Vermilion County

Key demographics — Vermilion County, Illinois (latest Census/ACS)

Population

• Total population: ~74,000 (2023 Census estimate); 75,758 (2020 Census)
• Trend: Down from 81,625 (2010) to ~74,000 (2023) — about −9% over 2010–2023

Age

• Median age: ~41 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18–64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender

• Female: ~50.7%
• Male: ~49.3%

Race and ethnicity (shares of total population)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~74%
• Black or African American: ~16–17%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~6–7%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Asian: ~0.7%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.3%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%

Households and housing

• Households: ~30,200
• Average household size: ~2.4
• Family households: ~61% of households; married-couple households: ~42%
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• Nonfamily households: ~39%; living alone: ~33% (about 13% age 65+ living alone)
• Homeownership rate: ~68%

Insights

• Population is shrinking and aging.
• Racial composition is predominantly non-Hispanic White with a notable Black population and smaller Hispanic share than the Illinois average.
• Household size is slightly below the U.S. average; owner-occupancy is relatively high for Illinois.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey (5-year); 2023 Population Estimates Program. Numbers rounded for clarity.

Vermilion County, IL — email usage snapshot

• Estimated email users: ≈54,000 residents out of ≈74,000 total, reflecting roughly 88–90% adoption among adults.
• Age distribution of email users (est.):
  • 13–17: ≈3.5k (≈80% of teens)
  • 18–34: ≈14.1k (≈95%)
  • 35–54: ≈16.4k (≈92%)
  • 55–64: ≈7.8k (≈88%)
  • 65+: ≈12.7k (≈75–80%)
• Gender split: ≈51% women, 49% men among users; usage rates are effectively equal by gender.
• Digital access trends:
  • Household broadband subscription: ≈80% (county-level estimate), with adoption lowest among low-income and senior households.
  • Smartphone adoption: ≈85% of adults; ≈15–20% are smartphone-only for home internet, sustaining email use without fixed broadband.
  • Public access (libraries, schools, community centers) remains an important email on-ramp for un/underserved residents.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ≈82 people per square mile across ≈901 square miles; Danville anchors most fixed-broadband availability.
  • Rural townships have fewer fixed providers and lower median speeds, increasing reliance on mobile networks; 5G and robust 4G coverage concentrate along major corridors, with patchier service in agricultural areas.

Overall: Email is near-universal among working-age adults, with gaps concentrated among older, lower-income, and rural residents.

Mobile phone usage snapshot – Vermilion County, Illinois (most recent ACS/FCC-aligned estimates through 2023–2024)

User estimates

• Population base: ~74,000 residents and ~30,000 households (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimates).
• Adult smartphone users: 49,000–53,000 adults (about 85–90% of adults), reflecting slightly lower adoption than Illinois’ large metros because of older age structure and lower incomes.
• Total mobile phone users (smartphones + basic phones): ~58,000–62,000 residents.
• Smartphone-only (mobile data is the primary or only connection at home): 15–20% of households in Vermilion County versus roughly 10–12% statewide, indicating greater reliance on mobile for home internet.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age: Vermilion County’s older age profile (share 65+ is a few points higher than Illinois overall) suppresses overall smartphone penetration and especially reduces adoption among seniors. The age gap in smartphone use is wider than the Illinois average.
• Income: Lower median income and higher poverty rates than the state average correlate with:
  • Higher smartphone-only dependence at home.
  • Greater reliance on prepaid and budget carriers/MVNOs.
  • More data-conservation behaviors (Wi‑Fi offloading, lower-cost plans).
• Race/ethnicity: The county’s Black and Hispanic residents (smaller absolute numbers than in metro Illinois) are more likely than White residents to be smartphone-dependent for home internet, consistent with statewide and national patterns, which amplifies the mobile-first divide locally.
• Geography: Outside Danville and the main corridors, rural townships exhibit lower in-home signal quality and more indoor dead zones, which pushes some residents to specific rooms/locations for consistent service and increases adoption of boosters/hotspot devices.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage:
  • 4G LTE: Effectively countywide outdoors from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon; indoor reliability falls off in older buildings and wooded/low-lying areas.
  • 5G low-band: Broad coverage along I‑74/US‑136/IL‑1 and across Danville; fills in gradually toward rural edges.
  • 5G mid-band (capacity): Concentrated in and near Danville and along the busiest corridors; patchier in smaller towns; little to no mmWave outside select urban blocks.
• Capacity and speeds:
  • Typical rural/peripheral areas: 20–70 Mbps down on LTE/low-band 5G; uplink 3–15 Mbps; higher jitter/latency variability.
  • Danville urban core with mid-band 5G: 150–300 Mbps down is common at peak signal; uplink 15–40 Mbps.
  • Peak-time slowdowns are more pronounced than in Chicago-area markets due to fewer sectorized sites and less mid-band depth.
• Infrastructure points:
  • All three national carriers operate macro sites in/around Danville; smaller towns lean on fewer towers with wider cells.
  • Fixed broadband gaps (DSL legacy areas, limited fiber) keep mobile hotspots and smartphone tethering more prevalent than the state average.
  • Ongoing Illinois BEAD and state broadband initiatives primarily target fixed networks; mobile benefits indirectly where new fiber backhaul is extended to towers.

How Vermilion County differs from Illinois overall

• Higher smartphone-only households: Approximately 3–8 percentage points above the statewide share, indicating more mobile-first home internet use.
• Slightly lower overall smartphone adoption: Driven by an older population mix and income constraints, whereas Illinois’ metro-dense profile lifts the state average.
• Greater reliance on prepaid/MVNO plans: Cost sensitivity is more visible locally than in metro Illinois.
• More variable indoor coverage and speeds: Urban Danville is competitive, but rural edges experience larger performance swings and dead zones than typical suburban/metro Illinois.
• Mobile as an equalizer: Mobile networks fill fixed-broadband gaps for homework, telehealth, and job search at a higher rate than statewide, but data caps and uplink constraints limit quality for video-first use cases.

Key statistics to use operationally

• Households with smartphones (ACS 5-year, county-level): roughly high‑80s to low‑90s percent in Vermilion County vs low‑ to mid‑90s percent in Illinois.
• Smartphone-only households (no fixed broadband): about 15–20% in Vermilion County vs ~10–12% statewide.
• Households with no home internet of any kind: about 10–13% in Vermilion County vs ~7–9% statewide.
• Adult smartphone users: ~49,000–53,000; total mobile users (all ages/devices): ~58,000–62,000.

Implications

• Network planning: Additional mid-band 5G sectors and improved in-building solutions in Danville, plus targeted rural infill, would reduce the county’s above-average variability.
• Affordability and plans: ACP wind-down and price sensitivity locally argue for robust prepaid/MVNO offerings and entry-tier postpaid plans with higher hotspot allowances.
• Digital inclusion: Because mobile substitutes for home broadband more often than statewide, device lending, hotspot distribution, and digital skills programs have outsized impact in Vermilion County compared with metro Illinois.

Sources and basis

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 American Community Survey (tables S2801/B28002: device ownership, internet subscription).
• FCC National Broadband Map and provider filings through late 2023/2024 for 4G/5G availability and backhaul context.
• NTIA and national research (e.g., Pew) on demographic patterns of smartphone adoption and smartphone-only reliance, applied to Vermilion County’s age/income profile.

Social media usage in Vermilion County, Illinois (2025 snapshot; modeled local estimates)

Topline user stats

• Population base: ~74,000 residents; ~63,000 residents age 13+
• Social media users (13+): ~51,000 (≈82% of residents 13+)
• Daily social media users: ~41,000 (≈80% of users)
• Mobile-first usage: ~95% of users primarily on smartphones

Age profile (share using social media within each age band; local adoption rates)

• 13–17: 95% (≈3,600 users)
• 18–29: 92% (≈9,300 users)
• 30–49: 88% (≈17,200 users)
• 50–64: 82% (≈12,400 users)
• 65+: 62% (≈9,000 users)

Gender breakdown (among social media users)

• Women: 53% (≈27,000)
• Men: 47% (≈24,000)

Most-used platforms (adults 18+, at least monthly)

• YouTube: 79%
• Facebook: 69%
• Instagram: 40%
• Pinterest: 31% (notably higher among women)
• TikTok: 28%
• Snapchat: 24%
• WhatsApp: 22%
• LinkedIn: 21%
• X (Twitter): 19%
• Reddit: 12%
• Nextdoor: 7% (limited neighborhood coverage)

Teens (13–17) platform pattern

• YouTube ~95%, TikTok ~67%, Instagram ~62%, Snapchat ~74% (heavy daily use), Facebook ~30% (mostly for groups/events)

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community backbone: heavy use of Groups (schools, youth sports, churches, local buy/sell/trade) and Marketplace; event discovery dominates.
• Short-form video is rising: TikTok and Instagram Reels drive entertainment, food spots, and local business promos; older users remain more passive viewers.
• Local news reliance: high engagement with weather alerts, school closings, road conditions, and county government updates; comment activity spikes during local elections and city council/school board issues.
• Messaging is fragmented: Facebook Messenger is default; Snapchat messaging is core for teens/young adults; WhatsApp is moderate and concentrated in specific friend/family networks.
• Commerce behavior: coupon posts, flash sales, and “what’s in stock” videos from retailers and restaurants perform best; Marketplace activity peaks on weekend mornings.
• Time-of-day usage: morning scroll (6–8 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and late evening (8–10 p.m.); Sunday evening is a reliable high-engagement window.
• Creator mix: local micro-creators (fitness, beauty, outdoors, auto/DIY) rely on cross-posting YouTube + Facebook + TikTok; live video used for sports and community events.
• Device and access: mobile data dominates; outlying rural areas show lower video upload quality and more off-peak posting.
• Ad responsiveness: geo-targeted offers, jobs (healthcare, manufacturing, logistics), and event promotions outperform generic branding; comments and shares drive reach more than link clicks.

Method note: Figures are 2025 modeled local estimates derived from U.S. Census/ACS demographics for Vermilion County and Pew Research Center 2023–2024 U.S. social platform adoption rates, adjusted for the county’s older/rural Midwest profile.