Lawrence County Local Demographic Profile
Lawrence County, Indiana — key demographics
Population size
- 45,011 (2020 Census)
- ~45,200 (2023 Census Bureau estimate; Population Estimates Program)
Age
- Median age: ~42.7 years (ACS 2019–2023)
- Under 18: ~22%
- 18 to 64: ~59%
- 65 and over: ~19%
Gender
- Female: ~50.5%
- Male: ~49.5%
Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2019–2023)
- White alone (non-Hispanic): ~93–94%
- Black or African American alone: ~0.8%
- American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.3–0.4%
- Asian alone: ~0.5–0.6%
- Two or more races: ~4–5%
- Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2%
Household data (ACS 2019–2023)
- Households: ~18,300
- Average household size: ~2.45
- Family households: ~66% of households
- Married-couple families: ~49% of households
- Nonfamily households: ~34%; living alone: ~29% (about 12% age 65+ living alone)
- Housing tenure: ~76% owner-occupied; ~24% renter-occupied
- Average family size: ~2.9–3.0
Insights
- Stable-to-slightly declining population since 2010; older median age than Indiana overall.
- Predominantly non-Hispanic White with small but growing multiracial and Hispanic shares.
- High homeownership and smaller household sizes typical of rural/micropolitan counties.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program (2023). Figures rounded for clarity.
Email Usage in Lawrence County
Lawrence County, IN counts ≈45,300 residents (2020 Census) over ~451 sq mi—about 100 people per sq mi.
Estimated email users: ≈32,300 adults (92% of ≈35,100 residents aged 18+), reflecting near‑universal adoption among connected adults.
Age distribution of users (approx. share of users):
- 18–34: 26%
- 35–54: 31%
- 55–64: 18%
- 65+: 25%
Gender split among users: ≈51% female, 49% male (mirrors the population).
Digital access and trends:
- Households with a broadband subscription: ≈81% (ACS 2022).
- Households with a computer/smartphone: ≈89%.
- Smartphone‑only internet households: ≈9%.
- No home internet: ≈11%. Connectivity continues to improve via state‑backed fiber builds and expanded fixed‑wireless; libraries and schools provide supplementary Wi‑Fi. Coverage and adoption are strongest in and around Bedford/Mitchell corridors, while sparsely populated rural townships show lower fixed broadband penetration and greater cellular reliance.
Insights: With high household connectivity and a mature age profile, email is a primary communication channel countywide. Older adults (65+) form a substantial quarter of users, so accessibility (large fonts, clear calls to action) and mobile‑friendly design are important, and modest rural gaps mean offline follow‑ups or SMS can complement email in low‑coverage pockets.
Mobile Phone Usage in Lawrence County
Summary: Mobile phone usage in Lawrence County, Indiana (2024–2025)
Headline findings
- Estimated smartphone users: about 36,000 residents use a smartphone regularly in Lawrence County (population ≈45,000).
- County adoption trails Indiana: adult smartphone adoption is roughly 3–5 percentage points lower than the statewide rate, driven by an older age profile and lower incomes.
- Greater mobile-only reliance: a larger share of households rely on cellular data as their primary or only internet access than the Indiana average, reflecting patchier wired broadband in outlying areas.
- 5G is present but uneven: low-band 5G covers most settled areas, while capacity-boosting mid-band 5G is concentrated around Bedford/Oolitic and highway corridors; this is less extensive than typical statewide coverage in metro counties.
User estimates
- Population and households
- Residents: ≈45,000
- Households: ≈18,500
- Smartphone users
- Residents using a smartphone: ≈36,000
- Adult smartphone penetration: ≈88% in Lawrence County vs ≈92% statewide
- Households with at least one smartphone: ≈16,300 (≈88% of households), a few points below the Indiana average
- Mobile internet reliance
- Households primarily or exclusively using a cellular data plan for home internet: ≈12–14% in Lawrence County vs ≈8–10% statewide
- Adults living in wireless-only (no landline) households: roughly three in four, similar to or slightly above the state pattern
Demographic breakdown (distinct from statewide trends)
- Age
- 65+ share is higher in Lawrence County (≈20–22% of residents) than Indiana overall (≈17–18%), and senior smartphone adoption is lower locally (≈70–75%) than the state average for seniors (upper 70s). This pulls down the countywide adoption rate.
- Working-age adults (35–64) show high adoption (low 90s %) but slightly below state urban counties.
- Young adults (18–34) are near-saturated (mid/high 90s %) and align with Indiana overall.
- Income and education
- Median household income in Lawrence County is materially below the state median; lower-income households are more likely to be smartphone-dependent and to use mobile data as their primary home connection. This raises the county’s mobile-only share relative to Indiana.
- Geography within the county
- Bedford/Oolitic have the highest smartphone and 5G usage due to better coverage and device availability.
- Rural south and southeast (toward Leesville, Heltonville, Tunnelton, and the Hoosier National Forest edge) show more dead zones and greater reliance on low-band 5G/LTE, elevating the share of mobile-only households versus the state.
Digital infrastructure points
- Networks and coverage
- All three national carriers (AT&T/FirstNet, Verizon, T-Mobile) provide countywide 4G LTE; low-band 5G broadly overlays LTE.
- Mid-band 5G (capacity layers like T-Mobile 2.5 GHz and Verizon/AT&T C-band) is concentrated in Bedford, Oolitic, Mitchell, and along US-50 and SR-37. Outside these corridors, users primarily see low-band 5G or LTE, so peak speeds and indoor capacity are lower than in Indiana’s metro counties.
- Terrain and construction matter: karst topography, wooded hills, and limestone/masonry buildings degrade indoor signal in parts of the county more than is typical statewide.
- Backhaul and broadband interplay
- Cable and fiber are available in Bedford and parts of Oolitic/Mitchell; Smithville and other regional providers have spot fiber builds in and near the county, but coverage is patchier than in suburban Indiana. In outlying areas, fixed wireless and satellite fill gaps. This uneven wired footprint pushes a higher share of households toward mobile-only internet than the state average.
- Public safety and resiliency
- AT&T FirstNet has coverage across primary roadways and population centers, supporting local public safety; however, valley and forest fringe areas still experience coverage variability, a more common issue here than in most Indiana urban counties.
How Lawrence County differs from Indiana overall
- Lower overall and senior smartphone adoption than the state average, tied to older age structure and income mix.
- Higher reliance on mobile data as the primary home connection, reflecting more limited wired broadband in rural tracts.
- Less extensive mid-band 5G capacity coverage than typical metro counties, with performance more corridor-centric (US-50/SR-37).
- Greater sensitivity to terrain-induced dead zones and building-penetration challenges than most of the state’s flatter, suburban territories.
Data notes and method
- Population and household counts reflect recent Census/ACS estimates for Lawrence County.
- Adoption figures are derived from county-level ACS “Computer and Internet Use” indicators, blended with age-specific smartphone ownership rates from national surveys and adjusted to Indiana’s rural context; statewide comparison points use Indiana ACS aggregates. These yield the county estimates cited above.
Social Media Trends in Lawrence County
Lawrence County, IN social media snapshot (2024)
Population base
- Total population: ~45,300 (U.S. Census Bureau 2023 estimate)
- 13+ population (addressable for social platforms): ~87% of residents
User stats
- Social media users (13+): ~33,900 (≈86% of residents age 13+)
- Share of all residents using social media: ~75%
- Gender among users: ~51% women, ~49% men
Age groups (share using any social platform)
- 13–17: ~95%
- 18–29: ~93%
- 30–49: ~88%
- 50–64: ~79%
- 65+: ~64%
Most-used platforms in Lawrence County (share of 13+ residents who use each platform at least monthly)
- YouTube: ~81%
- Facebook: ~69%
- Instagram: ~43%
- TikTok: ~31%
- Pinterest: ~28%
- Snapchat: ~26%
- X (Twitter): ~18%
- LinkedIn: ~17%
- WhatsApp: ~16%
- Reddit: ~14%
- Nextdoor: ~6%
Gender breakdown by platform (directional skews)
- Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X. Instagram and TikTok are relatively balanced but skew younger; Snapchat skews female and younger.
Behavioral trends and local usage patterns
- Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups (schools, churches, sports, buy/sell), Events, and Marketplace. “Click-to-message” and Marketplace listings perform strongly for local businesses.
- Video-first consumption: YouTube and Facebook video for how‑to/DIY, hunting/fishing/outdoors, auto and small‑engine repair, local sports highlights, and church services.
- Short-form growth: TikTok and YouTube Shorts used for quick updates, local happenings, vendor spotlights, and youth sports; best results come from clips under 30 seconds with captions.
- Youth messaging: Snapchat is a daily communications channel for teens/young adults, often more than SMS.
- Visual discovery and planning: Pinterest drives interest for recipes, crafts, home projects, weddings, and seasonal décor; useful for promoting how‑to guides and product lists.
- Instagram for lifestyle/local business: restaurants, boutiques, salons, gyms; Reels outperform photos for reach.
- News and alerts: Facebook for local news and weather; X usage remains niche (sports, emergencies, state news).
- Professional niche: LinkedIn is modest but relevant for healthcare, education, and defense/engineering commuters; useful for recruiting and employer branding.
- Timing and devices: Mobile-first. Peak engagement evenings (7–10 pm) and weekends; lunch-hour spikes for short videos and Stories.
- Creative that resonates: local faces, community pride, youth activities, event recaps, giveaways, and fundraisers; straightforward CTAs and address/phone prominence help conversions.
Method note
- Figures are 2024 modeled estimates for Lawrence County derived by applying Pew Research Center’s age/gender platform adoption rates to the county’s age structure from recent U.S. Census/ACS data. Percentages are rounded.
Table of Contents
Other Counties in Indiana
- Adams
- Allen
- Bartholomew
- Benton
- Blackford
- Boone
- Brown
- Carroll
- Cass
- Clark
- Clay
- Clinton
- Crawford
- Daviess
- De Kalb
- Dearborn
- Decatur
- Delaware
- Dubois
- Elkhart
- Fayette
- Floyd
- Fountain
- Franklin
- Fulton
- Gibson
- Grant
- Greene
- Hamilton
- Hancock
- Harrison
- Hendricks
- Henry
- Howard
- Huntington
- Jackson
- Jasper
- Jay
- Jefferson
- Jennings
- Johnson
- Knox
- Kosciusko
- La Porte
- Lagrange
- Lake
- Madison
- Marion
- Marshall
- Martin
- Miami
- Monroe
- Montgomery
- Morgan
- Newton
- Noble
- Ohio
- Orange
- Owen
- Parke
- Perry
- Pike
- Porter
- Posey
- Pulaski
- Putnam
- Randolph
- Ripley
- Rush
- Scott
- Shelby
- Spencer
- St Joseph
- Starke
- Steuben
- Sullivan
- Switzerland
- Tippecanoe
- Tipton
- Union
- Vanderburgh
- Vermillion
- Vigo
- Wabash
- Warren
- Warrick
- Washington
- Wayne
- Wells
- White
- Whitley