Ogle County

Key demographics — Ogle County, Illinois (latest U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates unless noted)

Population

• Total population: ~50,900
• Population density: ~69 per sq. mile (land area ~736 sq. mi)

Age

• Median age: ~43 years
• Age distribution: 0–17: ~22%; 18–64: ~59%; 65+: ~19%

Gender

• Male: ~50.7%
• Female: ~49.3%

Race and ethnicity

• White, non-Hispanic: ~87%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~9%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~1–2%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~0.5–1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~0.2%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~2%

Households and families

• Households: ~20,700
• Average household size: ~2.45 persons
• Family households: ~66% of households
• Married-couple families: ~52% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• Living alone (householder): ~26%
• Owner-occupied housing: ~77% of occupied units

Insights

• Older median age than Illinois overall, reflecting an aging population.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with a growing Hispanic/Latino community.
• High owner-occupancy and a majority of family households; household sizes are modest for a largely rural county.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates; 2020 Decennial Census (geography/land area).

Ogle County, IL snapshot

• Population and density: 51,788 residents (2020 Census) across ~759 sq mi ≈ 68 people/sq mi.
• Digital access: 21,000 households; about 84% have a broadband subscription (17,500 households) and ~90% have a computer (ACS). Roughly 6–8% have no home internet; mobile-only access is common among a minority of households.
• Estimated email users: ~36,400 adults use email regularly, rising to ~38,600 when including teens 13–17 (estimates apply Pew U.S. email adoption rates to local age structure).
• Age distribution of email users (approx.):
  • 18–24: 4,200 residents; ~3,990 email users
  • 25–44: 12,840; ~11,930 users
  • 45–64: 13,980; ~12,580 users
  • 65+: 9,320; ~7,920 users
• Gender split: Female ~50.2%, male ~49.8% (ACS). Email use is near parity by gender; usage skews lower only at the oldest ages.
• Trends and local context: Broadband subscription and speeds have been rising since 2018, with stronger fixed broadband in towns (Rochelle, Oregon, Byron) and more DSL/fixed‑wireless reliance in rural townships. Population density and rural settlement patterns contribute to pockets with weaker high‑speed options, which correlates with lower email intensity among older and lower‑income households.

Sources: U.S. Census/ACS; Pew Research email adoption benchmarks.

Mobile phone usage in Ogle County, Illinois — 2025 snapshot

Population context

• Population: 51,788 (2020 Census); current estimates remain near 51,000.
• Age structure: 65+ is about 19% (older than Illinois overall at ~16%).
• Settlement pattern: predominantly rural with small towns (Rochelle, Oregon, Byron), which shapes network build-out and adoption.

User estimates and penetration

• Adult mobile phone users: ~39,000 (≈97% of adults; aligns with national adult phone ownership).
• Adult smartphone users: ~33,000 (≈83% of adults), a few points below Illinois overall (≈88%).
• Mobile-only home internet: 2,600 households, about 13% of the county’s ~20,000 households, higher than the statewide share (9%). This reflects sparser wired options and strong 4G/5G fixed wireless offerings.
• Prepaid share: ≈28% of active lines (vs ≈21% statewide), consistent with rural/price-sensitive adoption.
• Device mix: Skews more Android than the state; roughly a slight Android majority locally, while Illinois overall tilts more iPhone.

Demographic breakdown (smartphone adoption patterns)

• By age:
  • 18–49: ~92% smartphone adoption (near state levels).
  • 50–64: ~85% (a bit below state).
  • 65+: ~62% (lower than state), and this group’s larger local share pulls down the countywide average. That implies roughly 6,000–6,200 smartphone users among the county’s ~9,800 residents aged 65+.
• By income and geography:
  • Rural townships and lower-income households show higher reliance on prepaid plans and mobile-only home internet.
  • Hispanic households (about one in ten residents) are more likely than the county average to use a cellular data plan as their primary home connection, in line with statewide patterns, but overall adoption remains constrained by coverage and device affordability outside town centers.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Carrier presence: AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon, and UScellular all operate in the county.
• 5G footprint:
  • T‑Mobile: Broad low‑band 5G across the county; mid‑band (2.5 GHz) concentrates in and around Rochelle, Byron, Oregon, and along I‑39/I‑88. 5G Home Internet is widely marketed in and near these areas.
  • Verizon: 5G Nationwide broadly; C‑band nodes clustered around Rochelle and interstate corridors. 5G Home Internet available to selected addresses.
  • AT&T: Low‑band 5G in towns and along major routes; mid‑band 5G more limited; LTE serves many outlying areas.
  • UScellular: Strong LTE footprint in rural segments; spot 5G availability.
• Coverage realities:
  • Highway corridors (I‑39/I‑88, IL‑64/72) are well served by macro sites; indoor coverage weakens in sparsely populated and wooded/river‑valley areas and at farmsteads set back from main roads.
  • Small‑cell densification is limited outside Rochelle and a few industrial/commercial zones, so capacity can tighten at peak evening hours.
• Performance (user‑experienced):
  • Rural LTE: commonly 5–35 Mbps down, 2–10 Mbps up, with latency in the 35–60 ms range.
  • Mid‑band 5G in town: often 150–300 Mbps down, 15–40 Mbps up, latency in the mid‑20s to 40 ms.
  • Countywide medians trend below Illinois urban/suburban medians, but mid‑band 5G buildouts since 2023 have narrowed the gap in and around Rochelle.

Trends that differ from the Illinois statewide picture

• Slightly lower adult smartphone penetration driven by an older age mix and more rural households.
• Noticeably higher reliance on mobile-only home internet, boosted by 5G fixed wireless availability and patchy fiber in the countryside.
• Higher prepaid share and a tilt toward Android devices, reflecting price sensitivity and retail channel mix in rural markets.
• Network capacity and speeds vary more sharply by location: strong along interstates and in towns, with larger step‑downs just a few miles into low‑density areas than is typical in metro Illinois.
• 5G is closing gaps where carriers have deployed mid‑band near Rochelle and along major corridors; outside those zones, LTE remains the workhorse and shapes everyday experience more than in Chicagoland.

Implications

• For consumer services: Fixed wireless and value/prepaid plans will continue to outperform in rural townships; device financing and entry‑level Androids see outsized demand.
• For public sector and industry: Prioritizing mid‑band 5G along secondary highways and near agricultural, energy, and logistics sites would yield outsized gains; indoor coverage solutions (repeaters/small cells) matter for schools, clinics, and plants outside town centers.
• For digital inclusion: The wind‑down of federal affordability support in 2024 pushed some households toward mobile‑only service; local programs that underwrite fixed wireless or community Wi‑Fi in outlying areas can directly reduce the county’s above‑average mobile‑only reliance.

Ogle County, IL social media snapshot (2024–2025)

Headline user stats

• Population: ~50,800 (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimate).
• Estimated social media users: 36,000–38,500 (about 72–76% of total population).
• Adults (18+): ~39,500; adult social media users: ~33,000 (about 82–84% of adults).
• Teens (13–17): ~3,100 social media users (very high adoption among teens).

Age mix of social media users (share of users)

• 13–17: 9%
• 18–29: 19%
• 30–49: 35%
• 50–64: 22%
• 65+: 15%

Gender mix of social media users

• Female: 52–54%
• Male: 46–48%

Most-used platforms among local users (share of adult social media users)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 70–75%
• Instagram: 45–50%
• TikTok: 30–35%
• Snapchat: 25–30% (concentrated under 30)
• Pinterest: 30–35% (skews female, home/DIY)
• X (Twitter): 20–25%
• LinkedIn: 25–30% (professionals, commuting workforce)
• Reddit: 18–22%
• Nextdoor: 8–12% (pockets in denser neighborhoods)

Behavioral trends and engagement patterns

• Community-first on Facebook: High participation in local groups for towns, school districts, buy/sell/trade, and yard-sales; Facebook Events drive attendance for fairs, festivals, and school sports.
• Marketplace-heavy behavior: Strong response to local deals; photo-rich listings and “pickup in [town name]” notes lift conversions.
• Video is dominant: YouTube for DIY, farming, outdoor recreation, and home repair; Facebook/Instagram Reels see growing reach across 18–49.
• Short-form growth: TikTok adoption rising with 13–34 for local eats, sports highlights, and storm/road updates; content often cross-posted back to Facebook.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger is the default across ages; Snapchat is the daily comms channel for teens/young adults.
• Prime times: Evenings (7–10 pm) and weekend mornings show the strongest post and ad engagement; lunch-hour spikes for mobile video and Stories/Reels.
• Trust and discovery: Word-of-mouth via Facebook Groups and recommendations drives service choices (home, auto, trades); Google/YouTube used for “how-to” before hiring.
• Seasonal spikes: School closings and winter weather alerts; spring sports and graduation; summer festivals and fairs; fall harvest/ag content.
• Creative that works: Plain-language offers, click-to-call or directions CTAs, before/after photos for services, short vertical video under 20–30 seconds, and locally recognizable landmarks in thumbnails.

Notes on methodology

• Population and age structure from U.S. Census Bureau; platform adoption rates and age/gender usage patterns from recent Pew Research Center national studies and major-platform audience tools. Percentages are modeled to Ogle County’s age mix and rural-Midwest usage patterns to provide locally relevant estimates.