Clay County

Clay County, Iowa — key demographics

Population size

• 16,384 (2020 Census)
• About 16,100 (2023 Population Estimate)

Age

• Under 18: ~22%
• 18 to 64: ~57%
• 65 and over: ~21%
• Median age: ~42 years

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Race/ethnicity (Hispanic can be of any race)

• White alone: ~92%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Black or African American: ~1%
• Asian: ~0.5–1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.3–0.5%

Households

• ~7,100 households
• Average household size: ~2.2–2.3
• Family households: ~60%
• Households with children under 18: ~25%
• Householders living alone: ~33–35% (including ~14–15% age 65+)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year; 2023 Population Estimates). Numbers are the most recent available estimates and may not sum to 100% due to rounding and overlapping race/ethnicity definitions.

Clay County, IA email usage (estimates)

• Estimated users: 12–13k. Based on county population ~16.4k, ~79% adults, and national email adoption ~90–95% among adults (plus most teens).
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: ~6%
  • 18–34: ~26%
  • 35–54: ~33%
  • 55–64: ~16%
  • 65+: 19% Adoption is slightly lower among the oldest cohort but remains high (85–90%).
• Gender split: Roughly even; county population is ~51% female, so email users mirror that.
• Digital access trends:
  • ~83–86% of households have a broadband subscription; 90%+ have a computer or smartphone.
  • ~12–15% are smartphone‑only internet users, which can constrain attachment‑heavy email tasks.
  • Most users check email daily.
• Local density/connectivity:
  • Population density ~29 per square mile; about two‑thirds of residents live in Spencer.
  • Spencer has strong fixed broadband (including municipal fiber with 100 Mbps–gigabit tiers); rural townships more often rely on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite.
  • Ongoing fiber builds (supported by state/federal programs) and public Wi‑Fi at libraries/schools help close rural gaps.

Sources informing estimates: U.S. Census/ACS for population and broadband, and national surveys (e.g., Pew) for email adoption by age/gender.

Clay County, IA mobile phone usage — summary and estimates (focus on how it differs from Iowa overall)

Quick snapshot and user estimates

• Population and households: ~16–17k residents; ~7k households (ACS 5-year).
• Estimated mobile phone users: 14–15k people use a mobile phone; 12–13.5k of them use smartphones.
  • Method: apply typical rural adoption rates from ACS/Pew to county age structure (very high adoption among 18–49, lower among 65+).
• Estimated active mobile lines (phones, tablets, watches, hotspots): 18–22k total lines (roughly 1.1–1.3 lines per resident), consistent with rural markets where many people hold a phone plus at least one additional cellular device.
• Households that are “smartphone-only” (no fixed home internet): about 9–12% in Clay County vs roughly 7–9% statewide.
  • Drivers: patchier fixed broadband outside Spencer and greater reliance on mobile data for home connectivity in rural townships.

How Clay County differs from Iowa overall

• Slightly lower overall smartphone penetration: 1–3 percentage points below the state average, driven by an older population share and more rural households.
• Higher smartphone-only reliance: a couple of points higher than the state, especially outside Spencer where fiber/cable is limited.
• More prepaid/MVNO usage: modestly higher share than statewide, tied to price sensitivity and variable credit access.
• Slower 5G reach and speeds outside the main town: Spencer sees good 5G; many outlying areas remain LTE-first, pulling average speeds below the statewide median.
• Seasonal network strain: the Clay County Fair in Spencer produces outsized, short-term congestion and capacity management needs compared with the Iowa average county.

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

• Age
  • 18–44: near-universal smartphone adoption; heavy app and video use similar to state levels.
  • 45–64: high adoption; slightly more voice/text and Facebook/marketplace use than streaming compared with metro Iowa.
  • 65+: adoption notably lower than the state average (by ~7–10 points); more basic or simplified smartphones; lower mobile data consumption.
• Income
  • Lower-income households are more likely smartphone-only for home internet and to use prepaid or MVNO plans; hotspot use for homework and work-from-home is more common than statewide.
• Geography (intra-county)
  • Spencer: highest 5G availability, better indoor coverage, and more fixed broadband competition; residents rely less on mobile-only internet than the rest of the county.
  • Rural townships: more LTE-only pockets and indoor coverage challenges; higher dependence on mobile hotspotting when fixed options are slow or unavailable.
• Race/ethnicity
  • County is more homogenous than the state overall; small Hispanic/Latino community in Spencer shows above-average smartphone reliance, reflecting statewide patterns for mobile-first connectivity among some minority and immigrant households.

Digital infrastructure notes

• Carrier presence: AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile all serve the county. 5G is strongest in and around Spencer (including mid-band on at least one carrier); low-band 5G or LTE predominates elsewhere.
• Fixed broadband interplay
  • Spencer Municipal Utilities and other providers offer robust cable/fiber in Spencer.
  • Outside the city, options shift toward DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite—this gap is the main reason smartphone-only and hotspot dependence run higher than statewide.
• Coverage and capacity
  • Highways US-71 and US-18 are well covered; some river valley and far-edge farm areas exhibit weaker indoor coverage.
  • During the Clay County Fair, carriers often augment capacity; without augmentation, congestion and slower data rates are common.
• Public safety and enterprise
  • FirstNet coverage (AT&T) and priority services are available along primary corridors and in Spencer; agricultural operations use private LTE/CBRS and telematics that add to total cellular lines.

Method and sources to validate/refresh

• Use ACS 5-year Table S2801 (Computer and Internet Use) for county vs Iowa smartphone and cellular subscription rates; ACS age structure for weighting.
• FCC Broadband and Mobile Coverage maps for 4G/5G footprints and fixed broadband availability.
• Carrier coverage disclosures and third-party speed tests for Spencer vs rural townships.
• Local providers (e.g., Spencer Municipal Utilities) for fiber/cable footprints.
• Pew Research Center for age-based smartphone adoption to contextualize county gaps.

If you’d like, I can plug in the latest ACS and FCC map figures to replace the ranges above with exact percentages for Clay County and a side-by-side with Iowa.

Here’s a concise, local-first snapshot for Clay County, Iowa. Figures are best-available estimates that apply recent Pew U.S. platform use to a rural, older-leaning county profile; use them directionally.

At-a-glance user stats

• Population: ~16.4k residents (2020 Census). Older-leaning age mix vs. U.S. average.
• Adults (18+): ~13k. Household broadband subscription is high for Iowa (roughly mid–high 80% of households).
• Smartphone/internet use is widespread; social use is near-national but skews to Facebook/YouTube over newer apps.

Age groups (approx. share of residents)

• 0–17: ~22%
• 18–34: ~19%
• 35–54: ~28%
• 55–64: ~12%
• 65+: ~21%

Most-used platforms among adults in Clay County (percent of adults; local estimates)

• YouTube: 78–83%
• Facebook: 65–72%
• Instagram: 35–42%
• TikTok: 25–32%
• Snapchat: 24–28% (60–70% among ages 18–29)
• Pinterest: 30–36% (higher among women)
• X/Twitter: 15–20%
• LinkedIn: 15–20%
• Reddit: 12–18%
• Nextdoor: 5–10% (limited; Facebook Groups serve the “neighborhood” role)

By age (directional, applied locally)

• 18–29: YouTube ~90%+, Instagram ~70–80%, Snapchat ~60–70%, TikTok ~60%+, Facebook ~55–65%
• 30–49: YouTube ~85%+, Facebook ~70–75%, Instagram ~45–50%, TikTok ~35–40%, Snapchat ~25–30%
• 50–64: YouTube ~75–80%, Facebook ~70%+, Instagram ~25–30%, TikTok ~12–18%
• 65+: Facebook ~60–65%, YouTube ~55–65%, Instagram <20%, TikTok ~10–15%

Gender breakdown (directional)

• Women: more likely to use Facebook (+5–10 pts), Instagram (+~5), Pinterest (+25+), TikTok (+3–5)
• Men: more likely to use YouTube (+~5), Reddit (+5–8), X/Twitter (+3–5)

Behavioral trends observed in similar rural Iowa counties (very likely in Clay)

• Facebook is the community hub: buy/sell and neighborhood groups, school/booster clubs, city/county updates, obits, school closings; Marketplace is heavily used (farm gear, vehicles, furniture).
• Annual event spikes: The Clay County Fair drives the biggest social peaks; live video and photo albums perform best; strong hashtag and share behavior.
• Short vertical video wins: TikTok/IG Reels featuring local sports highlights, ag/DIY tips, and behind-the-scenes at local businesses outperform static posts.
• Younger users: daily sharing on Snapchat; they “lurk” on Facebook for events/family updates.
• Messaging-as-service: Facebook Messenger/IG DMs used for hours, bookings, specials, quick Q&A.
• Peak times: evenings (7–9 pm) and weekend mornings; severe weather and school-closure days trigger surges.
• Local trust effect: posts with recognizable people/places outperform stock content; community pride and practical info get the highest engagement.
• Ads: Facebook/Instagram geotargeting within 15–30 miles of Spencer is cost-effective; interest targets around ag, hunting, DIY, youth sports often overperform.

Sources and method

• U.S. Census (2020) and ACS for population/age/broadband context; Pew Research Center (2024) for platform adoption by age and gender, with slight rural adjustments. Figures are estimates, not official county-reported stats.