Starke County

Starke County, Indiana – key demographics

Population size

• 2020 Census: 23,371
• 2023 estimate: ~23,150

Age

• Median age: ~42 years
• Under 18: ~22–23%
• 18–64: ~58–59%
• 65 and over: ~18–19%

Gender

• Male: ~50%
• Female: ~50%

Race and ethnicity (percent of total population)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~88–89%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~6–7%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Black or African American: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.5–1%
• Asian: ~0.3–0.4%

Households

• Total households: ~9,200–9,400
• Average household size: ~2.5–2.6
• Family households: ~64%
• Married-couple families: ~48–50%
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• One-person households: ~27%
• 65+ living alone: ~12%
• Owner-occupied rate: ~80%

Notes

• Figures reflect the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 Census, 2023 Population Estimates Program, and 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Starke County, IN snapshot

• Population and density: ≈23,000 residents across ≈310 sq. miles (≈74 people per sq. mile).
• Estimated email users: ≈18,000 residents (≈78% of population) use email; ≈14,000 (≈60%) check email daily.
• Age distribution of email users: Under 18 ≈10%, 18–34 ≈24%, 35–54 ≈33%, 55–64 ≈16%, 65+ ≈17%. Adults dominate usage; seniors participate at slightly lower rates but continue to grow as smartphone adoption rises.
• Gender split among users: ≈51% female, ≈49% male (email adoption is essentially even by gender).
• Digital access and trends:
  • Household broadband subscription: ≈75–80% (ACS-like county profiles for rural Indiana); ≈15–20% of households lack home internet.
  • Smartphone-only internet households: ≈9–12%, supporting mobile-first email use.
  • Public access remains important: libraries, schools, and community Wi‑Fi offset gaps for lower-income and senior residents.
  • Ongoing fiber and fixed-wireless buildouts are improving coverage and speeds along primary corridors and towns; the end of federal ACP funding in 2024 pressures affordability for some households.

Implication: Email reach is broad and reliable for adult communication in Starke County, with highest engagement among 25–54, near-parity by gender, and improving—but still uneven—rural connectivity.

Mobile phone usage in Starke County, Indiana — 2024–2025 snapshot

Executive summary (how Starke differs from Indiana overall)

• Lower adult smartphone adoption and lower median mobile speeds than the state average, reflecting a more rural, lower-density network footprint.
• Higher share of “mobile-only” households (cellular data as the primary/only home internet), and faster uptake of fixed wireless access (FWA) than the state average.
• Larger age- and income-related gaps in smartphone usage than statewide, especially among seniors and very-low-income households.
• 5G is present in the main population centers, but LTE remains the de facto standard across much of the county’s rural area; coverage is more contiguous along highways and in/near Knox, North Judson, Hamlet, and Bass Lake than in outlying townships.

User estimates

• Population base: ≈23,300 residents; ≈18,000 adults (18+) and ≈9,100 households (2023 ACS).
• Adults using any mobile phone: ≈17,100 (≈95% of adults), slightly below Indiana’s ≈96–97%.
• Adult smartphone users: ≈15,000–15,500 (≈83–86% of adults), about 3–6 percentage points below Indiana’s ≈88–91%.
• Mobile-only internet households (cellular data plan and no wired broadband): ≈1,650–2,000 households (≈18–22%), notably above Indiana’s ≈12–14%.
• Households using 5G/4G fixed wireless home internet (e.g., Verizon or T‑Mobile FWA) as primary broadband: ≈1,000–1,300 (≈11–14%), above the Indiana average of ≈7–10%.

Demographic breakdown (modeled from ACS/NTIA/Pew patterns for rural counties)

• By age (share of adults who use a smartphone):
  • 18–34: ≈93–96% (near state level).
  • 35–64: ≈86–90% (2–4 points below state).
  • 65+: ≈66–72% (6–10 points below state), the largest gap.
• By income (share of adults who use a smartphone):
  • <$25k: ≈70–76% (below state by 6–9 points).
  • $25–75k: ≈83–88% (below state by 3–5 points).
  • $75k+: ≈92–95% (near state level).
• By geography within the county:
  • Towns (Knox, North Judson, Hamlet, Bass Lake): near-state smartphone adoption and heavier 5G use; more postpaid accounts.
  • Outlying/rural townships: lower smartphone adoption, more LTE-only areas, higher prevalence of prepaid plans and mobile-only households.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Network availability:
  • 4G LTE: Countywide, generally available wherever residents live or work; indoor performance varies in more remote areas.
  • 5G: Deployed in and around population centers and along primary corridors; coverage becomes spotty in lower-density areas. County 5G population coverage is materially below the statewide figure.
• Capacity and speeds (typical user experience):
  • 5G in towns: median downlink often 80–150 Mbps with sub‑20 ms latency when mid‑band is available.
  • LTE in rural areas: median downlink commonly 10–30 Mbps with higher variability and latency (30–60 ms).
  • These medians trail Indiana’s urban/suburban averages, which are typically higher due to denser sites and more mid‑band spectrum.
• Backhaul and tower spacing:
  • Larger inter‑site distances than state urban areas lead to weaker indoor signal at the fringes and more performance drop‑off during peak hours.
• Home internet substitution:
  • Because fiber/cable availability drops outside towns, reliance on mobile data and 5G/4G FWA for home internet is higher than statewide, driving the above‑average share of mobile‑only households.
• Public and anchor connectivity:
  • Libraries, schools, and county offices in town centers provide reliable Wi‑Fi and often serve as connectivity anchors for residents who have limited at‑home broadband.

Trends to watch (distinct from state-level)

• Faster growth in FWA subscriptions per household than the state average as new sectors light up 5G mid‑band, particularly in and near town centers.
• Gradual improvement in 5G coverage along main corridors, but LTE will remain the primary rural access layer longer than in more urban Indiana counties.
• Continued narrowing of the smartphone gap for middle‑income and working‑age adults, with seniors remaining the most disconnected group unless device assistance and training programs expand locally.

Data notes

• Totals are derived from 2023 ACS population/household counts for Starke County, blended with 2023–2024 Pew/NTIA device and subscription rates and adjusted for rural counties. County figures are modeled estimates; statewide comparators reflect Indiana-wide ranges from the same sources.

Social media usage in Starke County, IN (2025, best-available estimates)

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adults who use each platform; Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. benchmarks used as the local proxy for rural counties like Starke)

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• TikTok: ~33%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• Snapchat: ~27%
• WhatsApp: ~29%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• X (Twitter): ~22%
• Reddit: ~22% Note: Given Starke County’s older, more rural profile, expect Facebook to index slightly higher and TikTok/Instagram slightly lower than the national averages above.

Age-group usage patterns (platform adoption within each age band; Pew 2024 adults and Pew 2023 teens)

• Teens 13–17: YouTube ~95%, TikTok ~63%, Snapchat ~60%, Instagram ~60%, Facebook ~33%, X ~20%, Reddit ~20%
• Adults 18–29: YouTube ~95%, Instagram ~78%, Snapchat ~65%, TikTok ~62%, Facebook ~58%, Reddit ~36%, X ~30%
• Adults 30–49: YouTube ~91%, Facebook ~73%, Instagram ~49%, TikTok ~39%, Snapchat ~24%, Pinterest ~40%, LinkedIn ~36%
• Adults 50–64: YouTube ~83%, Facebook ~69–72%, Instagram ~29%, TikTok ~24%, Pinterest ~35%, LinkedIn ~24%, X ~19%
• Adults 65+: YouTube ~60%, Facebook ~58–62%, Instagram ~15%, TikTok ~10%, Pinterest ~18%, LinkedIn ~11%, X ~12%

Gender breakdown (platform skews)

• Women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, and especially Pinterest (Pinterest’s user base is majority female).
• Men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X (Twitter).
• Snapchat and TikTok are closer to gender-balanced, with a slight female tilt in many markets.

Behavioral trends observed in rural Midwestern counties applicable to Starke

• Facebook is the community hub: high participation in local Groups (schools, youth sports, events, buy-sell-trade/Marketplace, road conditions, municipal updates). Local businesses and nonprofits rely on Pages + Events.
• YouTube is the go-to for how‑to content, home/auto repair, agriculture/outdoors, faith services, and local government/school uploads when available.
• Short-form video growth: Reels and TikTok have strong under‑35 traction; practical content (DIY, hunting/fishing, homesteading, food) and local creators perform best.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger dominates family/community comms; Snapchat is a daily habit among teens/younger adults.
• Posting cadence: Younger adults/teens post daily in Stories/Snaps/Reels; 35+ cohorts post less frequently (weekly or event-driven) but engage consistently with Groups and Marketplace.
• Timing: Engagement typically peaks evenings (7–10 pm local) and weekend mid‑day; weather and school-sports calendars noticeably shift spikes.

How to interpret these figures for Starke County

• Use the listed percentages as the working reach for media planning; bias spend toward Facebook/YouTube for county‑wide reach, add Instagram/TikTok for under‑35 reach, and lean on Groups/Marketplace for hyperlocal response.
• Expect robust performance from community-centered creative, local faces/places, and short, captioned video.

Sources and method

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (adult platform adoption by platform and age); Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023 (teen platform adoption).
• U.S. Census Bureau ACS demographic profile for Starke County informs the rural/older tilt noted above.
• Because platforms do not publish county‑level usage, the percentages above reflect authoritative national adoption rates applied to Starke County’s rural/age profile, which is the industry‑standard approach for county‑level planning.