Wabash County

Wabash County, Illinois — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau)

Population

• 11,361 (2020 Census)
• ~11,18x (2023 estimate; modest decline since 2020)

Age

• Median age: ~42 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Gender

• Female: ~50.5%
• Male: ~49.5%

Race and ethnicity

• White alone: ~94%
• Black or African American alone: ~1–2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.3%
• Asian alone: ~0.4–0.5%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–3%
• White alone, not Hispanic: ~92%

Households and housing

• Households: ~4,7xx (ACS 5-year)
• Persons per household: ~2.33
• Family households: ~66%
• Married-couple households: ~50–52%
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• One-person households: ~30%
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~73–76%

Notes

• Population counts reflect 2020 Decennial Census; most other measures are American Community Survey (multi-year) estimates used for small-area reliability. Figures rounded for clarity.

• Scope: Wabash County, IL (2020 population 11,361; ≈51 people per sq. mile).
• Estimated email users: ≈8,900 residents (≈78% of the population), derived from ~85% individual internet use and ~92% email adoption among internet users.
• Age distribution of email users (share of users): Under 18 ≈19%; 18–34 ≈19%; 35–64 ≈42%; 65+ ≈20%.
• Gender split of email users: ≈51% female, 49% male (mirroring county demographics).
• Digital access and trends:
  • Household broadband subscription: ≈81%.
  • Smartphone-only internet access: ≈11% of households.
  • Adoption and speeds are highest in and around Mt. Carmel (the county’s urban cluster); rural townships show lower fixed-broadband uptake and greater reliance on DSL/fixed wireless or satellite.
  • Mobile-first email usage continues to grow among residents under 35; seniors are steadily adopting email but remain less likely to use it daily compared with working-age adults.

Insights: With most residents concentrated near Mt. Carmel and overall low county density, connectivity is geographically uneven, but steady broadband adoption and widespread smartphone ownership keep email a near-universal communication channel among connected adults.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Wabash County, Illinois (2024)

Baseline

• Population: ~11,100 residents; ~4,800 households; largely rural and centered on Mount Carmel.
• Age mix skews older than the Illinois average, with a larger 65+ share and lower median income—both factors that influence device adoption and plan choices.

User estimates

• Estimated smartphone users: ~8,050 residents (about 73% of the total population; roughly 92% of those age 13+).
  • By age (estimated counts and adoption):
    • 13–17: ~630 users (≈95% adoption)
    • 18–34: ~1,790 users (≈95% adoption)
    • 35–64: ~4,000 users (≈90% adoption)
    • 65+: ~1,630 users (≈64% adoption)
• Household smartphone-only internet reliance: 20% of households (960) use cellular-only service for home internet, well above the statewide norm.
• Voice-and-text dependence remains higher than in metro Illinois, with more users maintaining basic/limited-data plans and relying on hotspotting for laptops/tablets.

Demographic breakdown and behavior

• Seniors (65+): Smartphone adoption materially lower than the state average, reflecting budget sensitivity and comfort with legacy voice services; higher use of simpler or flip devices persists.
• Working-age adults (35–64): High smartphone adoption but a notable tilt toward cost-controlled plans (MVNOs, prepaid) and longer device upgrade cycles.
• Teens and young adults: Adoption near universal; heavy use of messaging and video apps, but overall data consumption constrained more by plan limits than in urban Illinois.
• Income and education: Lower median income and lower bachelor’s attainment than the Illinois average correlate with:
  • Higher prepaid/MVNO penetration (e.g., Straight Talk, Cricket, Boost)
  • Higher Android share
  • Greater likelihood of smartphone-only households

Digital infrastructure points

• Networks and coverage: All three national carriers (AT&T/FirstNet, Verizon, T-Mobile) operate in the county. 4G LTE is the practical baseline countywide; 5G is present in and around Mount Carmel and along primary corridors (US‑50, IL‑1) but falls back to LTE in outlying areas.
• Performance: Capacity is strongest near Mount Carmel and fiber-fed corridors; speeds and indoor coverage degrade in river bottoms, wooded lowlands, and metal agricultural structures. Residents commonly use signal boosters or Wi‑Fi calling in fringe areas.
• Backhaul and capacity: Fiber backhaul is concentrated along main routes; elsewhere, microwave backhaul is common, limiting peak throughput and 5G mid‑band density outside town centers.
• Public safety: FirstNet coverage is established along primary corridors and population centers, improving reliability for emergency services relative to legacy coverage.
• Public access: County buildings, libraries, and schools offer key Wi‑Fi access points that supplement limited fixed broadband and help reduce cellular data strain for lower-income users.

How Wabash County differs from Illinois overall

• Higher smartphone‑only households: ~20% vs roughly low‑teens statewide. This is the clearest divergence and reflects fixed‑broadband gaps and cost pressures.
• Slightly lower adult smartphone penetration: Driven by a larger 65+ population and tighter budgets; the gap vs statewide adult ownership is a few percentage points.
• More prepaid/MVNO usage and longer device lifecycles: Price sensitivity yields greater reliance on prepaid and budget brands and slower upgrade cadence than the state average.
• More LTE reliance and patchier 5G: 5G coverage and mid‑band density lag metro Illinois; suburban/metro Illinois enjoys broader, faster 5G availability.
• Greater dependence on hotspotting for home connectivity: With the wind‑down of the Affordable Connectivity Program in 2024, smartphone tethering and cellular home internet became more important locally than statewide.
• Network experience variability: Larger performance gaps between town centers and rural edges than is typical in metro counties, especially indoors and in river-adjacent terrain.

Key takeaways

• Roughly 8,000 residents use smartphones, but a meaningfully higher share of households rely on cellular as their only home internet.
• Economic and demographic realities drive a distinct usage profile: more prepaid, more Android, more LTE, and more hotspotting than the Illinois average.
• Infrastructure is adequate for coverage but constrained for capacity outside Mount Carmel; improving mid‑band 5G density and fiber backhaul would narrow the performance gap with the rest of the state.

Wabash County, IL social media snapshot (2025)

Base population and composition

• Population: ~11,025 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 estimate)
• Adults (18+): ~8,700
• Gender (adults): ~50.5% female, ~49.5% male (ACS profile for Wabash County)

Most‑used platforms (estimated local adult reach) Note: Percentages reflect latest U.S. adult usage from Pew Research Center (2024); counts apply those rates to Wabash County’s ~8,700 adults.

• YouTube: 83% ≈ 7,200 adults
• Facebook: 68% ≈ 5,900 adults
• Instagram: 47% ≈ 4,100 adults
• Pinterest: 35% ≈ 3,000 adults
• TikTok: 33% ≈ 2,900 adults
• Snapchat: 30% ≈ 2,600 adults
• LinkedIn: 30% ≈ 2,600 adults
• X (Twitter): 22% ≈ 1,900 adults
• Reddit: 22% ≈ 1,900 adults

Age groups (usage pattern and implications)

• 18–29: Very high social use (roughly 8–9 in 10 nationally). Heavy on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube; Facebook used but not dominant.
• 30–49: High use across platforms; YouTube and Facebook lead, Instagram strong; TikTok/Snapchat moderate.
• 50–64: Majority on social; Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram/TikTok smaller but growing.
• 65+: About half use at least one platform nationally, concentrated on Facebook and YouTube; lower adoption of Instagram/TikTok.
• Local skew: Wabash County’s older age structure means above‑average reliance on Facebook and YouTube, with smaller but active youth cohorts on TikTok/Snapchat/Instagram.

Gender breakdown (among social users)

• Expect a slight female majority among social users (~52–54% female) due to higher female usage of Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok; X and Reddit skew more male. Overall user base closely mirrors the county’s near‑even gender split.

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural Illinois counties

• Community and Groups first: Facebook Groups are the hub for schools, churches, youth sports, local government, and buy/sell (Marketplace).
• Video‑forward consumption: Short vertical video (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) drives reach; YouTube used for DIY, equipment repair, home improvement, hunting/fishing, and long‑form “how‑to.”
• Local commerce: Marketplace and locally targeted Facebook/Instagram ads convert well; service businesses (contractors, healthcare, auto, real estate) see strong response to before/after photos and short explainer videos.
• Event and seasonality spikes: School sports, fairs/festivals, severe weather, planting/harvest seasons increase engagement; timely posts see outsized reach via shares.
• Messaging habits: Younger users coordinate via Snapchat; Facebook Messenger prevalent across adults; cross‑posting short video to Reels + TikTok improves coverage.
• Platform roles:
  • Facebook = reach + community + conversion (older and family audiences).
  • YouTube = education/entertainment and durable search traffic.
  • Instagram = visual branding for boutiques, fitness, venues; Reels expands non‑follower reach.
  • TikTok = discovery with under‑35s; creator‑led local content; repost to Reels for older segments.
  • Pinterest = strong with women 25–54 for recipes, crafts, home projects; useful for local retail/DIY content.
  • X/Twitter = niche but influential for sports, weather, state news; good for real‑time alerts.

Notes on method and reliability

• Population and age/sex base: U.S. Census Bureau (QuickFacts/ACS) for Wabash County.
• Platform percentages: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (applied to the local adult base to estimate counts). Actual local shares can vary, but these provide grounded, defensible estimates for planning and benchmarking.