Montgomery County

Montgomery County, Illinois — Key Demographics

Population size

• 28,288 (2020 Census)
• ~27,9xx (2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimate), indicating continued gradual decline from 2010

Age

• Median age: ~41.5–42 years
• Under 18: ~18%
• 18–64: ~61%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Gender

• Male: ~54%
• Female: ~46% Note: Male share is elevated relative to state averages due in part to correctional facility population counted in group quarters.

Racial/ethnic composition (Hispanic can be of any race)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~88–89%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~5–6%
• Hispanic/Latino: ~3%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Asian: <1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: <1%

Households and families

• Households: ~11.3k
• Average household size: ~2.28
• Family households: ~62% of households
• Married-couple households: ~46%
• Householder living alone: ~30% (about 12% age 65+)
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~73% (renter-occupied ~27%)

Insights

• Population is slowly declining and aging.
• Demographics are predominantly White with small Black and Hispanic communities.
• Household sizes are small; owner-occupancy is high, consistent with rural Illinois patterns.
• Elevated male share reflects group-quarters population.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates.

Montgomery County, IL snapshot (2023):

• Population ≈27,400; land area ≈710 sq mi; density ≈39 people/sq mi.

Estimated email users

• Adults using email: ≈19,100 (about 90% of ~21,300 adults).
• Gender split among email users: ≈51% women (≈9,740) and 49% men (≈9,360).

Age distribution of email users (estimated counts, shares of adult email users)

• 18–29: ≈3,050 (16%)
• 30–49: ≈5,680 (30%)
• 50–64: ≈5,190 (27%)
• 65+: ≈5,180 (27%)

Digital access and connectivity

• Household internet subscription: ≈82% (fixed broadband ≈75%; ≈11–12% with no home internet).
• Access is strongest in towns and along main corridors; adoption lags in sparsely populated townships, reflecting the county’s low density.
• Mobile broadband (4G/5G) and fixed wireless have expanded since 2021, helping close gaps where cable/fiber are limited; older and lower-income areas show lower subscription and more smartphone-only access.

Key insight: Email usage is near-universal among working-age adults and substantial among seniors; the main limiter is home broadband subscription in low-density areas rather than willingness to use email.

Montgomery County, IL — mobile phone usage snapshot (2024)

User estimates

• Total mobile phone users (people 13+ with a mobile handset): approximately 22,000–24,000, or about 82–88% of residents. This is modestly below Illinois’ overall adult mobile-phone penetration, which is near universal.
• Smartphone users: approximately 19,000–21,000. Adult smartphone penetration in the county is best estimated in the low-80% range, a few points lower than Illinois’ statewide rate (mid-to-high 80s) due to older age structure and lower median incomes.
• Households using cellular data at home: roughly 7,700–9,000 households (about 70–75% of households) have at least one cellular data plan (smartphone or hotspot) in addition to or instead of fixed broadband.
• Cellular-only internet households (no fixed broadband): about 19–22% of households—noticeably higher than Illinois overall (roughly 12–14%). This reflects heavier reliance on mobile data for home connectivity in rural parts of the county.

Demographic breakdown and how it differs from Illinois overall

• Age
  • Montgomery County skews older (about one-fifth of residents are 65+), versus Illinois at roughly 17% 65+. Smartphone adoption among 65+ typically runs 60–70%, which pulls down the countywide average more than it does at the state level.
  • Younger adults (18–49) are near-saturated with smartphones (≈95%+), similar to statewide patterns; the gap is driven largely by the larger 50+ cohort.
• Income and plan mix
  • Median household income is materially lower than the Illinois median (on the order of 20–30% lower). That shows up as:
    • Higher share on prepaid and budget plans.
    • Greater Android share and longer device replacement cycles (by about 6–12 months vs urban Illinois).
    • Higher incidence of cellular-only home internet to avoid fixed-broadband costs.
• Race/ethnicity and education
  • The county is predominantly non-Hispanic White (about nine in ten), with smaller minority populations than the state average. Given similar national ownership levels across race/ethnicity today, the key differentiator remains age and income rather than race.
  • Lower rates of bachelor’s-or-higher attainment than Illinois overall correlate with slightly lower smartphone adoption and greater prepaid usage.

Digital infrastructure and coverage patterns

• Network footprint
  • All three national carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile) operate in the county; UScellular also has a presence across parts of rural Illinois. FirstNet (AT&T) covers public-safety needs countywide.
  • 5G coverage is established in and around population centers (Hillsboro, Litchfield) and along the I‑55 corridor, with mid-band 5G (C‑band/n77, n41) delivering strong capacity in-town and along the interstate.
  • Outside towns and off the I‑55 spine, service more often falls back to LTE, with occasional dead zones in low-lying or heavily wooded/farm areas—more common than the state average.
• Performance
  • Typical observed rural mobile speeds in the county range from about 20–80 Mbps downlink, with in-town mid-band 5G often exceeding 100 Mbps. That rural range is below urban/suburban Illinois norms, where median mobile speeds frequently surpass 100 Mbps.
  • Latency is generally 30–60 ms on 5G/LTE in-town; it can rise in fringe areas where bands 12/13 dominate.
• Capacity and infrastructure density
  • The interstate corridor concentrates capacity and newer spectrum, while “last-mile” rural tracts rely on wider‑area low‑band LTE and fewer macro sites per square mile than Illinois’ metro counties. Public Wi‑Fi and school/library access points are important complements for high‑data tasks in these tracts.
• Fixed–mobile interplay
  • T‑Mobile and Verizon 5G Home Internet are available in and near the corridor and towns; in outlying areas, Starlink and LTE/5G hotspots fill gaps where cable/fiber is limited. As fixed fiber expands via state and federal programs, cellular‑only home reliance should gradually recede.

What’s different from the Illinois state-level trend

• Higher cellular-only home internet reliance: about 19–22% of households vs roughly 12–14% statewide.
• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration driven by an older population and lower incomes.
• More LTE fallback and patchier 5G mid-band coverage away from towns/interstate, leading to lower rural median speeds and greater variability than the statewide picture.
• Greater share of prepaid and budget handset usage, and longer device replacement cycles.
• Heavier use of mobile hotspots for homework and telehealth in rural tracts, with public Wi‑Fi playing a larger role than in metro Illinois.

Bottom line Montgomery County mirrors statewide urban corridors where 5G is strong (I‑55, towns) but diverges in rural tracts: more cellular‑only households, more LTE dependence, and slightly lower smartphone adoption. Continued mid-band 5G build-outs and fiber expansion should narrow these gaps, reducing the county’s current over‑reliance on mobile data for home connectivity.

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

Who lives here (definitive county demographics)

• Population: ~28,300 residents (U.S. Census, 2020; ACS 2019–2023 5-year)
• Age mix (ACS 2019–2023, rounded):
  • 0–17: ~20%
  • 18–24: ~8%
  • 25–44: ~24%
  • 45–64: ~27%
  • 65+: ~21%
• Sex: ~50.5% female, ~49.5% male
• Connectivity: ~4 in 5 households have a broadband subscription (ACS 2019–2023)

Most-used platforms in the county (adult penetration; best-available estimates) Note: Exact platform shares are not directly published at the county level. Figures below are evidence-based estimates derived by applying Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adoption rates (with rural adjustments) to Montgomery County’s demographics.

• YouTube: ~82%
• Facebook: ~72%
• Instagram: ~43%
• Pinterest: ~35% (notably higher among women 25–54)
• Snapchat: ~33% (strongest among teens/younger adults)
• TikTok: ~31% (skews under 35)
• X (Twitter): ~23%
• LinkedIn: ~24% (lower in rural labor mixes)
• WhatsApp: ~20%
• Nextdoor: ~10% (limited footprint outside larger metros)

Age-group usage tendencies (county-aligned with national/rural patterns)

• Teens (13–17): YouTube is near-universal; Snapchat and TikTok dominate daily social time; Instagram is secondary; Facebook mainly for events/teams.
• Young adults (18–29): Heavy Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok; Facebook used for groups/Marketplace and local events.
• Adults (30–49): Facebook + YouTube core; Instagram and TikTok growing; Pinterest strong among parents and homeowners.
• Adults (50–64): Facebook is primary; YouTube for how‑to and news; lighter Instagram/Pinterest use.
• Seniors (65+): Facebook first, YouTube second; minimal presence on TikTok/Snapchat.

Gender dynamics

• Women: Over-index on Facebook Groups/Marketplace and Pinterest; consistent Instagram use across 18–44.
• Men: Over-index on YouTube, X, and Reddit (niche); Facebook remains widely used for local info and Marketplace.

Behavioral trends observed in comparable rural Illinois communities and supported by platform norms

• Facebook is the community hub:
  • High engagement in local Groups (schools, youth sports, churches, festivals, buy/sell/trade).
  • Marketplace is a major driver of daily logins (vehicles, equipment, furniture).
  • Fast spikes around weather alerts, road closures, school updates, and local government notices.
• Video is now the default:
  • Short‑form (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) outperforms static posts for local businesses and events.
  • “People-first” content (faces, teams, local highlights) gets stronger reaction/reshare rates than generic promos.
• Event-driven usage:
  • Seasonal peaks around school athletics, fairs, parades, and holiday markets; cross-posting to relevant Groups materially boosts reach.
• Time-of-day patterns:
  • Engagement clusters around lunch (roughly 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.) and evenings (after 7 p.m.), with weekend mornings strong for community pages and Marketplace browsing.
• Discovery to action:
  • Users commonly discover local services on Facebook/Instagram and complete contact/purchase via Messenger, comments, or phone; Google search follows for service comparisons.
• Messaging:
  • Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are primary for quick coordination among families and teens; businesses increasingly use Messenger auto‑replies for FAQs and hours.

Sources and method

• County demographics and broadband: U.S. Census Bureau (Decennial 2020) and ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates.
• Platform adoption baselines: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024. County platform percentages are modeled by aligning Pew’s national and rural adoption patterns to Montgomery County’s age/sex mix and connectivity profile.