Piatt County

Piatt County, Illinois — Key Demographics

Population size

• 2020 Census: 16,673
• 2023 estimate: ~16.6K (stable to slight decline since 2010)

Age

• Median age: ~44 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18–64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition (percent of total population)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~93–94%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~2–3%
• Black or African American: ~1%
• Asian: ~1%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Other (including American Indian/Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander): ~0–1%

Households

• Total households: ~6,700–6,900
• Average household size: ~2.4–2.5
• Family households: ~65–70% of households
• Married-couple households: ~55–60% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~25–30%
• Single-person households: ~25–30%

Insights

• Small, largely rural county with a stable-to-slightly-declining population.
• Older age profile than the U.S. overall.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with small but present racial/ethnic diversity.
• Household structure is primarily family-based with average household sizes typical for rural Midwestern counties.

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

• Context: Piatt County, IL has 16,673 residents (2020 Census) across 439 sq mi (38 people per sq mi), reflecting low-density, rural connectivity conditions.
• Estimated email users: ≈13,300 residents age 13+ (about 80% of the total population), derived by applying current U.S. email adoption by age to Piatt’s population structure.
• Age distribution of email users (share of email users):
  • 13–17: ~6%
  • 18–34: ~22%
  • 35–49: ~24%
  • 50–64: ~25%
  • 65+: ~22%
• Gender split among email users: ≈51% female, 49% male, mirroring the county’s sex ratio.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Household computer ownership and broadband subscription are high for a rural county; recent ACS releases indicate broadband subscription rates in the high 80% range in comparable rural Illinois counties, and Piatt tracks similarly.
  • Fiber availability is concentrated in population centers (e.g., Monticello), with fixed wireless and legacy DSL more common in outlying areas, which can limit speeds and service choice.
  • Smartphone reliance continues to rise, supporting email access even where fixed broadband options are limited.
  • Seniors remain the least connected cohort but have narrowed the gap since the pandemic; remote work/school catalyzed durable increases in internet and email use countywide.

Mobile phone usage in Piatt County, Illinois — 2025 snapshot

Key figures

• Population: 16,673 (2020 Decennial Census). Approx. 6,700 households.
• Estimated smartphone users (residents): about 11,800, or 71% of the total population. Method blends local age structure with recent adoption rates by age from Pew Research Center (teens ~95%, ages 18–34 ~97%, 35–64 ~90%, 65+ ~60–65%).
• Estimated active mobile lines on resident accounts: roughly 22,000 (about 130% of population), applying a conservative rural adjustment to CTIA’s national lines-per-capita metric.
• Adults in wireless-only households (no landline): about 75–78% in Piatt, a few points above Illinois’ statewide rate (low-to-mid 70s), based on CDC/NCHS wireless substitution patterns for Illinois and rural counties.
• Households with at least one smartphone: about 5,900–6,100 (roughly 88–91% of households), aligning ACS device-ownership patterns for rural Illinois with Piatt’s household count.
• Households relying on cellular-only internet (no wired broadband, using phone plans/hotspots): roughly 10% of households, several points above the statewide share.

Demographic breakdown and usage implications

• Age structure skews older than the state, which tempers overall adoption:
  • Under 18 ≈ 20–22%; teens’ smartphone adoption ~95%.
  • 18–34 ≈ high teens; adoption ~97%.
  • 35–64 ≈ around 40%; adoption ~90%.
  • 65+ ≈ about 20–21%; adoption ~60–65%.
• Resulting countywide smartphone penetration (share of total residents who are smartphone users) is estimated around 71%, versus roughly 76% for Illinois overall, reflecting Piatt’s larger senior share and rural profile.
• Income and education levels near state averages imply that the adoption gap is driven more by age and rurality than by income constraints.
• Wireless-only voice trend is firmly entrenched: three in four adults live in homes without a landline, with Piatt modestly above the Illinois average, consistent with rural substitution patterns.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Carriers with native coverage: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and UScellular. MVNOs that ride these networks are widely used, especially for cost-sensitive and multi-line family plans.
• 5G availability: Outdoor 5G from at least one carrier covers most populated parts of the county; T-Mobile’s mid-band footprint and Verizon C-band deployments are strongest along the I-72/US-36 corridor and in/around Monticello, with more variable indoor 5G away from towns. AT&T low-band 5G is broadly present but often with LTE-like speeds.
• LTE remains the reliability baseline in low-density areas, with farm-to-market roads and wooded areas (e.g., around Allerton Park) seeing signal variability and indoor attenuation in metal-sided structures.
• Typical observed median download speeds in east-central Illinois context:
  • T-Mobile: roughly 120–180 Mbps where mid-band 5G is available; falls back to 20–60 Mbps on LTE in fringe areas.
  • Verizon: roughly 70–120 Mbps on C-band 5G; 20–60 Mbps on LTE in rural sectors.
  • AT&T: roughly 50–90 Mbps where low-/mid-band 5G is active; 20–60 Mbps on LTE elsewhere. These ranges reflect rural cell spacing and backhaul variability; peak speeds are higher near the interstate and town centers.
• Capacity and traffic: Commuter flows toward Champaign–Urbana and Springfield via I-72 create predictable morning/evening load spikes; festival and park traffic causes localized weekend congestion.
• Backhaul and fiber: Town centers and public anchors (schools, libraries) typically have fiber-fed sites, but many macro cells outside Monticello rely on longer backhaul paths, which can cap performance during peak hours.

How Piatt County differs from the Illinois state-level picture

• Adoption level: Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration than the state, driven by a larger 65+ population and rurality, despite near-parity among working-age adults.
• Wireless substitution: Higher share of wireless-only households than Illinois overall, reflecting lower reliance on landlines and a greater tendency to use mobile as the primary voice line.
• Mobile-as-primary internet: Larger share of households relying on mobile data/hotspots in lieu of wired broadband, tied to patchier fixed broadband choices outside town limits.
• Network diversity: UScellular is more relevant locally than in metro Illinois, adding a fourth native network option in rural pockets where big-three mid-band 5G is still infilling.
• Performance spread: Wider gap between best-case and worst-case mobile speeds than the state average; strong 5G along transportation corridors contrasts with LTE-only or weak indoor coverage in dispersed farmsteads.
• Plan mix: Higher take-up of prepaid/MVNO plans and data-cautious tiers than in metro Illinois, consistent with rural usage patterns and price sensitivity.

Notes on sources and method

• Population and households: 2020 Decennial Census; household count approximated for ease of presentation.
• Age structure and device/Internet tendencies: 2018–2022 ACS patterns for rural Illinois counties.
• Smartphone ownership by age and rurality: Pew Research Center Mobile Fact Sheet (latest pre-2025 updates).
• Wireless-only households: CDC/NCHS Wireless Substitution state estimates with rural adjustments.
• Lines per capita: CTIA annual industry survey (used to translate population to active lines with a rural down-adjustment).
• Coverage and speeds: FCC Broadband Data Collection maps for provider presence; carrier public buildouts; Ookla/OpenSignal regional medians for east-central Illinois; local geography and corridor effects used to qualify expectations.

These figures are designed to be decision-ready: the headcount estimates apply current, well-documented adoption rates to Piatt’s size and age mix, and the infrastructure notes reflect how rural topology and corridor-focused 5G builds create usage patterns that diverge from Illinois’ metro-dominated averages.

Piatt County, IL: Social Media Snapshot (2025)

Population baseline

• Residents: ~16,700 (2020 Census). Adults (18+): ~13,200. Households: ~6,700.
• Internet access: ~85% of households have broadband; smartphone adoption ~85% of adults.

Overall usage

• Active social media users: ~12,000 (about 72–76% of total population; ~85–90% of adults online).

Most‑used platforms (share of adults; estimated user counts in parentheses)

• YouTube: 80–85% (10.5k–11.2k)
• Facebook: 65–70% (8.6k–9.2k)
• Instagram: 35–40% (4.6k–5.2k)
• Pinterest: 30–35% (4.0k–4.6k; female‑skewed)
• TikTok: 22–27% (2.9k–3.6k)
• Snapchat: 20–25% (2.6k–3.3k)
• X (Twitter): 15–18% (2.0k–2.4k)
• LinkedIn: 15–18% (2.0k–2.4k)
• Nextdoor: 5–8% of households use it at least monthly

Age profile of social media users (share of users)

• 13–17: 8–9%
• 18–24: 11–12%
• 25–34: 17–18%
• 35–44: 18–19%
• 45–54: 16–17%
• 55–64: 14–15%
• 65+: 14–15%

Gender breakdown

• Overall users: ~52% female, ~48% male
• Platform skews:
  • Facebook: ~54% female, 46% male
  • Instagram: ~56% female, 44% male
  • TikTok: ~60% female, 40% male
  • YouTube: ~48% female, 52% male
  • Snapchat: ~55% female, 45% male
  • X (Twitter): ~42% female, 58% male
  • LinkedIn: ~47% female, 53% male
  • Pinterest: ~70% female, 30% male

Behavioral trends and habits

• Community-centric usage: Facebook Groups and Pages anchor local information (schools, youth sports, churches, events, buy/sell/trade). Marketplace is a leading commerce touchpoint.
• Video-first consumption: Short video (Reels/Shorts) drives reach; YouTube used for how-tos, local sports highlights, and church/organization streams.
• Prime engagement windows: Weeknights 7–9 pm; weekday lunch 11:30 am–1 pm; weekend mornings for family and community content.
• Cross-posting behavior: Local creators and businesses post short-form video to TikTok, then repurpose to Instagram Reels and Facebook for broader county reach.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is the default for inquiries and customer service; SMS remains common. WhatsApp usage is niche.
• Purchase funnel: Discovery on Facebook/Instagram; conversion via Messenger, phone, or in-store. Local promotions with clear offers (limited-time, event tie-ins) outperform generic branding.
• Trust dynamics: High engagement with content from known local people, teams, and institutions; “faces and places” outperform stock imagery.
• Demographic nuances: 35–64 cohort drives Facebook reach and community discourse; 13–24 concentrates on Snapchat/TikTok for daily communication and short entertainment; professionals 25–54 use LinkedIn lightly for hiring and networking.

Source notes and method

• Figures are 2025 modeled estimates for Piatt County derived from U.S. Census/ACS population and broadband baselines, combined with 2024 Pew Research Center platform adoption rates and typical rural-Midwest skews. Ranges reflect rounding and local variance.