Knox County

Knox County, Indiana – key demographics

Population size

• 36,282 (2020 Census)

Age

• Under 18: ~19%
• 18 to 64: ~59%
• 65 and over: ~22%
• Median age: ~41 years

Gender

• Male: ~50%
• Female: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition

• White alone: ~88%
• Black or African American alone: ~6%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.3%
• Asian alone: ~1%
• Two or more races: ~4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~3%

Households

• Total households: ~15,300
• Average household size: ~2.30
• Family households: ~59% of households
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~72%

Insights

• Stable but aging population with about one in five residents 65+
• Small average household size and high homeownership typical of rural counties
• Predominantly White, with small but present Black and Hispanic communities

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (population count); American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, and household metrics)

• Estimated email users: ~27,700 Knox County residents (ages 13+) use email.
• Age distribution of email users: 13–17: 7%; 18–34: 28%; 35–54: 30%; 55–64: 16%; 65+: 20%. Younger adults show near-universal adoption; seniors’ use has grown but remains lower than other groups.
• Gender split among users: Female 51%, Male 49% (mirroring the county’s slight female majority).
• Digital access and usage:
  • ~78% of households have a home broadband subscription; ~13–15% rely on cellular-only internet; ~8–10% have no home internet.
  • Smartphone ownership among adults is high (~85–90%), supporting frequent mobile email access.
  • Email remains a default channel for schools, employers, healthcare portals, and government services; messaging apps are more dominant for teens, but school accounts keep teen email usage high.
  • Seniors’ email use is rising, driven by telehealth, benefits enrollment, and pharmacy communications.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Population 36,000 across ~524 square miles (69 people/sq mi). Coverage and speeds are strongest in and around Vincennes and Bicknell, where cable/fiber are available; rural townships depend more on DSL or fixed wireless, which raises the share of mobile-only email usage. Ongoing state-backed broadband buildouts are improving rural last‑mile options.

Mobile phone usage in Knox County, Indiana: 2024 snapshot

Headline user estimates

• Population and base: ~35,600 residents (2023 estimate); ~27,800 adults (18+).
• Adult smartphone users: ~23,100 (≈83% of adults, weighted by the county’s age mix using current national age-specific adoption rates).
• Total smartphone users including teens (13–17): ~25,300.
• Active mobile lines: ~41,000 (≈115 lines per 100 residents; aligned to Indiana’s high state average but modestly lower than metro-heavy counties).

Demographic breakdown (usage by age and context)

• 18–24: ~96% smartphone adoption; ~2,700 users. Vincennes University concentrates this cohort, pushing app-centric and high-data usage above the state’s rural norm.
• 25–44: ~93% adoption; ~9,000 users. Employment-driven mobility and family coordination maintain near-metro adoption levels.
• 45–64: ~81% adoption; ~8,200 users. Slightly below state due to the county’s older working-age profile and lower incomes.
• 65+: ~61% adoption; ~3,200 users. Senior adoption trails the Indiana average, reflecting the county’s larger 65+ share and affordability constraints.

How Knox County differs from the Indiana average

• Older age structure and lower income reduce adult smartphone adoption by roughly 2–4 percentage points versus the state. Median household income is materially lower than Indiana’s, and the 65+ share is higher, both of which correlate with lower device and data-plan uptake.
• Higher mobile-only internet reliance: An estimated ~19% of households depend primarily on cellular data at home versus ~14% statewide, driven by patchier wireline options outside Vincennes and the post-2024 lapse of Affordable Connectivity Program support pushing cost-sensitive homes toward mobile.
• More pronounced urban–rural gap within the county: The student- and job-centered Vincennes area looks similar to state averages, while outer townships show lower smartphone penetration and more LTE-only service; this intra-county spread is wider than in Indiana’s metro counties.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 4G LTE: Near-universal outdoor coverage across populated areas from AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile.
• 5G availability:
  • Broad coverage in and around Vincennes and along the US‑41/US‑50 corridors (T‑Mobile’s low-band 5G is widespread; mid-band capacity present in and near town).
  • AT&T and Verizon 5G present in Vincennes and primary corridors; several rural tracts remain LTE-only, with indoor coverage variability in low-density areas.
• Performance bands (typical, not peak):
  • 5G mid-band in town: ~100–300 Mbps downlink, sufficient for video, telehealth, and hotspot/home broadband substitutes.
  • LTE in rural edges: ~10–40 Mbps downlink with variable uplink; capacity can tighten at evening peaks and during campus events.
• Home internet interplay:
  • Wireline: Cable DOCSIS in Vincennes supports 300 Mbps–1 Gbps tiers; outside town, options skew to legacy DSL or co-op offerings with uneven speeds.
  • Fixed wireless access (FWA): T‑Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G/LTE Home are available in and near Vincennes and selectively beyond, expanding household reliance on mobile networks for primary broadband.
• Public safety and resilience: FirstNet (AT&T) covers first responders countywide; macro sites concentrate along primary corridors and population centers, with fill-in from small cells in town.

Behavioral and market insights

• Prepaid and value plans have higher share than state metro markets, reflecting tighter household budgets and the end of ACP subsidies; device replacement cycles are longer.
• The university cohort elevates usage of campus and streaming apps and drives seasonal peaks; older rural residents show higher reliance on talk/text and lower video-streaming intensity.
• Annual mobile data consumption is expanding quickly (consistent with national year-over-year increases), but capacity constraints appear first in rural sectors still awaiting mid-band 5G upgrades.

Key takeaways

• ~25,300 residents actively use smartphones, with adoption strongest among younger adults and students.
• Knox County’s mobile adoption and 5G availability match Indiana norms in Vincennes but lag in rural townships, widening the urban–rural divide relative to the state’s metro counties.
• A higher share of mobile-only households and growing FWA uptake make cellular networks a central part of the county’s broadband ecosystem, sharpening the importance of continued mid-band 5G buildout beyond the main corridors.

Social media usage in Knox County, IN — concise snapshot

Population baseline

• Total population: 36,282 (2020 Census).
• Estimated 13+ population: ~30,800.

Estimated social media users (unique)

• Users age 13+: ~22,000–23,000 (≈74% of residents 13+), based on Pew adoption rates applied to Knox County’s age structure.

Age breakdown of the local social-media user base (approx.)

• 13–17: ~2,000 users (≈9% of users)
• 18–29: ~4,600 (≈21%)
• 30–49: ~6,800 (≈31%)
• 50–64: ~5,100 (≈23%)
• 65+: ~3,400 (≈15%)

Gender breakdown

• Overall user base: ~51% women, ~49% men, mirroring county demographics.
• Platform skews: women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, X (Twitter), LinkedIn.

Most-used platforms in Knox County (share of residents age 13+, with estimated local user counts)

• YouTube: 84% (25.8K)
• Facebook: 66% (20.2K)
• Instagram: 49% (15.0K)
• TikTok: 35% (10.9K)
• Pinterest: 33% (10.0K; primarily adults)
• Snapchat: 29% (9.0K)
• LinkedIn: 28% (8.6K; adults)
• X (Twitter): 22% (6.7K)
• Reddit: 22% (6.7K)
• WhatsApp: 20% (6.0K)

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural/micropolitan counties and consistent with platform mixes

• Facebook as the community hub: high daily use for local news, school/sports updates, church/charity events, yard-sales/marketplace, and county groups. Messenger is a primary contact method for small businesses and civic orgs.
• YouTube for practical content: strong consumption of how‑to, trades, farming, DIY, hunting/fishing, and product research; local small businesses use video for demos and FAQs.
• Young adult and student activity (boosted by Vincennes University): heavier Instagram Reels and TikTok use for short-form entertainment and campus/lifestyle content; Snapchat for private, high-frequency messaging and event coordination.
• Commerce discovery: Facebook and Instagram drive most local discovery for boutiques, restaurants, festivals, and services; Pinterest contributes to home, crafts, and seasonal planning among women 25–54.
• Information habits by age: 50+ rely on Facebook Pages/Groups for civic info and local media; 18–34 split attention across Instagram/TikTok and YouTube, with less reliance on Facebook for posting but continued use for groups and events.
• Cross-posting and creator spillover: local creators and businesses often publish short-form video to both Reels and TikTok to maximize reach; YouTube Shorts is a secondary outlet.
• Events and emergencies: spikes in Facebook Group and Page engagement during weather events, road closures, and school notifications.

Method notes and sources

• Population: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (Knox County, IN).
• Platform adoption rates: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (adult platform shares) and Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023/2024 (teen platform shares).
• Local figures are derived by applying Pew age-specific usage rates to Knox County’s age structure; totals are rounded to reflect estimation.