Pope County

Key demographics for Pope County, Illinois

Population

• 3,763 (2020 Decennial Census)
• Change since 2010: −15.8% (from 4,470)

Age (ACS 2018–2022 5-year estimates)

• Median age: ~49 years
• Under 18: ~17%
• 18–64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~24%

Sex (ACS 2018–2022)

• Male: ~50%
• Female: ~50%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: ~94%
• Black or African American alone: ~2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0–1%
• Asian alone: ~0–1%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~1–2% Note: Hispanic/Latino can be of any race

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~1,600–1,700
• Average household size: ~2.2
• Family households: ~64%
• Married-couple households: ~50–55% of all households
• Nonfamily households: ~36%
• One-person households: ~30%
• Households with children under 18: ~24%
• Occupied housing tenure: ~82% owner-occupied, ~18% renter-occupied

Insights

• Small, aging population with a high share of seniors
• Predominantly White non-Hispanic
• High owner-occupancy and smaller household sizes typical of rural counties

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (population count) and American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, households).

• Population and density: Pope County, IL had 3,763 residents in 2020, with roughly 10 people per square mile (very low rural density).
• Estimated email users: ~2,900 residents (≈77% of the population). This reflects ~90% adoption among adults and lower access among some households without home internet.
• Age distribution of email users (share of users): 13–17: ~8%; 18–34: ~20%; 35–54: ~32%; 55–64: ~15%; 65+: ~25%. Usage is near-universal under 55 and strong but slightly lower among seniors.
• Gender split among users: ≈50% female, ≈50% male; no meaningful gap in email use by gender.
• Digital access trends:
  • Fixed broadband at home: ~72–75% of households.
  • Mobile-only internet: ~10–12%.
  • No home internet: ~15–18% (drives some shared or public Wi‑Fi use).
  • Smartphone-first email use is common among mobile-only households.
• Connectivity context: The county’s very low density and large forested/public lands slow fiber expansion; fixed wireless and satellite bridge gaps. Best coverage clusters in and around Golconda and along primary state routes (IL‑146/IL‑145), with weaker service in outlying hollows and ridges. Overall access is improving but remains below Illinois urban norms.

Pope County, Illinois — Mobile phone usage snapshot (2024)

Headline findings

• Estimated mobile phone users: 3,240 residents, or about 89% of the county’s 2023 population (3,650)
• Estimated smartphone users: ~2,810 residents, or about 77% of total population and ~80% of adults
• Smartphone-only (no home broadband) households: about 28% locally vs ~19% statewide, reflecting heavier reliance on mobile data
• Coverage and speeds: mid-band 5G is sparse outside Golconda and primary corridors; most areas operate on low‑band 5G or 4G LTE with typical downlink 15–40 Mbps, well below statewide medians near 100+ Mbps

User estimates (any mobile vs smartphone)

• Total population baseline: ~3,650 (2023 ACS-range estimate; 2020 Census count was 3,763)
• Any mobile phone users: ~3,240 (≈89% penetration)
• Smartphone users: ~2,810 (≈77% of total population; ≈80% of adults)

Demographic breakdown (ownership by age cohort)

• Under 18 (≈21% of population; ~770 residents)
  • Any mobile: ~70% → ~540 youth users
  • Smartphones: ~65% → ~500 youth users
• Age 18–34 (≈17%; ~620 residents)
  • Any mobile: ~98% → ~610 users
  • Smartphones: ~94% → ~580 users
• Age 35–64 (≈43%; ~1,570 residents)
  • Any mobile: ~96% → ~1,510 users
  • Smartphones: ~86% → ~1,350 users
• Age 65+ (≈19%; ~690 residents)
  • Any mobile: ~85% → ~590 users
  • Smartphones: ~55% → ~380 users

Notes on demographics and device reliance

• Older age profile than Illinois overall (county median age near 50 vs upper‑30s statewide) reduces smartphone penetration, especially 65+
• Lower median household income than the Illinois average aligns with higher smartphone‑only reliance (estimated ~28% of households locally). With roughly 1,600 households, that is ~450 smartphone‑only households
• Prepaid plans and value MVNOs are used more heavily than the state average, reflecting price sensitivity and limited fixed broadband options in outlying areas

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Radio access
  • 4G LTE covers most populated areas and primary roads, but terrain and forested areas (Shawnee National Forest footprint) create dead zones and variable indoor performance
  • Low‑band 5G (all carriers) is present along main corridors and around Golconda; mid‑band 5G capacity layers are limited outside those nodes; mmWave is effectively absent
• Providers
  • AT&T and Verizon provide the most consistent rural footprint; T‑Mobile coverage is improving on low‑band but remains patchier off corridors; FirstNet (AT&T Band 14) supports public safety along major routes and population centers
• Performance
  • Typical user speeds: 15–40 Mbps down, 3–10 Mbps up in town and along highways; single‑digit Mbps and higher latency are common in hollows and forested zones
  • Statewide median mobile speeds (often 100+ Mbps) are not representative of day‑to‑day performance in the county due to sparse mid‑band 5G and longer inter‑site distances
• Backhaul and capacity
  • Many rural sites rely on microwave backhaul and larger cell footprints, constraining peak capacity and contributing to evening slowdowns compared with fiber‑fed urban/suburban Illinois sites

How Pope County trends differ from Illinois overall

• Lower smartphone penetration: ~80% of adults vs roughly high‑80s statewide
• Higher smartphone‑only dependence: ~28% of households vs ~19% statewide, driven by limited, costlier, or unavailable fixed broadband in outlying areas
• Slower and more variable mobile speeds: 15–40 Mbps typical vs 100+ Mbps statewide medians, with more pronounced dead zones
• Coverage mix skews toward low‑band 5G and LTE; mid‑band 5G footprint is notably thinner than in metro Illinois
• Older device mix and longer upgrade cycles than state averages, reflecting income and coverage constraints

Method and sources

• Population and age structure: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial) and ACS 5‑year for small‑county trends
• Ownership rates: Pew Research Center 2023 national/rural cellphone and smartphone ownership applied to local age mix, adjusted modestly for rural/older profile
• Coverage and performance: FCC National Broadband Map and carrier-disclosed 5G layers for rural Illinois; third‑party speed test aggregates for rural Midwest contexts
• Affordability and adoption: ACP wind‑down (2024) and rural adoption literature to estimate higher smartphone‑only share

These estimates align county demographics with the latest national and state benchmarks to produce defensible, localized figures and to highlight where Pope County diverges most from Illinois norms.

Social media usage in Pope County, Illinois (2025 snapshot)

Note on method: Platform-level data is not published at the county scale. Figures below are modeled for Pope County using Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. social media benchmarks (with rural/Midwest breakouts where available) and the county’s older-leaning rural profile from recent ACS releases. Treat percentages as best-available local estimates.

Overall user stats

• Adults using at least one social platform: 72–78% of adults
• Teens (13–17) using at least one social platform: 85–92%
• Primary device: smartphone-first (>85% of local social users), with desktop/laptop used for Facebook and YouTube longer sessions

Most-used platforms (adults; estimated share of adults using the platform)

• YouTube: 78–84%
• Facebook: 68–75% (Facebook Messenger: 60–67%)
• Instagram: 34–42%
• Pinterest: 28–35% (notably higher among women 25–54)
• TikTok: 22–30% (skews under 35)
• Snapchat: 18–25% (skews under 30)
• WhatsApp: 20–27% (small but steady; family and work groups)
• X (Twitter): 15–21% (news/sports niche)
• Reddit: 13–19% (younger male skew)
• LinkedIn: 18–24% (professional niche)
• Nextdoor: <5% (low penetration in rural areas)

Platform mix by age group (ranked by use; higher → lower)

• Teens 13–17: YouTube; Snapchat ≈ TikTok; Instagram; Discord; Facebook (lower but present for school sports/announcements)
• 18–29: YouTube; Instagram; TikTok; Snapchat; Facebook; Reddit
• 30–49: Facebook; YouTube; Instagram; Pinterest; TikTok
• 50–64: Facebook; YouTube; Pinterest; Instagram
• 65+: Facebook; YouTube; Pinterest; minimal Instagram/TikTok

Gender breakdown (among social media users, estimated)

• Overall: roughly balanced user base (≈51% women, 49% men)
• Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube and Reddit
• Engagement style: women more active in local groups, events, and buy/sell; men more in how-to video, sports, outdoors, and hobby forums

Behavioral trends specific to a rural, older-leaning county profile

• Facebook is the community backbone: highest daily reach via local groups (schools, churches, EMS/weather updates, county government, buy/sell/marketplace). Group posts and Marketplace drive the most comments and shares.
• Video is utility-driven: YouTube dominates for how-to, home/auto repairs, farming/outdoors, and long-form sports highlights; short-form TikTok/Shorts is growing among under-35 but remains secondary overall.
• Messaging consolidation: Facebook Messenger is the de facto family and team-coordination channel; WhatsApp used by select work crews and extended families.
• News and alerts: Severe-weather, road closures, school sports, and event notices get outsized engagement; X is niche for state/national news junkies.
• Commerce: Local SMBs rely on Facebook pages, Events, and Marketplace; “shop local” posts and seasonal promotions outperform generic ads.
• Time-of-day cadence: Peak local activity early morning (6–8am) and evening (7–10pm); weekend spikes tied to sports, festivals, and hunting/fishing seasons.
• Content creation vs. consumption: Most users are lurkers/reactors; a small core of admins/moderators, coaches, and business owners produce the majority of posts.
• Safety/trust: Users respond strongly to posts from known local entities (schools, fire/EMS, churches); skepticism toward anonymous pages and political content.

At-a-glance takeaways

• Penetration: About 3 in 4 adults are on at least one platform; Facebook and YouTube are the only true mass-reach channels locally.
• Growth pockets: Under-35 usage is shifting incremental time to Instagram and TikTok; older users remain anchored to Facebook.
• Creative format: Short vertical video is rising but still trails Facebook photo/link posts and YouTube tutorials in total attention.
• Best channels for reach: Community Facebook Groups, Facebook Events/Marketplace, and YouTube how-to content; Instagram works for youth and aesthetics-driven local businesses.

Sources (method basis): Pew Research Center 2023–2024 U.S. social media use (including rural splits), U.S. Census/ACS demographic profile for Pope County, and rural Midwest adoption patterns for platform-level estimates.