Grant County

Grant County, Indiana — key demographics

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2023 Vintage Population Estimates; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates)

Population size

• 2023 population estimate: ~66,400
• 2020 Census: 66,674

Age

• Under 18: ~22.8%
• 65 and over: ~19.5%
• Median age: ~40 years

Gender

• Female: ~50.7%
• Male: ~49.3%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White (alone): ~86%
• Black or African American (alone): ~6–7%
• American Indian/Alaska Native (alone): ~0.4–0.5%
• Asian (alone): ~0.8–0.9%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (alone): ~0.1%
• Two or more races: ~5.8%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~4–5%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~82%

Household data

• Households (ACS 2019–2023): ~25,800
• Average household size: ~2.4 persons

Insights

• Population is stable to slightly declining since 2020.
• Older age profile than the U.S. overall, with nearly one in five residents 65+.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White, with small but meaningful Black and Hispanic communities.
• Household size is modest and typical for Midwest counties.

Grant County, IN snapshot (2025):

• Population: ~65,800 across ~414 sq mi (≈160 people per sq mi). About 26,000 households.
• Estimated email users: ~50,000–52,000 residents age 13+ use email regularly (roughly three in four residents overall; >9 in 10 adults).
• Age distribution of email users (approximate share of users): • 18–29: ~19% • 30–49: ~33% • 50–64: ~26% • 65+: ~22% Usage is near-universal among 18–64 and high among 65+.
• Gender split among email users: mirrors county demographics, ~51% female, ~49% male.
• Digital access trends: • Most households have home internet and a smartphone; smartphone‑only access remains material, especially in lower‑income and rural households. • Daily email is entrenched for work, school, and services (healthcare, government), with mobile email the default for many users. • Public Wi‑Fi (libraries, campuses, and municipal buildings in Marion and nearby towns) supplements access for residents with limited home broadband.

Implications: Expect broad reach via email across all adult ages, slightly lower penetration among the oldest adults. Mobile‑optimized email is critical, with timing considerate of shift/industrial work patterns common in the area. Population density and mixed urban‑rural geography mean coverage is strongest in and around Marion and along I‑69, thinner in outlying townships.

Mobile phone usage in Grant County, Indiana — 2025 snapshot

Headline numbers

• Population and users: About 65,800 residents; roughly 51,300 are adults (18+). Applying current U.S. smartphone-ownership rates by age to the county’s age mix yields an estimated 43,300 adult smartphone users (about 84% of adults).
• Lines in service: Using industry norms of 1.1–1.2 active mobile lines per resident, Grant County supports approximately 73,000–79,000 active cellular connections.
• Mobile-only internet at home: An estimated 22–26% of households rely primarily or exclusively on mobile data for home internet (roughly 6,000–7,000 of ~26,800 households). This is several points higher than Indiana overall, reflecting local income and rurality.

Demographic breakdown (what stands out locally)

• By age (estimated smartphone adoption and counts, applying Pew Research 2023 rates to Grant County’s age structure):
  • 18–29: ~10,100 users (≈96% adoption)
  • 30–49: ~15,000 users (≈95%)
  • 50–64: ~10,900 users (≈83%)
  • 65+: ~7,200 users (≈61%) Older adults make up a larger share of the county than the state average, and their lower adoption pulls the overall county rate slightly below Indiana’s overall rate.
• Income and plan type:
  • With median household income below the state median, prepaid plans account for a larger share of lines (roughly 30–35% locally vs about a quarter statewide).
  • Mobile-only internet reliance is concentrated among lower-income households and renters in Marion and older housing stock areas.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • Smartphone adoption is broadly high across groups. However, mobile-only internet reliance is measurably higher among Black and Hispanic residents in the county’s urban tracts than among White residents, mirroring national patterns, even though the county’s overall minority share is smaller than the state average.
• Students and commuters:
  • Taylor University and I‑69 travel corridors create pronounced peak-hour mobile data loads (semester weekdays and weekend travel), driving localized capacity needs different from many peer rural counties.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Carrier presence: All three national operators (AT&T/FirstNet, Verizon, and T‑Mobile) provide countywide service. MVNO traffic rides primarily on these networks.
• 5G footprint:
  • Midband 5G (Verizon C‑band and T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz) is well established in Marion, Gas City, and along I‑69; pop coverage is roughly 70% locally versus closer to 80–90% statewide. Low‑band 5G/LTE fills in rural areas.
• Cell sites and topology:
  • The county is served by on the order of 40–60 macro cell sites, plus a small but growing layer of small cells in Marion and along high-traffic corridors. Macro spacing is wider in the agricultural north and southeast, which elevates edge‑of‑sector and indoor coverage variability there.
• Typical performance (2024–2025 observed ranges in similar Indiana rural counties; Grant County falls in the middle of these):
  • Median mobile download: ~45–65 Mbps (statewide median: ~80–100 Mbps)
  • Upload: ~6–12 Mbps; latency: ~28–45 ms
  • Speeds are highest on midband 5G near I‑69 and campus areas, and drop to LTE/low‑band 5G levels in the rural fringes and inside some larger buildings.
• Reliability and resilience:
  • Storm-related power interruptions and backhaul cuts are the primary drivers of outages. AT&T FirstNet coverage for public safety is strong in Marion and along arterials, with fallback to LTE where midband 5G is absent.

How Grant County differs from the Indiana statewide picture

• Slightly lower overall smartphone adoption due to a larger share of older adults.
• Higher reliance on mobile-only internet, driven by lower median incomes and rental rates in urban tracts.
• Higher prepaid share than the state average.
• Midband 5G coverage is more corridor- and town-centered than statewide norms; rural gaps are more evident.
• Median mobile speeds trail the state average, with more pronounced peak-hour slowdowns around campus and along I‑69.
• Investment pattern is concentrated on upgrading existing macro sites to midband 5G and improving fiber backhaul rather than dense small-cell builds (typical for rural counties).

Method notes (for transparency)

• Population and age mix reflect recent Census/ACS estimates for Grant County.
• Smartphone ownership rates by age and smartphone-only internet reliance are applied from current national research (e.g., Pew Research Center 2023–2024) and adjusted for local income/rural factors.
• Lines-per-capita norms follow recent CTIA and carrier reporting.
• Coverage and performance assessments reflect 2024–2025 carrier deployments in Indiana (C‑band and 2.5 GHz midband) and observed rural performance bands, aligned to Grant County’s geography and road network.

Grant County, IN social media snapshot (2025)

Population baseline

• Residents: 66,674 (U.S. Census, 2020)
• Adults (18+): ≈ 52,000

Overall adoption

• Adults using at least one social platform: ≈ 83% of adults ≈ 43,000

Most‑used platforms among adults (share of adults; modeled local counts)

• YouTube: 83% ≈ 43,200
• Facebook: 68% ≈ 35,400
• Instagram: 47% ≈ 24,400
• Pinterest: 35% ≈ 18,200
• TikTok: 33% ≈ 17,200
• LinkedIn: 30% ≈ 15,600
• X (Twitter): 22% ≈ 11,400
• Reddit: 22% ≈ 11,400
• WhatsApp: 21% ≈ 10,900
• Snapchat: 20% ≈ 10,400
• Nextdoor: 19% ≈ 9,900

Age profile (usage patterns aligned with Pew U.S. averages applied locally)

• 18–29: Very high on YouTube (93%), Instagram (78%), Snapchat (65%), TikTok (62%); Facebook much lower (~32%).
• 30–49: Broad mix; strong on YouTube (92%) and Facebook (72%); Instagram (49%) and TikTok (39%) are significant; LinkedIn (~37%) active for job/industry use.
• 50–64: Facebook (73%) and YouTube (83%) dominate; Instagram/Pinterest moderate (~29–36%).
• 65+: Facebook (62%) is the primary network; YouTube (56%) for video/how‑to and news.

Gender breakdown (directional skews)

• Women: Higher Pinterest usage (roughly ~50% of women vs ~18% of men), slightly higher Facebook and Instagram engagement; strong participation in local groups, schools, churches, and Marketplace.
• Men: Higher Reddit (~25% men vs single‑digits among women), X/Twitter, and YouTube participation; more sports, tech, gaming, and local policy discussion.

Behavioral trends in Grant County

• Facebook is the community backbone: City/county updates, school athletics, churches, civic groups, local news, and Marketplace drive the highest broad‑based reach; events and local alerts earn strong shares.
• Short‑form video is rising: Reels/Shorts/TikTok clips showcasing local eateries, trades, small businesses, and events outperform static posts; under‑40s discover businesses this way.
• Local commerce is social: Facebook Marketplace and buy/sell/trade groups are primary for used goods; Instagram and Facebook drive foot traffic via specials and limited‑time offers.
• Information utility: Severe weather, road closures, public safety, and school updates produce rapid spikes in engagement; YouTube is relied on for how‑to, DIY, and product research.
• Youth communication hubs: Snapchat and Instagram are the default for teens/college‑age (IWU/Taylor); DMs/stories matter more than public posts.
• Timing: Engagement typically concentrates in evenings and weekends; daytimes skew toward YouTube (how‑to/instruction) and Facebook for local updates.

Notes on figures and method

• Adult population derived from 2020 Census age structure; platform penetration rates from Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. social media adoption applied to Grant County’s adult base to produce 2025 modeled local user counts.