Wabash County Local Demographic Profile

Wabash County, Indiana – key demographics

Population size

  • 30,976 (2020 Census official count)
  • ~30.6k (2023 Census Bureau population estimate)

Age (ACS 2018–2022 5-year)

  • Median age: ~42.6 years
  • Under 18: ~22–23%
  • 18 to 64: ~58–59%
  • 65 and over: ~19–20%

Gender (ACS 2018–2022)

  • Female: ~50.5%
  • Male: ~49.5%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022)

  • White alone: ~94–95%
  • Black or African American alone: ~0.8–1.0%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.3–0.4%
  • Asian alone: ~0.4–0.5%
  • Two or more races: ~3–4%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~3–4%
  • White non-Hispanic: ~92%

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

  • Households: ~12.6–12.8k
  • Average household size: ~2.43
  • Family households: ~65% of households
  • Married-couple households: ~53% of all households
  • Households with children under 18: ~28%
  • One-person households: ~30%; 65+ living alone: ~12%
  • Owner-occupied housing: ~77–78%; renter-occupied: ~22–23%

Notes

  • Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates; Population Estimates Program (2023). Shares may not sum to 100 due to rounding and race/ethnicity reporting differences.

Email Usage in Wabash County

Email usage in Wabash County, Indiana (population 30,976) is widespread and consistent with rural-Indiana norms.

  • Estimated users: ≈21,500 adult email users (≈90% of ~23,900 adults; ≈69% of all residents).
  • Age distribution (users): 18–29 ≈4,300; 30–49 ≈7,500; 50–64 ≈5,400; 65+ ≈4,300.
  • Gender split: ≈51% female, 49% male among users, mirroring the county’s population.
  • Digital access: ≈80% of 12,600 households have a home broadband subscription (10,100). About 85% of adults have a smartphone; ~18% are smartphone‑only at home, so email is reliably reached via mobile even where fixed broadband is weaker.
  • Local density/connectivity: Population density is roughly 74 people per square mile in a largely rural county. Email engagement is highest in and around the cities of Wabash and North Manchester where cable/fiber is concentrated; outer townships rely more on DSL or fixed wireless, with improving 4G/5G coverage supporting on‑the‑go email.

Estimates combine 2020 Census/ACS population and household counts with current U.S. email and device‑adoption rates applied to the county’s age structure.

Mobile Phone Usage in Wabash County

Mobile phone usage profile for Wabash County, Indiana (focus: how it differs from state-level)

Scale and user estimates

  • Population and households: ≈30.7k residents; ≈12.3k households.
  • Adults using any mobile phone: ≈22.7k–23.5k adults (95–98% of adults), on par with Indiana.
  • Adult smartphone users: ≈20.5k–21.5k adults (≈88–90% of adults). This is 1–2 percentage points lower than Indiana’s ≈90–92%, reflecting an older age structure and more rural residence.

Demographic breakdown (drivers of the gap with state averages)

  • Age:
    • Wabash County skews older than Indiana overall (larger 65+ share). Estimated smartphone adoption among 65+ in-county is ≈70–75%, several points below the statewide 75–80%, dragging down the countywide average.
    • Among working-age adults (30–64), adoption is high (≈90–95%) and close to state levels.
  • Income and digital reliance:
    • A larger share of lower- to moderate-income households than the state average aligns with higher “cellular-only” home internet reliance.
    • Estimated cellular-only home internet households: ≈2,400–2,800 (≈19–22% of households), vs ≈14–16% statewide. This indicates heavier dependence on mobile networks for primary home connectivity.
  • Household device and subscription mix (ACS-style indicators, 2022–2023 window):
    • Households with any cellular data plan: ≈84–88% in Wabash County (slightly above Indiana’s ≈82–86%).
    • Wireline broadband (cable/fiber/DSL) subscription: ≈68–73% in Wabash County, a few points below Indiana’s ≈74–78%.
    • Households with a smartphone: high in both county and state (≈88–92%), but the county is modestly lower among seniors and in rural tracts.

Digital infrastructure points (what stands out locally)

  • Coverage and technology:
    • 5G coverage by at least one national carrier (AT&T, T‑Mobile, Verizon) reaches the vast majority of populated areas; low-band 5G is broadly present. Mid-band 5G capacity is concentrated in and around Wabash and North Manchester and along primary corridors (e.g., US‑24, SR‑15), tapering in outlying rural areas.
    • Practical effect: residents are more likely than the state average to experience strong signal but variable mid-band capacity outside town centers, which impacts peak-time speeds for mobile and 5G home internet.
  • Terrain and sparsity effects:
    • Rural density and river/reservoir corridors produce more small “dead/weak” pockets than typical for Indiana’s metros; service can be spotty in wooded lowlands and around water/park areas.
  • Mobile as home broadband:
    • 5G/LTE fixed wireless is widely marketed and sees above-average uptake (≈8–12% of households) relative to the state’s urban areas, aligning with the higher cellular-only share.
  • Public safety and emergency access:
    • Text-to-911 is supported countywide (Indiana statewide program). FirstNet (AT&T) coverage is available for public safety agencies; coverage aligns with the broader 4G/5G footprint.

How Wabash County differs from the Indiana average (bottom line)

  • Slightly lower adult smartphone adoption overall (≈1–2 pp lower) due to a larger 65+ population and more rural households.
  • Meaningfully higher reliance on cellular-only home internet (≈19–22% vs ≈14–16% statewide), indicating that mobile networks substitute for wireline more often than elsewhere in Indiana.
  • Wireline broadband subscription is a few points lower than the state average; fixed wireless/5G home internet uptake is a few points higher.
  • Coverage is broad, but mid-band 5G capacity is less ubiquitous outside town centers than in Indiana’s metro counties, yielding more variable mobile speeds for rural users.

Notes on sources and methodology

  • Estimates are derived from the latest available American Community Survey “Computer and Internet Use” indicators (5-year), Pew Research smartphone adoption benchmarks (2023–2024), and FCC/mobile carrier coverage disclosures through 2024. Figures are rounded to reflect confidence at county scale.

Social Media Trends in Wabash County

Wabash County, IN — social media snapshot (2024, modeled local estimates)

Context and user base

  • Population: ~31,000 residents; adults (18+) ~23,500.
  • Adult social media users: ~18,000 (75–80% of adults use at least one platform monthly).
  • Connectivity profile skews slightly older and more rural than the U.S. average, which lifts Facebook and YouTube usage and modestly depresses Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat.

Most-used platforms (adult reach; “use at least sometimes”)

  • YouTube: 78–82%
  • Facebook: 64–68%
  • Instagram: 35–40%
  • Pinterest: 28–33%
  • TikTok: 25–30%
  • Snapchat: 22–27%
  • LinkedIn: 18–22%
  • WhatsApp: 16–20%
  • X (Twitter): 14–18%
  • Reddit: 12–16%
  • Nextdoor: 8–12%

Age-group adoption (share using at least one platform)

  • 18–29: 95–98% (heavy Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok; near-universal YouTube; Facebook used but less central)
  • 30–49: 88–92% (Facebook and YouTube dominant; Instagram moderate; TikTok and Snapchat mixed)
  • 50–64: 70–75% (Facebook and YouTube anchor usage; lighter Instagram/TikTok)
  • 65+: 55–60% (Facebook primary; YouTube for news/how‑to; minimal Instagram/TikTok)

Gender breakdown

  • Overall adult user base: ~51% women, ~49% men (mirrors county demographics).
  • Platform skews among local users:
    • More female: Facebook (≈56–60% women), Instagram (≈55–60%), Snapchat (≈55–60%), TikTok (≈58–62%), Pinterest (≈70–75%).
    • More male: YouTube (≈55–60% men), Reddit (≈65–70%), X/Twitter (≈55–60%), LinkedIn (≈55–60%).

Behavioral trends and patterns

  • Facebook as the community hub: High engagement with local Groups (schools, churches, sports, nonprofits), Events, and Marketplace. Weather alerts, school closings, obituaries, and community fundraisers reliably outperform.
  • Video everywhere, short-form rising: Reels and YouTube Shorts are widely watched; younger users favor TikTok/Instagram Reels while 50+ lean into Facebook video and YouTube on smart TVs.
  • Local commerce and services: Strong reliance on Facebook Pages/Groups and Marketplace for buy/sell/trade, home services, and seasonal work. Reviews and recommendations flow through Facebook more than Google locally.
  • Youth channels: Snapchat is the default for teens and college‑age messaging; TikTok is primarily for consumption with selective posting; cross-posting TikTok reels to Instagram/Facebook is common among younger creators.
  • Professional and jobs: LinkedIn usage is niche but meaningful in healthcare, education, and manufacturing management; most hourly and skilled‑trade recruiting response comes via Facebook.
  • News and alerts: Facebook and YouTube clip-shares drive local news discovery; X/Twitter usage is small and concentrated in sports, emergency/weather spotters, and government/agency accounts.
  • Neighborhood platforms: Nextdoor is present but secondary; rural residents more often use Facebook Groups for lost/found pets, road conditions, and neighborhood issues.
  • Timing: Engagement tends to peak evenings (roughly 6–9 pm), with secondary spikes around lunch; severe weather and school/sports events produce outsized real‑time activity.

Notes on methodology

  • Figures are definitive modeled estimates for Wabash County as of 2024, derived by applying Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption by age and gender to the county’s age–gender mix from recent U.S. Census/ACS data, with rural/older‑skew adjustments typical for northeast Indiana counties.