Marion County

Marion County, Illinois — key demographics

Population size

• 37,729 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~41.8 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18 to 64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender

• Female: ~50.8%
• Male: ~49.2%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS, race alone unless noted; Hispanic is any race)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~86%
• Black or African American (non-Hispanic): ~7–8%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3%
• Two or more races (non-Hispanic): ~3%
• Asian (non-Hispanic): ~0.5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (non-Hispanic): ~0.2%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (non-Hispanic): ~0.1% or less

Household data

• Total households: ~15,300
• Average household size: ~2.34
• Family households: ~62% (married-couple families ~46%)
• Nonfamily households: ~38%
• Households with individuals living alone: ~33% (age 65+ living alone: ~14%)
• Tenure: owner-occupied ~71%, renter-occupied ~29%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (population count); American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (DP05, S1101, DP04) for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and household characteristics.

Marion County, Illinois (2020 Census pop. ≈37,700; area ≈576 sq mi; density ≈65 people/sq mi)

Estimated email users: ≈28,700 residents (age 13+) use email regularly.

Age distribution of email users (est.):

• 13–17: ≈1,700 (6%)
• 18–34: ≈6,700 (23%)
• 35–64: ≈13,800 (48%)
• 65+: ≈6,400 (22%)

Gender split (est. users):

• Female: ≈14,600 (51%)
• Male: ≈14,100 (49%)

Digital access and trends (county-level estimates using ACS/Pew adoption applied to local demographics):

• Household broadband subscription: ≈79% of households.
• Device access: ≈90% of households have a computer and/or smartphone.
• Smartphone‑only home internet: ≈14% of households.
• Trend: broadband subscriptions have risen roughly 4–6 percentage points since 2018, with steady migration from DSL to cable/fixed‑wireless and growing fiber in population centers.

Local density/connectivity facts:

• Population and ISP infrastructure are concentrated around Salem and the Marion portion of Centralia, supporting higher-speed cable/fiber options; rural townships show more reliance on fixed‑wireless/legacy DSL and fewer high‑speed choices.
• The county’s low density (~65/sq mi) contributes to wider last‑mile gaps outside towns, reinforcing the smartphone‑only and fixed‑wireless share.

Mobile phone usage in Marion County, Illinois — 2024 snapshot

User estimates

• Adult population baseline: approximately 29,100 adults (out of ~37,700 total residents).
• Mobile-phone users (any mobile phone): ~28,000 adults (about 96% of adults).
• Smartphone users: ~24,100 adults (about 83% of adults).
• Household adoption (ACS-style indicators):
  • Households with a smartphone: ~83% (lower than Illinois overall, which is near 90%).
  • Households with a cellular data plan: ~67% (vs ~79% statewide).
  • Mobile-only internet households (cellular data plan but no wireline): ~18% (vs ~11% statewide).
  • Households with no internet subscription: ~20% (vs ~12% statewide).

Demographic breakdown (smartphone adoption)

• By age (applying current national age-specific adoption rates to Marion County’s age mix):
  • 18–29: ~4,700 smartphone users; adoption ~96%.
  • 30–49: ~8,600 smartphone users; adoption ~95%.
  • 50–64: ~6,000 smartphone users; adoption ~83%.
  • 65+: ~4,800 smartphone users; adoption ~61%.
• Overall adult smartphone adoption in Marion County (83%) is notably below Illinois overall (89%). The gap is driven primarily by:
  • A larger share of older adults than the state average, and
  • Lower adoption among seniors (roughly 61% locally versus nearer 70% statewide).
• Income and plan type:
  • A higher share of lower-income households correlates with more prepaid plans and a higher rate of mobile-only home internet, both above the state average.
  • Digital reliance skews toward smartphones as the primary internet device among lower-income and younger adults, with fewer multi-device households than statewide.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carrier landscape: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and UScellular all operate in and around Marion County. UScellular’s rural presence is more salient here than in urban Illinois.
• 5G footprint:
  • T-Mobile: broad low-band coverage countywide, with mid-band (2.5 GHz) strongest in and along Salem, Centralia-adjacent areas, and major corridors (notably I‑57/US‑50).
  • Verizon: countywide low-band with C-band (n77) primarily along interstate and population centers; coverage and capacity taper in low-density areas.
  • AT&T: countywide low-band 5G; mid-band buildout is thinner than in metro Illinois; FirstNet Band 14 coverage enhances reliability for public safety and also benefits general users.
  • mmWave 5G is essentially absent (unlike Chicago and larger metros).
• Capacity and performance patterns:
  • Town centers and highway corridors see materially better mid-band 5G capacity than outlying rural townships.
  • Off-corridor areas depend more on low-band spectrum (600/700/850 MHz), which provides reach but lower peak throughput than metro Illinois where mid-band is ubiquitous.
• Infrastructure density:
  • The county relies on a modest number of macro sites with wider inter-site distances than in urban Illinois; outside Salem/Centralia-adjacent zones, users experience larger cell sizes and more variable signal quality.
• Resilience and public safety:
  • AT&T FirstNet presence is a differentiator, improving rural reliability and indoor coverage for emergency services; that uplift spills over to consumer coverage in many locations.

How Marion County differs from Illinois overall

• Adoption and dependence:
  • Lower overall smartphone adoption (≈83% vs ≈89% statewide), with the gap concentrated among adults 50+.
  • Higher mobile-only home internet use (≈18% vs ≈11%), reflecting greater reliance on cellular data where wireline broadband is limited or cost-prohibitive.
• Network experience:
  • More extensive low-band dependence off-corridor; mid-band 5G capacity is concentrated along I‑57/US‑50 and town centers rather than broadly distributed as in metro counties.
  • Fewer ultra-high-capacity nodes (mmWave) than large metros; practical peak speeds and indoor penetration in rural tracts trail the state average.
• Market structure:
  • UScellular remains a meaningful option in pockets, unlike most urban Illinois markets dominated by the national three; this can improve rural coverage but results in heterogeneous performance across carriers.

Key implications

• Closing the gap with state-level performance hinges on continued mid-band 5G buildout beyond the interstates, infill sites to reduce cell sizes in rural tracts, and expanded affordable wireline alternatives to reduce overreliance on mobile-only internet.
• Outreach to older adults and low-income households—device literacy, subsidy enrollment when available, and plans with sufficient data—would move adoption and usage patterns closer to the statewide profile.

Marion County, Illinois — social media snapshot (2024–2025)

Population basis

• Total population: 37,729 (2020 Census)
• Residents age 13+: ~31,683

User stats (modeled from Pew Research platform adoption by age/gender applied to Marion County’s age mix)

• On at least one major social platform (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, X/Twitter, Reddit, LinkedIn, Pinterest; excludes YouTube): ~22,600 residents 13+ (≈71%)
• Including YouTube: ~26,600 residents 13+ (≈84%)

Age breakdown of social media users (share of the user base, 13+)

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

Gender breakdown of users

• Overall users: ~54% female, ~46% male
• Platform skews commonly observed:
  • More female: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, TikTok
  • More male: YouTube, Reddit, X/Twitter

Most‑used platforms in Marion County (estimated share of residents 13+ who use each)

• YouTube: ~84%
• Facebook: ~65%
• Instagram: ~48%
• TikTok: ~35%
• Snapchat: ~29%
• X/Twitter: ~22%
• Reddit: ~21% Notes: Estimates blend adult (18+) rates from recent Pew studies with teen (13–17) rates from Pew’s 2023 teen report; percentages are of 13+ residents.

Behavioral trends observed in counties like Marion (rural Midwest profile)

• Facebook is the community hub: high engagement with local news, school sports, churches, city/county pages, and Buy/Sell/Trade groups; Facebook Marketplace is a key shopping channel for 30+.
• YouTube is ubiquitous across ages for how‑to, home/auto repair, outdoors, agriculture, and product research; long‑tail local content performs well.
• Under 30 concentrates activity in Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok; Facebook is kept mainly for groups/events rather than posting.
• X/Twitter and Reddit are niche; spikes occur around severe weather, high‑school sports, and state/national news.
• Engagement timing is mobile‑first and routine‑driven: early morning commute (6–8 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–9 p.m.); weekend community posts perform well.
• Creative that feels local (people, places, deals, events) outperforms generic brand content; short vertical video sees above‑average completion among under‑40.

Method note and sources

• Figures are modeled estimates using 2020 Census/ACS demographic structure for Marion County and 2023–2024 Pew Research Center platform adoption by age and gender (including Pew’s Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023). Percentages are rounded and represent best‑available county‑level projections based on national usage patterns.