Adair County

To make sure I give you the exact figures you need: do you prefer 2020 Decennial Census counts or the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 2019–2023 5-year estimates? I can also include the July 1, 2023 population estimate. Once you choose, I’ll provide a concise, sourced snapshot covering population size, age, sex, race/ethnicity, and household characteristics.

Adair County, IA snapshot (estimates; sources: US Census/ACS, Pew Research, FCC)

• Population/density: ~7.3–7.6K residents; ~12–13 people per sq. mile (very rural).
• Email users: ~4.6–5.3K adult users. Assumes ~75–80% of residents are 18+, rural internet adoption ~85–90%, and >90% of internet users use email.
• By age (share using email):
  • 18–29: 95–99%
  • 30–49: 95–98%
  • 50–64: 88–94%
  • 65+: 70–85%
• Gender split: Roughly even; minor (≤3 point) differences typical in rural areas, so users are ~50% women, ~50% men.
• Digital access trends:
  • Household broadband subscription rate likely ~75–80% (county-level ACS patterns for rural Iowa), with 10–15% smartphone-only access.
  • FCC data indicate most addresses have 25/3 Mbps options, but 100/20 availability is spottier outside Greenfield/along main corridors; fixed wireless and satellite fill gaps.
  • Public/library Wi‑Fi and school networks are important access points for some households.
  • Ongoing fiber and fixed‑wireless buildouts are improving speeds, but farmsteads and low-density edges remain the most connectivity‑challenged.

These figures provide directional planning estimates; local provider maps and the latest ACS table S2801 can refine them.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Adair County, Iowa (estimates and trends vs state)

Snapshot and user estimates

• Population baseline: roughly 7,000–7,500 residents.
• Unique mobile phone users: approximately 5,000–5,800 individuals (70–78% of total population), reflecting near-universal adoption among working-age adults, lower adoption among seniors, and some children without devices.
• Smartphone users: about 4,600–5,100 (roughly 80–85% of adults, but lower among 65+). The remainder are basic/feature phone users, concentrated among older and lower-income residents.

Demographic breakdown (and how it differs from Iowa overall)

• Age
  • 65+: Larger share of county population than the state average. Smartphone adoption lags the state by 10–15 percentage points; basic phone use and senior-focused MVNOs (e.g., Consumer Cellular) are more common. Text/voice reliability is prioritized over high-speed data.
  • 35–64: High smartphone penetration (90%+), but longer device replacement cycles than statewide. Work-related use (farm, construction, logistics) increases reliance on rugged phones and vehicle-mounted boosters.
  • 18–34: Near-universal smartphone ownership, but slightly lower average mobile data consumption than statewide peers when outside towns due to patchier 5G and capacity. In-town users with fiber at home offload more to Wi‑Fi.
• Income/plan type
  • Median household income is below the state average; prepaid and MVNO plans have a higher share than statewide (notably Straight Talk/Tracfone, Visible, Consumer Cellular). Single-line and small-family plans are more prevalent; fewer large multi-line bundles than in metro Iowa.
• Race/ethnicity and language
  • Less diverse than the state overall, so language-driven device choices (e.g., Spanish-first plans) are a smaller factor than in Iowa’s urban counties. Accessibility features for seniors play a bigger role than multilingual support.

Digital infrastructure and coverage patterns

• Mobile networks
  • Technology mix: 4G LTE remains the workhorse. 5G is present primarily as low-band coverage in and around towns and along I‑80; mid-band 5G capacity is more limited than in Iowa metros; mmWave is effectively absent.
  • Carrier dynamics: Verizon and UScellular historically provide the broadest rural footprint; AT&T coverage is solid near highways and towns; T‑Mobile’s low-band 5G reaches primary corridors but is more variable in outlying areas. Many households stick with the single carrier that “works at the farm,” leading to less carrier switching than statewide.
  • Performance: Stronger signal and speeds near I‑80, Adair, and Greenfield; weaker indoor service and occasional dead zones in more remote southern and western townships. Event-driven congestion (fairs, games) can cause noticeable slowdowns due to fewer cells and limited backhaul.
• Towers and backhaul
  • Fewer macro sites per square mile than state average; some sites still rely on microwave backhaul, constraining peak data rates compared with fiber-fed urban sites.
• Home and public internet interplay
  • Towns: Local telcos/co-ops provide fiber in core communities (e.g., Adair, Greenfield), enabling heavy Wi‑Fi offload at home and work.
  • Rural areas: More farms and acreages rely on WISPs, legacy DSL, or cellular home internet. This raises the share of “mobile-dependent” households compared with the state overall and increases use of signal boosters and external antennas.
• Public safety
  • FirstNet (AT&T) coverage aligns to major routes and towns; agencies often keep Verizon or UScellular as a secondary network, reflecting less uniform single-network reliability than in metro Iowa.

Behavioral usage notes (vs state-level)

• More mobile-only or mobile-primary households than the state average due to patchy fixed broadband outside towns.
• Heavier emphasis on reliability (voice/text, coverage continuity) over peak speeds; video streaming and large downloads are commonly deferred to town Wi‑Fi or home fiber.
• Longer device life cycles and higher incidence of budget and prepaid plans than statewide.
• Higher use of vehicle chargers/boosters and offline-capable apps for field work.

Key differences from Iowa overall

• Coverage and speed: Lower mid-band 5G availability and fewer sectors per site lead to lower median speeds and more variability than state averages.
• Adoption pattern: Overall smartphone adoption is slightly lower, driven by a larger senior share; basic phones remain more visible than in urban counties.
• Plan mix: Prepaid/MVNO penetration is higher; carrier loyalty is driven by local coverage performance rather than price competition alone.
• Internet substitution: Greater reliance on mobile data or cellular home internet in the countryside; in-town users enjoy strong fiber offload, creating a sharper urban–rural split than in Iowa’s larger counties.

Method notes and confidence

• Estimates triangulate from rural adoption rates in national surveys, Iowa’s rural–urban differentials, and typical small-county age structures. Without current, county-specific carrier maps and subscriber counts, figures are ranges and trends should be treated as directional. For planning, validate with the latest ACS demographics, FCC broadband map, carrier coverage tools, and local telco/co-op offerings.

Social media usage in Adair County, IA (short breakdown)

Context

• Population: roughly 7–8k residents; about 5.5–6.0k adults (18+).
• Estimated social media users (13+): about 4.3–5.1k people. This applies national/rural usage rates to the local adult and teen population.

Most-used platforms (share of adults; modeled from Pew Research 2024 with rural adjustments)

• Facebook: 65–75% of adults; highest daily use; strong in Groups and Marketplace.
• YouTube: 75–85% of adults; frequent “how‑to,” news, sports, and church/event video viewing.
• Instagram: 35–45% of adults; concentrated under age 35; used by local businesses and schools.
• TikTok: 25–35% of adults; fast growth among under‑35; farming/rural humor and DIY are common.
• Snapchat: 20–30% of adults overall; 60–80% of 18–24s.
• Pinterest: 25–35% of adults; stronger among women 25–54 (recipes, home, crafts, fair projects).
• X (Twitter): 10–15% of adults; niche (sports, weather, state news).
• LinkedIn: 15–25% of adults; used for job search/hiring in healthcare, education, government.
• WhatsApp/Messenger: Messenger is near‑universal among Facebook users; WhatsApp ~10–20% (smaller, but useful for family/immigrant networks).

Age patterns

• Teens (13–17): YouTube ~90%+; Snapchat and TikTok each ~60–70%; Instagram ~50–60%; Facebook low (<30%).
• 18–29: Instagram/Snap/TikTok lead; YouTube high; Facebook moderate for events and family.
• 30–49: Facebook is dominant; YouTube high; Instagram moderate; Pinterest strong among women; TikTok rising.
• 50–64: Facebook + YouTube primary; Instagram modest; TikTok present but smaller.
• 65+: Facebook for family, churches, community groups; YouTube for news/how‑to; limited on others.

Gender tendencies

• Women: heavier on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest; strong participation in local Groups (schools, sports, churches, buy/sell, fundraisers).
• Men: heavier on YouTube, X, Reddit (small base); more consumption than posting; content around farming, hunting, sports, tools/equipment.

Behavioral trends (what people do locally)

• Hyper‑local info: school updates, high‑school sports, county fair, church events, severe weather/outages, road conditions, auctions.
• Facebook Groups as the community hub: buy/sell/garage sales, lost & found, local recommendations; Messenger for organizing.
• Event discovery and RSVPs: town festivals, 4‑H/FFA, fundraisers; live streams of games/meetings on Facebook or YouTube.
• Marketplace is a major channel for equipment, vehicles, household goods.
• Short‑form video growth: Reels/TikTok for local businesses and creators; practical tips and “day‑in‑the‑life” farm content performs well.
• Peak engagement times: evenings and weekends; early mornings also see checks for weather/school/sports updates.

Notes on estimates

• County‑level social media data isn’t published; figures above apply Pew’s 2024 U.S. platform usage rates, with rural adjustments, to Adair County’s age mix. For precise local counts, use ad‑platform reach tools (e.g., Meta Ads Manager, Snapchat/TikTok Ads) filtered to Adair County.