Macoupin County

Macoupin County, Illinois — key demographics

Population size

• 44,967 (2020 Census). Down from 47,765 in 2010 (-5.9%).

Age

• Under 5: ~5.0%
• Under 18: ~21.2%
• 65 and over: ~22.7%
• Median age: ~44 years (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018–2022 5-year)

Gender

• Female: ~50.9%
• Male: ~49.1% (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018–2022 5-year)

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone: ~95%
• Black or African American alone: ~1–2%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.2–0.3%
• Asian alone: ~0.3–0.4%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~1–2%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~94% (Sources: 2020 Census; ACS 2018–2022 5-year)

Household data

• Households: ~18.7k
• Persons per household: ~2.34
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~77–78%
• Housing units: ~21k; vacancy around ~10–11% (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018–2022 5-year)

Insights

• The county is predominantly White with small minority and Hispanic populations.
• Older age structure: the share 65+ is on par with or slightly above the share under 18.
• Small household sizes and high owner-occupancy reflect a largely rural, homeowner-dominated housing market.

Macoupin County, IL has 44,967 residents (2020 Census) over about 863 land sq mi, ≈52 people per sq mi—rural density that shapes connectivity. Using national usage rates (Pew: ≈92% of online adults use email) and typical rural Illinois internet adoption, an estimated ~27,000 adults in Macoupin actively use email.

Age distribution (estimated, applying national patterns to a rural, older-leaning county):

• 18–29: very high email use (~95% of internet users); smaller cohort locally, contributing a modest share of total users.
• 30–49: near-universal (~96%); core of the county’s email activity.
• 50–64: high (~92%); strong participation.
• 65+: slightly lower (~85%); meaningful but comparatively reduced share.

Gender split: email use shows no material gender gap; expect roughly 50/50 among adult users, mirroring the county’s near-even sex ratio.

Digital access trends and local connectivity:

• Rural density means pockets with weaker fixed broadband, with stronger service near towns and the I‑55 corridor (Carlinville–Staunton–Gillespie).
• Home broadband is the dominant access mode; a noticeable minority are smartphone‑only, which still supports email.
• Continued fiber/cable upgrades are narrowing gaps, but western/southern rural areas lag relative to town centers.

Mobile phone usage in Macoupin County, Illinois — 2024 snapshot

Scale and user estimates

• Population and households: about 44,000 residents and roughly 18,000–18,500 households; adults (18+) ≈ 34,000–35,000.
• Smartphone users: an estimated 30,000–32,000 people (about 87–92% of adults and teens combined). This is a few points lower than Illinois’ high-80s to low-90s adult smartphone ownership.
• Cellular-only home internet: approximately 3,300–3,700 households (about 18–20% of households) rely primarily on mobile data for home internet, versus about 12–14% statewide.
• Households with no home internet: about 10–12% locally, compared with roughly 7–8% statewide; many of these households still use mobile phones for basic connectivity.

Demographic breakdown of usage

• Age
  • 18–34: very high smartphone adoption (~95%); heavy social/video usage, mobile-first for entertainment and messaging.
  • 35–64: high adoption (~88–90%); frequent use of multi-line family plans, hotspotting to supplement home access.
  • 65+: noticeably lower adoption (~68–73% vs ~78–80% statewide); higher reliance on voice/SMS and simpler plans, with a meaningful minority using basic or flip phones.
• Income
  • Lower-income households (under $35k) make up a larger share than statewide; among these, smartphone-only internet use is common (28–32% vs ~20–22% statewide), reflecting substitution where wired broadband is limited or costly.
• Education and digital skills
  • A smaller share of residents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher than the Illinois average, correlating with slightly lower adoption of advanced smartphones/features and greater reliance on prepaid or capped plans.
• Rural vs town centers
  • Town centers (Carlinville, Staunton, Gillespie, Virden, Girard) show near-urban patterns of mobile use, while rural tracts exhibit more cellular-only home internet, more hotspot usage, and more variability in signal strength indoors.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage
  • 4G LTE: effectively countywide across populated areas.
  • 5G: strong along I‑55 and in/around major towns; estimated 75–85% of the population has usable 5G access, below Illinois’ ~95%+ in metro corridors.
• Spectrum and carriers
  • AT&T (including FirstNet), Verizon (including C‑band mid-band), and T‑Mobile (2.5 GHz mid-band) all operate in the county. 5G mid-band is concentrated near highways and towns; rural coverage often falls back to LTE.
• Speeds and reliability
  • Typical 5G downloads around 80–200 Mbps in corridor/town areas; LTE more often 10–40 Mbps in rural sectors. Median statewide 5G performance in metro areas is generally higher (often 150–250 Mbps) with denser site grids.
  • Indoor coverage gaps persist in farmhouses and metal buildings; external antennas or signal boosters are more common than in urban Illinois.
• Backhaul and alternatives
  • Fiber backhaul has expanded to anchor sites and some community institutions, improving 5G capacity in towns.
  • Fixed wireless access (FWA) over 5G from major carriers is gaining subscribers, substituting for DSL or where cable isn’t present; this reinforces the county’s higher cellular-only home internet rate.

How Macoupin County differs from the Illinois norm

• More cellular substitution: a meaningfully larger share of households rely on mobile data as their primary or sole home internet connection.
• Slightly lower smartphone adoption overall, driven by an older age structure and lower household incomes than the state average.
• 5G availability and density trail state averages; residents see more LTE fallback and more variable indoor signal quality.
• Mobile speeds are respectable in towns and along I‑55 but are less consistent countywide than in Illinois’ metro areas.

Bottom line Macoupin County is highly mobile-reliant by necessity: most residents use smartphones, but a larger-than-average share depend on cellular data for home connectivity. 5G coverage and capacity continue to improve along major corridors and in town centers, while rural reliability and indoor performance lag state norms. These differences are explained largely by the county’s older demographics, income mix, and sparser infrastructure compared with Illinois’ metropolitan regions.

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

Population context

• Population ≈44,500; adults (18+) ≈35,600; sex split ≈50% female / 50% male (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).
• Estimated social media users:
  • Adults: ≈83% of U.S. adults use at least one platform (Pew, 2024) → ≈29,500 adult users in Macoupin.
  • Teens (13–17): ≈95% use social platforms (Pew, 2023) → ≈2,400–2,600 teen users locally.
  • Total users in-county (modeled): ≈31,500–32,000.

Most-used platforms (adult reach; Pew Research Center, 2024; indicative of local adult reach)

• YouTube: 83%
• Facebook: 68%
• Instagram: 47%
• Pinterest: 35%
• TikTok: 33%
• WhatsApp: 29%
• LinkedIn: 30%
• Snapchat: 27%
• X (Twitter): 22%
• Reddit: 22% Given Macoupin’s older, rural profile, Facebook and YouTube are the clear leaders locally; Instagram and TikTok skew younger; Snapchat concentrates under 30; LinkedIn remains niche.

Age-group usage patterns (local implications)

• 13–17: Near-universal YouTube; heavy Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram; minimal Facebook posting (parents/teams tag them).
• 18–29: Daily multi-platform use; Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok lead; YouTube near-universal; Facebook used for events, Groups, Marketplace.
• 30–49: Facebook + YouTube dominate; Instagram solid; TikTok rising (short-form video for recipes, DIY, local tips).
• 50–64: Facebook is primary; YouTube strong (how-to, news); Pinterest notable; moderate Instagram; light TikTok.
• 65+: Facebook for family, church, civic updates; YouTube for news/how-to; limited use of other platforms.

Gender breakdown (tendencies)

• Women modestly over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X, LinkedIn. With an approximately even local sex split, overall audience skew is small but content preferences differ by gender.

Behavioral trends observable in rural Midwest counties like Macoupin

• Facebook Groups are the community hub: school sports, local government, churches, non-profits, buy/sell/trade; Marketplace drives local commerce.
• Short-form video is surging: TikTok and Instagram Reels cross-posted to Facebook Reels and YouTube Shorts.
• Peak activity times: early morning (commute/school run) and evening; weather, road conditions, school closures, and local incidents spike engagement.
• Local authenticity wins: posts featuring known community members, kids’ activities, and named sources outperform generic brand creative.
• Messaging > public posting among under-30s (Snapchat, Instagram DMs); over-30s share links and comment in Groups on Facebook.
• Businesses favor Facebook + Instagram for reach; boosted posts and Reels often outperform complex ad builds for small budgets; events and limited-time offers drive saves/shares.

Notes on methodology

• County user counts are modeled by applying Pew Research Center’s 2024 adult platform adoption and 2023 teen adoption to the county’s ACS population profile. Platform percentages shown are Pew U.S. adult figures, used to indicate likely local reach and ranking.