Kosciusko County

Kosciusko County, Indiana — key demographics

Population

• 81,200 (2023 estimate, U.S. Census Bureau); 80,240 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~38 years
• Under 18: ~25%
• 18–64: ~60%
• 65 and over: ~15%

Gender

• Male: ~50%
• Female: ~50%

Race and ethnicity (share of total population)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~84%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~10%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~2–3%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~1%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: <1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: <1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic: ~0% (Note: Hispanic ethnicity overlaps race categories; “non-Hispanic” indicates race alone, not of Hispanic origin.)

Households and housing

• Households: ~30,600
• Average household size: ~2.6 persons
• Family households: ~69% of households; married-couple families ~55%
• Households with children under 18: ~31%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~75–77%; renter-occupied: ~23–25%

Insights

• Slow but positive population growth since 2020
• Age structure is working-age heavy with a modest senior share
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with a meaningful and growing Hispanic/Latino community
• Household composition skews toward family and married-couple households, with above-average owner occupancy

Primary sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; Vintage 2023 Population Estimates; American Community Survey 5-year).

• Scope: Kosciusko County, IN (population ≈80.6k; land density ≈151 people/sq mi).
• Estimated email users: ≈62,000 residents (≈92% of adults; ≈77% of total population), derived from 2023 ACS demographics and Pew adult email adoption.
• Age distribution of email users (share ≈count):
  • 18–29: 21% ≈13.0k
  • 30–49: 36% ≈22.3k
  • 50–64: 27% ≈16.7k
  • 65+: 16% ≈9.9k
• Gender split among email users: essentially even (Female ≈50%, Male ≈50%), reflecting negligible adoption differences by sex.
• Digital access and device context (ACS 2018–2022/2023 indicators):
  • Households with a computer: ≈90–92%
  • Households with a broadband Internet subscription: ≈83%
  • Households with no Internet subscription: ≈9–10%
  • Implication: most non‑users stem from households without subscriptions, older seniors, or very low‑income segments.
• Connectivity and local density facts:
  • Town centers (Warsaw/Winona Lake) concentrate addresses and enjoy the highest fixed-broadband availability and speeds.
  • Rural tracts and lake-country roads show more reliance on DSL/fixed‑wireless and lower fiber presence, contributing to the remaining non‑subscription gap.

Overall: Email is near-universal among working‑age adults; remaining gaps are chiefly driven by rural broadband availability and non‑subscription households rather than lack of interest.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Kosciusko County, Indiana

Topline estimate

• Adult smartphone users: approximately 52,000–58,000 residents, reflecting high overall adoption but slightly below the Indiana average on a percentage basis.
• Household smartphone access: just under the statewide rate, with a gap of roughly 1–3 percentage points compared with Indiana overall. Mobile-only (cellular data without a fixed home broadband line) households run modestly higher than the state, also by about 1–3 percentage points.

How the county differs from Indiana

• Adoption level: Kosciusko tracks the state’s high smartphone adoption but is marginally lower, consistent with its more rural settlement pattern and the presence of Plain (Amish/Mennonite) communities that dampen device uptake.
• Mobile-only reliance: A larger share of households rely on cellular data as their primary internet connection than the state average. This is driven by gaps in affordable fixed broadband in outer townships and by budget-conscious households that prioritize smartphone plans over home internet.
• Age gradient: The 65+ cohort shows a more pronounced adoption gap versus the state (lower by an estimated 3–5 percentage points), while working-age adoption is effectively on par with Indiana.
• Seasonal capacity strain: Summer and weekend peaks around lakes and recreation zones create localized congestion more frequently than typical Indiana counties of similar size.

Demographic breakdown (modeled from recent ACS and national usage patterns applied to local structure)

• Age
  • 18–34: very high adoption (about mid-90s percent), comparable to state.
  • 35–64: high adoption (about low-90s percent), comparable to state.
  • 65+: lower than state by a few points (roughly low-to-mid-70s percent).
• Income
  • Under $35k: adoption around the low-to-mid-80s percent; higher likelihood of being smartphone-dependent (mobile-only) than state peers.
  • $35k–$75k: adoption around the high-80s to ~90 percent; mobile-only above state average in rural tracts where fixed options are limited.
  • $75k+: adoption in the mid-to-high-90s percent; substitution with fixed broadband is common in Warsaw/Winona Lake.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Hispanic/Latino residents show higher mobile-only reliance than the county average, mirroring statewide and national patterns.
  • Plain community households in northern and eastern areas exhibit markedly lower smartphone usage, creating micro-pockets of under-adoption not seen statewide at the same scale.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage
  • All three national carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) provide countywide 4G LTE. 5G low-band spans most populated corridors, with mid-band 5G capacity concentrated in and around Warsaw, along US-30, and the SR-15 corridor; coverage thins in the most rural lake and farm townships.
  • Public-safety FirstNet (AT&T) is established and generally mirrors commercial LTE coverage in populated areas.
• Capacity and speeds
  • In-town 5G performance is typically strong (three-figure Mbps on mid-band), while rural edges often fall back to LTE with wider speed variance. Peak-time slowdowns are most evident around lakes during tourism season and at event venues in Warsaw.
• Infrastructure footprint
  • Macro sites are clustered along US-30, SR-15, the Warsaw–Winona Lake urban area, and near industrial zones. Additional small cells and sector upgrades have focused on Warsaw’s commercial districts and high-traffic corridors; rural infill remains the primary gap versus state urban counties.
• Fixed–mobile interplay
  • Fixed wireless access (FWA) from national carriers is available in and near Warsaw, providing an alternative to cable/fiber and reinforcing the county’s above-average mobile-only profile compared with Indiana overall.
  • Outside the urban core, residents often choose higher-cap LTE/5G plans or FWA where cable/fiber is absent or costly, contributing to the higher cellular dependence.

Actionable insights

• Address rural capacity and mobile-only dependence by prioritizing mid-band 5G infill and additional sectors in lake-adjacent and agricultural townships.
• Target digital inclusion for seniors with device onboarding and telehealth training, as the 65+ gap is wider than the state’s.
• Coordinate seasonal capacity planning near lakes and event venues to mitigate recurring congestion spikes.
• Pair mobile coverage upgrades with fixed broadband expansion to reduce mobile-only reliance where it reflects lack of affordable fixed options rather than preference.

These estimates synthesize the latest available federal survey indicators and publicly reported network rollouts, with emphasis on directional differences from Indiana’s statewide profile.

Kosciusko County, IN — Social Media Usage Snapshot (2025)

Population baseline

• Residents: ~80,500
• Adults (18+): ~61,000
• Social media users: ~45,000 adults (≈74% of adults)
• Daily users: ~31,000 adults (≈51% of adults; ≈70% of users)

Gender breakdown (among social media users)

• Female: ~51%
• Male: ~49%
• Platform skews: Pinterest (heavily female), LinkedIn and Reddit (slightly male), Snapchat and Instagram (slightly female), Facebook and YouTube (near parity)

Age groups (share using any social media; leading platforms in each)

• 18–29: 95% use social; top platforms: YouTube (95%), Instagram (78%), Snapchat (70%), TikTok (67%), Facebook (49%)
• 30–49: 85% use social; top platforms: YouTube (88%), Facebook (77%), Instagram (55%), TikTok (39%), Snapchat (40%), LinkedIn (~28%)
• 50–64: 73% use social; top platforms: Facebook (72%), YouTube (76%), Instagram (29%), Pinterest (34%), TikTok (21%), LinkedIn (~20%)
• 65+: 50% use social; top platforms: Facebook (60%), YouTube (61%), Pinterest (22%), Instagram (15%), TikTok (10%)

Most-used platforms among adults (share of all adults who use the platform; county-modeled)

• YouTube: ~78%
• Facebook: ~66%
• Instagram: ~39%
• Pinterest: ~33%
• TikTok: ~32%
• Snapchat: ~29%
• LinkedIn: ~20%
• X (Twitter): ~17%
• WhatsApp: ~15%
• Nextdoor: ~11%

Behavioral trends

• Community-first Facebook usage: High reliance on Facebook Groups for neighborhood updates, school and church announcements, lost-and-found, and Marketplace for buy/sell/trade. Local posts featuring recognizable people or places outperform generic content.
• Video everywhere: Short-form video (Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts) is the fastest-growing format for businesses, events, and local tourism (lakes, boating, festivals). Live streams of church services and high school sports see consistent weekend traffic.
• Youth communication stack: Teens and 20-somethings center daily activity on Snapchat (messaging, Stories, Snap Map) and TikTok (discovery, entertainment), with Instagram for highlights and DMs; Facebook is used mainly for events and family.
• Commerce and discovery: Facebook and Instagram drive most local SMB discovery and promotions; many retailers use Reels + boosted posts for reach. Pinterest contributes to home, DIY, and wedding-related planning, aligning with strong local trades and events.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger is ubiquitous among families and community groups; WhatsApp usage is notable within Hispanic/Latino communities and for cross-border communication.
• Timing: Engagement concentrates on weekday evenings (roughly 6–9 pm) and weekends; weather and seasonal patterns (lake season, back-to-school, fall sports) drive spikes in local content and event-related posts.
• Cross-platform overlap: The typical adult uses multiple platforms (roughly three), often pairing Facebook or YouTube with either Instagram or TikTok; LinkedIn adds a professional layer for white-collar workers and job seekers.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are county-level estimates derived by applying current U.S. platform adoption by age and gender (Pew Research Center, 2023–2024) to Kosciusko County’s population structure (U.S. Census/ACS), with minor adjustments for rural–suburban platform skews observed in the Midwest. Percentages rounded to whole numbers for clarity.