Rock Island County

Rock Island County, Illinois — key demographics

Population size and change

• 141,879 residents (2023 population estimate)
• 144,672 residents (2020 Census)
• Change since 2020: −1.9%

Age

• Under 18: 22.1%
• 65 and over: 19.7%
• Median age: about 40–41 years

Gender

• Female: 50.9%
• Male: 49.1%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone: 77–78%
• Black or African American alone: ~9%
• Asian alone: ~2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.5%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~13–14%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~68%

Household and housing

• Households: ~58,300
• Persons per household: ~2.37
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~69%
• Median household income: low-to-mid $60,000s
• Poverty rate: ~14%

Insights

• Modest population decline since 2020 with an aging profile (about 1 in 5 residents are 65+)
• Majority White with meaningful Black and Hispanic communities; Hispanic share around one in seven residents
• Predominantly owner-occupied housing and smaller household sizes consistent with an older age structure

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2023 Population Estimates; 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023).

• Scope: Rock Island County, IL population 142,000 (2023). Adults (18+) ≈ 111,000.
• Email users: ~93% of adults use email → ≈ 103,000 users.

Age distribution of email users (est. using county age mix and U.S. adoption by cohort):

• 18–29: ~22,600 (≈22%)
• 30–49: ~36,200 (≈35%)
• 50–64: ~26,600 (≈26%)
• 65+: ~17,900 (≈17%)

Gender split:

• County population is roughly even by sex; email users track that pattern: ~51,500 female and ~51,500 male users.

Digital access trends:

• Households with a computer: ~92%.
• Households with a broadband subscription: ~86%.
• Smartphone-only internet reliance: ~15% of adults, skewing younger and lower-income; email usage remains high but more app-based (mobile clients).
• Daily use: Most adults check email daily; frequency tapers modestly with age.

Local density/connectivity facts:

• Population density ≈ 330 people per square mile across ~430 square miles of land.
• The Quad Cities urban core (Rock Island–Moline–East Moline) has strong multi-ISP cable/fiber footprints; outlying townships rely more on DSL and fixed wireless.
• Public libraries and civic Wi‑Fi help bridge access gaps, supporting consistent email use among residents without home broadband.

Mobile phone usage in Rock Island County, IL — 2024 snapshot

Headline estimates

• Population and households: About 142,000 residents and 59,000 households (2023–2024 ACS-level estimates).
• Mobile phone users: Approximately 119,000 residents actively use a mobile phone.
• Smartphone users: Roughly 103,000 residents use a smartphone.
• Households with a smartphone: About 88% of households have at least one smartphone (≈52,000 households).
• Wireless-only households (no landline): About 77%, higher than the Illinois average.
• Households using a cellular data plan for home internet: Approximately 21%, higher than the state average, reflecting greater mobile substitution for home internet in several tracts outside the core cities.

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

• Age
  • 18–29: ~96% smartphone adoption; heavy app/social/video use; low landline retention.
  • 30–49: ~94% smartphone adoption; highest multi-line and hotspot use.
  • 50–64: ~86% smartphone adoption; rising mobile-only home internet among cost-sensitive households.
  • 65+: ~74% smartphone adoption; more basic-phone retention than the state; growing use of large-screen Android devices.
• Income
  • Under $35k: ~81% smartphone adoption; prepaid/MVNO lines are common; above-average dependence on mobile data as primary internet.
  • $35k–$75k: ~89% adoption; mix of prepaid and postpaid; frequent device-financing.
  • $75k+: ~96% adoption; multi-device plans (phones, tablets, watches) more prevalent.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Smartphone adoption is high across groups; Hispanic/Latino and Black residents show slightly higher mobile-only internet dependence than the county average, consistent with affordability-driven substitution.
• Urban vs rural within the county
  • Rock Island, Moline, East Moline: smartphone adoption around 90%+; strong 5G mid-band coverage and higher median speeds.
  • Rural townships (e.g., south and southwest of Milan/Andalusia): adoption closer to low–mid 80s; more reliance on cellular data for home internet due to patchier wired options.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Carrier footprint: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon all provide countywide 4G LTE and broad 5G. UScellular and major MVNOs (Cricket, Metro by T-Mobile, Boost, Spectrum/Charter, Xfinity Mobile) are active in the market.
• 5G coverage
  • Population coverage by at least one 5G network: ~98%.
  • Mid-band 5G (T-Mobile 2.5 GHz n41; Verizon/AT&T C-band n77) reaches roughly 85–90% of residents, strongest along the I-74/I-280 corridors and within the Quad Cities urban core.
• Typical speeds
  • Urban cores (Rock Island/Moline/East Moline): median 5G downloads commonly 150–300 Mbps; LTE typically 25–70 Mbps.
  • Suburban/fringe areas (Coal Valley, Milan): 5G 80–180 Mbps; LTE 15–50 Mbps.
  • Rural edges and river bluffs: 5G 20–80 Mbps; LTE can drop below 10–15 Mbps indoors.
• Capacity and densification
  • 2022–2024 upgrades added C-band (Verizon/AT&T) and expanded mid-band (T-Mobile) sites across the metro; small-cell infill exists near commercial corridors and riverfront venues but is sparser than Chicago-area deployments.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA)
  • T-Mobile 5G Home and Verizon 5G Home are widely marketed; take-up is above the state average in neighborhoods with older cable/DSL plant, contributing to higher mobile-network traffic at evening peak.
• Public-safety and coverage quirks
  • River-adjacent corridors and low-lying areas can see signal variability; the Rock Island Arsenal and industrial sites can introduce localized propagation shadows, mitigated by recent sector adds.

How Rock Island County differs from Illinois overall

• Higher mobile-only reliance: A larger share of households depend on cellular data plans for home internet than the Illinois average (about 21% vs mid-teens statewide), driven by affordability and uneven wired broadband quality outside the core cities.
• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration: Adult smartphone adoption is a couple of points below the state level, reflecting an older age structure and income mix; however, teen adoption is comparable to statewide levels.
• Strong prepaid/MVNO presence: Prepaid share is higher than the state average, visible in a dense retail footprint (Cricket/Metro/Boost) relative to population; this correlates with cost-sensitive segments and cross-border plan competition with Iowa.
• 5G availability vs depth: 5G coverage breadth is high, but mid-band depth and small-cell density lag Chicago-area counties. That produces larger urban–rural speed gaps than the state average, even as absolute speeds in the urban core are competitive.
• Faster FWA adoption: Fixed-wireless home internet uptake is above average and growing, which pulls more evening-load traffic onto mobile networks than in fiber-rich Illinois counties.
• Cross-river mobility pattern: Daily commuting and retail trips across the Mississippi tie Rock Island traffic to the broader Quad Cities radio environment, with noticeable daytime load in downtown Rock Island/Moline and along I-74 river crossings; this bi-state mobility signature is less pronounced in most Illinois counties outside the St. Louis and Chicago metros.

Key takeaways

• Roughly 119,000 residents use mobile phones, with about 103,000 on smartphones.
• Mobile service is effectively ubiquitous; 5G covers nearly all residents, with mid-band delivering urban speeds that rival statewide leaders.
• The county shows above-average reliance on mobile networks for primary home internet and a stronger prepaid market, diverging from Illinois’ more postpaid- and fiber-centric profile.

Rock Island County, IL — social media snapshot (best-available 2024 estimates)

Headline numbers

• Population: ~142,000; adults 18+: ~110,000 (Census estimates)
• Broadband adoption: mid‑80% of households (ACS 2018–2022)
• Adult social media users: ~80,000–83,000 (≈72–75% of adults)

User composition

• Gender (overall users): roughly even, slight female skew
  • Women ~51–53%
  • Men ~47–49%
• Age mix among social media users (share of users)
  • 18–29: ~21%
  • 30–49: ~37% (largest cohort)
  • 50–64: ~27%
  • 65+: ~15–16%

Most‑used platforms among adults in the county (modeled penetration; mirrors U.S. usage)

• YouTube: ~80–85% of adults (≈90–95k)
• Facebook: ~65–70% (≈72–78k)
• Instagram: ~45–50% (≈50–55k)
• TikTok: ~30–35% (≈33–39k)
• Snapchat: ~28–32% (≈31–35k)
• Pinterest: ~30–32% (≈33–35k)
• LinkedIn: ~28–32% (≈31–35k)
• X/Twitter: ~20–24% (≈22–27k)
• Reddit: ~20–24% (≈22–27k) Notes: Facebook and YouTube dominate reach; Instagram/TikTok lead for under‑35; Snapchat is strong with teens/college; LinkedIn is meaningful for professional recruitment; Pinterest usage skews female.

Behavioral trends observed in similar Midwestern counties and visible locally

• Community/news utility: Facebook remains the default local network for city updates, school districts, high‑school sports, churches, and buy/sell groups; Facebook Events are a primary discovery channel for festivals and fundraisers.
• Short‑form video growth: Reels and TikTok drive discovery for restaurants, boutiques, salons, and attractions; content with faces, behind‑the‑scenes, and before/after performs best.
• YouTube for how‑to and CTV: High consumption of how‑to, repair, outdoors, and regional news/sports highlights; growing Connected TV ad inventory via YouTube.
• Cross‑river affinity: Content tagged to Quad Cities (Rock Island/Moline/East Moline + Davenport/Betendorf) travels well across county and state lines; regional pages outperform single‑municipality posts.
• Youth pockets: Strong Snapchat/Instagram/TikTok activity around Augustana College and high schools; Stories and ephemeral content outperform static posts.
• Timing: Engagement peaks 7–9 a.m., noon hour, and 7–10 p.m.; weekend spikes around sports, weather, and events (e.g., John Deere Classic week).
• Groups and recommendations: High reliance on Facebook Groups/Marketplace and neighborhood forums for service recommendations (home, auto, childcare); reviews and UGC heavily influence local purchase intent.
• Creative cues: Locally recognizable landmarks, school colors/mascots, and weather/context hooks lift CTR; concise captions plus vertical video favored by algorithms.

How these figures were derived

• Population and broadband: U.S. Census Bureau/ACS for Rock Island County (latest available).
• Platform penetration and age/gender skews: Pew Research Center 2023–2024 national usage rates applied to the county’s adult population; local platform ranks are known to closely track U.S. patterns in Midwestern urban/suburban counties.
• Treat platform counts as planning estimates, not platform‑verified MAUs.