Allamakee County

To keep this accurate and up to date, do you want figures from:

• 2020 Decennial Census (official counts), or
• The latest ACS 5-year estimates (2019–2023), which provide age, sex, race/ethnicity, and household characteristics?

I can provide both in a concise snapshot if you confirm your preference.

Allamakee County, IA snapshot (estimates)

• Population: 14,000; low density (21 people/sq mi) in Driftless, hilly terrain that complicates coverage.
• Estimated email users: 9,000–11,000 residents (primarily adults). Basis: rural U.S. email adoption ~85–90% of adults; county skews older than U.S. average.
• Age distribution of email users (share of users):
  • 18–34: ~20–25%
  • 35–54: ~30–35%
  • 55–64: ~15–20%
  • 65+: ~20–25% Adoption is near-universal among under-55; lower but substantial among 65+.
• Gender split: ~50/50; minimal difference in email use by gender in national/rural data.
• Digital access trends:
  • Household broadband subscription roughly 65–75% (rural ACS/Pew benchmarks); remaining homes use mobile-only, slower plans, or are offline.
  • 10–15% likely smartphone-only internet users.
  • Gaps more common outside towns (Waukon, Postville, Lansing); fixed fiber/cable concentrated in population centers, with DSL, fixed wireless, satellite, and emerging 5G filling rural gaps.
  • Ongoing state/federal investments are expanding fiber in rural Iowa; adoption may lag availability among older and lower-income households.

Notes: Figures are derived from U.S. Census population estimates plus rural Iowa/Pew Research adoption rates, adjusted for the county’s older age profile and low density. For planning, validate with latest FCC/State of Iowa broadband maps and ACS tables.

Mobile phone usage in Allamakee County, IA — how it differs from Iowa overall

Headline takeaways

• Overall adoption is high but trails the state average because the county is older, more rural, and more topographically challenging than most of Iowa.
• Coverage is widespread for voice/LTE, but capacity and indoor reliability vary, especially in the Mississippi River blufflands and valleys; mid‑band 5G is less prevalent than in Iowa’s metros.
• A larger share of households rely on mobile-only internet and prepaid plans compared with the state, reflecting income, housing dispersion, and provider mix.

Estimated user counts (2025)

• Population baseline: about 14,000 residents.
• Smartphone users (age 13+): roughly 9,800 (range: 8,800–10,500) using age-specific adoption rates and local age structure.
• Any mobile phone users (smartphone or basic): roughly 10,300–10,800 residents.
• Mobile-only internet households: estimated 12–16% of households, vs about 8–10% statewide.
• Households with no internet subscription: estimated 14–18%, above Iowa’s ~11–12%.

What’s different from state-level

• Demographics: Allamakee is older than Iowa overall. Higher 65+ share depresses smartphone penetration (older adults adopt smartphones at lower rates).
• Terrain: Driftless Area bluffs and river valleys create more signal shadowing and dead zones than the flatter parts of Iowa, so indoor and in‑vehicle coverage is more variable.
• Carrier mix: UScellular historically has a stronger footprint in the rural Upper Midwest than in Iowa’s metros; many residents gravitate to UScellular or Verizon for fringe‑area coverage. Statewide, AT&T and T‑Mobile are relatively stronger in cities and along interstates.
• Network generation: Low‑band LTE/5G is common, but mid‑band 5G capacity (the big speed boost seen in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, etc.) is sparser. Result: median speeds and consistency lag metro Iowa, and peak 5G experiences are less frequent.
• Plan types: Higher share of prepaid and budget MVNO plans than in urban Iowa, driven by income mix and retail availability.
• Internet substitution: A higher fraction of households use mobile data as their primary or backup home internet due to patchy fixed broadband or installation costs; this is less common in Iowa’s cities and suburbs.

Demographic breakdown of users (estimates)

• Age
  • 18–29: very high smartphone ownership (~95%+), similar to Iowa overall.
  • 30–49: very high (~93–96%), similar to state.
  • 50–64: moderately high (~80–85%), slightly below state due to rural/coverage effects.
  • 65+: materially lower (~55–65%), below state average; greater persistence of basic phones.
• Income and education
  • Lower household incomes and a larger blue‑collar/ag share correlate with more prepaid usage, mobile-only households, and shared data plans.
  • Digital skills and device support access can be scarcer than in Iowa’s metros, affecting app uptake among older adults.
• Households with children
  • Teen smartphone adoption is high (>90%), but device controls and data caps are more common in mobile‑only households.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• Radio access
  • Carriers present: AT&T (including FirstNet for public safety), Verizon, T‑Mobile, and UScellular. All offer LTE voice/data; 5G primarily low‑band; mid‑band 5G is limited compared with state metros.
  • Site density is lower than in urban Iowa; co‑located macro towers cluster along US‑52, IA‑9, IA‑76, and near population centers (Waukon, Lansing, Postville), leaving valleys and ridge‑shadowed areas with weaker signals.
  • Terrain impacts: Mississippi River corridor and wooded bluffs introduce multipath and shadowing; indoor coverage can require Wi‑Fi calling or boosters.
• Backhaul and capacity
  • Rural fiber builds are patchy; where tower backhaul is still microwave or constrained, peak-hour speeds and 5G capacity lag urban Iowa. Ongoing federal/state grants may improve this over the next 1–3 years.
• Public safety and reliability
  • FirstNet coverage exists but is less dense than in metros; volunteer EMS and search/rescue areas may still rely on radio plus satellite messengers in deep valleys.
• Cross-border and travel
  • Proximity to Minnesota/Wisconsin means cross‑river tower selection can affect roaming and signal quality in river towns.
• Devices and workarounds
  • Higher reliance on Wi‑Fi calling, external antennas/boosters in farm/valley homes, and fixed‑wireless or satellite as complements to mobile.

Behavioral usage patterns that stand out locally

• Higher share of customers treating mobile service as their primary internet, leading to careful data management, hotspot use, and evening congestion.
• More persistent use of basic/flip phones among seniors than statewide.
• Heavier reliance on community anchor institutions (libraries, schools) for Wi‑Fi and device help relative to Iowa’s urban counties.

Method and sources

• Population and age structure: U.S. Census Bureau (Decennial Census, ACS 5‑year). County-level age mix applied to Pew Research Center smartphone ownership by age (latest Mobile Fact Sheet) to estimate users.
• Mobile-only and no‑internet household ranges benchmarked to ACS internet subscription tables for rural Iowa counties.
• Infrastructure and coverage patterns synthesized from FCC mobile deployment data/maps, carrier public coverage maps, and known terrain constraints in the Driftless Area.
• CTIA industry statistics used for national context on device adoption and connections per capita.

Notes

• Figures are estimates intended for planning; local validation with carrier RF maps, Iowa’s broadband office maps, and drive testing will refine coverage and speed specifics.
• The Affordable Connectivity Program’s wind‑down in 2024 likely increases mobile‑only reliance among low‑income households in 2025, widening the gap with state averages unless offset by local subsidies.

Allamakee County, IA – social media snapshot (estimates)

Population and access

• Population: ~14,000 residents; skew slightly older than U.S. average
• Internet/smartphone access: ~80–85% of households have broadband; ~85–90% of adults have smartphones
• Estimated social media users: 8,500–10,000 residents (about 60–70% of total; 70–75% of adults)
• Daily active users: roughly 50–60% of social media users

Age and gender breakdown (share of local social media users)

• By age (approx.): Under 18: 10–12%; 18–29: 20–22%; 30–49: 28–32%; 50–64: 22–25%; 65+: 15–18%
• By gender (approx.): 52–54% women, 46–48% men
  • Skews: Women heavier on Facebook and Pinterest; men heavier on YouTube and X; younger users heavier on TikTok/Snapchat/Instagram

Most-used platforms (share of local social media users; best estimates)

• YouTube: 80–85% (how‑to, farm/outdoor content, school sports highlights)
• Facebook: 70–80% (primary community hub: local news, events, school updates, buy/sell, Marketplace)
• Facebook Messenger: 60–70% (customer messaging, coordinating)
• Instagram: 35–45% (strongest with 18–44; Reels growth)
• Pinterest: 30–40% (recipes, crafts, home; skews female)
• TikTok: 28–35% (13–34 heavy; outdoors, local humor, trends)
• Snapchat: 25–35% (teens/young adults; used more for messaging/stories than public posting)
• WhatsApp: 15–25% overall; higher in immigrant/Latino communities around Postville (family and group comms)
• LinkedIn: 15–20% (small professional base; low posting)
• X/Twitter: 10–15% (sports, state news, weather/emergency)
• Nextdoor: <5% (limited rural uptake)

Behavioral trends

• Community-first: High engagement with local groups, school districts, county emergency management, churches, youth sports, hunting/fishing, and buy/sell pages (Facebook dominates)
• Content that performs: Local faces and institutions; event info, school and sports coverage, severe weather/road updates, harvest/seasonal topics, giveaways, and short vertical video
• Video habits: Short vertical clips (Reels/TikTok) for discovery; YouTube for longer how‑to, equipment, and recap content; Live video for games and events
• Messaging-centric: Many residents prefer DMing businesses via Messenger; WhatsApp usage concentrated in multilingual households
• Timing: Peaks before work (6–8am), lunch (11:30–1), and evenings (7–9pm); weekend mid‑mornings also strong
• Trust signals: Posts from known local organizations, user‑generated photos, and practical info outperform polished brand content
• Younger cohorts: Reach 13–29 primarily via TikTok/Snapchat/Instagram Stories/Reels; Facebook works for events but less for daily scrolling
• Older cohorts: Facebook is the default; YouTube second; Pinterest for recipes/crafts; gradual uptake of Reels/TikTok for family content

Notes and sources

• Figures are estimates derived from Pew Research Center 2023–2024 U.S. social media usage, rural-versus-urban adoption patterns, and ACS/Census demographics for rural Iowa. Hyperlocal platform penetration can vary by town and community groups.