Monroe County

Monroe County, Illinois — key demographics

Population

• Total population (2023 estimate): ~35,900
• Growth since 2010: roughly +9%

Age

• Median age: ~43 years
• Under 18: ~24%
• 18–64: ~57%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Sex

• Female: ~50.5%
• Male: ~49.5%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone: ~95%
• Black or African American alone: ~0.7%
• Asian alone: ~0.8%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.2%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2–3%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~93–94%

Households and housing

• Households: ~13,900
• Persons per household: ~2.6
• Family households: ~75% of households
• Married-couple households: ~62–63%
• Households with own children under 18: ~30–32%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~83–85%
• Housing units: ~14,800–15,000; vacancy rate: ~5–6%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 Population Estimates Program; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2020 Decennial Census)

Monroe County, Illinois snapshot (pop ~35,000; density ~88 people/sq mi)

• Estimated adult email users: ~24,000. Method: ~26,500 adults (≈77% of residents) × 92% email adoption (Pew).
• Age distribution of users (approximate counts and share of users): • 18–29: ~4,000 (17%) • 30–49: ~8,100 (34%) • 50–64: ~6,700 (28%) • 65+: ~5,300 (22%)
• Gender split: Women 52% of users (12.8k), men 48% (12.0k), reflecting ~93% vs ~91% adoption rates.
• Digital access and trends: • ~92% of households have a broadband subscription; ~95% have a computer or smartphone (ACS). • ~11% are smartphone‑only internet users. • Fixed broadband (≥25/3 Mbps) is available to >95% of households; highest speeds and provider choice concentrate in Columbia and Waterloo, with more limited wired options in rural areas. • Mobile 4G/5G coverage is strong along the IL‑3/IL‑159 corridors supporting high on‑the‑go email access. • Email use is saturated and stable overall; the fastest growth continues among adults 65+ as broadband and telehealth adoption rise.

These figures synthesize ACS county demographics and access data with Pew email adoption rates to yield locally scaled estimates.

Mobile phone usage in Monroe County, Illinois — summary

County snapshot

• Population: 34,962 (2020 Census). Suburbanizing county in the St. Louis, MO–IL metro (population centers: Columbia and Waterloo) with significant rural areas in the south and along the Mississippi River bottoms.

User estimates (adults)

• Adult population (18+): ~26,921 (≈77% of residents).
• Cell phone users: ~26,100 adults (≈97% of adults), in line with recent U.S./Illinois norms.
• Smartphone users: ~24,200 adults (≈90% of adults).
• Including teens, total smartphone users countywide likely exceed 26,000, given very high teen smartphone adoption rates nationally.

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

• Age:
  • 18–49: Near-universal smartphone ownership; heavy app and data use typical of metro-adjacent suburbs.
  • 50–64: High smartphone adoption (≈90%); strong 5G device mix due to income and commuting ties to St. Louis.
  • 65+: Lower but substantial smartphone use (≈75–80%); a remaining minority rely on basic phones, especially in rural precincts.
• Geography within the county:
  • Columbia/Waterloo corridor: Dense 4G/5G coverage; high device and plan sophistication (unlimited data, hotspot features).
  • Southern/rural townships and river-bottom areas: More signal variability; slightly higher persistence of basic phones and voice/text-first usage.
• Socioeconomics:
  • With household incomes above the Illinois median and high home-broadband subscription rates, Monroe residents skew toward postpaid family plans and 5G-capable devices; prepaid-only and mobile-only internet households are less common than the state average.

Digital infrastructure

• Carrier presence: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile operate 4G LTE countywide; all three provide 5G in the main population centers (Columbia, Waterloo) and along the IL-3/I‑255 corridor. UScellular has limited relevance compared with deeper downstate counties.
• Coverage characteristics:
  • Strongest, densest service in the north (Columbia–Waterloo–Route 3/I‑255).
  • Spotty pockets in bluff-shadowed areas and the Mississippi River bottoms; agricultural zones can see mid-band 5G fall back to LTE.
• Backhaul and fixed wireless:
  • Fiber backhaul presence along the metro-facing corridor supports robust mobile capacity.
  • 5G fixed wireless (e.g., T‑Mobile/Verizon) is generally available in Columbia and Waterloo; rural availability is more uneven, reinforcing the role of mobile as a supplement rather than a primary home connection in outlying areas.
• Public safety:
  • AT&T FirstNet coverage extends through the populated corridor and primary highways; rural in-building performance still varies by site proximity.

How Monroe County differs from Illinois overall

• Higher 5G device and plan adoption: The county’s suburban/commuter profile and higher incomes push device replacement and 5G uptake faster than the state average.
• Lower reliance on mobile-only internet: Stronger home broadband adoption (especially in Columbia/Waterloo) means fewer households depend solely on cellular data compared with the statewide rate.
• Carrier mix skew: Verizon and AT&T tend to dominate due to historical rural coverage strength and FirstNet alignment with local public-safety needs; T‑Mobile has improved rapidly along the metro corridor but still lags in rural pockets—more so than in Chicago-land counties.
• Rural gaps are narrower than in many downstate counties but more pronounced than the Illinois urban average: users traveling into the southern townships encounter more frequent handoffs and occasional coverage holes not typical in metro counties.

Bottom line

• About 26,000 adults in Monroe County use cell phones, with roughly 24,000 using smartphones; practical coverage and 5G performance are strongest in the Columbia–Waterloo corridor and along major routes, with rural terrain still dictating some dead zones. Compared with Illinois overall, Monroe skews toward higher-end devices/plans and lower mobile-only dependence, while retaining a small but notable cohort of basic-phone users among seniors and in the most rural areas.

Social media in Monroe County, Illinois (modeled 2024 county-level estimates using U.S. Census ACS 2023 demographics and Pew Research platform/usage rates; figures rounded)

County snapshot

• Population ≈ 36,000; residents age 13+ ≈ 30,300
• Households with broadband: high for a rural/suburban county in the St. Louis metro (≈85–90%)

User stats and penetration

• Residents using social media at least monthly (13+): ≈ 24,500 (≈81% of 13+; ≈68% of total residents)
• Daily use among social users: ≈ 70% check at least once per day; ≈ 40% post/comment weekly

Age breakdown (share of all county social users)

• 13–17: ≈ 1,980 users (≈8%)
• 18–29: ≈ 4,690 (≈19%)
• 30–49: ≈ 8,550 (≈35%)
• 50–64: ≈ 5,620 (≈23%)
• 65+: ≈ 3,670 (≈15%)

Gender breakdown

• Overall social media users: ≈ 52% female, 48% male
• Typical platform skews: Facebook/Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat lean female; YouTube, X (Twitter), Reddit, LinkedIn lean male; Pinterest strongly female

Most-used platforms in Monroe County (share of residents age 13+ who use each monthly; approximate user counts in parentheses)

• YouTube: ≈ 79% (≈ 23,800)
• Facebook: ≈ 67% (≈ 20,400)
• Instagram: ≈ 45% (≈ 13,500)
• TikTok: ≈ 32% (≈ 9,600)
• Pinterest: ≈ 31% (≈ 9,400)
• Snapchat: ≈ 26% (≈ 7,800)
• LinkedIn: ≈ 24% (≈ 7,200)
• X (Twitter): ≈ 22% (≈ 6,700)
• Nextdoor: ≈ 17% (≈ 5,200)

Behavioral trends and patterns

• Community-first on Facebook: Buy/sell/trade groups, school sports/boosters, church and civic organizations, local events, public-safety and weather updates drive engagement. Facebook is the default for residents 35+ and retirees.
• Short-form video growth: Instagram Reels and TikTok are the attention drivers for 13–34, especially for local food, gyms, boutiques, and high school life. Cross-posting Reels/Shorts extends reach without new production.
• YouTube as utility: Strong use for DIY, home/farm equipment, outdoor recreation, and local school/municipal streams. How-to and product demo content performs reliably.
• Messaging layers: Facebook Messenger (broad), Snapchat (teens/20s), and Instagram DMs (teens/20s) carry much of the private coordination for teams, clubs, and friend groups.
• Neighborhood chatter: Nextdoor is most active in subdivisions around Waterloo and Columbia for contractor referrals, lost pets, HOA issues, and hyperlocal alerts.
• Content that performs: Local faces and places, timely event info, severe-weather/service interruptions, school milestones, and cause-driven posts (fundraisers, volunteer calls) earn high saves/shares.
• Time-of-day engagement: Peaks 7–9 pm CT on weeknights and late morning to early afternoon on weekends; school/workday lunch hours see lighter, mobile-first scrolling.
• Gender nuances: Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest (home, school, events); men over-index on YouTube and X (sports, news, outdoors). TikTok skews female locally but is mainstream among 18–29.
• Ad/offer response: Limited tolerance for generic ads; locally relevant offers, community sponsorships, and partnerships with school/booster groups convert better than broad targeting.

Note on methodology

• Figures are modeled from Monroe County’s age/gender mix (U.S. Census/ACS 2023) multiplied by 2023–2024 Pew Research Center platform and usage rates by age and gender; teen rates use Pew’s teen reports. Results represent best-available county-level estimates and are rounded for clarity.