Woodford County

Woodford County, Illinois — key demographics (latest U.S. Census Bureau data)

Population size

• Total population: 38,467 (2020 Census)
• 2023 population estimate: approximately 38,000 (Census Bureau estimates)

Age

• Median age: about 41 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18 years: roughly 24%
• 65 years and over: roughly 18–19%

Gender

• Female: about 50%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2019–2023)

• White (alone): about 95%
• Black or African American (alone): about 0.5%
• Asian (alone): about 1%
• American Indian and Alaska Native (alone): about 0.2%
• Two or more races: about 2%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): about 2–3%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Number of households: about 15,000
• Average household size: about 2.6–2.7 persons
• Family households: roughly 72% of households
• Married-couple households: around 60% of households
• Households with children under 18: around 30%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: roughly 80%+

Notes

• Figures combine 2020 Decennial Census (population count) with American Community Survey (ACS) 2019–2023 5-year estimates for composition and household characteristics. ACS estimates are subject to sampling error; values above are rounded for clarity.

Email usage in Woodford County, IL (estimates based on 2020 Census/ACS and Pew Research, 2023):

• Population and density: ~38,500 residents; roughly 70 people per square mile.
• Estimated email users: ~27,000 adults use email (≈92% of adult population); a majority check daily.
• Age distribution of email use:
  • 18–29: ≈99% use email (near-universal adoption)
  • 30–49: ≈98%
  • 50–64: ≈95%
  • 65+: ≈85% This yields a user base skewed slightly older than urban counties but still broad across all ages.
• Gender split: Essentially even; men ≈92% and women ≈93% report using email.
• Digital access trends:
  • About nine in ten households have an internet subscription, with broadband prevalent in population centers.
  • Smartphone access is widespread; a notable minority are smartphone‑only, especially in lower‑density areas.
  • Connectivity is strongest in and around the Peoria metro suburbs (e.g., Germantown Hills, Metamora); rural townships show lower speeds and adoption, though fiber and fixed‑wireless coverage continue to expand.

Insights: Email is a near‑universal channel for working‑age adults and a solid reach medium for seniors, with minor rural connectivity gaps the main constraint.

Mobile phone usage in Woodford County, Illinois — 2024 snapshot

Executive summary

• Woodford County is a largely suburban–rural county anchored by Eureka, Metamora/Germantown Hills, El Paso, Minonk, Roanoke, and within the Peoria–Bloomington-Normal commute shed.
• Mobile adoption is high and broadly in line with Illinois, but the county relies less on smartphones as the primary/only internet connection than the state average and shows slightly lower adoption among older adults. Mid-band 5G coverage is clustered near population centers and along major corridors, with LTE persisting in low-density areas.

User base estimates

• Population context: ≈38.5k residents; ≈29–30k adults (18+).
• Adult smartphone users: ≈26–27.5k (roughly 88–92% of adults), slightly below large-metro Illinois but consistent with suburban–rural counties.
• Non-smartphone mobile users (feature phones/basic phones): ≈1.2–1.8k adults (about 4–6%).
• Adults without a mobile phone: ≈1.0–1.4k (about 3–5%).
• Household smartphone presence: ≈92–95% of households have at least one smartphone.
• Mobile-broadband-only households (rely on a cellular data plan for home internet, no fixed broadband): ≈7–10% in Woodford vs ≈12–15% statewide, reflecting stronger fixed-broadband take-up locally.

Demographic breakdown (usage pattern highlights)

• Age:
  • 18–34: Near-saturation smartphone ownership (≈95–98%); heavy use of 5G-capable devices and app-based services.
  • 35–64: High ownership (≈92–95%); elevated use of multi-line family postpaid plans.
  • 65+: Noticeably lower smartphone adoption (≈70–80%) than the statewide 65+ average; higher incidence of keeping a voice-centric line or LTE-only devices.
• Income and education:
  • Above-average household incomes and high fixed-broadband availability in the Eureka–Metamora/Germantown Hills area correlate with lower “smartphone-only” reliance than Illinois overall.
  • Budget-conscious plans and MVNOs are present, but postpaid family plans (bundled with device financing) dominate among multi-person households.
• Urban–rural split:
  • Town centers (Eureka, Metamora/Germantown Hills, El Paso, Minonk) show higher 5G handset penetration and usage of mid-band spectrum services.
  • Outlying rural townships exhibit greater persistence of LTE and a slightly higher share of basic/older smartphones.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Carrier presence: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and UScellular all serve the county; roaming and MVNO options are widely available.
• 5G availability:
  • Mid-band 5G (e.g., T-Mobile 2.5 GHz; Verizon/AT&T C-band) concentrates in and around Eureka–Metamora/Germantown Hills, El Paso/Minonk, and along primary corridors (I‑39, US‑24, IL‑116/117). Coverage tapers in sparsely populated areas, which remain LTE-first.
  • Low-band 5G provides broad geographic coverage but with LTE-like performance in agricultural areas.
• Typical user experience (observed patterns in similar suburban–rural Illinois counties and carrier-disclosed performance):
  • Town centers on mid-band 5G: Downlink often 100–300 Mbps; uplink 10–35 Mbps; latency 25–45 ms.
  • Rural LTE/low-band 5G: Downlink commonly 5–50 Mbps; uplink 2–10 Mbps; latency 35–60 ms, with occasional drops indoors or in river/bluff terrain.
• Coverage nuance:
  • Strong signal along I‑39 and state highways; more variability near the Illinois River bluffs and wooded valleys west/southwest of Germantown Hills.
  • Farm-to-market roads and low-density sections north of Minonk/Roanoke see greater tower spacing and more frequent band hand-offs.

How Woodford County differs from Illinois statewide

• Lower reliance on mobile-only internet: A smaller share of households use a cellular plan as their sole home internet compared to the statewide average, due to better-than-typical fixed broadband adoption in and near town centers.
• Slightly lower smartphone adoption among older adults: The 65+ gap vs statewide metro areas is wider, contributing to a small overall adoption delta despite near-saturation in younger cohorts.
• Network mix skew: A relatively higher share of users on coverage-focused carriers or plans (including UScellular and Verizon low-band footprints) than in Chicago-area counties, driven by rural coverage needs and travel across agricultural corridors.
• Performance variance: Median speeds show a larger town–rural spread than the state average because mid-band 5G build-outs are concentrated near population clusters, with LTE persisting in outlying tracts.

Implications

• Device and plan strategy: Family postpaid plans with strong rural coverage and Wi‑Fi calling are optimal; BYOD MVNOs work well in towns but may underperform in river/bluff and far-rural zones.
• Infrastructure priorities: Additional mid-band 5G sectors and small cells around growth corridors (Metamora/Germantown Hills, Eureka edges) and targeted fill-in LTE/5G low-band sites north of Minonk/Roanoke would narrow the urban–rural performance gap.
• Equity and adoption: Senior-focused smartphone training and subsidy awareness (ACP successor programs, Lifeline) would address the age-driven adoption gap more than in Illinois’ urban counties.

Notes on sources and methodology

• Estimates synthesize U.S. Census/ACS device and internet subscription indicators (household smartphone presence, cellular data plan, fixed-broadband take-up), FCC coverage filings and maps through 2024, carrier public 5G deployment disclosures, and observed performance norms for suburban–rural Illinois. Figures are rounded to emphasize directional accuracy and county–state contrasts.

Social media usage in Woodford County, Illinois (2025 snapshot)

Baseline and user totals

• Population base: ≈38.5k residents (2020 Census).
• Adults (18+): ≈29.6k; adult social media users (use at least one platform): ≈21.3k (72% of adults).
• Teens (13–17): ≈2.5k; teen social media users: ≈2.4k (≈95% use at least one platform).
• Total social media users (13+): ≈23.7k.

Most-used platforms (adults, estimated local reach) Note: Percentages reflect Pew’s 2024 U.S. adult adoption rates applied to Woodford County’s adult population.

• YouTube: 83% of adults ≈24.6k users
• Facebook: 68% ≈20.2k
• Instagram: 50% ≈14.8k
• Pinterest: 35% ≈10.4k
• TikTok: 33% ≈9.8k
• Snapchat: 30% ≈8.9k
• LinkedIn: 30% ≈8.9k
• X (Twitter): 22% ≈6.5k
• Reddit: 22% ≈6.5k
• WhatsApp: 21% ≈6.2k

Teens (13–17) platform usage (Pew national benchmarks, applied locally)

• YouTube: 95%
• TikTok: 63%
• Snapchat: 60%
• Instagram: 59%
• Facebook: ~33% Implication: Nearly all teens are active, with short‑form video (YouTube/TikTok) and ephemeral messaging (Snapchat) central to daily use.

Age-group patterns (local implications)

• 18–29: Heavy on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; multi‑platform, video‑first.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube anchor daily use; Instagram growing; TikTok adoption rising.
• 50–64: Facebook dominant; YouTube for how‑to/news; Pinterest notable among women.
• 65+: Facebook and YouTube primarily; lower uptake of TikTok/Snapchat.

Gender breakdown

• County population: roughly 50% women, 50% men (Census).
• Usage patterns: Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on Reddit and X; YouTube and Instagram are broadly balanced. Net effect is a slight female tilt in the adult user base.

Behavioral trends observed in counties like Woodford (applied locally)

• Community-first Facebook: Strong reliance on Facebook Groups and Pages for schools, churches, youth sports, and civic updates; Marketplace widely used for local buying/selling.
• Video as default: YouTube for tutorials, repairs, home improvement, farming/machinery, and product research; Reels/Shorts drive discovery for local food, boutiques, and events.
• Messaging and micro-sharing: Snapchat as day-to-day messaging for high schoolers; Instagram DMs and Stories key for 18–29.
• Local news and alerts: Facebook and YouTube channels of regional outlets (Peoria-area stations/papers) serve as primary news touchpoints.
• Commerce and recommendations: High trust in peer recommendations within local Groups; measurable lift from short-form video promos and UGC for small businesses.
• Posting vs. lurking: Adults 30+ engage heavily via likes/shares and comments rather than frequent original posts; teens and 18–29 post more Stories/reels than feed posts.
• Cross-posting: The same community info often circulates across multiple Facebook Groups; brands benefit from consistent posting cadence and event cross-listing.

Method and sources

• Population and age baseline: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census/QuickFacts (Woodford County, IL).
• Adult platform percentages: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adult adoption by platform).
• Teen platform percentages: Pew Research Center, Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023.
• Local counts are modeled by applying Pew’s adoption rates to the county’s adult and teen populations.