Saline County

Saline County, Illinois — key demographics (latest U.S. Census Bureau data: 2020 Census and 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates)

Population

• Total population: 23,768 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~42 years
• Under 18: ~21%
• 18 to 64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone: ~91%
• Black or African American alone: ~5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.4%
• Asian alone: ~0.4%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2% Note: Hispanic is an ethnicity; people may be counted in both a race category and Hispanic.

Households and families

• Total households: ~10,300
• Average household size: ~2.25
• Family households: ~6,000; average family size: ~2.85
• Households with children under 18: ~26%
• Married-couple households: ~46%
• Nonfamily households: ~37% (about 32% living alone; ~14% age 65+ living alone)
• Homeownership rate: ~71%
• Median household income: ~$46,000
• Persons in poverty: ~19%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (tables DP05, S0101, S1101, DP04, S1901, S1701)

Saline County, IL snapshot (estimates; 2023-2024 benchmarks applied to local demographics)

• Population and density: ~23,500 residents across ~385 sq mi (≈61 people/sq mi). ~10,200 households (avg household size ≈2.3).
• Email users: ~17,100 adult email users (≈92% of ~18,600 adults), using Pew adult email adoption rates by age.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 18–29: ~3,100 (18%)
  • 30–49: ~5,600 (33%)
  • 50–64: ~4,100 (24%)
  • 65+: ~4,200 (25%)
• Gender split: County is roughly 51% female/49% male; email adoption is near-parity, yielding ≈8,700 women and ≈8,400 men using email.
• Digital access trends:
  • Home broadband: ≈82% of households subscribe (≈8,400 households), below the Illinois average but consistent with rural counties.
  • Smartphone-only internet reliance: ~15% of adults (≈2,800) rely primarily on mobile data plans.
  • Connectivity is strongest in and around Harrisburg/Eldorado; outlying rural areas have fewer wired options and lower median speeds, which modestly depresses home-broadband take-up, especially among seniors and low-income households.

Insights: Email is effectively universal among working-age adults and strongly used by older adults, but gaps in wired broadband—typical of low-density rural areas—shift a noticeable minority to mobile-only access and can limit heavy email use for bandwidth-intensive tasks.

Mobile phone usage in Saline County, Illinois — 2024 view

At-a-glance

• Population: 23,768 (2020 Census). Older, more rural, and lower-income than the Illinois average.
• Bottom line: Mobile adoption is high but trails state-level smartphone penetration, with heavier reliance on LTE in rural townships and a notably higher share of smartphone-only connectivity among lower-income and senior households.

User estimates (modeled from Census population, county age profile, and Pew Research adoption rates)

• Mobile phone users (any mobile phone): 20,000–22,000 residents, equating to roughly 84–93% of the total population. This is a few points below Illinois’ adult benchmark (≈95%).
• Smartphone users: 16,500–19,000 residents, about 70–80% of the total population and roughly 80–86% of adults. This is 3–8 percentage points below Illinois’ adult rate (≈88–90%).
• Smartphone-only internet households (no fixed home broadband): estimated 18–22% of households, higher than the statewide ~13–15% range, reflecting rural coverage gaps and affordability trade-offs.

Demographic breakdown (share and adoption patterns)

• Seniors (65+): Smartphone adoption approximately 60–70% (10–15 points lower than Illinois), with a meaningful minority using basic phones or relying on family plans. Senior adoption is the single biggest drag on the county’s overall smartphone penetration versus the state.
• Working-age adults (25–64): Smartphone adoption around the mid-80s to near 90%, still a few points lower than Illinois due to a higher prevalence of budget and prepaid plans and slower upgrade cycles.
• Teens and young adults (13–24): Very high smartphone penetration (roughly 90–95%), on par with the state; usage intensity is similar to statewide but more constrained by rural capacity outside Harrisburg.
• Income effects: Households under ~$35k show markedly higher smartphone-only connectivity and prepaid/MVNO plan use than the state average, driven by device and plan affordability as well as the phase-out of ACP subsidies in 2024.

Digital infrastructure and coverage patterns (distinct from Illinois’ metro-centric profile)

• Network mix: All three nationwide carriers operate in the county. Low-band 5G provides broad coverage; mid-band 5G capacity is concentrated in and around Harrisburg and along primary corridors (e.g., IL‑13). Outside these areas, LTE remains the default.
• Performance: In-town 5G typically yields materially higher speeds and lower latency than LTE; rural townships often see LTE ranging from basic app usability to modest streaming, with peak-hour slowdowns more common than in Illinois metro counties.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA): 5G Home Internet from at least one national carrier is commonly offered in Harrisburg and nearby population clusters, giving residents an alternative where cable/fiber is limited. Availability drops off across sparsely populated sections of the county.
• Terrain and siting: Forested and hilly areas along the eastern and southeastern parts of the county introduce more dead zones and indoor coverage variability than in flatter Illinois counties; tower spacing is wider than in metros, and in‑building mid-band 5G is less reliable outside town centers.
• Public safety: FirstNet (AT&T) coverage spans major routes and population centers; rural gaps mirror commercial coverage patterns, so agencies and healthcare providers often maintain multi-carrier devices or boosters.
• Device mix and plans: A higher share of prepaid and MVNO usage than the state average, driven by affordability and credit constraints; upgrade cycles skew longer, slowing the penetration of the newest radio technologies compared with Illinois’ urban counties.

How Saline County differs from Illinois overall

• Adoption: Overall smartphone penetration is lower, primarily due to a higher share of seniors and budget-constrained households.
• Connectivity mode: Smartphone-only households are notably more common, reflecting gaps in fixed broadband availability and affordability.
• Network experience: Mid-band 5G capacity is sparse outside Harrisburg; LTE reliance, speed variability, and peak-hour congestion are more pronounced than in metro Illinois.
• Market behavior: Prepaid/MVNO lines and bring-your-own-device plans represent a larger slice of active lines; device turnover and 5G device penetration trail state averages.

Method note

• Population comes from the 2020 Census. Adoption estimates apply Pew Research Center’s recent national mobile and smartphone ownership rates by age/income to Saline County’s older, more rural demographic profile. Fixed-broadband constraints and coverage observations align with FCC National Broadband Map patterns and carrier deployments through 2024 in southern Illinois. These produce the stated county-level ranges and the deltas versus Illinois.

Social media usage snapshot: Saline County, Illinois (2025)

Headline numbers

• Residents: ≈23.6k
• Active social media users: ≈17.0k (≈72% of residents)
• Adult adoption by age group (share using any social platform):
  • 18–29: ≈93%
  • 30–49: ≈83%
  • 50–64: ≈73%
  • 65+: ≈45%
• Gender (adults, any platform): Women ≈84%, Men ≈81%

Most-used platforms among local adults (modeled from rural U.S. usage; share of adults who use)

• YouTube: ≈81%
• Facebook: ≈70%
• Instagram: ≈36%
• Pinterest: ≈32%
• TikTok: ≈24%
• Snapchat: ≈21%
• WhatsApp: ≈21%
• LinkedIn: ≈23%
• X (Twitter): ≈19%
• Reddit: ≈14%
• Nextdoor: ≈10%

Behavioral trends and practical insights

• Facebook-first county: Facebook is the default network for local news, school and church updates, civic groups, fundraisers, obituaries, and Marketplace buying/selling. Community groups and event pages drive the highest organic reach.
• Video dominates attention: YouTube is widely used for how-tos, local sports highlights, and event recaps; short-form video (Reels/TikTok) is the fastest-growing format among 18–34.
• Messaging patterns: Facebook Messenger is the primary DM channel across ages; Snapchat and Instagram DMs are common among teens and younger adults.
• Commerce and classifieds: Facebook Marketplace is the leading venue for local, secondhand, and services listings; Instagram is effective for boutiques, salons, and food businesses using Stories/Reels with location tags.
• Timing: Engagement peaks evenings (about 7–9 pm) and weekends; weather events, school announcements, and breaking local news trigger sharp spikes in shares and comments.
• Demographic skews:
  • Older adults concentrate on Facebook and YouTube; adoption drops on TikTok/Instagram after age 50.
  • Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube and Reddit.
• Advertising notes: Geo-targeted Facebook/Instagram campaigns within a 15–25 mile radius perform efficiently for awareness and foot traffic; video and carousel formats outperform static images. Boosts tied to community events or limited-time offers see above-average CTR.
• Platform gaps: LinkedIn and Reddit have smaller but active niches (healthcare, trades, hobbyist forums); Nextdoor presence is limited due to sparse neighborhood coverage.

Method, sources, and reliability

• Figures are derived by applying current U.S. rural social media adoption rates (Pew Research Center, 2024) and U.S. social media penetration (DataReportal, 2024) to Saline County’s population base (U.S. Census Bureau estimates, 2020–2023). Percentages are rounded and intended as best-available local estimates aligned with rural Midwestern usage patterns.