Wayne County

Wayne County, Illinois — key demographics (latest available from U.S. Census Bureau)

Population

• Total population: ~16,200 (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimate; 2020 Census count ~16,200)

Age

• Median age: ~42 years
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18 to 64: ~58%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Sex

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and ethnicity (percent of total)

• White alone: ~95%
• Black or African American alone: ~0.5–1%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.3%
• Asian alone: ~0.2%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0%
• Some other race: ~0.5%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2%

Households and families

• Total households: ~6,500–6,700
• Average household size: ~2.4–2.5 persons
• Family households: ~65% of households; average family size ~3.0
• Married-couple households: ~50–52% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• Nonfamily households: ~35%
• Householder living alone: ~29%; age 65+ living alone: ~14%
• Housing tenure: owner-occupied ~76%; renter-occupied ~24%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables DP05, S0101, S1101) and 2020 Decennial Census. These are the most recent comprehensive small-area statistics available for the county.

Wayne County, Illinois (pop. ≈16,000; density ≈22 persons/sq mi) has an estimated 11,000 adult email users. Age distribution of adult email users: 18–29 ≈19% (2,100 users), 30–49 ≈30% (3,360), 50–64 ≈21% (2,340), 65+ ≈28% (3,200). Gender split among email users is effectively even: ≈51% female, 49% male.

Digital access and trends:

• Household broadband subscription: ≈75% (ACS), with ≈86% of households having some form of internet access; ≈10–12% are smartphone‑only.
• Older adults (65+) show lower but rising adoption; email use in this group is ~75–80%, versus ~95%+ for ages 18–49.
• Connectivity reflects rural dispersion: fixed broadband at ≥100/20 Mbps reaches most populated areas, while outlying townships rely more on DSL and fixed wireless, producing patchy speeds and higher latency.
• Public anchors (schools, libraries) and mobile carriers help offset last‑mile gaps via Wi‑Fi and LTE/5G coverage.

Insights: Email is near‑universal among working‑age adults and a primary channel for services, employment, and healthcare portals. The main constraint is infrastructure, not willingness to use email; improvements in fiber and fixed‑wireless coverage will most increase usage among seniors and remote households.

Mobile phone usage in Wayne County, Illinois — 2024 snapshot (modeled from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2018–2022, FCC Broadband Data Collection 2024, and national usage surveys)

Overall user estimates

• Population and adults: ~16,000 residents; ~12,400 adults (18+)
• Adult smartphone users: ~9,800–10,500 (about 78–84% of adults), below Illinois’ ~88–91%
• Adult mobile phone (any type) users: ~11,300–11,800 (about 90–94% of adults), below Illinois’ ~96%

Household device and subscription profile

• Households: ~6,600–6,800
• Households with at least one smartphone: ~82–86% (Illinois ~90–92%)
• Household broadband subscription (any fixed or mobile): ~72–78% (Illinois ~86–88%)
• Household cellular data plan present: ~65–72%
• Mobile-only internet households (cellular data but no fixed home internet): ~12–16% (Illinois ~7–10%)

Demographic breakdown and adoption gaps

• Age: Seniors (65+) comprise ~22–24% of the population; smartphone adoption among seniors ~58–65% (Illinois seniors ~70–75%)
• Income: 33–37% of households under $35,000; this group shows lower smartphone adoption (70–78%) and higher reliance on prepaid plans and mobile-only internet
• Education: ~50–55% of adults with high school or less; smartphone adoption ~75–82%, lagging college-educated peers by 10–15 points
• Race/ethnicity: Population is predominantly non-Hispanic White (~94–96%); local adoption differences are driven more by age and income than by race

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Mobile network operators: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and UScellular operate in the county
• Coverage: 4G LTE reaches >95% of the population; low-band 5G population coverage is roughly ~60–75%, with mid-band 5G concentrated around Fairfield and along US‑45/IL‑15 corridors
• Typical performance: Median downloads ~25–60 Mbps countywide; pockets with mid-band 5G reach ~150–300 Mbps. Typical uploads ~3–10 Mbps on LTE and ~10–35 Mbps on 5G
• Sites: On the order of two to three dozen macro towers serve the county; small-cell density is low outside Fairfield
• Fixed broadband context: Wayne-White Counties Electric Cooperative’s fiber buildout is expanding coverage; legacy DSL remains in some areas; cable is limited; fixed wireless (e.g., regional WISPs) fills gaps. Areas awaiting fiber show higher mobile-only reliance
• Coverage gaps: River bottoms, heavily wooded stretches, and low-density roads have dead zones; external antennas or multi-carrier devices improve reliability

Distinct trends vs Illinois statewide

• Adoption gap: Adult smartphone adoption runs ~6–10 percentage points below the state average, driven by an older age profile and lower incomes
• Mobile-only internet reliance: ~4–7 points higher than the state, reflecting patchier fixed broadband options away from Fairfield and ongoing fiber buildouts
• Speed and consistency: Lower median speeds and greater variability than statewide urban and suburban markets; performance improves measurably where mid-band 5G and new fiber backhaul have been deployed
• Generational divide: Larger senior adoption gap than the state average; targeted digital literacy and affordability programs move the needle more here than in metro Illinois
• Convergence trend: As electric-coop fiber passes more homes, mobile-only households are declining in fiber-served zones, narrowing (but not closing) the gap with the state

Key takeaways

• Roughly 10,000 adult smartphone users and up to 11,800 total mobile users reside in Wayne County, with adoption notably below Illinois averages
• Mobile-only internet is materially more common than statewide, tied to fixed-broadband availability and affordability
• Network upgrades that expand mid-band 5G and fiber backhaul, combined with senior-focused adoption support and low-income affordability programs, yield the biggest local gains in parity with state-level outcomes

Notes on sources and method

• Estimates synthesize U.S. Census Bureau ACS (S2801), FCC Broadband Data Collection availability, and recent national mobile adoption research. County figures are rounded and expressed as ranges where data granularity or recency warrants it; statewide comparators reflect 2022–2024 benchmarks.

Wayne County, IL social media usage (2025 snapshot)

Headline user stats

• Residents: ~16,000; adults (18+): ~12,300
• Social media users: ~9,600 adults (≈78% of adults)
• Daily users: ~6,700 adults (≈70% of users)

Age mix of social media users (share of all local users)

• 18–29: ~22%
• 30–49: ~34%
• 50–64: ~24%
• 65+: ~20%

Gender breakdown among social media users

• Female: ~53%
• Male: ~47%

Most-used platforms (share of adults in Wayne County)

• YouTube: ~74%
• Facebook: ~64%
• Instagram: ~32%
• TikTok: ~22%
• Snapchat: ~20%
• Pinterest: ~26%
• X (Twitter): ~16%
• LinkedIn: ~11%
• Reddit: ~10%
• WhatsApp: ~12%
• Nextdoor: ~8%

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the local hub: school, church, youth sports, buy/sell groups, and Marketplace drive the highest engagement; comments and group posts outrun page posts.
• Video-first consumption: short, locally relevant clips on Facebook Reels and YouTube outperform static posts; school, sports, farm/outdoors, faith, and home-repair topics lead.
• Private sharing dominates among younger users: Snapchat for messaging; Facebook Messenger across all ages; many interactions happen in DMs rather than public feeds.
• Shopping behavior: Facebook Marketplace is a primary channel for local buying; boutique promos and seasonal offers on Facebook/Instagram see strong weekend response.
• News and alerts: Breaking weather, road closures, and high school sports scores rely on Facebook pages/groups and a smaller cohort on X for live updates.
• Timing: Peak activity 6–9 pm; secondary peak 6–8 am (farm and shift schedules). Weekdays favor news; weekends favor commerce and events.
• Cross-posting routine: Local creators and businesses often recycle TikTok clips to Facebook/Instagram Reels; Instagram serves as a curated mirror of Facebook for many small businesses.

Notes for outreach and ads

• Most efficient channels: Facebook and Instagram for reach + response; YouTube for awareness in 18–49.
• Targeting: 10–25 mile radius around Fairfield/Wayne City captures most users; smaller audiences mean frequency management and fresh creative are critical.
• Creative cues: People-centric photos, clear offers (price, hours), and tie-ins to school calendars, sports seasons, fairs, and church events consistently lift results.

Method and sources

• Figures are modeled estimates using U.S. Census Bureau ACS population/age structure for Wayne County and Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. adult platform adoption, adjusted for the county’s older, rural profile.