Greene County

Greene County, Iowa — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau)

Population size

• 8,771 (2020 Decennial Census)
• Context: small, rural county with gradual long-term decline typical of many nonmetro Iowa counties

Age

• Median age: ~45 years (ACS 2018–2022)
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~25%
• Insight: Older-than-state average age structure, indicating an aging population

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%
• Sex balance is near even, with a slight female majority

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2018–2022)

• White alone: ~93%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0–1%
• Asian alone: ~0–1%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~4–5%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~89–90%
• Insight: Predominantly non-Hispanic White with a small but notable Hispanic/Latino community

Household data (ACS 2018–2022)

• Total households: ~3,900
• Average household size: ~2.2 persons
• Family households: ~58–60% of households
• Average family size: ~2.7–2.8 persons
• Insight: Small household sizes and a modest share of nonfamily households, consistent with an older, rural population

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 2018–2022 5-year estimates.

Greene County, IA has about 8,800 residents across 571 sq mi (≈15 people/sq mi). Adult population ≈6,900.

Estimated email users: ≈6,200 adults (≈91% of adults; ≈70% of total residents).

Age distribution of adult email users (counts; share of users):

• 18–29: ~1,030 (17%)
• 30–49: ~1,980 (32%)
• 50–64: ~1,700 (27%)
• 65+: ~1,520 (24%)

Gender split among users: ≈50% female / 50% male (about 3,100 each), mirroring the county’s near‑even sex ratio.

Digital access trends:

• Households with a computer: ~90%.
• Households with a broadband subscription: ~82–85%, meaning roughly 1 in 7 households still lacks a home broadband plan.
• Smartphone‑only internet access: ~12%, indicating a notable mobile‑reliant segment.
• Connectivity is densest in Jefferson and other towns with cable/fiber options; rural townships rely more on DSL and fixed wireless. In‑town advertised speeds commonly exceed 100 Mbps, while last‑mile gaps persist on farms and along low‑density roads, shaping email access patterns and frequency of use.

Mobile phone usage in Greene County, Iowa — 2025 snapshot

Baseline context

• Population and households: 8,771 residents (2020 Census), roughly 3,800 households. The county is predominantly rural, centered on Jefferson, with an older-than-state median age and lower median household income than the Iowa average.

Modeled user estimates (2025)

• Adult population: approximately 6,800.
• Smartphone users: about 5,500 adults (≈82% of adults).
• Basic/feature‑phone only: about 900 adults (≈13%).
• No mobile phone: about 400 adults (≈5%).
• Smartphone‑only households (no fixed home internet): roughly 600 of 3,800 households (≈16%), concentrated outside fiber‑served towns. Notes on method: Estimates are derived from the 2020 Census base, 2023–2024 ACS computer/Internet-use patterns, rural adoption differentials observed in national surveys, and carrier coverage evolution through 2024. Figures are rounded to avoid false precision.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 18–34: ~95% smartphone adoption; heavy app/social/video use; primary data via mobile with substantial Wi‑Fi offload in town.
  • 35–64: ~88% adoption; strong work/personal use; higher BYOD for farm/small‑business operations; frequent hotspot tethering.
  • 65+: ~60–65% adoption; largest cohort of basic‑phone users; text/voice and single essential apps dominate. This group drives the county’s lower overall smartphone share vs. the state.
• Income
  • <$35k: elevated smartphone‑only reliance (~25% of these households) due to cost of fixed broadband; prepaid and budget Android devices more common.
  • $35k–$75k: mixed fixed and mobile use; smartphone‑only around ~15%.

  • $75k: widespread fixed broadband; smartphone‑only ~8% and higher iPhone share.

• Race/ethnicity
  • The county is predominantly non‑Hispanic White; smaller Hispanic and other minority populations skew younger and show above‑average mobile‑only reliance for home internet and communications.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Carrier presence: AT&T (including FirstNet for public safety), Verizon, T‑Mobile, and UScellular all operate in and around Greene County.
• 4G LTE: Broad coverage along US‑30 and in/around Jefferson, Scranton, Grand Junction, and Rippey; patchier signal and lower capacity in low‑lying or sparsely populated western and southeastern townships.
• 5G status
  • Low‑band 5G from all three national carriers reaches towns and primary corridors.
  • Mid‑band 5G (C‑band on Verizon/AT&T; 2.5 GHz on T‑Mobile) is concentrated in and near Jefferson and along US‑30; coverage thins outside towns.
• Typical real‑world performance
  • In‑town: 50–200 Mbps down on 5G or strong LTE; 15–40 Mbps uplink; 30–50 ms latency.
  • Rural fringe: 5–30 Mbps down on LTE; uplink often <10 Mbps; 40–70 ms latency; occasional drop to sub‑5 Mbps indoors.
• Sites and topology: On the order of 20 macro cell sites countywide with 3‑sector deployments; additional coverage from neighboring‑county sites. Grain‑elevator and water‑tower placements support rural reach.
• Home and enterprise substitutes: T‑Mobile Home Internet and Verizon 5G Home are available in and near Jefferson; fixed‑wireless ISPs serve outlying areas from vertical assets. Jefferson Telecom provides fiber in town, reducing smartphone‑only reliance there.

How Greene County differs from Iowa overall

• Lower smartphone adoption: Approximately 82% of adults use smartphones vs. a statewide pattern closer to the upper‑80s. The county’s older age structure and more rural settlement are the primary drivers.
• Higher basic‑phone share: Around 13% basic/feature‑phone users vs. a noticeably smaller share statewide, concentrated among 65+ residents.
• More uneven 5G experience: Mid‑band 5G capacity is localized to Jefferson and US‑30, whereas Iowa’s metros and larger micropolitans enjoy broader mid‑band footprints and higher median speeds.
• Greater reliance on UScellular and AT&T for fringe coverage: While Verizon and T‑Mobile are strong in towns/corridors, coverage‑driven users in farm and timber areas more often select UScellular or AT&T, a mix that differs from urban Iowa.
• Smartphone‑only is geographically concentrated: Countywide smartphone‑only households are similar to or slightly above state share, but the pattern bifurcates—lower in fiber‑served Jefferson, higher in unserved rural tracts. Statewide, smartphone‑only is driven more by income/urban rental markets than by access gaps.

Operational insights

• Public outreach and services should continue to support SMS and low‑bandwidth web experiences; do not assume persistent high‑throughput 5G outside town centers.
• For field operations and IoT in rural tracts, multi‑carrier or AT&T/UScellular primary solutions improve reliability; in Jefferson and along US‑30, T‑Mobile and Verizon offer strong capacity.
• App design should prioritize offline capability and efficient updates, given variable uplink and indoor coverage in farmsteads and metal‑roof structures.

Greene County, Iowa — social media snapshot (2025, modeled from best-available public data)

Population, internet, and user base

• Residents: ~8.7k; adults 18+: ~6.8k
• Households with internet subscription: ~85%
• Adults using at least one social platform: ~78% (≈5.3k)
• Daily social media users: ~60% of adults (≈4.1k)

Most-used platforms among adults (estimated monthly use; share of all adults, counts in parentheses)

• YouTube: 76% (≈5,170)
• Facebook: 72% (≈4,900)
• Instagram: 35% (≈2,380)
• Pinterest: 28% (≈1,900)
• TikTok: 27% (≈1,840)
• Snapchat: 23% (≈1,560)
• LinkedIn: 19% (≈1,290)
• X (Twitter): 16% (≈1,090)
• Reddit: 10% (≈680)

Daily reach among adults (share of adults active daily on each platform; derived from typical daily-use rates among users)

• Facebook: ~52% of adults
• YouTube: ~42%
• Instagram: ~21%
• TikTok: ~20%
• Snapchat: ~19%
• Pinterest: ~7%
• X (Twitter): ~7%
• Reddit: ~5%

Age-group usage patterns (share of each age group using the platform monthly)

• Adult age mix (approx.): 18–29 (18%), 30–49 (27%), 50–64 (28%), 65+ (27%)
• 18–29: YouTube 95%, Instagram 75%, TikTok 70%, Snapchat 68%, Facebook 58%
• 30–49: Facebook 82%, YouTube 88%, Instagram 50%, TikTok 34%, Snapchat 28%
• 50–64: Facebook 79%, YouTube 72%, Instagram 24%, TikTok 14%
• 65+: Facebook 70%, YouTube 55%, Instagram 12%, TikTok 6%

Gender breakdown

• Adult population: ~51% women, ~49% men
• Platform user mix (women share of local users): Facebook ~58%, Instagram ~60%, Pinterest ~78%, TikTok ~56%, Snapchat ~55%; YouTube ~40%, X (Twitter) ~38%, Reddit ~30%, LinkedIn ~45%

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups for local news, school updates, church and civic organizations, volunteer coordination, storm and road alerts, obituaries, and buy/sell via Marketplace
• Events drive spikes: county fair, school athletics, hunting/fishing seasons, and holiday events see strong Facebook Event RSVPs and photo/video sharing; short-form highlights increasingly cross-posted as Reels/TikTok
• Video is rising: younger adults favor TikTok/Instagram Reels; older adults watch and share more than they create, especially on Facebook and YouTube (DIY, farm equipment repair, home projects)
• Messaging is private-first: Messenger and Snapchat carry day-to-day conversations; group chats for teams, classes, and youth activities are common
• Commerce is local: Marketplace and local buy/sell groups outperform standalone classified sites; farm/ranch and vehicles/equipment listings see high engagement
• Information trust is relationship-based: posts from neighbors, coaches, pastors, and known admins outperform brand pages; group moderators actively curb rumors
• X (Twitter) use is niche: peaks during severe weather, state politics, and sports; Reddit presence is small but active around tech, gaming, and personal finance
• Business playbook: Facebook Pages plus boosted posts within ~25–35 miles deliver the best cost-effective reach; short video and photo carousels outperform link-only posts; weekday early evenings and weekend mornings post best locally

Method and sources

• Figures are 2025 county-level estimates built from U.S. Census Bureau ACS (population, age, internet subscription), combined with Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. social media adoption and daily-use rates, adjusted for rural Midwest demographics and Greene County’s older age profile. Totals can exceed the user base due to multi-platform use.