Fayette County

Here are concise, current demographics for Fayette County, Iowa.

Population

• Total: 20,880 (2020 Census)
• 2023 estimate: ~19,900 (U.S. Census Bureau)

Age

• Median age: ~44 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18–64: ~57%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023)

• White (non-Hispanic): ~92%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%
• Black or African American: ~1–2%
• Two or more races: ~2–3%
• Asian: ~0.4–0.5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.2–0.3%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Number of households: ~8,600
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~60% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~25–27%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey (5‑year); Census QuickFacts.

Fayette County, IA email usage (estimates)

• Users: 14–16K residents use email regularly. Basis: ~20K population; ~78% adults; ~92% of U.S. adults use email; most teens do as well (Pew).
• Age mix of users:
  • 18–34: ~22–28%
  • 35–64: ~45–52% (largest share)
  • 65+: ~18–24% (slightly lower adoption than younger adults)
• Gender split: ~50% female, 50% male among users; usage rates are similar by gender.
• Digital access trends:
  • Roughly 80–85% of households have a broadband subscription; about 12–15% lack home internet; 7–10% are smartphone‑only (ACS/NTIA-style measures for similar rural Iowa counties).
  • Fiber and cable availability concentrate in towns (Oelwein, West Union, Fayette); many rural addresses rely on DSL or fixed wireless, which depresses adoption and speeds.
• Local density/connectivity context:
  • Low population density (~27–29 people per square mile) spread over ~730 square miles increases last‑mile costs and leaves pockets with weaker service.
  • Public libraries and schools act as key access points; cellular data is an important fallback for dispersed farms and residences.

Sources blended from U.S. Census/ACS, Pew Research on email use, and rural Iowa broadband patterns.

Here’s a concise, county-specific snapshot that emphasizes how Fayette County, IA differs from statewide patterns.

User estimates and adoption

• Population base: ~19.5K residents; ~15–16K adults (18+); ~8K households.
• Any mobile phone: about 90–93% of adults → roughly 14.0–14.5K mobile users. This trails Iowa’s near‑universal adult mobile access by a few points, largely due to age mix and rurality.
• Smartphone users: about 78–83% of adults → roughly 12.0–12.8K smartphone users, noticeably below Iowa’s ~87–90%.
• Mobile-only internet households: estimated 20–25% rely primarily on smartphones and/or fixed‑wireless access (FWA) for home connectivity—higher than the statewide share (roughly mid‑teens), reflecting patchier wireline options outside towns.
• Plan types: prepaid/discount carriers likely account for 25–35% of lines (above Iowa’s ~20–25%), driven by price sensitivity and lighter family‑plan penetration among single‑line users.
• Device mix: Android skews higher (roughly 55–60% of smartphones) than the state average, reflecting lower median incomes and price‑point preferences.

Demographic drivers (how Fayette differs from the state)

• Older population: 65+ share is materially higher (~23–25% vs Iowa ~18%). This depresses smartphone adoption, raises basic‑phone retention, and lowers app‑centric service usage.
• Income and education: Median household income and bachelor’s degree attainment are below state averages, nudging users toward prepaid, refurbished/older devices, and data‑capped plans.
• Race/ethnicity: Predominantly White with a small but growing Hispanic population. Language support needs exist but are less pronounced than in Iowa’s urban counties.

Digital infrastructure and coverage notes

• Carrier presence: All three national carriers (AT&T/FirstNet, Verizon, T‑Mobile) plus UScellular historically strong in rural Northeast Iowa. UScellular’s network has been a key coverage backstop; industry changes announced in 2024 may shift roaming and coverage experiences over 2025.
• 4G LTE: Broad outdoor coverage on main roads and in towns; indoor reliability can drop in farmsteads and river valleys (Turkey River corridor, wooded/bluff areas).
• 5G availability:
  • Low‑band 5G from all nationals in/around towns; good for coverage, modest for speed.
  • Mid‑band 5G (Verizon C‑band, T‑Mobile n41) is spotty—strongest in Oelwein/West Union corridors and near highways; far less consistent than in Iowa’s metro corridors (I‑35/I‑80).
  • AT&T FirstNet Band 14 present near public‑safety anchors (hospitals, law enforcement), boosting resilience more than raw speed.
• Performance: Typical rural speeds 5–25 Mbps on LTE; 50–200 Mbps where mid‑band 5G is live in town centers. County medians sit below Iowa’s urbanized averages.
• Home internet substitution: FWA (Verizon/T‑Mobile) is a larger share of home broadband than statewide, especially outside Oelwein/West Union. It’s often used where legacy DSL/coax is weak and fiber hasn’t reached.
• Wireline backdrop: Cable in Oelwein and pockets; rural telco/co‑ops have expanded fiber with state/federal grants, but gaps persist on outlying farms—sustaining above‑average reliance on mobile/FWA.
• Tower density: Wider macro‑site spacing than metro Iowa leads to fringe/indoor gaps; valleys/trees exacerbate this more than in flatter central Iowa counties.

Behavioral and usage nuances vs state

• More coverage‑driven carrier choice: Users prioritize signal reliability (including UScellular legacy coverage) over premium‑speed plans; churn can spike when a carrier upgrades a nearby sector.
• Higher incidence of data frugality: Heavier use of Wi‑Fi offload, conservative video settings, and prepaid add‑ons compared with Iowa’s urban counties.
• Public safety and agriculture: FirstNet adoption is relatively visible among agencies; farms and ag‑equipment use cellular IoT and hotspotting more than the state average on a per‑capita basis.

Methodological note

• Estimates synthesize ACS demographics, typical rural adoption deltas from Pew and industry reports, FCC coverage filings, and carrier disclosures as of 2024. For planning, validate with current carrier maps, local co‑op build plans, and on‑the‑ground drive tests.

Fayette County, IA social media snapshot (estimates)

• Size of the audience

  • Population: ~19,000–19,500 residents
  • Social media users: ~11,500–13,000 (about 70–75% of residents age 13+)

• Age mix of local social media users

  • 13–17: ~9%
  • 18–29: ~19%
  • 30–49: ~29%
  • 50–64: ~27%
  • 65+: ~15%

• Gender breakdown of users

  • ~54% women, ~46% men

• Most-used platforms among local users (share of users who use each; people use multiple)

  • YouTube: ~80%
  • Facebook: ~72%
  • Instagram: ~40%
  • TikTok: ~33%
  • Snapchat: ~30%
  • Pinterest: ~29% (skews female)
  • X/Twitter: ~15%
  • LinkedIn: ~16%
  • WhatsApp: ~11%
  • Nextdoor: ~5% (limited footprint)

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups and Marketplace for school updates, local sports, events, buy/sell/trade, weather and public-safety pages.
• Video-first consumption: strong growth in short video (Facebook Reels, TikTok); YouTube used for how‑tos, farm/DIY, equipment, home projects, and local sports clips.
• Posting vs. lurking: the majority mostly consume/like/share; frequent original posting comes from community pages, schools, clubs, and small businesses.
• Peak activity times: evenings 7–10 pm; secondary spikes around 6:30–8 am and lunch hour; weekends perform well for events and sales.
• Platform-by-age tendencies:
  • Teens: Snapchat and TikTok daily; YouTube ubiquitous; minimal Facebook posting.
  • 18–29: Instagram + TikTok, YouTube; Facebook used for events and Groups.
  • 30–64: Facebook dominant; YouTube regular; Instagram moderate; Pinterest popular with women.
  • 65+: Primarily Facebook; YouTube for news and how‑tos.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger is common for coordinating local activities; Snapchat used by teens/young adults; WhatsApp niche.
• What drives engagement: locally relevant faces and places, school/kids content, service updates (hours, menus), limited-time offers, and clear calls-to-action. Overtly political content tends to underperform; practical, community‑oriented posts do best.
• Devices: predominantly mobile; short copy, vertical video, and clear visuals perform best.

Note on methodology: County-level platform data are rarely published; figures above are modeled from Fayette County age/sex demographics (ACS) and recent Pew Research Center platform-adoption benchmarks for U.S./rural users, adjusted for a rural Iowa profile. Metrics should be treated as directional estimates.