Tippecanoe County Local Demographic Profile
Tippecanoe County, Indiana — key demographics
Population size
- 186,251 (2020 Decennial Census)
- ~199,000 (2023 Census Bureau estimate)
Age
- Median age: ~29 years
- Age distribution (ACS 2018–2022):
- Under 18: ~20%
- 18–24: ~24% (elevated due to Purdue University)
- 25–44: ~29%
- 45–64: ~16%
- 65+: ~10%
Gender
- Male: ~52%
- Female: ~48%
Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022)
- White alone: ~79%
- Black or African American alone: ~5–6%
- Asian alone: ~10–11%
- Two or more races: ~3–4%
- Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~9%
- Note: “White alone” includes Hispanic; Hispanic is an ethnicity and overlaps race categories
Households (ACS 2018–2022)
- Households: ~74,000–76,000
- Average household size: ~2.45–2.50
- Family households: ~53%
- With own children under 18: ~27%
- Housing tenure: ~55% owner-occupied, ~45% renter-occupied
- Average family size: ~3.0
Insights
- Young, student-heavy profile and slight male skew reflect Purdue University
- Higher Asian share and renter occupancy than Indiana overall
- Strong population growth since 2010 and 2020
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; Vintage 2023 population estimates)
Email Usage in Tippecanoe County
- Scope: Tippecanoe County, Indiana (2020 Census population: 186,251; density ~370 people/sq mi).
- Estimated email users: ~141,000 residents (≈76% of total population), derived from ~90% adoption among adults and ~80% among ages 13–17.
- Age distribution of email users (share of users):
- 13–17: 6%
- 18–24: 27% (Purdue’s large student body drives near-universal usage)
- 25–44: 32%
- 45–64: 23%
- 65+: 12%
- Gender split among users: ~51% male, 49% female, mirroring county demographics.
- Digital access and devices:
- ≈89% of households have a broadband subscription (ACS 2018–2022).
- ≈94% of households have a computer.
- ≈11% of households are smartphone‑only for internet.
- High student and knowledge‑worker presence sustains heavy daily email reliance for education, research, and employment.
- Connectivity and local density facts:
- Lafayette and West Lafayette concentrate ≈60%+ of residents and have extensive cable and fiber (gigabit-class) coverage; rural townships show lower fixed‑broadband availability and higher mobile dependence.
- Campus-wide Wi‑Fi and enterprise networks around Purdue create dense connectivity zones that raise email engagement, especially among 18–34.
Mobile Phone Usage in Tippecanoe County
Summary: Mobile phone usage in Tippecanoe County, Indiana
Context
- Tippecanoe County (Lafayette–West Lafayette) is anchored by Purdue University, with a very large student population concentrated in and around West Lafayette. That college-town profile materially shifts mobile usage patterns relative to the Indiana statewide average.
User estimates
- Residents: about 195,000–200,000 (2023 estimate range).
- Estimated smartphone users: roughly 155,000–175,000.
- Basis: county’s younger age structure and ACS “Computer and Internet Use” patterns indicate smartphone presence in the vast majority of households, plus high individual smartphone adoption in the 18–34 cohort typical of a large university market.
- Estimated active mobile subscriptions: approximately 220,000–260,000 lines (about 1.15–1.30 lines per resident, consistent with U.S./Indiana per-capita mobile line ratios applied to a student-heavy market).
- Mobile-only households (cellular data plan but no fixed home broadband): about 12–16% of households in Tippecanoe vs roughly 9–12% statewide. This higher “mobile-only” share is concentrated in student and renter-dominated tracts near campus.
Demographic drivers and differences from state-level
- Age mix: The share of residents aged 18–24 is markedly higher than Indiana’s average due to Purdue. This drives earlier 5G device adoption, higher app-based communications, and greater reliance on mobile data over fixed service among students.
- Tenure and turnover: A higher renter share and frequent household churn near campus increase prepaid and flexible mobile plans, short upgrade cycles, and higher line churn than the state overall.
- Education and international population: Higher educational attainment and a larger international student/staff presence correlate with multi-line/dual-SIM use, widespread OTT calling/messaging, and strong demand for campus and near-campus small-cell densification.
- Urban–rural split: While Lafayette/West Lafayette are dense and well-served, peripheral townships retain more rural coverage characteristics than state urban averages; however, rural coverage is buffered by local fiber co-ops and WISPs that reduce mobile-network strain indoors.
Digital infrastructure and coverage
- 5G footprint: All three national carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) provide 5G in the Lafayette–West Lafayette urban area, with mid-band 5G widely deployed around Purdue’s campus and along major corridors (I-65, US-52, US-231). This footprint is denser than typical Indiana non-metro counties and upgrades have trended faster here to accommodate academic-year peaks.
- Small cells and campus density: Carrier small cells and indoor systems are present in and around Purdue facilities, stadiums, and high-occupancy housing—denser than the statewide norm outside major metros.
- Backhaul and fiber: MetroNet and Tipmont/Wintek (and pockets from other incumbents) provide extensive fiber in Lafayette/West Lafayette and expanding rural fiber laterals, improving cellular backhaul capacity and reliability. This fiber presence is stronger than in many peer counties and supports rapid 5G sector splits and capacity augments.
- Rural/peripheral coverage: The I-65 and US-231 corridors are well-covered; mid-band 5G thins toward lower-density fringe areas where LTE remains primary. Indoor rural coverage is supplemented by Wi‑Fi over new fiber and by select CBRS/private LTE deployments in industrial sites.
- Public safety and resilience: FirstNet (AT&T) coverage is established in the urban core and key corridors; carrier-of-last-resort fallback to LTE is common in outer areas during congestion.
Definitive statistics (best available public indicators)
- Households with a smartphone: approximately 92–95% in Tippecanoe vs 89–93% statewide (ACS Computer and Internet Use, most recent 5-year estimates).
- Households with any broadband (fixed or mobile): approximately 88–91% in Tippecanoe vs 86–88% statewide (ACS).
- Households with a cellular data plan only (no other home broadband): about 12–16% in Tippecanoe vs 9–12% statewide (ACS), reflecting student/renter concentration.
- Carrier presence: AT&T, T‑Mobile, and Verizon operate 5G in the Lafayette–West Lafayette area, with mid-band layers live and ongoing densification near campus and along I‑65.
Usage and performance implications unique to Tippecanoe
- Higher peak-hour and event-driven loads: Academic calendar, game days, and move-in periods produce predictable, short-duration capacity spikes that are more intense than the Indiana average for non-metro counties; carriers mitigate with temporary sectors, small cells, and additional spectrum carriers near campus.
- Faster device and plan turnover: Younger, renter-heavy users refresh handsets faster and adopt 5G plans earlier than the statewide average, accelerating traffic growth and spectrum utilization on mid-band 5G.
- Elevated mobile-only and Wi‑Fi offload: Student housing shows higher mobile-only rates and heavy Wi‑Fi offload to campus and MDU networks, shifting traffic off macro layers during indoor hours yet stressing macro cells during commute and event windows.
- Stronger backhaul enabling rapid upgrades: Local fiber depth allows quicker sector splits and node adds than in many Indiana counties, keeping median 5G speeds comparatively resilient under load in the core.
Bottom line
- Tippecanoe County’s college-town profile produces a larger, more 5G-forward smartphone base, higher mobile-only household share, denser small-cell deployments, and faster carrier upgrade cycles than the statewide average. Rural edges still show typical Indiana LTE reliance, but robust local fiber and targeted 5G mid-band buildouts in the urban core make mobile service capacity and adoption measurably stronger than in most non-metro parts of the state.
Social Media Trends in Tippecanoe County
Tippecanoe County, IN — social media snapshot
Population context
- Total population: 186,251 (2020 Census). Residents 13+ estimated ~159,000 (accounting for 13–17 cohort).
- Strong college-town skew (Purdue University): outsized 18–24 population relative to typical U.S. counties.
Overall social media penetration (residents 13+)
- Estimated users: 130,000–135,000 (≈82–85% of residents 13+ use at least one platform monthly).
Most-used platforms (estimated share of residents 13+, monthly)
- YouTube: 87–90%
- Facebook: 61–66%
- Instagram: 52–56%
- Snapchat: 43–48%
- TikTok: 41–46%
- LinkedIn: 26–31%
- Pinterest: 23–28%
- Reddit: 20–25%
- X (Twitter): 18–22%
- Nextdoor: 8–12%
User mix by age (share of local social-media users)
- 13–17: 6–7%
- 18–24: 30–33% (largest single cohort, driven by Purdue)
- 25–34: 22–24%
- 35–54: 25–28%
- 55+: 14–17%
Gender breakdown of social-media users
- Female: 50–52% (over-index on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook Groups/Marketplace)
- Male: 48–50% (over-index on Reddit, X, YouTube; engineering/STEM skew raises Reddit/X share)
- Nonbinary/other: present primarily in younger cohorts; small but growing share
Behavioral trends and local patterns
- Student-centric, late-night engagement: activity peaks ~9pm–1am on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; heavy use of Stories/Reels and DMs.
- Facebook as the community utility: dominant for housing/sublets, used textbooks, furniture, local buy/sell; strong activity in neighborhood and Purdue-focused groups; Marketplace is widely used.
- Short-form video wins: TikTok and Reels drive discovery for food, coffee, fitness, events; creators/micro-influencers among students shape local trends.
- Event-driven spikes: move-in (Aug), Homecoming, Big Ten athletics (especially basketball), graduation, severe weather/closures; countywide engagement surges across Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit (notably r/Purdue).
- Local news and civic info: Facebook and Nextdoor favored by homeowners/parents in Lafayette and surrounding townships; topics include schools, roads, public safety, utilities.
- Professional and academic presence: LinkedIn is strong for recruiting (engineering/tech, healthcare), internships, research communications; YouTube used for how-to/lectures.
Cohort platform preferences (local)
- Ages 13–24: Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok for daily use; Facebook mostly for groups/marketplace rather than posting.
- Ages 25–34: Instagram and Facebook Groups are primary; TikTok and YouTube for entertainment/how-to.
- Ages 35–54: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram secondary.
- Ages 55+: Facebook first, YouTube second; Nextdoor common among homeowners.
Notes on methodology
- Counts and percentages are planning-grade estimates derived by applying recent Pew Research Center platform adoption rates by age to Tippecanoe County’s 2020 Census/ACS age structure (with rounding). Local behaviors reflect observed college-town patterns and known Purdue-driven seasonality.
Table of Contents
Other Counties in Indiana
- Adams
- Allen
- Bartholomew
- Benton
- Blackford
- Boone
- Brown
- Carroll
- Cass
- Clark
- Clay
- Clinton
- Crawford
- Daviess
- De Kalb
- Dearborn
- Decatur
- Delaware
- Dubois
- Elkhart
- Fayette
- Floyd
- Fountain
- Franklin
- Fulton
- Gibson
- Grant
- Greene
- Hamilton
- Hancock
- Harrison
- Hendricks
- Henry
- Howard
- Huntington
- Jackson
- Jasper
- Jay
- Jefferson
- Jennings
- Johnson
- Knox
- Kosciusko
- La Porte
- Lagrange
- Lake
- Lawrence
- Madison
- Marion
- Marshall
- Martin
- Miami
- Monroe
- Montgomery
- Morgan
- Newton
- Noble
- Ohio
- Orange
- Owen
- Parke
- Perry
- Pike
- Porter
- Posey
- Pulaski
- Putnam
- Randolph
- Ripley
- Rush
- Scott
- Shelby
- Spencer
- St Joseph
- Starke
- Steuben
- Sullivan
- Switzerland
- Tipton
- Union
- Vanderburgh
- Vermillion
- Vigo
- Wabash
- Warren
- Warrick
- Washington
- Wayne
- Wells
- White
- Whitley