Perry County

Key demographics – Perry County, Indiana

• Population

  • 2020 Census: 19,170
  • 2023 estimate: 19,060–19,100 (≈0.5% decline since 2020)

• Age

  • Median age: ≈42 years
  • Under 18: ≈22%
  • 18–64: ≈60%
  • 65 and over: ≈18–19%

• Sex

  • Male: ≈54%
  • Female: ≈46%
  • Note: Male share is elevated relative to state average due to the presence of a state correctional facility

• Race/ethnicity (shares of total population)

  • White alone: ≈92–93%
  • Black or African American alone: ≈3–4%
  • Two or more races: ≈3%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ≈2–3%
  • Asian: ≈0.3–0.5%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: ≈0.2–0.3%

• Households

  • Total households: ≈7,700–7,800
  • Persons per household: ≈2.35–2.40
  • Family households: ≈63–66% of households

Insights: Perry County is small and aging relative to state/national norms, overwhelmingly White, with a notably male-skewed population. Household sizes are modest and a solid majority of households are family households.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (DP-1), 2023 Population Estimates Program, and 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

• Estimated email users: ≈14,000 residents in Perry County (about 90% of adults), derived from county population (~19,000) and U.S. adoption rates.
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 18–29: 14% (2,000)
  • 30–49: 34% (4,800)
  • 50–64: 29% (4,000)
  • 65+: 23% (3,200)
• Gender split among users: 51% female (7,100), 49% male (6,900), tracking the county’s population balance.
• Digital access and trends:
  • About 78–80% of households have a home broadband subscription (ACS benchmark for similar rural Indiana counties).
  • Mobile access is pervasive; an estimated 15–20% of adults are mobile-only at home, so email is frequently checked on smartphones.
  • Under‑50 email usage is near‑universal; 65+ adoption is growing due to telehealth, government services, and banking.
• Local density/connectivity context:
  • Population density is roughly 50 people per square mile.
  • Broadband availability and uptake are strongest in Tell City and Cannelton along the Ohio River corridor; coverage and subscription rates are weaker in low‑density, forested interior areas near the Hoosier National Forest, contributing to pockets of slower or inconsistent service.

Mobile phone usage in Perry County, Indiana — summary and county-vs-state distinctions

User estimates

• Population base: ~19,000 residents and ~7,600 households (2020–2022 Census/ACS scale).
• Estimated mobile phone users: 15,300–16,200 residents (driven by ~95% adult phone ownership in the U.S., with a slight rural discount).
• Estimated smartphone users: 12,900–13,800 residents (roughly 80–86% of total population; smartphone adoption in rural areas trails urban/suburban by several points).
• Household smartphone-only internet reliance: approximately 20–25% of households in Perry County, notably higher than the Indiana average (roughly mid-teens). This reflects lower fixed-broadband adoption and a larger share of cost-sensitive users relying on mobile data for home internet.

Demographic breakdown influencing usage

• Age: Perry County skews older than Indiana overall (senior share around one-fifth of residents). Consequences include:
  • Higher basic/feature-phone retention among some 65+ users.
  • Lower smartphone penetration among seniors versus the state average, but strong voice/text adoption.
• Income and education: Median household income and bachelor’s attainment are below state averages. Implications:
  • Greater use of prepaid plans and budget Android devices.
  • Higher smartphone-only home internet dependence among lower-income households.
• Household composition: More single-line or two-line households compared with family-dense urban counties, moderating total line counts per household.
• Youth and working-age users: Nearly universal phone ownership among teens and young adults; these groups drive app-centric usage, social media, and high data consumption even where 5G is sparse.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage:
  • 4G LTE: Broad population coverage from the national carriers across the Ohio River corridor (Tell City–Cannelton) and the SR-37 spine to I-64; most populated areas have at least one strong LTE option.
  • 5G: Predominantly low-band 5G with coverage concentrated around towns and primary road corridors; limited mid-band (capacity) 5G outside the denser pockets. Indoor 5G performance often reverts to LTE in hollows and along wooded bluffs.
• Terrain effects: The county’s river valley, rolling hills, and forested uplands create signal shadowing and sector edge conditions; valleys and ridge backs can see abrupt RSRP/RSRQ shifts and more handoffs.
• Speeds (typical, not peak):
  • LTE: ~10–40 Mbps down in town corridors; rural fringe often single-digit to teens.
  • 5G low-band: ~30–80 Mbps down where signal is strong; limited uplink gains over LTE.
  • 5G mid-band (where present): ~100–300 Mbps down, but coverage footprints are small.
• Reliability and resilience: Weather-related power outages and backhaul constraints can impact rural sectors more than in urban Indiana. FirstNet coverage is present via AT&T, with strong outdoors reliability near public-safety nodes and main corridors.
• Fixed-wireless substitution: LTE/5G fixed wireless is a meaningful home-internet alternative for a material minority of residents lacking affordable cable/fiber, reinforcing higher smartphone-only dependency.

How Perry County differs from the Indiana statewide pattern

• Lower 5G availability and capacity: A higher share of mobile usage occurs on LTE, and mid-band 5G footprints are smaller than Indiana’s metro-driven average.
• Higher smartphone-only households: Mobile data is used more often as the primary home connection than the state average, due to lower fixed-broadband penetration and cost sensitivities.
• More prepaid and budget device mix: Plan selection skews toward prepaid and value tiers, with longer device replacement cycles than urban Indiana counties.
• Greater coverage variability: Topography creates more pronounced dead zones and indoor-reception challenges, unlike flatter, denser parts of the state.
• Usage patterns: Voice/SMS reliability remains a priority in rural travel and worksites (forestry, manufacturing, logistics), while high-throughput app usage is concentrated near towns and highways.

Indicative segment adoption (shares reflect rural U.S. patterns applied to Perry County’s age/income mix)

• Teens and young adults (13–34): ~98–99% phone ownership; ~94–97% smartphone; heavy app/data use; high reliance on Wi‑Fi when available in town.
• Mid-life adults (35–64): ~95–98% phone; ~85–90% smartphone; frequent hotspotting for home/work gaps.
• Seniors (65+): ~85–90% phone; ~60–70% smartphone; larger share of voice/text-centric users and basic phone retention than state average.
• Low-income households: Higher likelihood of smartphone-only home internet (often 25%+ within this segment), greater prepaid adoption, and sensitivity to deprioritization during peak times.

Key takeaways

• Perry County’s mobile landscape is coverage-first, capacity-second: LTE is the workhorse; low-band 5G helps at the cell edge but doesn’t consistently deliver metro-like speeds.
• More residents lean on mobile as their primary or fallback home connection than the Indiana average, elevating the importance of plan data allowances and hotspot features.
• Investment that expands mid-band 5G and strengthens rural backhaul would create outsized gains locally compared with statewide averages, narrowing the gap in speeds and reliability.

Perry County, IN social media usage (2025 snapshot)

What this covers and how it’s derived

• Baseline demographics from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023; usage rates from Pew Research Center (Social Media Use 2024; Teens 2023). County-level platform shares aren’t directly published, so local figures are inferred by applying those benchmarks to Perry County’s population profile.

User stats

• Population: ~19,100 residents (ACS 2023 est.).
• Adults (18+): ~15,000; about 81% of U.S. adults use at least one social platform. Expected adult social users in Perry County: ~12,100.
• Teens (13–17): roughly 6–7% of the population; ~95% use social platforms. Expected teen social users: ~1,100–1,200.
• Total active social users (13+): roughly 13,200–13,400 residents.

Age groups (adoption and behaviors)

• 13–17: ~95% on social; dominant platforms: YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram. Heavy daily, video-first consumption; strong DM/group-chat behavior.
• 18–29: 90%+ use at least one platform. High on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; lighter on Facebook for posting but still present for groups and events.
• 30–49: ~85–90% use social. Facebook and YouTube lead; Instagram solid; TikTok rising but more for entertainment than posting.
• 50–64: ~75–80% use social. Facebook is primary; YouTube strong for how‑to, news recaps, and local content.
• 65+: ~60–65% use social. Facebook dominates; YouTube growing for news, health, and hobbies.

Gender breakdown

• The user base is roughly even by gender in Perry County’s adult population. Behavioral tilts mirror national patterns:
  • Women skew higher on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest; strong engagement with community groups, school/church pages, events, and Marketplace.
  • Men skew higher on YouTube, Reddit, and X; more tech, sports, and news commentary consumption.
  • Messaging: Facebook Messenger is common across genders; WhatsApp use is lower than national average in similar rural Midwest counties.

Most‑used platforms (percentages where available; U.S. adult benchmarks applied locally)

• YouTube: ~83% of U.S. adults use it. Expect very high local reach across all ages; video is the default content type.
• Facebook: ~68% of U.S. adults. Likely at or above national levels locally, and the top daily-use network for 30+; Groups and Marketplace are core.
• Instagram: ~47% of U.S. adults. Strong among under‑40; moderate overall local reach.
• TikTok: ~33–35% of U.S. adults. Very strong in under‑35; moderate overall locally; largely entertainment/short‑form video.
• Pinterest: ~35% of U.S. adults. Stronger with women; local use aligns with DIY, recipes, home projects.
• Snapchat: ~27–30% of U.S. adults. Highly concentrated among teens/young adults locally.
• X (Twitter): ~20–22% of U.S. adults. Niche locally; more news/sports watchers than posters.
• LinkedIn: ~20–22% of U.S. adults. Likely below average locally given industry mix; used for job search and professional networking.

Behavioral trends to expect in Perry County

• Facebook as the community hub: Local news, school and sports updates, civic info, festivals, church events, and buy/sell via Marketplace. Facebook Groups drive repeat engagement.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how‑to, product research, hunting/fishing/outdoors, DIY, and local government recaps; TikTok/Instagram Reels for short, entertaining clips.
• Local trust signals: Posts from known local institutions (county offices, schools, utilities, hospitals, chambers, media) earn higher engagement and shares.
• Messaging over public posting: Widespread use of Facebook Messenger and Instagram DMs to coordinate events, services, and customer inquiries.
• Time-of-day peaks: Early morning (6:30–8:30 a.m.), lunch (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–10 p.m.); weekends see strong event-related engagement.
• Commerce: Discovery on Facebook/Instagram; conversions often close via Messenger, phone, or in‑person. Marketplace plays a large role for P2P and micro‑business.
• Older‑adult adoption: Continued growth among 60+ on Facebook and YouTube for health info, community updates, and hobbies; ad creative with clear text and local relevance performs best.
• Teens/young adults: Snapchat and TikTok are daily habits; creators and peers drive trends; authenticity and short video outperform polished ads.

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 (population and age structure)
• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (adult platform adoption)
• Pew Research Center, Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023 (teen adoption)