Stark County

Stark County, Illinois — key demographics (most recent Census/ACS)

Population

• Total population: 5,400 (2020 Census)
• 2023 population estimate: ~5,180 (Census Population Estimates Program)
• 2010–2020 change: −9.9%

Age

• Median age: ~45.5 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18 years: ~21%
• 65 years and over: ~24%

Gender

• Female: ~49.5%
• Male: ~50.5%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone: ~95–96%
• Black or African American alone: ~0.3–0.5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.2%
• Asian alone: ~0.3%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.0%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2–3% Note: “Hispanic or Latino” is an ethnic category that overlaps with race.

Households and housing

• Households: ~2,250 (ACS 2018–2022)
• Average household size: ~2.35–2.40
• Family households: ~63–65% (average family size ~2.9)
• Married-couple households: ~50–55%
• Nonfamily households: ~35–37%
• Households with own children under 18: ~25–27%
• Householder living alone, 65+: ~14%
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~78–82%
• Housing units: ~2,600; vacancy rate: ~9–10%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program (2023).

• Scope: Stark County, Illinois (2020 Census population ~5,400; ~288 sq mi; ~19 residents per sq mi).
• Estimated email users: ≈3,900 adults (~72% of all residents), derived from county age structure and U.S. email adoption by age.
• Age distribution of email users (approx. share of users):
  • 18–34: 25% (1.0k users)
  • 35–64: 50% (1.9k users)
  • 65+: 25% (0.95k users)
• Gender split: Email users mirror the county’s near-even sex ratio (≈51% female, 49% male).
• Digital access trends:
  • ACS 2018–2022 indicates most households have a computer and roughly four in five have a broadband subscription, trailing Illinois’s statewide adoption; mobile data fills gaps.
  • Smartphone access is widespread; “mobile-only” internet use is common in outlying rural tracts, so a sizable share of email is read on phones.
• Local connectivity context: Very low population density and dispersed farmsteads constrain fiber build‑out beyond towns (e.g., Toulon, Wyoming, Bradford); fixed cable/DSL serve population centers, while cellular and satellite extend coverage in between. These conditions support high email reach among adults but with heavier reliance on mobile connectivity than urban Illinois.

Stark County, Illinois — mobile phone usage summary (2024)

Headline user estimates (based on 2020 Census population and rural adoption benchmarks)

• Population: ~5,400; households: ~2,300; adults (18+): ~4,300
• Mobile phone users (any phone): ~4,100 adults (≈96% of adults)
• Smartphone users: ~3,500 adults (≈82% of adults)
• Basic/feature phone users: ~600 adults (≈14% of adults)
• Mobile-only internet households (no wired home internet, rely on cellular): ~370 households (≈16% of households)

How Stark County differs from Illinois overall

• Slightly lower smartphone adoption: about 4–7 percentage points below the statewide average, driven by an older age profile and lower household incomes
• Higher basic/feature phone use: roughly double the statewide share, concentrated among residents 65+
• More mobile-only households: 3–6 points higher than the statewide rate, reflecting patchy wired broadband outside town centers
• Slower 5G uptake: fewer mid-band 5G footprints and slower device refresh cycles than metro Illinois; LTE remains the de facto network in rural stretches
• Carrier mix skews rural: higher share on AT&T/Verizon (coverage-first), lower share on T-Mobile than in Chicago-area markets

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–34: Smartphone adoption near statewide parity (≈92–95%); highest data consumption; heavy app/social/video use
  • 35–64: High overall adoption (≈88–90% smartphones); strong reliance on hotspotting for remote work where wired options lag
  • 65+: Smartphone adoption markedly lower (≈60–65%); basic phones 25–30%; voice/SMS usage remains common; medical and farm safety apps are notable use-cases among smartphone adopters
• Income and affordability
  • Median household income trails the Illinois median, correlating with more price-sensitive plans
  • Prepaid share estimated at ≈30–35% of lines (vs ≈20–25% in Illinois overall); unlimited plan uptake ≈55–60% of smartphone users (vs ≈65–75% statewide)
  • Device upgrade cycles longer than state average; 5G-capable penetration lags by ~5–10 points
• Geography within the county
  • Town centers (Toulon, Wyoming, Bradford): denser sites, more consistent 5G low-band and some mid-band; better indoor coverage
  • Outlying farms/roads (e.g., along IL-17, IL-91 corridors and between hamlets): larger LTE-only footprints, more dead zones in low-lying terrain, noticeable handoff gaps

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Cellular coverage
  • Near-ubiquitous outdoor LTE coverage from national carriers in and between towns; indoor performance can be inconsistent in older buildings and metal-clad structures
  • 5G low-band present around towns and major routes; mid-band 5G is spotty and primarily in town centers, so rural capacity gains over LTE are limited
  • Sparse macro-site grid with long inter-site distances; valleys and tree lines create localized weak spots typical of central Illinois farm country
• Backhaul and resiliency
  • Towers along state routes use a mix of microwave and fiber backhaul; redundancy is limited away from highways, making some sectors sensitive to congestion during events or outages
• Wireline and fixed wireless context
  • Cable and DSL options exist in town centers; outside them, choices narrow to fixed wireless and satellite
  • Limited fiber-to-the-home footprints; where absent, households more often lean on cellular for primary internet, raising the county’s mobile-only rate above the state average

Implications for stakeholders

• Public sector and planners: The combination of older demographics and uneven wired broadband sustains a higher mobile-only dependence; targeted mid-band 5G infill and last-mile fiber in farm perimeters would reduce coverage and capacity gaps
• Carriers: Capacity relief in town centers and LTE enhancement along IL-17/IL-91 will yield outsized reliability gains; promoting affordable 5G devices can accelerate migration from LTE
• Service and app providers: Design for low-to-moderate throughput and intermittent connectivity; SMS fallbacks and offline modes increase reach among seniors and in edge areas

Sources and methodology

• Population and age profile: U.S. Census (2020) for Stark County
• Adoption benchmarks: Pew Research Center (national and rural smartphone/phone ownership rates, 2023–2024) adjusted to county age/income mix
• Infrastructure patterns: FCC mobile coverage filings and common rural Illinois deployment practices as of 2024, combined with local geography and settlement patterns

Key figures to retain

• ~4,100 adult mobile phone users, of which ~3,500 are smartphone users
• ~370 households are mobile-only for home internet
• Smartphone adoption ~4–7 percentage points below the Illinois average; mobile-only households ~3–6 points above the Illinois average

Stark County, IL social media snapshot (modeled to county demographics; sources include U.S. Census/ACS 2023 and Pew Research Center 2023–2024)

Population context

• Rural county with a small, aging population; internet and smartphone adoption are high enough to support mainstream social platforms.
• Adult social media adoption aligns with rural U.S. norms.

Overall usage (adults 18+)

• Use at least one social platform: ~70% of adults
• Use social daily: ~53–58% of adults
• Average time on social: 1–2 hours/day (typical for rural U.S. adults)

Most-used platforms (share of adults who use the platform)

• YouTube: ~80%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~38–40%
• Pinterest: ~30%
• TikTok: ~28–30%
• Snapchat: ~22%
• X (Twitter): ~18%
• LinkedIn: ~18–20%

Age-group patterns

• 13–17: Very high social and smartphone penetration; YouTube (90%+), TikTok (60%+), Snapchat (60%+), Instagram (60%+); Facebook minimal among teens
• 18–29: 90%+ use social; heavy Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; YouTube near-universal; Facebook used mainly for events/groups
• 30–49: 80–90% use social; Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram moderate; TikTok rising
• 50–64: ~70–75% use social; mostly Facebook and YouTube; Pinterest notable among women
• 65+: ~45–50% use social; Facebook primary, YouTube for how‑to and news clips

Gender breakdown (share of platform users)

• Overall social media users: ~53–55% women, ~45–47% men
• Facebook: slightly more women (~55%)
• Pinterest: predominantly women (~70%+)
• YouTube: slightly more men (~55%)
• X (Twitter): more men (~60%)
• Instagram and TikTok: near-even split

Behavioral trends in Stark County–type rural communities

• Facebook as the local hub: high engagement in Groups and Pages tied to schools, churches, local government, high school sports, and community events; Marketplace heavily used for vehicles, farm/ranch equipment, tools, furniture
• YouTube for practical content: DIY home/auto repair, ag/horticulture, hunting/fishing, product research; Short-form (Shorts) consumption rising
• Visual, short-form growth: TikTok and Instagram Reels gaining time share among under-40s; cross-posting of the same short-form video across platforms is common
• Messaging patterns: Facebook Messenger among adults; Snapchat among teens and college-age users
• Local news behavior: Facebook is the primary pathway to local news and alerts; word-of-mouth amplified via Groups
• Posting/engagement windows: Evenings (7–9 pm CT) and weekend mid-mornings show the highest interaction; weather, school, and sports updates drive spikes
• Commerce: Strong response to promotions with clear local value (seasonal services, local retail, trades); short videos and before/after visuals outperform static images

Notes

• Figures are best-available estimates calibrated to Stark County’s rural Midwest profile using U.S. Census/ACS demographics and Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 platform adoption and usage benchmarks. County-level platform operators do not publish audited user counts at this geography, so modeled percentages provide the most reliable, actionable view.