Jones County

Jones County, Iowa — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau; 2020 Census and 2019–2023 ACS 5-year estimates)

Population size

• Total population: 20,646 (2020 Census)
• 2023 estimate: ~20.5k (Census Population Estimates Program)

Age

• Under 5 years: ~5%
• Under 18 years: ~22%
• 65 years and over: ~20%
• Median age: ~42 years

Gender

• Female: ~47–48%
• Male: ~52–53% (elevated male share partly reflects the presence of a state correctional facility)

Racial/ethnic composition (race alone unless noted; Hispanic may be of any race)

• White: ~93%
• Black or African American: ~3–4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0–1%
• Asian: ~0–1%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3%
• White, not Hispanic or Latino: ~90%

Household data

• Households: ~8,200
• Average household size: ~2.3–2.4
• Family households: ~64%
• Married-couple families: ~52%
• Households with children under 18: ~26–27%
• Nonfamily households: ~35–36%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~79–80%
• Median household income: ~$70k

Insights

• The county is small and predominantly non-Hispanic White, with a modest share of Black residents relative to most rural Iowa counties.
• Age structure skews slightly older than the U.S. overall, with about one-fifth age 65+.
• Household size is typical for Iowa, and homeownership is high.

Jones County, IA email usage snapshot (est.)

• Estimated email users: 16,100 (≈78% of residents; ≈94% of adults).
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: 1.1k (7%)
  • 18–29: 2.6k (16%)
  • 30–49: 4.9k (31%)
  • 50–64: 3.9k (24%)
  • 65+: 3.6k (23%)
• Gender split among users: ≈51% female, 49% male.
• Digital access and trends:
  • ≈86% of households have a broadband subscription; ≈7% are mobile-only internet users.
  • Email use is near-universal among working-age adults and rising among teens via school accounts; seniors show high but slightly lower adoption, driven by healthcare and government portals.
  • Cable/fiber deliver 100 Mbps+ in town centers; fixed wireless and legacy DSL are common in rural areas, shaping usage patterns and reliability.
  • Broadband take-up has grown steadily since 2018 as fiber and fixed-wireless footprints expand.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density ≈36 people per square mile; two hubs (Anamosa and Monticello) anchor most wired infrastructure.
  • 5G and LTE coverage are strongest along the US‑151 corridor; last‑mile costs and line-of-sight constraints remain the main rural bottlenecks.

Jones County, IA mobile phone usage summary (2024–2025)

User estimates

• Adult smartphone adoption: 85% of adults in Jones County (Iowa statewide ≈89%). The county’s slightly older age profile and more rural settlement pattern suppress adoption versus the state average.
• Households with a cellular data plan: 78% of households (Iowa ≈81%). This ACS-style measure tracks whether a household pays for mobile data on a smartphone/tablet.
• Wireless-only telephony (no landline): 64% of households (Iowa ≈68%). Lower than the state, reflecting a somewhat higher persistence of landlines among older and rural households.
• Smartphone-only internet access (no home computer/broadband): 17% of adults (Iowa ≈14%). Reliance on phones as the primary connection is modestly higher than statewide, driven by patchy fixed broadband in parts of the county.
• Typical mobile speeds: 45–60 Mbps median downloads countywide from public speed-test patterns; 60–120 Mbps in Anamosa and Monticello (especially on T‑Mobile mid‑band 5G), and 10–25 Mbps in outlying rural areas on LTE. Statewide medians are higher (≈70–90 Mbps), highlighting a capacity gap in rural stretches.
• 5G availability (on at least one carrier): ≈75% of residents covered in the county versus >85% statewide. Coverage is strongest in towns and along US‑151; LTE remains predominant between towns.

Demographic breakdown (how Jones County differs from Iowa)

• Age: Adults 65+ show lower smartphone uptake locally (≈67% in Jones County vs ≈74% statewide). This widens the overall adoption gap and correlates with higher landline retention.
• Income: Among households under $35k, smartphone-only internet reliance is higher locally (≈25% vs ≈21% statewide), reflecting affordability barriers to fixed broadband.
• Urban vs rural within the county:
  • Anamosa/Monticello: higher 5G availability, faster speeds, and higher smartphone adoption than the county average.
  • Rural townships: more LTE-only coverage, lower median speeds, and greater use of mobile hotspots and boosters; smartphone adoption trails urbanized parts of the county by several points.

Digital infrastructure points

• Carrier footprint and performance
  • T‑Mobile: mid‑band 5G covers Anamosa and Monticello and the US‑151 corridor, delivering the county’s fastest typical speeds where available.
  • Verizon: broad LTE with expanding C‑band 5G near major corridors; solid coverage but variable capacity outside towns.
  • AT&T: widespread low‑band 5G/LTE coverage with generally lower peak speeds than mid‑band deployments.
  • UScellular remains relevant in rural pockets, with strong LTE reach and more limited 5G.
• Coverage variability: River valleys and wooded terrain near the Wapsipinicon River (e.g., around Wapsipinicon State Park) and lower-lying areas between towns experience more dead zones and indoor signal challenges than the Iowa average.
• Fixed-wireless and hotspots: T‑Mobile and Verizon 5G/LTE home internet are available to many addresses in Anamosa and Monticello, with selective rural availability; mobile hotspots are a common substitute where wired broadband is scarce.
• Fiber and grants: Ongoing fiber expansions by regional providers and cooperatives are reducing unserved pockets, but completion is uneven; until those builds reach more farmsteads and exurban roads, mobile data remains a primary or backup connection for a noticeable minority of households.
• Public safety: Next‑Gen 911 and text‑to‑911 are supported; first-responder networks (FirstNet/AT&T and Verizon Frontline) have reliable coverage in towns, with rural in‑building coverage still dependent on low‑band spectrum and, at times, signal boosters.

Key trends vs Iowa

• Slightly lower smartphone adoption overall, driven by older age structure and rural topology.
• Higher dependence on smartphones as the primary internet connection where fixed broadband is limited or cost‑prohibitive.
• Slower and less consistent 5G availability and median speeds outside town centers, widening the urban‑rural performance gap within the county more than is typical statewide.
• Greater persistence of landlines than Iowa overall, aligning with the county’s age and rural profile.
• Higher practical use of mobile hotspots/boosters and carrier diversity (including UScellular) than in metro Iowa counties.

Notes on sources and methodology

• Figures synthesize 2018–2022 ACS “Computer and Internet Use” patterns, 2023–2024 national/state mobile adoption research (e.g., Pew/CDC wireless‑only), FCC coverage data, and 2024 public speed‑test aggregates. County values are localized estimates calibrated to Jones County’s rural profile and age mix, contrasted with Iowa statewide benchmarks.

Jones County, IA social media snapshot

Baseline

• Population: ≈20,646 (2020 Census)
• Residents age 13+: ≈17,550

Estimated social media users

• Total users (13+): ≈12,600 (≈72% of residents 13+; ≈61% of total population)

Users by age (share of local users and rough counts)

• 13–17: ~9% (≈1.2k)
• 18–29: ~18% (≈2.3k)
• 30–44: ~25% (≈3.2k)
• 45–64: ~34% (≈4.2k)
• 65+: ~14% (≈1.8k)

Gender breakdown (among users)

• Female ≈54%
• Male ≈46%
• Platform skews: Pinterest heavily female (75/25); Reddit and X skew male (65/35); Facebook slightly female (~54/46); TikTok and Instagram near parity

Most‑used platforms in Jones County (share of residents 13+ using each; estimated from age‑specific adoption; rounded)

• YouTube: 84% (14.7k users)
• Facebook: 66% (11.5k)
• Instagram: 48% (8.4k)
• TikTok: 35% (6.2k)
• Pinterest: 34% (6.0k)
• Snapchat: 29% (5.1k)
• LinkedIn: 28% (4.9k)
• X (Twitter): 22% (3.8k)
• Reddit: 22% (3.8k)

Behavioral trends and local usage patterns

• Facebook is the default community hub: school and sports updates, county/city pages, churches, buy‑sell‑trade groups, and Marketplace see daily engagement.
• YouTube is pervasive for how‑to content (home, auto, farm equipment), local livestreams, and outdoor recreation; Shorts consumption is rising.
• Under‑30s split time across Snapchat (streaks/DMs), Instagram (Stories/Reels), and TikTok (short‑form discovery). Cross‑posting between Reels and TikTok is common.
• Ages 45+ rely on Facebook for events and local news; sharing spikes around severe weather, road closures, and school announcements.
• Women over‑index on Facebook and Pinterest for recipes, DIY, and local shopping; men over‑index on YouTube, Reddit, and X for sports, tech, and farm/auto topics.
• Best‑performing local business content: practical promos, behind‑the‑scenes, employee spotlights, high‑school tie‑ins, and seasonal/weather‑relevant posts.
• Peak engagement windows: mornings (6–8 a.m.) and evenings (7–10 p.m.) on weekdays; weekend midday for community posts; Facebook Messenger is the dominant private channel for residents.

Method and sources

• Counts and age structure from 2020 U.S. Census for Jones County; platform adoption rates by age and gender from 2023–2024 Pew Research Center. Figures are modeled to the county’s age mix and rounded for clarity.