireless home internet (FWA):
  • 5G home internet from T‑Mobile and Verizon is widely marketed in and around Decatur, filling gaps where cable/fiber adoption is lower. Uptake is above the statewide average due to price sensitivity and uneven wireline coverage in some neighborhoods.

How Macon County differs from Illinois overall

• Adoption slightly lower, reliance higher:
  • Household smartphone penetration is a couple of points lower than the Illinois average, but the share of households relying primarily on mobile service for home internet is higher.
• Age and income effects are more pronounced:
  • A larger share of older and lower-income residents depresses overall smartphone and fixed-broadband adoption relative to the state, and increases mobile-only reliance.
• 5G distribution is more uneven:
  • Compared to major Illinois metros, mid-band 5G coverage is more concentrated in the county seat (Decatur) and along highways, with rural pockets still primarily LTE/low-band 5G.
• Prepaid and budget plans see greater uptake:
  • Price sensitivity leads to higher use of prepaid and entry-tier plans than the statewide profile, influencing average speeds and data consumption.

Implications

• Mobile remains the primary on-ramp to the internet for a sizable minority of households, making network capacity and indoor coverage in Decatur especially consequential.
• Continued buildout of mid-band 5G and expansion of fiber backhaul outside the urban core would narrow performance gaps between Macon County and statewide norms.
• Programs that subsidize devices and service plans, and that expand fixed broadband options in lower-income neighborhoods, are likely to have outsized impact on digital inclusion locally.

Notes on sources and methodology

• Figures synthesize the latest available American Community Survey computer-and-internet-use indicators (e.g., S2801), FCC coverage data, and recent national mobile adoption benchmarks applied to local population and household counts. Ranges reflect year-to-year ACS variation and the urban–rural split within the county.

Social media usage in Macon County, Illinois (best-available, modeled to county scale; sources include U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimates and Pew Research Center 2023–2024 social media adoption)

Population and user base

• Residents: about 100,000; median age low 40s; slight female majority (~51%)
• Estimated social media users: 60,000–70,000 total (roughly 58–66% of the total population), combining adult and teen usage rates

Age groups among users (share of local social users)

• 13–17: 8–10%
• 18–24: 10–12%
• 25–34: 18–20%
• 35–44: 15–18%
• 45–54: 16–18%
• 55–64: 12–14%
• 65+: 12–15%

Gender breakdown among users

• Women: ~52%
• Men: ~48%
• Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and local buy/sell groups; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X

Most-used platforms (share of local adult users; aligned to Pew U.S. adoption, adjusted slightly older for the county)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 70–75%
• Instagram: 40–45%
• TikTok: 28–35%
• Pinterest: 30–35%
• LinkedIn: 25–30%
• Snapchat: 20–25% (skews 13–29)
• X (Twitter): 18–22%
• Nextdoor: 10–15% of households

Behavioral trends

• Facebook as the community hub: heavy use of Groups for schools, churches, youth sports, local news, events, and Marketplace; event posts and lost-and-found see outsized reach
• Video-first growth: Reels/Shorts/TikTok drive discovery; how-to, home repair, auto, hunting/fishing, and local food content perform well
• Local trust signals: content from recognizable local figures, schools, and small businesses outperforms generic brand posts; UGC and staff-fronted videos increase engagement
• Messaging layer is critical: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are primary share/response channels for younger and midlife users; many sales and RSVPs move to DMs
• Time-of-day patterns: weekday evenings (7–9 pm) and weekend mornings see the highest engagement; school-year calendars and high school sports schedules create predictable surges
• Commerce: Facebook/Instagram drive top-of-funnel for local retail, services, and events; Marketplace is a dominant classified channel; short-form video and Stories boost conversion for restaurants and seasonal attractions

Notes on methodology

• County-level platform counts are not published directly; figures above are derived by applying current U.S. adoption rates by age to Macon County’s population profile and adjusting for the county’s older-leaning age mix
• For campaign planning or media buying, platform ad reach tools (Facebook/Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, LinkedIn) provide the latest audience sizes targeted to Macon County boundaries