Cherokee County

Here are key, recent demographics for Cherokee County, Iowa (U.S. Census Bureau: 2020 Census; 2019–2023 ACS 5‑year; 2023 Population Estimates).

Population

• 2023 population estimate: ~11,300
• 2020 Census: 11,658 (down from 12,072 in 2010)

Age

• Median age: ~44–45 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~24%

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Race and ethnicity (Hispanic can be of any race)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~89–91%
• Hispanic/Latino: ~5–7%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Black/African American: ~0.5–1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.3–0.6%
• Asian: ~0.4–0.7%

Households

• Total households: ~5,000
• Average household size: ~2.2–2.3
• Family households: ~60%
• Nonfamily households: ~40%
• Households with own children under 18: ~25–27%
• Living alone: ~34–36% (about half of these age 65+)

Cherokee County, IA snapshot (estimates based on Iowa/rural and national benchmarks)

• Population: 11.3k; low density (20 people per sq. mile). Aging profile slightly above U.S. average.
• Estimated email users: 8,000–9,000 residents. Method: ~80% adults × ~88–92% adult email adoption; plus some teen users.
• Age distribution of email use (approx.):
  • 18–29: 95–98%
  • 30–49: 95–98%
  • 50–64: 90–95%
  • 65+: 70–80% County’s older skew pulls overall adoption slightly below urban areas.
• Gender split: Roughly even (near 50/50), with minimal usage gap.
• Digital access trends:
  • Home broadband availability is widespread in town centers; patchier and slower on dispersed farms/rural roads.
  • Fiber and cable footprints are expanding; fixed wireless fills many gaps.
  • Smartphone-only internet households remain notable; mobile LTE/5G covers main populated corridors, with weaker spots in outlying areas.
  • Public internet/email access via libraries and schools provides an important safety net.

Overall: Email is near-universal among working-age adults, with the primary non-users concentrated among the oldest residents and those in locations with limited or costly broadband.

Below is a practical, best-available estimate of mobile phone usage in Cherokee County, IA, with emphasis on how local patterns differ from Iowa statewide. Figures reflect 2023–2024 public datasets (Census/ACS), national mobile adoption research (e.g., Pew), carrier coverage disclosures, and typical rural-Midwest market behavior; they are directional ranges rather than precise counts.

Headline user estimates

• Population base: ~11,400–11,700 residents; adults (18+) ~9,200–9,500.
• Mobile phone (any type) users, adults: ~8,800–9,200.
• Smartphone users, adults: ~7,400–7,900. Including teens, total smartphone users likely ~8,000–8,600.
• Mobile-only home internet (no wired broadband at home, smartphone as primary): roughly 12–18% of adults, or ~1,100–1,700 adults.
• Prepaid/value MVNO share: somewhat higher than statewide averages, driven by price sensitivity and credit preferences.

Demographic breakdown (drivers of usage)

• Age
  • County skews older than Iowa overall. Smartphone adoption among 65+ likely 60–70% (lower than Iowa’s statewide senior rate), which pulls down overall smartphone penetration.
  • Adults 18–34: near-universal smartphone ownership (>90%), heavy app/social usage.
  • Adults 35–64: high adoption (roughly mid-80s to ~90%).
• Income and education
  • Lower median income than the state average correlates with:
    • Greater reliance on prepaid/MVNO plans and BYOD.
    • Higher likelihood of mobile-only broadband among cost- or access-constrained households.
  • Device upgrade cycles tend to be longer; more midrange and refurbished devices in use.
• Race/ethnicity
  • County population is predominantly White non-Hispanic, with a small but meaningful Hispanic/Latino community.
  • As seen nationally, Hispanic households are more likely to be smartphone-first for internet access; that pattern likely holds locally and contributes to mobile-only usage.
• Households with children
  • Very high smartphone penetration among parents and teens; hotspot use for homework rises where wired options are limited.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Mobile networks
  • 4G LTE is broadly available from the national carriers; UScellular remains relevant in rural coverage.
  • 5G
    • T-Mobile: wide low-band 5G across the county; mid-band (higher-capacity) 5G mainly in and near the city of Cherokee and along major corridors, with patchier reach in outlying areas.
    • Verizon: low-band 5G present; C-band capacity more limited outside larger NW Iowa towns; frequent LTE fallback in rural stretches.
    • AT&T: low-band 5G present; mid-band capacity more limited in small communities.
    • UScellular: strong LTE footprint; 5G availability increasing but more limited than the nationals.
  • Practical effect: Speeds are adequate for typical apps, but capacity can dip at busy times, during events, or inside metal agricultural buildings. Rural sectors often see lower median speeds than Iowa’s urban corridors.
• Fixed broadband context (shapes mobile dependence)
  • The city of Cherokee and several towns have fiber or cable from local telco/co-ops and Mediacom; outside town limits, choices can narrow to legacy DSL or fixed wireless ISPs.
  • Where wired options are weak or costly, residents lean on unlimited/near‑unlimited mobile plans and hotspots.
  • Libraries and schools commonly provide Wi‑Fi and device/hotspot lending, softening—but not eliminating—the rural access gap.

How Cherokee County differs from Iowa statewide

• Lower overall smartphone penetration: pulled down by an older age profile and more rural households than the state average.
• Higher mobile-only share: limited wired choices in parts of the county raise reliance on smartphones and hotspots, above Iowa’s statewide rate.
• Carrier mix and performance: UScellular remains comparatively more relevant; T-Mobile’s mid-band 5G is less uniformly available than in larger Iowa metros, so real-world speeds trail state urban averages.
• Plan/handset economics: slightly higher prepaid/MVNO usage and longer device replacement cycles than statewide norms.
• Seasonal load: agricultural seasons and county events create more pronounced, localized cell congestion than you’d see in most urban Iowa settings.

What these trends mean

• For outreach and services: SMS and mobile web remain effective, but design for variable bandwidth and older devices.
• For infrastructure planning: greatest returns come from expanding mid-band 5G sectors and filling fixed-broadband gaps just outside town limits, which would directly reduce mobile-only dependence.
• For digital inclusion: senior-focused smartphone training, affordable plan awareness, and continued hotspot lending have outsized impact locally.

Notes on methodology and uncertainty

• Counts are derived by applying conservative rural/age-adjusted adoption rates to ACS-based population estimates; exact adoption in the county is not directly published.
• Carrier coverage and performance are synthesized from public maps and typical rural Iowa performance patterns; on-the-ground experience may vary by micro‑location and device.

Here’s a concise, county-level snapshot using best-available U.S. social-media benchmarks (Pew Research Center 2023–2024) adjusted for Cherokee County’s small, older-leaning rural population. Numbers are estimates, given limited county-specific reporting.

Overview and user counts

• Population: ~11,500 residents
• Adults (18+): ~9,000–9,500
• Active social media users (13+): ~6,600–7,500
  • Adults (18+): ~6,000–6,800
  • Teens (13–17): ~600–700

Age mix of users (share of total social media users)

• 13–17: ~8–10%
• 18–29: ~17–19%
• 30–49: ~28–32% (largest segment)
• 50–64: ~23–26%
• 65+: ~20–24%

Gender breakdown (among users)

• Slight female tilt overall: ~52–55% women, ~45–48% men
  • Driven by higher Facebook and Pinterest usage among women; Reddit/X lean more male.

Most-used platforms (estimated share of adults)

• YouTube: ~65–75%
• Facebook: ~60–70% (dominant daily platform, esp. 30–65+)
• Instagram: ~30–40% (stronger under 50)
• Pinterest: ~28–36% (skews female, 30–64)
• TikTok: ~18–25% (fastest growth in 30–49; heavy teen/young-adult use)
• Snapchat: ~15–22% overall; ~60–75% among 13–29
• WhatsApp: ~12–18%
• X (Twitter): ~12–16%
• LinkedIn: ~12–18% (lower in rural labor mix)
• Reddit: ~8–12%
• Nextdoor: ~5–10% (patchy presence by town/neighborhood)

Behavioral trends

• Platform roles
  • Facebook: central hub for community life—local news, school/sports, churches, fundraisers, obituaries, Marketplace; heavy use of Groups.
  • YouTube: how‑to, farm/DIY, equipment, hunting/fishing, local sports highlights; long-form plus Shorts.
  • Instagram: events, youth sports, small-business promotion; Stories/Reels for reach.
  • TikTok: recipes, home projects, ag/rural lifestyle; growing midlife audience.
  • Snapchat: primary messaging and quick sharing for teens/young adults.
• Content that performs
  • High school sports, severe weather and road conditions, local events, lost/found pets, public safety alerts, seasonal agriculture, harvest photos, “shop local” spotlights.
• Timing
  • Peaks before work/school (6–8 a.m.) and evenings (7–10 p.m.); midday bumps around lunch and during weather events.
• Engagement style
  • High comment activity on local pages/groups; Marketplace and buy/sell/trade groups are highly trafficked.
  • Trust skews to locally known admins, schools, and municipalities; national political content draws views but lower trust.
• Messaging
  • Facebook Messenger and Snapchat often replace SMS for quick coordination; WhatsApp used in specific friend/family circles.

Notes on methodology

• Estimates apply national platform usage by age to a rural, older-leaning county profile and scale to local population; actual figures can vary with migration, school enrollment, and platform churn.
• For campaign planning: expect the most efficient reach on Facebook and YouTube; add Instagram for 18–39, TikTok for under‑40 discovery, and Pinterest for female 30–64 audiences.