Morgan County

Morgan County, Indiana — key demographics (latest Census Bureau data)

Population size

• 72,700 (2023 population estimate)
• 71,237 (2020 Census count)

Age

• Median age: ~41 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 5: ~5–6%
• Under 18: ~23%
• 65 and over: ~18%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition (percent of total; ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone: ~95%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• Asian alone: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0–0.5%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~3%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~93–94%

Household data (ACS 2019–2023, unless noted)

• Households: ~27,500–28,000
• Persons per household: ~2.6–2.7
• Family households: ~70% of households
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~80%
• Median household income (2023 dollars, ACS): roughly mid–$70,000s

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; Population Estimates Program (2023); American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Figures rounded for readability.

Morgan County, IN email usage snapshot

• Population and density: ~72,000 residents; ~175 people per square mile; part of the Indianapolis metro, centered on Martinsville and Mooresville along the I‑69 corridor.
• Estimated email users (18+): ≈51,500 adults. Including teens (13–17) adds ≈1,900, totaling ≈53,400 users.
• Age distribution of adult email users:
  • 18–34: 24% (12.3k)
  • 35–54: 33% (17.3k)
  • 55–64: 17% (8.6k)
  • 65+: 26% (13.3k)
• Gender split: ~50–51% female and ~49–50% male among email users, mirroring county demographics.
• Digital access and trends:
  • ~85% of households subscribe to home broadband; ~94% have a computer and/or smartphone.
  • ~17% are smartphone‑only internet users, indicating some reliance on mobile data for email.
  • Fixed broadband availability: ≥95% of locations can access 25/3 Mbps; ~88–90% can access 100/20 Mbps; gaps persist in southern rural townships.
  • 5G/4G LTE coverage is strong along I‑69 and SR‑67, improving mobile email reliability; speeds and availability taper in low‑density areas. Insights: Email penetration is effectively universal among working‑age adults and high among seniors. Suburban northern areas exhibit the highest connectivity and email intensity; rural pockets show more mobile‑only behavior and lower fixed‑broadband adoption.

Mobile phone usage in Morgan County, Indiana — 2025 snapshot

Executive overview

• Mobile adoption in Morgan County is high and broadly in line with the Indianapolis metro, but the county shows greater reliance on mobile networks for home connectivity than the statewide average, reflecting mixed exurban–rural geography and uneven wireline broadband outside town centers.

User estimates

• Adult smartphone users: Approximately 49,000–51,000. Method: 2020 Census total population 71,800; applying a typical Indiana adult share (77%) and current U.S. adult smartphone ownership (~90%) yields about 49–51k adult smartphone users.
• Wireless-only households (mobile as sole voice service): Roughly 20,000 households. Method: Applying recent Indiana-level wireless‑only rates (mid‑70% range) to Morgan County’s household count yields on the order of twenty thousand households without landlines.
• Smartphone-only internet households (no home cable/DSL/fiber, mobile data plan only): Estimated 19–21% of households, higher than the Indiana average by several points. This places roughly 5,000–5,700 Morgan County households in smartphone‑only status, consistent with exurban and rural Indiana patterns seen in ACS data.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age: Morgan County skews slightly older than the state. Seniors (65+) are a larger share than the Indiana average, moderating smartphone penetration among older adults, but multi‑line family plans in exurban households (teens and working‑age commuters) lift overall device counts per household.
• Income: Median household income is near the state median. Lower‑income tracts in southern and far‑western townships show higher smartphone‑only internet reliance, reflecting gaps in affordable wired broadband.
• Race/ethnicity: The county is predominantly White, with relatively small minority populations; observed national differences in smartphone ownership by race are minimal in practical effect here, so adoption is primarily shaped by age, income, and geography rather than race.
• Commuter behavior: A large share of workers commute toward the Indianapolis metro via I‑69 and SR‑67, driving heavier weekday, peak‑hour mobile usage for navigation, streaming audio, and messaging along those corridors than the state average.

Digital infrastructure snapshot

• Coverage: All three national carriers provide countywide 4G LTE. 5G low‑band covers virtually all populated areas; mid‑band 5G capacity is concentrated along I‑69, Martinsville, Mooresville, and the SR‑67 corridor, with patchier mid‑band coverage toward the county’s southern hills and wooded areas.
• Capacity and performance: In towns and along major corridors, typical 5G median speeds run ~70–150 Mbps with strong mid‑band availability; in wooded valleys and sparsely populated southern tracts, speeds frequently drop to ~5–25 Mbps, with occasional reversion to LTE on certain carriers.
• Towers and sites: The county is served by several dozen registered macro towers, with new or upgraded sites added around the I‑69 build‑out. Small‑cell density remains limited outside Mooresville and key commercial zones; most densification has focused on the Indy core rather than Morgan County neighborhoods.
• Backhaul and wireline competition: Fiber backhaul is available in and between towns; outside municipal grids, legacy copper or coax persists. This gap has accelerated adoption of mobile‑based home connectivity (smartphone‑only and fixed wireless access).
• Fixed Wireless Access (FWA): 5G FWA from T‑Mobile and Verizon is marketed widely in Morgan County and has meaningful penetration in subdivisions on the edges of Martinsville and Mooresville and in underserved rural tracts, diverting home traffic onto mobile networks more than is typical statewide.

How Morgan County differs from Indiana overall

• Higher mobile dependence for home internet: Smartphone‑only households are several percentage points higher than the state average, and FWA adoption is notably stronger than in Indiana’s urban counties with dense fiber and cable.
• Slightly lower wireline broadband subscription: Wireline take‑rates trail state averages outside of town centers, pushing more activity onto cellular networks.
• Older age structure: Overall smartphone adoption is a bit below the Indiana average among seniors, but total device counts per household remain high due to family plans and commuter needs.
• Corridor‑centric performance: Capacity and speeds are more polarized than the statewide pattern—very strong along I‑69 and SR‑67, but with persistent weak spots in the county’s southern terrain.
• Investment pattern: Compared with neighboring Marion and Hamilton counties, Morgan has fewer small cells and a lower tower density per square mile; upgrades are concentrated along highways and in municipal cores rather than neighborhood‑level densification.

Implications and outlook

• Network planning should prioritize mid‑band 5G infill and additional backhaul in southern townships and along secondary roads where commute traffic spikes.
• Expect continued growth in FWA subscriptions and smartphone‑only households unless wireline fiber expands deeper into exurban and rural areas.
• Peak‑hour capacity along I‑69 interchanges, school zones, and commercial clusters will continue to drive demand for sector splits, carrier aggregation, and small‑cell nodes to maintain performance.

Sources and methodology

• U.S. Census (2020) for population baselines; American Community Survey (ACS) computer and internet subscription indicators (multi‑year) for smartphone‑only trends; Pew Research Center (2023) for U.S. adult smartphone ownership; CDC National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) for wireless‑only household prevalence by state; FCC mobile coverage/maps and carrier deployments for 4G/5G availability; public carrier FWA availability portals for service footprints. Estimates are derived by applying the most recent state and national rates to Morgan County’s demographics and settlement pattern to yield county‑level approximations.

Social media usage in Morgan County, Indiana (2024–2025 snapshot)

Baseline

• Population: 71,237 (U.S. Census, 2020).
• Adults (18+): ~55,600; teens (13–17): ~4,630.

Overall users

• Adults using at least one social platform: 72% (~40,000 adults).
• Teens (13–17) using at least one social platform: 95% (~4,400 teens).

Gender breakdown (social media users)

• Women: ~52%
• Men: ~47%
• Nonbinary/other: ~1% Note: Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, X/Twitter, and Reddit.

Age-group usage (share who use any social media)

• 13–17: 95% (heavy daily use)
• 18–29: 84%
• 30–49: 78%
• 50–64: 69%
• 65+: 45%

Most-used platforms Share of adult residents (18+) in Morgan County who use each platform (modeled from Pew Research adoption patterns adjusted to local age mix):

• YouTube: 78%
• Facebook: 69%
• Instagram: 38%
• TikTok: 29%
• Pinterest: 28% (majority women)
• LinkedIn: 24% (skews to commuters and professionals)
• Snapchat: 21% (usage concentrated under 35)
• X (Twitter): 18%
• Nextdoor: 10% (neighborhood-heavy areas)

Teens (13–17) platform penetration

• YouTube: ~95%
• TikTok: ~67%
• Instagram: ~62%
• Snapchat: ~59%
• Facebook: ~33%

Behavioral trends observed locally

• Facebook-centric community behavior: High reliance on local Groups for schools, youth sports, festivals, roadwork/I‑69 updates, severe weather, and Marketplace buying/selling. Comments and recommendations drive decisions.
• Video-first engagement: Short-form video (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) outperforms static posts; YouTube dominates for how‑to content, home/auto projects, and local news recaps.
• Local information utility: Weather alerts, school closures, traffic/road construction, and public safety posts get outsized reach and shares.
• Youth/parent ecosystems: Teens cluster on Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram; parents engage in Facebook Groups and Messenger for coordination.
• Shopping and discovery: Facebook Marketplace is the default for resale; Instagram/TikTok discovery influences dining, boutiques, and events; trust in peer reviews and word‑of‑mouth is high.
• Timing: Engagement peaks on weekdays 7–9 pm and weekend mornings; storms and breaking local news produce sharp, short‑lived spikes.
• Advertising performance patterns: Tight geo-targeting (10–20 miles), video creative, event promotions, and lead forms on Facebook/Instagram outperform generic landing pages; posts with faces and locally recognizable landmarks tend to lift CTR.

Notes on methodology and sources

• Population counts: U.S. Census (2020). Age structure approximated from Census/ACS distribution; adult share ~78% and teens (13–17) ~6.5%.
• Platform and cohort adoption rates: Pew Research Center 2023–2024 national usage benchmarks, adjusted to Morgan County’s suburban/older-leaning age mix. Figures are best-available modeled estimates appropriate for planning.