Posey County Local Demographic Profile

Posey County, Indiana — key demographics (latest available)

Population size

  • Total population: 25,222 (2020 Census). ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimate: ~25.3k.

Age

  • Median age: ~43.7 years
  • Under 5 years: ~5–6%
  • Under 18 years: ~22–23%
  • 65 years and over: ~19%

Gender

  • Female: ~50–51%
  • Male: ~49–50%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023)

  • White alone: ~95–96%
  • Black or African American alone: ~0.6–0.8%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.2–0.3%
  • Asian alone: ~0.3–0.5%
  • Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.0%
  • Some other race alone: ~0.3–0.6%
  • Two or more races: ~2–3%
  • Hispanic/Latino (of any race): ~1.5–2.0%

Households and housing (ACS 2019–2023)

  • Households: ~10,200
  • Persons per household: ~2.4–2.5
  • Family households: ~68% of households; married-couple households: ~53%
  • Nonfamily households: ~32%; living alone: ~27%; age 65+ living alone: ~11%
  • Housing tenure: owner-occupied ~78–80%; renter-occupied ~20–22%

Insights

  • Older age profile than the U.S. overall (median age ~43.7 vs. U.S. ~39).
  • High homeownership relative to U.S. average (~79% vs. ~64%).
  • Predominantly White, with small but present multiracial and Hispanic populations.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (PL 94-171) and American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables DP05, S0101, S1101, DP04).

Email Usage in Posey County

Posey County, IN email snapshot

  • Population about 25,200 across ~419 sq mi (about 60 people/sq mi); ~10,000 households.
  • Estimated email users (adults 18+): about 18,000 (around 92% of adults).

Age distribution of adult email users

  • 18–24: ~9%
  • 25–44: ~31%
  • 45–64: ~37%
  • 65+: ~23%

Gender split among email users

  • Female ~51%, Male ~49% (tracks county demographics; usage rates are similar by gender).

Digital access and trends

  • About 90% of households have a computer.
  • About 82% subscribe to fixed broadband (around 8,200 households).
  • About 11% are smartphone‑only internet users; roughly 9% have no home internet.
  • Non‑users are concentrated among the oldest adults and in the most rural tracts.

Local density/connectivity context

  • Connectivity is strongest in and near Mount Vernon, Poseyville, and New Harmony; rural areas have fewer providers and longer last‑mile runs, which dampens adoption.
  • Overall email adoption is slightly below urban Evansville‑metro levels but high for a rural county, with gradual gains as network upgrades reach more addresses.

Mobile Phone Usage in Posey County

Summary of mobile phone usage in Posey County, Indiana

Scope and method

  • Figures combine the latest available Census/ACS population and household counts for Posey County with nationally accepted adoption rates (Pew Research Center smartphone ownership by age; CDC/NCHS wireless-only telephone status; FCC mobile coverage trends through 2023–2024). County-level figures are estimates derived by applying those rates to Posey County’s age structure and settlement pattern.

County profile and headline estimates

  • Population base: approximately 25,300 residents; about 10,100 households.
  • Total mobile phone users (any cellphone): about 21,200 residents, or roughly 84% of the total population.
  • Smartphone users: about 18,100 residents, or roughly 71% of the population and about 85–88% of mobile users.
  • Wireless-only telephone households (no landline): about 6,900–7,300 households (≈68–72%).
  • Households relying on cellular data as their only home internet: about 9–11% of households.

Demographic breakdown of users

  • Teens (13–17): about 1,600 residents; smartphone adoption ≈95% → roughly 1,520 teen smartphone users.
  • Adults 18–64: about 14,600 residents; smartphone adoption ≈88–92% → roughly 12,800–13,400 smartphone users.
  • Adults 65+: about 5,100 residents; smartphone adoption ≈65–70% and any-cellphone adoption ≈90% → roughly 3,300–3,600 smartphone users and 4,500–4,700 total cellphone users.
  • Children 0–12: about 4,100 residents; mobile device ownership (phones or kid wearables) is far lower, but contributes an additional ≈800–900 mobile users.
  • Net effect: Posey County’s older age profile suppresses overall smartphone penetration a few points below Indiana’s statewide rate, while teens and working-age adults closely track national adoption.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

  • 5G availability: Mid-band 5G is present in and around Mount Vernon, Poseyville, and New Harmony, and along the State Road 62 corridor tied to Evansville/Vanderburgh County sites. Rural townships and river bottoms remain predominantly LTE. 3G has been retired.
  • Performance envelope observed regionally:
    • Mid-band 5G (where available): roughly 100–300 Mbps down; strong indoor coverage in towns.
    • LTE in rural areas: typically 10–40 Mbps down; signal attenuation in low-lying river-bottom terrain and at the Wabash–Ohio confluence produces more dead spots than state average.
  • Tower siting pattern: Macrocells cluster along SR 62, near towns, and around industrial sites on the Ohio River; coverage is sparser in agricultural sections away from highways. Cross-river service from Illinois and Kentucky towers supplements coverage near the county edges and can trigger cross-border handoffs.
  • Wireline context that affects mobile use: Cable and fiber service are concentrated in Mount Vernon and along primary corridors; outlying areas rely more on legacy DSL and fixed wireless. This wireline gap elevates the share of households using cellular data as a primary or fallback internet option.

How Posey County differs from Indiana overall

  • Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration: The county’s older age mix (median age higher than the state) pulls the county’s aggregate smartphone rate a few points below the Indiana average, despite near-parity among working-age adults.
  • More LTE-only territory and terrain-related gaps: Compared with the state average, Posey has a larger share of areas where LTE remains the primary layer and experiences more river-bottom dead zones. That said, adjacency to the Evansville metro gives towns better-than-typical 5G access for a rural county.
  • Higher reliance on mobile for home internet in rural townships: The estimated 9–11% of households using cellular as their only home internet is modestly above the statewide share, reflecting uneven wireline build-out in low-density areas.
  • Wireless-only telephone status slightly below the state: Owing to the older population, the county’s wireless-only household share sits a few percentage points under Indiana’s statewide level, where younger urban/suburban areas push the average higher.
  • Cross-border network dynamics: Proximity to Illinois and Kentucky introduces more frequent inter-market handoffs and roaming management than most Indiana counties experience, influencing user experience at the fringes.

Key takeaways

  • Approximately 21,000 residents in Posey County use a cellphone, and about 18,000 of them use smartphones.
  • Working-age adoption mirrors state and national norms; the county’s older age structure is the primary reason overall smartphone penetration trails the Indiana average.
  • 5G is strong in towns and along SR 62; LTE remains the norm in much of the countryside, with terrain-related weak spots along the Ohio and Wabash rivers.
  • Mobile networks fill important connectivity gaps in rural areas, leading to a higher-than-average share of mobile-broadband-only households even as the county’s wireless-only telephone share is slightly lower than the state’s.

Social Media Trends in Posey County

Posey County, IN — Social media snapshot (modeled 2024 estimates)

Population baseline

  • Residents: ~25,300
  • Adults (18+): ~19,700
  • Adult social media users (any platform): ~15,800 (≈80% of adults)

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adults using each)

  • YouTube: ~82%
  • Facebook: ~69–71% (≈70%)
  • Instagram: ~43–45%
  • Pinterest: ~33–35%
  • TikTok: ~30–32%
  • Snapchat: ~26–28%
  • LinkedIn: ~22–24%
  • X (Twitter): ~19–21%
  • Reddit: ~17–19%
  • Nextdoor: ~6–9% (primarily in denser neighborhoods around Mount Vernon/New Harmony)

Age-group adoption (any social platform)

  • 18–29: ~95% use social; top platforms: YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat/TikTok; Facebook is still widely used but secondary.
  • 30–49: ~88% use social; top platforms: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram; rising TikTok usage; Pinterest strong among parents.
  • 50–64: ~74% use social; top platforms: Facebook, YouTube; Pinterest moderate; Instagram/TikTok lower but growing.
  • 65+: ~55% use social; top platforms: Facebook, YouTube; limited Instagram/TikTok; some Nextdoor in town centers.

Gender breakdown (adults)

  • Overall social media reach: women ~82%, men ~78%.
  • Platform skews (share of each platform’s user base):
    • Pinterest: ~75–80% women
    • Instagram: ~55% women
    • Facebook: ~53–55% women
    • YouTube: ~52–55% men
    • X (Twitter): ~60% men
    • Reddit: ~65–70% men
    • TikTok/Snapchat: slight female skew overall; heavy youth skew for Snapchat

Behavioral trends and usage patterns

  • Community-first Facebook: Facebook Groups and Marketplace are central for local news, school/booster updates, youth sports, churches, events, garage sales, and lost-and-found. Sunday afternoons and weekday evenings see peak engagement.
  • Short‑form video growth: TikTok and Instagram Reels drive discovery for local eateries, boutiques, services, and events. Cross-posting short videos (TikTok → Reels/YouTube Shorts) boosts reach.
  • Messaging and “ephemeral” habits: Snapchat is the default messenger for teens/20s (streaks, group chats). Facebook Messenger dominates among 30+ for coordinating family and community events.
  • Local loyalty content wins: High engagement for hyperlocal stories (school sports highlights, community fundraisers, obituaries, severe weather, road closures). Practical content (DIY, home improvement, farming/repair tips) performs well on YouTube.
  • Shopping and recommendations: Facebook Marketplace is the go‑to for secondhand goods; local recommendation threads (“who can fix…?”) frequently spark business leads. Pinterest drives interest for recipes, crafts, home projects—especially among women 25–54.
  • Professional/networking: LinkedIn usage is moderate and concentrated among commuters/professionals linked to the Evansville metro; effective for recruiting and job search, less for broad consumer reach.
  • News and alerts: X is niche but used for sports scores, severe-weather nowcasts, and agency updates; Reddit usage is small but influential for tech/gaming and regional threads.

Notes on methodology

  • Figures are 2024 modeled estimates that apply current U.S. platform adoption rates by age and gender (Pew Research Center) to Posey County’s age/sex profile (ACS/Census), with rural–Midwest adjustments for platform mix and Nextdoor penetration. Percentages refer to adults unless otherwise noted.