Scott County

Scott County, Illinois — key demographics

Population size

• 4,949 (2020 Census)
• 4,888 (2023 population estimate)

Age

• Median age: ~44–45 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~23%
• 65 and over: ~23%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition (2020 Census)

• White alone: ~95–96%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0–1%
• Asian alone: ~0–1%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~2,000
• Persons per household: ~2.4–2.5
• Family households: ~68% of households
• Married-couple families: ~53–58% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~30–31%
• One-person households: ~28% (about half of these are age 65+)
• Homeownership rate: ~80%+

Insights

• Very small, rural county with a stable-to-declining population.
• Older age profile than the state overall.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White, with small minority and Hispanic populations.
• Household structure skews toward married-couple families, small household sizes, and high owner-occupancy.

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

Scott County, IL snapshot (2024)

• Population and density: ~4,950 residents (2020 Census), ~20 people per square mile across ~250 sq mi; ~2,000 households.
• Estimated email users: ~3,600 adult users. Method: ~3,900 adults × ~92% email adoption among U.S. adults.
• Age distribution of email users (share of users): 18–29: ~16–18%; 30–49: ~25–28%; 50–64: ~24–27%; 65+: ~28–32% (older-skewed county lifts the 65+ share; adoption in 65+ ≈80–90% vs ~95–99% under 65).
• Gender split: ~50% female, ~50% male among users; email adoption is effectively equal by gender in recent U.S. surveys.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Internet at home: ~85–90% of households have some internet subscription; ~74–79% have wireline broadband (cable/DSL/fiber); ~10–14% are mobile-only; ~10–15% lack home internet.
  • Trend since 2020: gradual gains in fiber and fixed‑wireless coverage; smartphone‑only reliance remains notable in lower‑density areas.
• Local connectivity context: Sparse settlement, agricultural land use, and long last‑mile runs raise deployment costs, producing patchy wireline options outside Winchester and other towns; fixed wireless and satellite commonly fill gaps.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Scott County, Illinois (2024, best-available estimates)

Context

• Scott County is a small, predominantly rural county in west-central Illinois with roughly 4,800 residents and about 2,000 households. Its population is older and more dispersed than the Illinois average, which materially affects device adoption, connectivity choices, and network build-out.

User estimates

• Residents using a mobile phone (any type): about 3,800–4,200 people (roughly 80–88% of the total population; higher among adults).
• Adult smartphone users: about 3,100–3,400 adults (roughly 78–85% of adults), noticeably below Illinois’ statewide adult smartphone penetration, which is near 90%.
• Households with at least one smartphone: about 1,650–1,750 (roughly 82–88% of households), below the statewide share.
• Households relying primarily or exclusively on cellular data for home internet: about 360–440 (roughly 18–22% of households), meaningfully higher than the statewide tendency toward fixed broadband.
• Households without any home internet subscription: about 300–380 (roughly 15–19%), a materially higher share than Illinois overall.

Demographic breakdown and how it shapes usage (contrasts with Illinois)

• Age structure:
  • Seniors (65+): roughly 22–25% of the population vs ~17% statewide.
  • Effect: Lower smartphone adoption and less app-centric behavior among older residents; higher reliance on basic voice/SMS and simpler devices.
• Income and affordability:
  • Median household incomes trail the state average; price sensitivity is higher.
  • Effect: Greater use of prepaid plans, slower device replacement cycles, and higher probability of mobile-only internet solutions to avoid the cost of fixed broadband.
• Education:
  • Bachelor’s degree attainment is well below the state average.
  • Effect: Slightly lower rates of multi-device households (smartphone + laptop/tablet) and more “smartphone-only” households for essential services.
• Rural settlement pattern:
  • Low population density and significant agricultural land.
  • Effect: Coverage gaps between towns and along river valleys; more variable indoor service without boosters or Wi‑Fi calling.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Network footprint:
  • Coverage is anchored by macro towers serving Winchester (county seat) and nearby towns (e.g., Bluffs, Manchester, Alsey), with long inter-site distances typical of rural builds. Expect pockets of weak signal in wooded areas and along the Illinois River bluffs.
• Carrier presence and 5G:
  • All three nationwide carriers operate in/around the county; UScellular also has a regional presence in west-central Illinois.
  • Low-band 5G coverage is present but primarily provides 4G-like performance. Mid-band 5G (where available) clusters near town centers and along major travel corridors; it is not yet ubiquitous across the county.
• Expected speeds and experience:
  • LTE: commonly 5–25 Mbps in-town; can drop below 5 Mbps in fringe areas.
  • 5G: low-band typically 20–80 Mbps; mid-band (where deployed) 100–300 Mbps with better capacity. Performance is notably less consistent than in metro Illinois due to sparser site density.
• Fixed wireless access (FWA):
  • 5G FWA is emerging in and around town centers as an alternative to DSL or satellite; adoption is growing faster than in Illinois’ urban counties because it fills gaps where cable/fiber options are limited.
• Redundancy and resilience:
  • Fewer macro sites and longer fiber backhaul runs increase vulnerability to localized outages compared with urban Illinois. Residents and small businesses more often keep multiple SIMs/handsets or depend on Wi‑Fi calling.

Trends that differ from the Illinois state-level pattern

• Higher reliance on mobile-only connectivity: A larger share of households use cellular as their primary or sole internet connection, driven by limited fixed broadband options and cost considerations.
• Lower smartphone penetration and slower device refresh: The county’s older age profile and lower incomes produce lower adoption and slower turnover than the statewide average.
• Coverage variability and capacity constraints: Service quality diverges sharply between town centers (acceptable to strong) and rural stretches (spotty), whereas Illinois’ urban and suburban counties see more uniform 5G mid-band coverage and capacity.
• Faster uptake of 5G FWA than fiber: In contrast to metro Illinois where fiber is expanding quickly, Scott County’s near-term gains in home connectivity are more likely to come from 5G FWA and improved LTE/5G signal quality than from rapid fiber build-outs.

Key takeaways

• Mobile usage in Scott County is broad but not as deep as statewide: fewer smartphones per adult, more basic mobile use among seniors, and more reliance on cellular for home internet.
• Service quality hinges on proximity to towns and highways; mid-band 5G capacity remains limited outside those areas.
• Policy and market moves that lift affordability (subsidies) and extend mid-band 5G or FWA coverage will have an outsized impact compared with urban Illinois, where baseline fixed broadband and dense 5G already dominate.

Social media usage in Scott County, Illinois — concise breakdown

Scope and method

• Direct, platform-by-platform county statistics are not published. Figures below use the best available benchmarks (Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adult social-media adoption by platform, age, and gender) applied to Scott County’s small, rural profile to provide defensible local estimates and actionable trends.
• Population baseline: 4,949 residents (2020 Census). Insights focus on adults (18+), who make up the large majority of residents.

Most‑used platforms (adult usage; benchmark percentages)

• YouTube: 83% of U.S. adults use it; expect this to be the top platform locally.
• Facebook: 68%; typically the most active local community hub in rural Illinois.
• Instagram: 47%; concentrated in under‑40s, with cross‑posting to Facebook common.
• TikTok: 33%; fastest growth among teens and 18–34.
• LinkedIn: 30%; niche, mainly working professionals/commuters.
• WhatsApp: 29%; family/close‑knit group chats; lower community posting.
• Snapchat: 27%; heavy teen/young‑adult messaging.
• Pinterest: 28%; strong female skew (DIY, recipes, decor).
• X (Twitter): 22%; news/sports niche.
• Reddit: 22%; younger/male‑skewed, topic‑based rather than local.

Age‑group patterns (adult usage benchmarks; apply directionally to Scott County)

• 18–29: Instagram ~75–80%, Snapchat ~60–65%, TikTok ~60%+, YouTube >90%, Facebook ~65–70%.
• 30–49: YouTube ~90%+, Facebook ~75–80%, Instagram ~55%, TikTok ~40%, LinkedIn ~40%+.
• 50–64: Facebook ~70%+, YouTube ~80%+, Instagram ~30%, TikTok ~25%.
• 65+: Facebook ~50%, YouTube ~60%, all others much lower (generally <20%).

Gender breakdown (platform skews seen nationally; expect similar locally)

• More female: Pinterest (strong), Snapchat (moderate), TikTok (slight), Instagram (slight).
• More male: Reddit (strong), X/Twitter (moderate), LinkedIn (moderate), YouTube (slight).
• Balanced: Facebook (near parity across genders and ages).

Behavioral trends observed in rural Midwest counties like Scott (applies well locally)

• Community engagement: Facebook Groups and Pages anchor local news, schools, churches, sports, fundraisers, and emergency updates; Marketplace is a top local commerce channel.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for DIY, farming/repair, hunting/outdoors, local sports, and church services; short-form Reels/TikTok for entertainment and quick tips.
• Messaging over posting for youth: Snapchat and Instagram DMs dominate teen/young‑adult interactions; public posting is less frequent than private sharing.
• Cross‑posting behavior: Small businesses and civic orgs post to Instagram but rely on Facebook for reach and response; Reels often mirrored to TikTok when targeting under‑35.
• Time-of-day peaks: Evening spikes (7–10 p.m.) for Facebook and YouTube; lunchtime micro‑sessions for Instagram/TikTok; weekend mornings for Marketplace and Pinterest.
• Geographic reach: Given the small population, viable campaign reach typically extends beyond county lines (e.g., 20–40 miles including Jacksonville and Springfield corridors).
• Creative that performs: Local faces/places, event reminders, deals, and how‑to/behind‑the‑scenes video outperform generic stock content; comments are a key engagement signal on Facebook.
• Ad tactics: Use broad interest targeting plus tight geofencing around schools, the county seat (Winchester), and event venues; expect higher CPM volatility due to small-auction size.

Key takeaways for Scott County

• Facebook and YouTube are the reach workhorses across all ages.
• Under‑35s cluster on Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat; use short video and DMs.
• Pinterest and local Facebook Groups/Marketplace are strong for household purchase decisions.
• LinkedIn/X/Reddit are secondary niches; deploy selectively for professional or topic-specific goals.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (Scott County, IL population).
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (adult platform adoption and age/gender patterns).