Moultrie County

Moultrie County, Illinois — key demographics (most recent Census Bureau data: 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates)

Population size

• Total population: 14,5xx (2020 Census: approximately 14,526; 2023 estimate: roughly 14.3–14.4k)
• Population change since 2010: modest decline

Age

• Median age: ~42 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18 to 64: ~58–59%
• 65 and over: ~18–19%

Gender

• Male: ~49–50%
• Female: ~50–51%

Race and ethnicity (percent of total population)

• White (alone or in combination): ~95%
• Black or African American: ~0.3–0.5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.1–0.2%
• Asian: ~0.3–0.6%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.0%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2–3%
• White alone, not Hispanic: ~93–94%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~5,700–5,900
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Family households: ~62–65% of households
• Married-couple households: ~50–52% of all households
• One-person households: ~28–31%
• Households with children under 18: ~26–28%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~78–80% (renters ~20–22%)

Notes

• Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (P.L. 94-171, Demographic Profile) and 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
• Figures are rounded ACS/Census point estimates; ACS values carry sampling error.

Summary for Moultrie County, Illinois

• Population and density: ~14,500 residents across ~336 sq mi (≈43 people/sq mi); roughly 30% live in the county seat, Sullivan.
• Estimated email users: ≈11,100 residents (≈76% of total population; ≈92% of those age 13+).
• Age distribution of email users (approximate counts and share of users):
  • 13–17: ~0.8k (7%)
  • 18–34: ~2.6k (23%)
  • 35–64: ~5.2k (47%)
  • 65+: ~2.5k (23%)
• Gender split among email users: 51% female (5.7k) and 49% male (~5.4k); usage rates are essentially even by gender.
• Digital access and connectivity:
  • About 85% of households maintain a broadband subscription; around 90% have a computer and/or smartphone.
  • An estimated 15–20% of households are smartphone‑only for internet access.
  • Fixed broadband (cable/fiber/DSL) is strongest in and around towns, with rural areas relying more on fixed wireless and satellite.
  • Countywide 4G LTE coverage is prevalent; 5G is present in population centers and along main corridors.
  • Trend: Subscription rates and speeds have steadily improved since 2020 with incremental fiber/cable buildouts; remaining gaps are primarily in low‑density farmland tracts.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Moultrie County, Illinois (focus on county-specific patterns vs. statewide)

Overall scale and adoption

• Population baseline: 14,526 (2020 Census). Adults (18+) are roughly three-quarters of residents.
• Mobile phone users (any mobile device): approximately 12,000–12,500 residents in 2024. This reflects near-universal adoption among adults and high uptake among teens.
• Smartphone users: approximately 9,500–10,200. County smartphone penetration is a few points lower than Illinois overall due to an older age profile and the local Amish community, which depresses smartphone adoption.
• 5G-capable handsets: approximately 6,000–6,500 (majority of active smartphones, but below the statewide share because device upgrade cycles run longer in rural counties).
• Smartphone-only internet households (relying on cellular data without home broadband): materially higher than the Illinois average. Expect mid-to-high teens as a share of households in Moultrie versus low-teens statewide.

Demographic patterns that shift usage vs. Illinois

• Older population share: A larger 65+ segment than the state average pulls smartphone adoption down and sustains a non-trivial base of flip/basic phones for voice-and-text only. Among 65+, smartphone use trails the state by several points and data consumption is lower.
• Amish community presence (centered around Arthur area) results in a modest but visible subset of adults with minimal or no mobile phone usage; among users in this group, basic/feature phones are more common than smartphones. This is a distinctive local factor not present in most Illinois counties.
• Working-age adults (35–64) are the county’s heaviest total data users in aggregate, driven by commuting, agriculture, and small-business needs rather than dense urban app/video usage patterns.
• Teens and young adults mirror statewide habits (near-saturation smartphone ownership), but their share of the total population is smaller than in metro counties, so they contribute less to total mobile data volume than in urban Illinois.

Carrier mix and performance

• All three national carriers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) have 4G LTE coverage across the county’s towns and primary road corridors; coverage gaps are more likely on low-traffic rural roads and along Lake Shelbyville’s edges and river bottoms.
• 5G availability:
  • Low-band 5G is present in and around incorporated places (e.g., Sullivan, Lovington, and the Arthur area) with typical rural 5G speeds that overlap fast LTE.
  • Mid-band 5G (C-band/n41) is present only where carriers have upgraded corridors and town centers; countywide mid-band density is sparser than the Illinois average, so practical speeds and capacity gains are less consistent than in metro areas.
• Typical real-world speeds: Town centers and primary corridors often see 30–100+ Mbps; secondary rural roads can drop into the 5–25 Mbps range, with occasional dead spots. This county spread is wider and a notch slower than statewide medians due to tower spacing and terrain/vegetation.

Usage and plan dynamics

• Plan types: Prepaid and value MVNO plans account for a larger share of lines than the statewide mix, reflecting rural price sensitivity and lighter multi-line family bundles than in metro areas.
• Device mix: A higher share of legacy LTE-only smartphones and basic phones persists relative to Illinois overall. 5G device turnover is steady but slower than in Chicago/C-U/Decatur metros.
• Work and agriculture: Precision agriculture, telematics, and M2M/IoT lines are proportionally more prominent than in most Illinois counties, lifting the count of non-handset SIMs and shaping daytime rural traffic loads during planting/harvest.

Digital infrastructure notes (mobile-relevant)

• Tower density is lower than metro Illinois; sites concentrate around Sullivan, along IL-121/IL-32, and toward the Arthur–US-45 corridor. This pattern favors solid service in town and along main routes with thinner edges between sites in farm country.
• Backhaul: Fiber-fed sites near towns and trunk routes support better 5G capacity; farther from those paths, sites rely on longer backhaul spans that constrain peak speeds. County performance therefore lags statewide medians that are pulled up by dense urban fiberized grids.
• Public safety and coverage resilience: Like many rural Illinois counties, redundancy is good on primary roads but less robust off-corridor; weather and foliage can materially impact fringe LTE/5G reliability in summer.

How Moultrie County differs most from Illinois overall

• Slightly lower smartphone penetration and 5G device share.
• Higher share of smartphone-only households using cellular as their primary home internet.
• More basic/feature phone retention among seniors and in Amish households.
• Lower mid-band 5G density and wider speed variability; more 4G fallback away from towns.
• Higher relative presence of ag/industrial IoT lines and seasonal rural traffic patterns.

Estimated 2024 user counts (rounded)

• Mobile phone users (any type): 12,000–12,500
• Smartphone users: 9,500–10,200
• 5G-capable smartphones: 6,000–6,500
• Basic/feature phone users: 1,000–1,500
• Smartphone-only internet households: mid-to-high teens percent share of households (above Illinois’ low-teens)

Notes on methodology

• User estimates synthesize the 2020 Census population base, rural vs. urban smartphone adoption patterns observed in national surveys, Illinois-specific urban–rural adoption gaps, and local factors (older age structure and Amish community). Infrastructure observations reflect carrier deployment patterns typical of rural central Illinois counties with similar geography and town spacing.

Moultrie County, IL — Social media usage snapshot (modeled 2024–2025)

User stats

• Population baseline: ~14.5k residents (U.S. Census). Adults (18+): ~11k.
• Estimated social media users (13+): ~9.3k total.
• Adult penetration: ~75–80% of 18+ use at least one social platform; teen (13–17) use is >90%.

Age mix of local social-media audience (share of users)

• 13–17: ~9%
• 18–29: ~19%
• 30–44: ~26%
• 45–64: ~29%
• 65+: ~17%

Gender breakdown (share of users)

• Female ~52%
• Male ~48%
• Notable skews by platform: Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok skew female; YouTube, Reddit, X skew male.

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adults using each)

• YouTube ~82%
• Facebook ~72%
• Instagram ~40%
• Pinterest ~32%
• TikTok ~28%
• Snapchat ~22%
• LinkedIn ~21%
• X (Twitter) ~18%
• Reddit ~16%
• WhatsApp ~16%
• Nextdoor ~12% Notes: Rankings reflect rural Midwest patterns—Facebook usage is relatively higher, Instagram/TikTok slightly lower than large metros. Many users are active on multiple platforms.

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy participation in local Groups (schools, churches, 4‑H, youth sports), Events, and Marketplace buy/sell/trade. Local news and government updates get strong engagement.
• YouTube is utility-first: how‑to, home/auto/farm equipment repair, product research, and sports highlights drive watch time.
• Younger cohorts (13–29) split time between Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok; they consume short‑form video heavily, with fewer public posts and more private messaging (Snapchat/Instagram DMs/Messenger).
• Visual storytelling outperforms text: short video and photo carousels outperform link posts; geo-local hooks (Sullivan, Arthur, Bethany, Lake Shelbyville, “Moultrie County”) lift reach.
• Commerce and fundraising are local-first: Marketplace listings, seasonal events, school/team fundraisers, and small-business promos perform best when tied to specific towns, venues, and dates.
• Trust flows through known networks: content from local institutions, schools, churches, first responders, and long-standing businesses enjoys higher share rates and lower moderation friction than generic pages.
• Political/issue content spikes seasonally (elections, school board issues), with discussion concentrated in closed Groups.

Method and sources

• Figures are modeled for Moultrie County by combining its Census demographic profile with 2024 Pew Research Center platform-usage rates and documented rural/urban usage differentials. Percentages are rounded and intended as actionable local estimates.