Lee County

Lee County, Iowa — key demographics

Population size

• 33,555 (2020 Census)
• 2023 estimate: ~33,100 (continued gradual decline since 2010)

Age

• Median age: ~43 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and over: ~20%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Racial/ethnic composition (Hispanic is of any race; shares may overlap)

• White alone: ~88–89%
• Black or African American alone: ~5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.3–0.4%
• Asian alone: ~0.6–0.8%
• Two or more races: ~4–5%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~4–5%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~85%

Households

• Total households: ~13,700
• Persons per household: ~2.30
• Family households: ~8,600; average family size: ~2.8–2.9
• Households with children under 18: ~27%
• One-person households: ~31%
• 65+ living alone: ~13%
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~74%

Key insights

• Aging population (about 1 in 5 residents are 65+)
• Small, gradual population decline
• Predominantly White with modest racial/ethnic diversity
• Smaller household sizes than the U.S. average and high owner-occupancy rate

• Population and density: ~33,500 residents; ≈65 people per square mile.
• Estimated email users: ~24,000 adults (≈90% of the 18+ population), with near‑universal use among working‑age adults and strong but slightly lower uptake among seniors.
• Age profile of users (approximate counts):
  • 18–29: ~4,100
  • 30–49: ~7,200
  • 50–64: ~6,000
  • 65+: ~6,300
• Gender split among users: ~51% female, 49% male (email adoption is essentially even by gender).
• Digital access and trends:
  • ~80% of households have a broadband subscription; ~90% have a computer/smartphone.
  • Smartphone‑only internet users: ~12–15% of adults.
  • Email is used daily by most employed adults and students; senior adoption continues to rise as smartphone and telehealth use increase.
  • Fixed broadband (cable/fiber) is widely available in Fort Madison and Keokuk; rural townships rely more on DSL and fixed wireless, with ongoing fiber build‑outs improving speeds and reliability.
• Local connectivity context: Household broadband adoption and median speeds have improved since 2019, but coverage gaps persist in lower‑density areas, consistent with the county’s mixed urban‑rural settlement pattern.

Summary of mobile phone usage in Lee County, Iowa (modeled 2024, using 2020 Census counts, 2018–2022 ACS S2801 patterns for device/subscription, and 2023–2024 Pew Research adoption rates; figures rounded)

Headline takeaways that differ from the Iowa statewide picture

• Slightly lower adult smartphone penetration (about 2–4 percentage points below the state average), but higher reliance on mobile as the primary home internet connection.
• Older population structure elevates gaps among seniors, making age the strongest predictor of non-adoption locally.
• 5G coverage is present in the two population centers (Fort Madison, Keokuk) and along major corridors, but rural dead zones persist more than in the state overall, reinforcing mobile-only behavior where fixed broadband is limited.

User estimates

• Population and adults: ~33,600 residents; ~26,300 adults (18+).
• Adult smartphone users: ~22,700 (≈86% of adults).
• Any mobile phone (smartphone or basic): ~24,800 adults (≈94% of adults).
• Households: ~14,000.
• Households with a cellular data plan (any device): ~10,100 (≈72% of households).
• Mobile-only broadband households (use mobile data but no fixed home broadband): ~3,000 (≈21–23%), higher than the statewide share (≈16–18%).
• Prepaid share among mobile subscribers: elevated versus the state, driven by price sensitivity; estimate ≈28–32% of lines (state ≈24–27%).

Demographic breakdown (ownership and reliance)

• By age (adult smartphone ownership; estimated):
  • 18–34: ~96% (near-saturation).
  • 35–64: ~91–93%.
  • 65+: ~65–70% (state ~70–75%); seniors drive most of the local gap.
• Income (household; mobile-only reliance):
  • <$35k: ~32–36% mobile-only.
  • $35k–$75k: ~20–23% mobile-only.
  • $75k+: ~9–12% mobile-only.
• Urban vs rural within the county:
  • Fort Madison/Keokuk tracts: higher 5G availability and higher reported use of video/OTT on mobile; mobile-only ~18–21%.
  • Outlying rural tracts: more coverage variability; mobile-only ~24–28% where fixed broadband is weakest.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • County is majority White and older than the state average; after adjusting for age/income, ownership gaps by race are small. Hispanic and Black residents show slightly higher mobile-only reliance (national pattern reflected locally).

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Networks present: AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and UScellular operate in the county. All provide LTE; 5G is live in and around Fort Madison and Keokuk and along US-61/US-218 corridors.
• 5G mix:
  • T-Mobile’s low/mid-band 5G covers the population centers and main corridors; widest 5G footprint.
  • Verizon mid-band (C-band) is concentrated in towns and along US-61; LTE carries more rural load.
  • AT&T low-band 5G broadly present in towns; LTE prevalent outside them.
  • UScellular supplies important LTE coverage fill-in in rural tracts; 5G availability is spottier than statewide.
• Terrain effects: Mississippi River bluffs, river valley bends, and rolling timbered areas create signal shadowing and more dead zones than the statewide average, notably along lesser-traveled county roads and in pockets north/west of Keokuk.
• Capacity and performance (typical ranges observed in comparable southeast Iowa micropolitan areas):
  • Town cores on mid-band 5G: ~100–300 Mbps down; uplink 10–35 Mbps.
  • Rural LTE: ~5–30 Mbps down; uplink 2–10 Mbps; occasional sub‑5 Mbps in dead spots.
• Device mix implications: Above-average share of budget Android and LTE-only devices compared with statewide; contributes to lower realized speeds even where 5G is present.
• Fixed-broadband context: Cable/fiber are available in the two cities, but DSL or fixed wireless still dominates many rural addresses. This patchiness materially drives the county’s higher mobile-only rate versus Iowa overall.

Usage patterns and implications for Lee County

• Work and schooling: Mobile hotspots and phone tethering are used more frequently than the state average by lower-income and rural households for homework and shift-work scheduling.
• Media and social: Video streaming on mobile is common in town, but rural caps/throttling prompt more conservative usage; residents report off-peak usage patterns more than state peers.
• Public safety and coverage resiliency: Coverage is robust along US-61/US-218 and within Fort Madison/Keokuk. Volunteer fire/EMS territories and river-adjacent zones see more carrier-to-carrier variability; multi-carrier device pools are more common among public entities than statewide.

How Lee County differs from the state-level trend (concise)

• Adoption: Adults with smartphones ≈86% vs Iowa ≈88–90%.
• Reliance: Mobile-only households ≈21–23% vs Iowa ≈16–18%.
• Seniors: 65+ adoption ≈65–70% vs Iowa ≈70–75%.
• 5G footprint: Present but more discontinuous outside town cores; rural reliability gaps larger than the state average.
• Prepaid and budget devices: Higher share than statewide, aligning with below-average county income.

Notes on methodology and data vintage

• Population/households from 2020 Census baselines. Ownership and subscription rates synthesized from ACS 2018–2022 device/subscription tables and 2023–2024 national/rural smartphone adoption benchmarks, adjusted to Lee County’s age, income, and urban–rural mix. Figures are rounded, with typical statistical uncertainty of ±2–4 percentage points at the county level.

Lee County, Iowa social media usage (2025 snapshot)

Headline numbers

• Adult residents (18+): ~26,500 of ~33,500 total
• Adult social media users: ~19,000 (≈72% penetration)
• Daily social media users: ~12,000–13,000 (≈45–50% of all adults)

Age mix of adult users

• 18–29: ~20% of users
• 30–49: ~40% of users
• 50–64: ~28% of users
• 65+: ~13% of users

Gender breakdown of adult users

• Female: ~52%
• Male: ~48%
• Platform skews: women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adult residents)

• YouTube: ~80% (≈21,000). Daily: ~50%
• Facebook: ~72% (≈19,000). Daily: ~55%; strongest in 30+ and 50+
• Instagram: ~38% (≈10,000). Daily: ~35%; strongest in 18–34
• TikTok: ~27% (≈7,000). Daily: ~25%; strong in under 35
• Snapchat: ~25% (≈6,500). Daily: ~30% of 18–29; limited 35+
• Pinterest: ~30% (≈8,000). Majority female; strong for home, crafts, recipes
• X (Twitter): ~18% (≈4,800). Local news/sports, emergencies
• LinkedIn: ~18% (≈4,800). Professional/healthcare/education hiring
• Reddit: ~14% (≈3,700). Skews male 18–34
• Nextdoor: ~5% (≈1,300). Limited neighborhood coverage

Behavioral trends

• Community-first usage: Facebook Groups and Pages (cities, schools, churches, youth sports, festivals) and Marketplace dominate engagement and drive event attendance and local commerce.
• Peak activity windows: Evenings 7–10 p.m., lunchtime, and Sunday afternoons; weather and school athletics create spikes in local news consumption.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger is the default for most adults; Snapchat is the primary chat channel for under 30.
• Video consumption: Short-form video (Reels/TikTok) is rising across 18–44; YouTube remains the go-to for how‑to content, product research, and local sports highlights.
• Shopping and recommendations: Marketplace, local buy/sell/trade groups, and “ISO” posts drive high-intent discovery; Pinterest supports planning in home, DIY, and food.
• News and alerts: City, county, school district, and radio/TV Facebook pages are the top sources for local updates, closures, and public safety notices.
• Recruiting: Facebook outperforms LinkedIn for hourly, retail, hospitality, and skilled trades; LinkedIn works best for healthcare, education, and management roles.
• Cross-posting: Small businesses frequently post to Instagram with auto-share to Facebook; Stories are used for timely promotions, while Reels reach beyond county followers.

Method note and sources

• Figures are 2025 county-level estimates derived by applying Pew Research Center’s 2023–2024 U.S. platform adoption and daily-use rates to Lee County’s age/gender makeup from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2022–2023). County-specific platform reporting is not directly published; the modeled values align with observed patterns in rural Midwestern counties.