Marshall County

Marshall County, Illinois — key demographics

Population

• 11,742 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age

• Median age: ~47 years
• Under 18: ~20%
• 18–64: ~55%
• 65 and over: ~25%

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Race and ethnicity (share of total population)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~92–94%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3%
• Two or more races: ~2–4%
• Black or African American: ~0.5%
• Asian: ~0.2–0.3%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.2%

Households

• Total households: ~5,100
• Average household size: ~2.25–2.30
• Family households: ~63% of households (≈3,200)
• Married-couple households: ~51%
• Households with children under 18: ~24%
• Nonfamily households: ~37%; living alone: ~33% (≈14% age 65+ living alone)

Insights

• Small, aging population with roughly one-quarter aged 65+, indicating elevated senior service needs.
• Predominantly White, with limited racial/ethnic diversity and a modest but growing multiracial and Hispanic share.
• Household structure skews toward married couples and smaller household sizes, with a substantial share of single-person households.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 5-year estimates (most recent).

Marshall County, IL snapshot (based on U.S. Census ACS 2018–2022 and Pew Research):

• Population ≈11.7k; land density ≈30 people/sq. mile; largely rural with small towns (e.g., Lacon, Henry, Toluca).
• Estimated email users: ~7.5–8.2k residents (about two-thirds of the population), derived from local internet subscription rates and near‑universal email use among connected adults.

Age distribution among email users (estimated):

• 18–34: ~23%
• 35–54: ~32%
• 55–64: ~18%
• 65+: ~27%

Gender split among email users (estimated): ~50–51% female, ~49–50% male, reflecting the county’s near‑even sex ratio and older age structure.

Digital access and trends:

• ~80–85% of households have an internet subscription; ~70–75% have fixed broadband; ~8–10% are mobile‑only; ~15–20% have no internet subscription.
• ~87–90% of households have a computer; smartphone access is widespread.
• Connectivity and adoption are highest in and around town centers and lower in rural fringes; speeds and plan choices have improved with recent broadband buildouts, but gaps persist in sparsely populated blocks.

Insight: Email penetration is mature; growth now depends on closing remaining broadband gaps and improving affordability in the most rural areas.

Marshall County, Illinois: Mobile phone usage summary (2024)

Headline user estimates

• Population and households: ~11,500 residents and ~4,800 households
• People using a mobile phone (any type): ~8,900 (about 77% of the total population; roughly 96–98% of adults)
• Smartphone users: ~8,400 (about 73% of the total population; ~92–94% of adults)
• Cellular-only home internet (households using mobile data as their primary home internet): 13% of households (600), higher than Illinois overall (~8–9%)

Demographic breakdown affecting usage

• Older population share is high: ~25% age 65+ (vs ~16% statewide). Smartphone adoption in this group runs ~70–78%, pulling down the countywide average despite near-universal mobile ownership among working-age adults.
• Working-age adults (35–64) make up roughly 37% of residents and have high smartphone penetration (~88–92%), but slightly lower than the Illinois average, reflecting the county’s older age structure and lower median income.
• Teens (13–17) are highly connected (roughly 90–95% with smartphones), but this group is a smaller slice of the population than in Illinois on average, so it doesn’t lift overall county rates as much as it does statewide.
• Income and education: Median household income is materially below the Illinois median, and bachelor’s attainment is lower. This correlates with a higher share of budget and prepaid plans and a greater tendency to use smartphones as the primary internet device at home.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Network coverage: All three national carriers provide near-universal 4G LTE population coverage (>95%). 5G is present in and around Lacon, Toluca, Wenona, and along primary corridors (IL‑17/IL‑29), with coverage tapering in sparsely populated areas.
• 5G quality mix: Low‑band 5G is widespread; mid‑band 5G (the faster layer) is concentrated near towns and highway corridors and is less continuous than in metro Illinois. Outside those areas, service often reverts to LTE or low‑band 5G.
• Typical speeds (field-tested ranges in comparable rural Illinois counties and consistent with carrier deployments):
  • Mid‑band 5G areas: ~80–200 Mbps down, 10–25 Mbps up
  • Low‑band 5G/LTE areas: ~5–30 Mbps down, 2–10 Mbps up
  • Evening congestion is more noticeable than in urban Illinois because fewer sites serve larger areas.
• Terrain and gaps: The Illinois River bluffs, wooded areas, and low-lying river bottoms create localized dead zones and indoor penetration challenges, particularly in metal buildings and basements.
• Public safety and reliability: AT&T FirstNet coverage is available; backup power and site density are thinner than in metro counties, so prolonged storm-related outages can have wider impact.
• Fixed broadband interplay: Cable and DSL cover town centers; fiber is present but not ubiquitous. In outlying areas, fixed options can be limited or slow, driving higher reliance on smartphone hotspots and cellular fixed‑wireless access (FWA) from Verizon and T‑Mobile than is typical statewide.

How Marshall County differs from Illinois overall

• Slightly lower adult smartphone penetration, driven primarily by an older age profile and lower incomes than the state average.
• Higher dependence on mobile networks for primary home internet (cellular-only) and for supplementing limited fixed broadband, especially outside town centers.
• 5G availability is present but the fast mid‑band layer is spottier than in urban/suburban Illinois, yielding lower median speeds and more frequent fallbacks to LTE.
• More evening and event‑time congestion due to wider cell spacing and fewer sectors per site than in metro areas.
• Plan mix skews more toward prepaid/budget offerings and data-conservative usage patterns compared with the state.

Quantified takeaways (2024)

• ~8.9k residents use a mobile phone; ~8.4k use a smartphone
• ~600 households rely primarily on cellular data for home internet
• 4G LTE covers virtually all populated areas; fast 5G is town‑ and corridor‑centric rather than county‑wide

Outlook

• Continued 5G mid‑band buildouts and rural fiber projects should lift speeds and reduce reliance on cellular‑only home internet over the next 12–24 months, but improvements will remain corridor‑focused before reaching the most sparsely populated parts of the county.

Marshall County, IL social media snapshot (2025, modeled)

Scale and method

• County size: about 11.7k residents. Estimates below are modeled from U.S. Census/ACS demographics and 2023–2024 Pew Research platform adoption, adjusted for rural Midwest patterns. Figures reflect users age 13+ and represent best-available local estimates.

User stats

• Total social media users (13+): ≈ 8,000 (about 68% of residents; ≈ 80% of 13+)
• Gender among users: ≈ 52% female, 48% male
• Age mix of users:
  • 13–17: 8%
  • 18–24: 9%
  • 25–34: 14%
  • 35–44: 16%
  • 45–54: 18%
  • 55–64: 17%
  • 65+: 18%

Most-used platforms in the county (share of local social users; multi-platform use is common)

• YouTube: ~80%
• Facebook: ~72% (heavy use of local Groups and Messenger)
• Instagram: ~40%
• Pinterest: ~32% (strong among women 25–64)
• TikTok: ~30% (dominant for under 35; cross-posted Reels common)
• Snapchat: ~25% (teens and early 20s)
• WhatsApp: ~18% (family/close-friend chat clusters)
• LinkedIn: ~18% (commuters/professionals; niche reach)
• X/Twitter: ~15% (sports/news followers; smaller creator base)
• Reddit: ~12% (younger/male skew; interest communities vs local)
• Nextdoor: ~8% (pockets in larger towns; not countywide)

Behavioral trends and practical insights

• Facebook is the community hub: local news, school sports, city updates, yard sales, lost-and-found, event coordination. Most households that are online check Facebook daily; Groups drive the bulk of local discussion.
• Short-form video is rising: TikTok and Instagram Reels consumption is growing quickly; many local creators/businesses post the same clip across TikTok, Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
• Age dynamics:
  • Under 25: Snapchat for close friends; TikTok and YouTube for entertainment; Instagram for style/identity.
  • 25–44: Facebook + Instagram for parenting, school info, events, local shopping; Pinterest for ideas.
  • 45–64: Facebook first; YouTube for how-to, product research; Pinterest for projects/recipes.
  • 65+: Facebook for community and family; YouTube for news and tutorials; lower multi-platform use.
• Gender patterns: Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X.
• Content that travels locally: severe weather and road updates, school and youth sports photos, local event flyers, business openings/closings, human-interest stories, and giveaways.
• Timing and cadence: Engagement reliably spikes early morning and evening on weekdays, plus Sunday afternoons; video and photo carousels outperform text-only updates.
• Ads and outreach:
  • Broadest paid reach: Facebook + Instagram. Use 15–25 mile radius around Lacon/Henry/Toluca for coverage.
  • Younger reach: TikTok and Snapchat for 13–29; creative should be native vertical video.
  • Evergreen reach: YouTube pre-roll for awareness across ages; target interests (DIY, outdoors, farming, autos).
  • Community trust: Authentic, hyper-local messaging and recognizable faces outperform polished, generic creative; avoid national political cues.

Notes

• Platform percentages reflect “ever use”/active-user prevalence among local social users, not exclusive reach. Totals exceed 100% due to multi-platform behavior.