Hamilton County

Hamilton County, Iowa — key demographics

Population size

• 15,039 (2020 Census). Down 4.0% from 15,673 in 2010.

Age

• Under 5: ~6%
• Under 18: ~23%
• 18–64: ~56%
• 65 and over: ~21%
• Median age: ~42 years

Gender

• Female: ~50.5%
• Male: ~49.5%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS)

• White alone: ~92%
• Black or African American alone: ~1–2%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.4%
• Asian alone: ~0.7–1%
• Two or more races: ~5–6%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~11%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~83%

Household data (ACS)

• Households: ~6.3k
• Persons per household: ~2.38
• Family households: ~60%
• Married-couple family households: ~47%
• Households with children under 18: ~27%
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~74%

Notes

• Figures reflect U.S. Census Bureau data (2020 Decennial Census for total population; American Community Survey 5-year estimates for age, race/ethnicity, and households). Percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding and overlapping ethnicity/race definitions.

• Population and density: Hamilton County, IA has 15,039 residents (2020 Census) across ~578 sq mi, ≈26 people/sq mi.
• Estimated email users: ≈10,800 adult users, applying recent U.S. adult email adoption (~92%).
• Age distribution of email users (estimated):
  • 18–29: ≈1,900
  • 30–49: ≈3,700
  • 50–64: ≈2,700
  • 65+: ≈2,500
• Gender split of email users: Women ≈5,500 (≈51%), Men ≈5,300 (≈49%); adoption rates are effectively equal by gender.
• Digital access and trends:
  • ≈90% of households have a computer; ≈83–85% have a broadband subscription (ACS-like county benchmarks).
  • Smartphone-only internet households: ≈8–10%.
  • Webster City and other towns have cable/fiber with 100+ Mbps service; rural areas rely more on DSL/fixed wireless, with ongoing fiber expansion and 5G along main corridors.
  • Public connectivity via libraries, schools, and municipal buildings supplements access.
• Insights: High email penetration mirrors national norms, but older adults and rural households trail slightly due to access quality. Growing fiber and 5G deployments are narrowing the rural gap, supporting stable or rising email usage across all age groups.

Hamilton County, Iowa mobile phone usage (2025 profile) — with differences vs Iowa overall

Population base

• Residents: ~14,800–15,200
• Adults (18+): ~11,500–11,900
• Households: ~6,100–6,400
• Settlement pattern: Webster City concentrates most users; the remainder is dispersed farming communities and small towns along US‑20 and I‑35

User estimates

• Adult smartphone users: 9,800–10,300 (83–88% of adults), about 3–5 percentage points below the statewide adult rate (≈88–92%)
• Active mobile lines (phones, tablets, hotspots): ~14,000–16,500 total (roughly 0.95–1.1 lines per resident), slightly lower per‑capita than the state’s urbanized average
• Smartphone‑only households (cellular data with no fixed home broadband): ~750–950 households (12–15%), higher than Iowa overall (≈8–10%)
• Wireless‑only voice households (no landline): ~62–66% of households, a bit below Iowa’s average (≈68–70%) due to an older age profile

Demographic breakdown of adoption and usage

• Age
  • 18–34: 93–97% smartphone adoption; high app/social/video usage
  • 35–64: 88–92%; heavy work, navigation, and commerce usage
  • 65+: 68–72%; lower video/social intensity, higher voice/SMS reliance
  • County skews older than Iowa overall, pulling down aggregate adoption and data intensity
• Income
  • <$35k: 75–80% adoption; noticeably higher prepaid/value-brand plan usage
  • $35–75k: 88–92%

  • $75k: 95%+

  • Median household income trails the state, contributing to a 5–8 percentage point higher prepaid share than Iowa overall
• Race/ethnicity
  • Hispanic residents (notably in and around Webster City) exhibit smartphone adoption on par with statewide levels but show above‑average use of WhatsApp/over‑the‑top calling and family plan line sharing

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Radio access
  • All three national carriers provide 5G in population centers; mid‑band 5G is strongest along I‑35 and the US‑20 corridor and in/around Webster City
  • Rural tracts frequently fall back to low‑band 5G or LTE; metal ag structures and tree lines present indoor coverage challenges
• Typical performance (downlink)
  • Population centers and highway corridors: ~100–300 Mbps on mid‑band 5G; 20–60 Mbps uplink
  • Outlying rural areas: ~10–60 Mbps (low‑band 5G/LTE); 3–15 Mbps uplink
  • Performance variability is higher than the state average because of terrain, tower spacing, and lower site density off‑corridor
• Fixed and offload
  • Cable/fiber broadband is available in Webster City and select exchanges; countywide fixed‑broadband take‑up is below Iowa’s average
  • 5G fixed‑wireless home internet is available in and around town and along major corridors; this has modestly increased evening sector load on nearby macro sites
  • Public Wi‑Fi/E‑rate networks (schools, library) provide meaningful offload for students and lower‑income users
• Redundancy and resiliency
  • Macro sites cluster along I‑35, US‑20, and population centers; fewer redundant paths in farm tracts mean longer restoration times after severe weather compared with urban Iowa markets

Trends that differ from state‑level

• Adoption: Overall smartphone adoption is lower by roughly 3–5 percentage points, driven by a higher share of seniors and modestly lower incomes
• Access type: Smartphone‑only households are higher by ~3–5 points, reflecting gaps in affordable fixed broadband and a pragmatic reliance on cellular data
• Plan mix: Prepaid/value brands have a larger footprint (≈+5–8 points vs state), linked to budget sensitivity and ACP sunset effects
• Network experience: Greater urban‑rural split in speeds and indoor coverage; on‑corridor performance matches state medians, but off‑corridor variability is higher
• Seasonality: Noticeable data spikes during planting and harvest from precision‑ag telemetry and field operations—more pronounced than Iowa’s urban counties
• Voice/SMS persistence: Seniors’ usage keeps voice/SMS volumes comparatively higher than state norms, even as OTT messaging grows among younger cohorts

Implications

• Marketing and service design: Value/prepaid offerings and multilingual support perform well; family plans and hotspot add‑ons see strong uptake among smartphone‑only households
• Network planning: Capacity investments pay off most along I‑35/US‑20 and at town edges; targeted rural infill and indoor coverage solutions (small cells, repeaters) reduce variability
• Digital equity: Mobile‑first programs, device support for older adults, and student data sponsorships have outsized impact compared with more urban Iowa counties

Data notes

• Figures are 2024–2025 modeled estimates synthesized from recent Census/ACS demographics, national smartphone ownership benchmarks, and documented 5G rollouts in Iowa; ranges reflect county size and rural variability. The directional differences versus Iowa statewide are consistent across multiple sources and field performance patterns.

Hamilton County, IA social media snapshot (2024 modeled estimates)

Headline numbers

• Population: ~15,100 residents
• Social media users: ~10,400 residents use at least one platform monthly (≈69% of total; ≈78% of residents age 13+)
• Daily active users: ~7,200 (about two-thirds of social users)
• Typical time spent: 1.3–1.8 hours/day among users; teens/20s closer to 2–3 hours

Age profile (penetration within each bracket; share of local user base)

• 13–17: 90–95% use; 8–10% of local users
• 18–29: 84–88% use; 16–18% of local users
• 30–49: 82–88% use; 31–34% of local users
• 50–64: 72–78% use; 23–26% of local users
• 65+: 50–56% use; 17–20% of local users

Gender breakdown

• Users: ~52% women, ~48% men
• Platform skew: women over-index on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest; men over-index on Reddit and X (Twitter)

Most-used platforms locally (share of local social media users using each monthly)

• Facebook: 80–85%
• YouTube: 80–88%
• Instagram: 38–45%
• TikTok: 36–43%
• Snapchat: 35–42%
• Pinterest: 28–35%
• X (Twitter): 14–20%
• LinkedIn: 12–18%
• Reddit: 10–14%
• Nextdoor: <5% (limited footprint)

Behavioral trends

• Community-first usage: Facebook Groups and Pages are the hub for school updates, high-school sports, church and civic groups, city/county notices, and severe-weather alerts.
• Local commerce: Heavy Facebook Marketplace activity (vehicles, farm/outdoor equipment, furniture, baby goods). High price sensitivity and willingness to drive 30–40 miles for deals.
• Video habits: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) rising across under-40s; YouTube dominates for how-to, product research, and equipment reviews.
• Messaging: Snapchat is the default among teens/younger adults; Facebook Messenger is dominant for 30+.
• Engagement style: Roughly 70% consume more than they post; older users prefer shares/reactions; younger users engage via Stories, DMs, and short-form video.
• Timing: Peaks on weekdays 6–8 a.m., 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m., 7–9 p.m.; strong Sunday evening engagement for community and retail posts.
• Seasonal patterns: Spikes around back-to-school and fall sports, late-spring storm season, and December holidays.
• Trust signals: Content from known local voices and institutions outperforms national sources; posts featuring recognizable places/people drive higher interaction.
• Advertising notes: Best results from geo-local creative with clear offers or event RSVPs; click-to-call and map-based CTAs perform well; focus on Webster City, Jewell, Stanhope, Stratford, and US-20/IA-17 corridors.

Methodology note: County-level social media surveys are scarce. Figures above are 2024 modeled estimates derived from Hamilton County population (U.S. Census/ACS) and recent national/rural Midwest platform-usage research (Pew Research Center, platform ad-reach benchmarks, and industry analyses).