Vanderburgh County

Vanderburgh County, Indiana — key demographics (latest official sources)

Population size

• Total population: 180,136 (2020 Census)
• 2023 population estimate: ~179,600 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 estimate)

Age

• Median age: ~38.7 years (ACS)
• Under 18: ~22% (ACS/Census)
• 65 and over: ~17% (ACS/Census)

Gender

• Female: ~51.5%
• Male: ~48.5% (ACS/Census)

Race and ethnicity (2020 Census; Hispanic can be of any race)

• White alone: ~83%
• Black or African American alone: ~11%
• Asian alone: ~1–2%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.3%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%
• White alone, not Hispanic: ~80%

Households and housing (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~76,700
• Persons per household: ~2.30
• Family households: ~61% of households; married-couple families: ~44%
• Nonfamily households: ~39%; one-person households: ~33%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~63%; renter-occupied: ~37%

Insights

• Stable-to-slightly declining population since 2020, with a moderately aging profile.
• Predominantly White with a notable Black population and smaller Hispanic and Asian communities.
• Small average household size and a substantial share of nonfamily/one-person households.
• Majority owner-occupied housing, but renters comprise over one-third of occupied units.

Vanderburgh County, IN (≈181,000 residents; ≈767 people/sq mi) shows strong email adoption. Adult population ≈141,000; applying current U.S. adult email usage (~91%), ≈128,000 adults use email.

Age profile (usage rates: 18–29: 97%; 30–49: 96%; 50–64: 92%; 65+: 80%) translates locally to roughly 26% of email users aged 18–34, 41% aged 35–54, 18% aged 55–64, and 15% aged 65+.

Gender split mirrors the population (≈51% female, 49% male): ≈65,000 women and ≈63,000 men use email.

Digital access: About 92% of households have a computer and 84% subscribe to broadband; ≈17% are smartphone‑only. Urban Evansville (≈65% of county residents) concentrates connectivity with county‑wide cable coverage and expanding fiber, while outer townships rely more on DSL/fixed wireless, keeping speeds and adoption slightly below big‑city Indiana peers. Public libraries (EVPL) and nearby campuses (USI, University of Evansville) provide free Wi‑Fi and devices, supporting email access.

Trend: Fiber buildouts and affordability programs are raising speeds and subscriptions, while the oldest and lowest‑income residents remain most at risk of limited or mobile‑only email access.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Vanderburgh County, Indiana

Overall user base

• Population baseline: 180,136 (2020 Census). Adults (18+) are approximately 138,000; teens (13–17) about 10,000–11,000.
• Estimated smartphone users: 130,000–140,000 total (about 120,000–125,000 adults plus most teens). This corresponds to roughly 86–90% adult smartphone adoption locally, consistent with large urban counties in the Midwest.
• Mobile (any cellphone) penetration among adults is effectively saturated (≈95–97%), mirroring statewide and national patterns.

How Vanderburgh differs from the Indiana average

• Higher smartphone-only internet reliance: Approximately 15–18% of households in Vanderburgh are smartphone-only (no fixed home broadband), versus roughly 12–14% statewide. The county’s lower median household income and higher renter share than the state average push more residents to rely on mobile data as their primary connection.
• Slightly lower fixed broadband subscription than the state: Household broadband adoption is a few points below the Indiana average, which shifts more traffic onto mobile networks for video, schoolwork, and telehealth.
• More prepaid usage: Prepaid and value plans (Cricket, Metro, Boost) have a larger footprint than statewide norms, reflecting income mix and a higher share of price-sensitive subscribers.
• Heavier Android share: Device mix skews modestly more Android than the statewide average due to the county’s income distribution and strong prepaid channel presence.
• Cross-border mobility: Regular commuting and commerce across the Ohio River (Henderson, KY) create above-average inter-market mobility and roaming adjacency compared with many Indiana counties.

Demographic breakdown of mobile use (local estimates; differences vs state noted)

• Age
  • 18–29: 97–99% smartphone adoption; heavy mobile-first behavior. Similar to state.
  • 30–49: 94–97% adoption; high 5G usage for work and family coordination. Similar to state.
  • 50–64: 85–90% adoption; slightly higher smartphone-only reliance than state peers.
  • 65+: 70–78% adoption; larger share of Android and value plans; higher mobile-only internet than statewide seniors.
• Income
  • < $35k households: Highest smartphone-only reliance (25–35% of these households mobile-only, several points higher than state average).
  • $35k–$75k: Broad adoption of unlimited plans and hotspot use; more prepaid than state average.

  • $75k: Near-universal smartphone ownership; greater iOS share; still somewhat more mobile offloading (hotspot/backup) than statewide due to patchy fixed broadband pockets.

• Race/ethnicity
  • Black and Hispanic residents show very high smartphone adoption and the highest smartphone-only internet reliance, exceeding statewide averages for these groups by several points.
  • White (non-Hispanic) majority tracks the county mean, with a noticeable prepaid segment in lower-income tracts.
• Households with children
  • Near-universal smartphone access among parents; more multi-line family plans and hotspot use for homework than the state average due to lower fixed broadband uptake in parts of Evansville.

Usage patterns

• Data consumption: Above-state-average mobile data per user driven by smartphone-only households and video streaming. Hotspot use for laptops/tablets is notably common in working-class neighborhoods.
• Messaging and OTT calling: High reliance on OTT apps (Messenger, WhatsApp, Snapchat) among younger and mobile-only households; voice minutes lower than historical norms.
• Telehealth and public services: Mobile is a primary channel for scheduling, telehealth, and benefits access, especially where home broadband is absent.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• 5G availability: All three national carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) provide 5G across Evansville and primary corridors (I‑69, US‑41, Lloyd Expy), with mid-band 5G delivering typical real-world downloads in the 100–300 Mbps range in-city. Rural fringes in the northwest and far east of the county frequently fall back to LTE with lower throughput and higher latency.
• Capacity hot spots: Downtown Evansville, the medical district (Deaconess/Ascension campuses), university areas (University of Evansville, USI), retail corridors, and the airport area show dense sectorization and small-cell augmentation relative to county size.
• Backhaul and core: Robust fiber backhaul from regional incumbents supports higher 5G capacity in the urban core; localized bottlenecks appear during events and in dense multifamily housing where indoor penetration requires additional small cells or in-building systems.
• Coverage gaps: River-adjacent industrial structures and certain low-lying residential pockets can experience indoor attenuation; performance is generally adequate but less consistent than the state average suburban experience.
• Public safety and resilience: Macro sites along the Ohio River and freeway corridors anchor redundancy; storm-related congestion spikes are managed reasonably well but can expose capacity constraints in LTE fallback zones.

What this means for planners and providers

• Prioritize capacity over raw coverage in the Evansville core: Traffic density and mobile-first households create sustained peak loads; additional mid-band carriers, small cells, and in-building solutions yield outsized gains versus adding distant macros.
• Target digital divide interventions: Subsidized fixed broadband and device programs in lower-income tracts will meaningfully reduce smartphone-only dependence and offload mobile networks.
• Optimize for prepaid portfolios and Android performance: Network tuning for a wide device mix (including budget 5G handsets) will better reflect local demand than a flagship-first approach.
• Cross-market coordination: Seamless handoff and capacity planning on the KY border corridors will improve user experience relative to statewide averages where cross-border flows are less intense.

Key figures at a glance (local, with state contrast)

• Adult smartphone adoption: 86–90% (Vanderburgh) vs ~85–88% (Indiana)
• Smartphone-only households: ~15–18% (Vanderburgh) vs ~12–14% (Indiana)
• Fixed broadband subscription: a few points below statewide average, increasing mobile substitution
• Prepaid share: higher than statewide, particularly in the urban core

Sources and basis

• U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Census; ACS “Types of Computers and Internet Subscriptions” for Indiana counties), Pew Research Center device ownership trends, FCC mobile coverage datasets, and carrier 5G deployment disclosures through 2024. Estimates adjust these sources to Vanderburgh’s urban profile, income mix, and cross-border mobility patterns.

Vanderburgh County, IN — social media usage snapshot (2024)

How these figures were derived: County demographics from recent Census/ACS estimates were paired with 2023–2024 Pew Research Center social-media adoption rates to produce county-level estimates suitable for planning.

Population base

• Total population: ≈181,000
• Residents age 13+: ≈156,000
• Social media users (13+): ≈134,000 (≈86% of 13+; ≈74% of total population)
• Adult social media users (18+): ≈119,000 (≈83% of adults)

Age breakdown (share using at least one platform)

• 13–17: ≈95–97%
• 18–29: ≈95%
• 30–49: ≈84%
• 50–64: ≈73%
• 65+: ≈50%

Gender breakdown

• Overall composition of adult social media users ≈ mirrors the county: ~52% women, ~48% men
• Platform skews:
  • More women: Pinterest (70–80% women), Facebook (55–60% women), Instagram (slight women majority)
  • More men: Reddit (70% men), X/Twitter (60% men), YouTube (slight male tilt), LinkedIn (slight male tilt)

Most-used platforms (adults; percent of adults using each at least sometimes)

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• TikTok: ~33%
• Snapchat: ~30%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• Pinterest: ~31%
• X (Twitter): ~22%
• Reddit: ~22%
• WhatsApp: ~21–24%
• Nextdoor: 20% Note: Among teens (13–17), platform mix skews higher to YouTube (95%), TikTok (67%), Snapchat (60–65%), and Instagram (~60%), with Facebook notably lower.

Behavioral trends

• Facebook as the community hub: dominant for local news, school and civic updates, events, buy/sell (Marketplace), and service referrals; Groups drive much of the interaction.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube long-form plus short-form (Reels/Shorts) on Facebook/Instagram deliver the broadest reach; short, captioned, mobile-first clips perform best.
• Discovery via Instagram/TikTok: food, entertainment, local attractions, and service businesses benefit from Reels/TikToks, UGC, and influencer/creator shoutouts; saves and shares fuel secondary reach.
• Youth communication center on Snapchat: high daily messaging, Stories, location features; best for 13–24 engagement and quick offers.
• Professional/recruiting on LinkedIn: solid traction for healthcare, advanced manufacturing, logistics, and business services job marketing.
• Neighborhood chatter on Nextdoor: homeowner-heavy audience; spikes around safety, utilities, code issues, and home services.
• Timing patterns: engagement peaks on weekdays around early morning commute, lunch (≈11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evenings (≈7–10 p.m.); weekend engagement rises mid-morning to early afternoon; local events drive real-time surges.
• Creative and offer cues: short video, clear value props, and localized creative (landmarks, schools, teams, festivals) outperform; giveaways, limited-time deals, and event tie-ins lift CTR and saves.

Bottom line

• Penetration is high (≈86% of residents 13+), with Facebook and YouTube foundational, Instagram/TikTok essential for under-35 reach, and Snapchat critical for teens and college-age.
• Women over-index on Facebook/Pinterest/Instagram; men over-index on Reddit/X/YouTube.
• For county-level campaigns, prioritize Facebook + YouTube for broad reach, layer Instagram/TikTok for growth audiences, add Snapchat for youth, LinkedIn for hiring, and Nextdoor for hyperlocal homeowner reach.