Pike County Local Demographic Profile

Pike County, Indiana — key demographics

Population

  • 12,250 (2020 Census)
  • 12,0xx (2023 Census Bureau estimate; slight decline from 2020)

Age

  • Median age: ~44 years (ACS 2019–2023)
  • Under 18: ~22%
  • 18–64: ~58%
  • 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

  • Male: ~50%
  • Female: ~50%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023)

  • White alone: ~95–96%
  • Black or African American alone: ~0.3%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.2%
  • Asian alone: ~0.2–0.3%
  • Two or more races: ~3–4%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~1–2%
  • White alone, not Hispanic: ~94–95%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

  • Total households: ~4,800–4,900
  • Average household size: ~2.45–2.50
  • Family households: ~66% of households; married-couple families ~50%
  • Households with children under 18: ~27%
  • Nonfamily households: ~34%; living alone ~29%; 65+ living alone ~13%

Insights

  • Small, slowly declining population with an older age profile than the U.S. overall.
  • Predominantly non-Hispanic White with very small minority shares.
  • Household structure is family-leaning with modest household sizes and a notable share of seniors living alone.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates; Vintage 2023 Population Estimates.

Email Usage in Pike County

  • Scope: Pike County, Indiana (population ≈12,500; low density ≈35–40 residents per sq. mile).
  • Estimated email users: ≈9,600 residents (≈77% of total; ≈88% of ages 13+).
  • Age distribution of email users (share and headcount):
    • 13–17: ≈8% (≈800)
    • 18–34: ≈23% (≈2,200)
    • 35–54: ≈32% (≈3,100)
    • 55–64: ≈16% (≈1,600)
    • 65+: ≈21% (≈2,000)
  • Gender split among email users: ≈51% female, ≈49% male; usage rates are similar by gender in rural Indiana.
  • Digital access and trends:
    • Household broadband subscription: ≈78% (ACS-style county estimate), below Indiana’s statewide average (≈82–85%).
    • Smartphone-only internet households: ≈10–15%, reflecting reliance on mobile data where wireline options are limited.
    • 20–25% of households lack a wireline high-speed subscription, a rural gap driven by dispersed housing and last‑mile costs.
    • Fiber and cable footprints are expanding along main corridors and in town centers; fixed wireless and satellite fill many outlying areas.
    • 4G/5G coverage is strong in and near towns; coverage becomes patchier in low-density, wooded areas.
  • Insight: Adoption is near‑universal for working‑age adults, with seniors and remote households most constrained by access and speed.

Mobile Phone Usage in Pike County

Mobile phone usage in Pike County, Indiana — 2024 snapshot with state-level contrasts

Size of the user base (estimates anchored to official population and U.S. adoption rates)

  • Population baseline: 12,250 (2020 Census).
  • Mobile phone users (any cellphone): approximately 11,200–11,800 residents (92–96% of the population). This reflects near‑universal adult cellphone adoption in the U.S., adjusted slightly downward for Pike County’s older age profile.
  • Smartphone users: approximately 9,800–10,900 residents (80–89%). This is likely a few points lower than Indiana’s statewide adult smartphone adoption (~88–90%), primarily due to Pike County’s higher share of older adults and lower household incomes.
  • Wireless‑only telephony (no landline at home): Indiana has a high share of adults in wireless‑only households; Pike County’s older age mix implies a slightly lower local share than the state, but still a clear majority of households rely exclusively on mobile service for voice.

Demographic breakdown and what it means for usage

  • Age structure: Pike County skews older than Indiana overall, which depresses smartphone penetration and app‑centric behavior relative to the state average.
    • 18–34: very high smartphone adoption (mid‑ to high‑90s percent). Usage mirrors the state on social/video apps, mobile banking, and gig‑work platforms.
    • 35–64: high smartphone adoption (low‑ to mid‑90s percent). Strong use of workplace messaging, navigation, and commerce apps.
    • 65+: materially lower smartphone adoption (roughly 55–70%), with a non‑trivial basic‑phone segment. Voice/SMS remain more prominent; larger share of plan choices emphasize unlimited talk/text with modest data.
  • Income and education: Below‑state medians translate to:
    • Higher prepaid and MVNO plan share than state average.
    • More price‑sensitive data usage (greater reliance on Wi‑Fi when available; selective video streaming).
  • Household internet pattern: A noticeably higher fraction of homes rely on a cellular data plan (hotspot or smartphone tethering) as primary home internet compared with Indiana overall, due to patchier fixed broadband in outlying areas.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (what’s on the ground)

  • Carriers present: AT&T (including FirstNet for public safety), Verizon, and T‑Mobile operate countywide. Regional and MVNO brands ride these networks.
  • 4G LTE: Broadly available along primary corridors and in towns (Petersburg, Winslow, Spurgeon), with service tapering in low‑lying, wooded, or sparsely populated areas.
  • 5G:
    • Low‑band 5G is the de‑facto baseline layer and generally overlays LTE along main roads and population centers.
    • Mid‑band 5G capacity is concentrated near higher‑traffic corridors and town centers; its footprint is spottier than statewide urban/suburban counties and can drop back to LTE a few miles off‑corridor.
  • Backhaul and capacity: Tower density and fiber backhaul are thinner than in metro Indiana, which yields:
    • Greater speed variability (especially evenings) and more noticeable slowdowns during events/peak times.
    • Indoor performance less consistent in metal‑roof or energy‑efficient structures common in rural housing stock.
  • Emergency services: Indiana’s NG911 and Text‑to‑911 are active in Pike County; AT&T FirstNet coverage supports public safety agencies.
  • Public/anchor connectivity: Schools, the county library, and municipal buildings provide reliable Wi‑Fi and fiber‑backed connectivity in town; outside town limits, access depends more heavily on cellular.
  • Ongoing upgrades: State and federal programs (e.g., Indiana’s Next Level Connections and BEAD‑funded fiber projects) are extending fiber backhaul and last‑mile fixed broadband to unserved roads. As fiber reaches more towers and homes in 2025–2028, expect steadier 5G capacity and a reduced need for cellular‑only home internet.

How Pike County differs from Indiana overall

  • Adoption level: Slightly lower smartphone penetration and app intensity than the state average because of older demographics and lower incomes; a larger basic‑phone cohort persists.
  • Access pattern: More households leaning on cellular data as a primary or fallback home connection than the state average, reflecting patchier fixed broadband beyond town centers.
  • Performance/coverage: More pronounced dead zones and indoor signal challenges away from main corridors; mid‑band 5G is less continuous than in metro/suburban Indiana.
  • Plan mix: Higher prepaid/MVNO share and tighter data budgeting; family plans with pooled data are common, but unlimited mid‑band/5G plans are adopted more selectively.
  • Resilience behavior: Residents more often keep voice/SMS as a reliability fallback (weather and outage‑related), and community Wi‑Fi (schools, libraries) plays a larger role than in urban counties.

Key takeaways

  • Roughly 9.8k–10.9k Pike County residents use smartphones today, with total mobile users exceeding 11k; both figures trail Indiana’s percentage penetration but still reflect near‑universal mobile reliance.
  • The county’s mobile experience is defined by solid LTE/low‑band 5G along corridors, variable mid‑band 5G capacity, and practical reliance on Wi‑Fi and public anchors—patterns that differ from Indiana’s urbanized counties where mid‑band 5G and dense fiber backhaul are the norm.
  • As new fiber reaches towers and homes, Pike County’s gap with the state on mobile speed and reliability should narrow, and the share of cellular‑only households should gradually decline.

Social Media Trends in Pike County

Social media usage in Pike County, IN (best-available estimates, 2024)

Overall usage

  • Adults using at least one social platform monthly: 80–84% of adults
  • Daily social users: 63–68% of adults
  • Average platforms used per person: 3–4
  • Mobile-first usage: >90% primarily on smartphones

Most-used platforms (share of Pike County adults using each at least monthly)

  • YouTube: ~80% (±3)
  • Facebook: ~72% (±3)
  • Instagram: ~35% (±4)
  • Pinterest: ~32% (±4)
  • TikTok: ~28% (±4)
  • Snapchat: ~23% (±4)
  • X (Twitter): ~20% (±3)
  • LinkedIn: ~16% (±3)
  • WhatsApp: ~15% (±3)
  • Reddit: ~13% (±3)
  • Nextdoor: ~10% (±2)

Age-group usage (share using social at least weekly)

  • Teens 13–17: 90–95% (heavy YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok; low Facebook)
  • 18–29: 92–96% (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat dominant; Facebook secondary)
  • 30–49: 86–90% (Facebook and YouTube core; Instagram/TikTok moderate)
  • 50–64: 72–78% (Facebook and YouTube; limited TikTok/Instagram)
  • 65+: 52–58% (Facebook primary; YouTube for how‑to/news)

Gender breakdown

  • Share of social users: women 52–54%, men 46–48%
  • Platform skews:
    • Women higher on Facebook (+5–8 pts vs men) and Pinterest (female-majority user base)
    • Men higher on YouTube (+5–7 pts), X/Twitter, and Reddit (male-majority)

Behavioral trends

  • Facebook is the default local hub: community groups, school/sports updates, churches, civic info, storm/road alerts, Marketplace buying/selling
  • YouTube used for DIY/home/auto repair, farming and outdoor content, local sports highlights, appliance/equipment reviews
  • Messaging behavior centers on Facebook Messenger; Snapchat dominates teen/college-age chat; SMS remains common among 50+
  • Instagram is lifestyle- and family-update focused among 18–39; local small businesses cross-post promos and reels
  • TikTok is consumption-heavy (short vertical video); popular for trades/DIY tips, recipes, local humor; 35–49 adoption trending up
  • Pinterest strong among women for home, crafts, seasonal planning; converts well for retail/home services inspiration
  • X/Twitter used mainly for sports, state politics, and breaking news; limited local back-and-forth
  • Peak activity: evenings 7–10 pm; secondary spike at lunch; weekends see heightened Marketplace and event discovery
  • Trust and information: higher reliance on Facebook groups for local info; moderation by group admins shapes discourse; misinformation risk rises around severe weather and elections
  • Advertising effectiveness: best ROI from geo-targeted Facebook/Instagram (feed + stories/reels), short-form video (FB/IG/TikTok) for 18–39, and YouTube pre-roll for broad awareness; static image ads underperform video in engagement

Notes on sources and method

  • Figures are modeled for Pike County using 2023–2024 Pew Research Center social media adoption by platform, rural vs urban deltas, U.S./Indiana patterns, and county age structure; precise county-level platform surveys are not published. Percentages reflect adults unless noted and include reasonable rural adjustments for platform penetration.