Louisa County

Louisa County, Iowa — key demographics

Population

• 10,837 (2020 Census)
• 10,7xx (2023 population estimate; slight decline vs. 2020)

Age and sex (ACS 5-year, latest available)

• Under 5 years: ~6–7%
• Under 18 years: ~24–25%
• 65 years and over: ~19%
• Female: ~49–50%

Race and ethnicity (ACS/QuickFacts)

• White alone: ~86–87%
• Black or African American alone: ~1%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.5%
• Asian alone: ~1%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0.1%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~19–20%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~73–75%

Households (ACS 5-year, latest available)

• Households: ~4,100
• Persons per household: ~2.6–2.7
• Owner-occupied housing unit rate: ~78–79%

Insights

• Notably diverse for rural Iowa, with roughly 1 in 5 residents Hispanic/Latino, driven by local food-processing employment.
• Age structure is balanced, with about one-fifth 65+, implying stable demand for both K–12 and senior services.
• Household size is slightly above the U.S. average, consistent with family-oriented labor migration patterns.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; American Community Survey 5-year estimates; QuickFacts for Louisa County, IA, most recent releases through 2023).

Louisa County, IA email usage (estimates)

• Population and density: ~10,800 residents (2020), ~27 people per sq mile.
• Estimated email users: ~8,000 residents (≈74% of total; ≈91% of adults).
• Age distribution (share using email; approx. users):
  • 13–17: ~70% (≈500)
  • 18–29: ~98% (≈1,700)
  • 30–49: ~96% (≈2,400)
  • 50–64: ~92% (≈1,900)
  • 65+: ~85% (≈1,500)
• Gender split: ~50% female, ~50% male among email users (negligible gender gap).
• Digital access trends:
  • ~80% of households subscribe to broadband; ~88–90% have a computer.
  • 12–15% are smartphone‑only internet users.
  • Fiber/cable coverage is strongest in and around Wapello and Columbus Junction; outlying rural areas depend more on DSL and fixed wireless.
  • Connectivity has improved since 2020 with ongoing rural fiber builds along major corridors (e.g., US‑61/IA‑92), lifting adoption and speeds.

Figures synthesize 2020 Census population with national email adoption by age and gender (Pew) and ACS-style broadband/computer ownership patterns typical of rural Iowa to provide county‑level estimates.

Mobile phone usage in Louisa County, Iowa (2024 estimates)

Overall adoption and usage

• Population and adult base: About 10,800 residents; roughly 8,200 adults (18+).
• Mobile phone users (any mobile): ~7,800 adults (≈95% of adults).
• Smartphone users: ~7,000 adults (≈85% of adults).
• Wireless-only households (no landline): ~3,260 of ~4,230 households (≈77%).
• Smartphone-only internet users (no home computer broadband): ~1,640 adults (≈20%).

Demographic breakdown (usage patterns)

• By age (share with a smartphone; local counts rounded):
  • 18–29: 96% (1,100 users) – highest app, social, and video use; heavy 5G use where available.
  • 30–49: 93% (2,520 users) – highest share of multi-line family plans; frequent tethering for homework and remote work.
  • 50–64: 86% (1,980 users) – strong adoption, growing use of banking/telehealth apps.
  • 65+: 68% (1,390 users) – adoption lags, but year-over-year growth continues as larger-screen 5G devices replace feature phones.
• By income:
  • Lower-income households are markedly more mobile-dependent: smartphone ownership remains high, but home fixed broadband adoption lags, pushing hotspot and “phone-as-primary-internet” use above the county average.
• By place:
  • Town centers (Wapello, Columbus Junction, Letts, Grandview, Morning Sun) show higher 5G and app usage; rural sections along the Iowa River bottoms have more LTE fallback and intermittent service.

Digital infrastructure snapshot

• Networks present: AT&T (including FirstNet Band 14), Verizon (including C-band 5G where deployed), T-Mobile (extensive mid-band 5G), and UScellular (strong LTE, selective 5G). Major MVNOs ride these networks and are widely used.
• Coverage:
  • 4G LTE: Broad coverage across populated areas and primary roads (US‑61, IA‑92, IA‑70, IA‑99).
  • 5G: Countywide low-band coverage from national carriers in and near towns; mid-band 5G concentrates along US‑61 and around Wapello and Columbus Junction, tapering in river-bottom terrain and wildlife areas (e.g., Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge).
• Performance:
  • Typical real-world mobile download speeds range from ~30–120 Mbps depending on carrier, location, and time of day; uploads commonly 5–20 Mbps; latency ~25–60 ms. Peak mid-band 5G speeds are achievable along US‑61 and in town centers; rural edges often fall back to LTE with lower throughput.
• Backhaul and resiliency:
  • Fiber backhaul follows highway and rail corridors; upgraded FirstNet/AT&T sites and Verizon C-band buildouts since 2021 have improved capacity on key towers. River-bottom topography and tree cover still create localized dead zones and handoff issues on gravel-road segments.

How Louisa County differs from Iowa overall

• Higher mobile dependence:
  • Wireless-only households run higher (≈77% in Louisa vs low-70s statewide), reflecting fewer competitive fixed-fiber options outside town centers and stronger reliance on mobile voice and data.
  • Smartphone-only internet use is higher (≈20% vs mid-teens statewide), particularly among lower-income and multilingual households.
• Coverage and speeds:
  • 5G mid-band coverage is spottier than state averages driven by Iowa’s metro corridors; Louisa users see more LTE fallback and more variable speeds, especially in the Iowa River bottoms and conservation areas.
• Demographics and adoption:
  • Younger working families and a sizable rural labor force keep overall smartphone adoption near state levels, but seniors’ adoption trails the statewide 65+ rate, widening the gap in telehealth and mobile banking use among older residents.
• Usage patterns:
  • Greater reliance on mobile hotspots for homework and shift‑work coordination than the state average, tied to school connectivity initiatives and shift-based manufacturing and agriculture schedules.

Notes on estimation

• Figures synthesize 2022–2023 ACS county demographics, state and rural smartphone adoption benchmarks, CDC/NCHS wireless-only household rates, and FCC/FirstNet coverage filings mapped to Louisa County’s geography. Numbers are rounded to reflect the scale of the county and typical year-to-year variation.

Social media usage in Louisa County, Iowa (modeled to local population using U.S. Census 2020 and Pew Research Center 2023–2024 usage rates)

Population base

• Total population: ~10,837
• 18+ adults (est. 77%): ~8,344
• Teens 13–17 (est. 6.5%): ~704
• People 13+ (adults + teens): ~9,048

Overall user stats (13+)

• Use at least one social platform: 6,675 people (73.8% of 13+)
• Adults 18+ who use social media: 6,006 (72% of adults)
• Teens 13–17 who use social media: 669 (95% of teens)

Most-used platforms in Louisa County (estimated users and share of 13+)

• YouTube: 7,594 users (83.9%)
• Facebook: 5,836 (64.5%)
• Instagram: 4,338 (48.0%)
• TikTok: 3,198 (35.3%)
• Snapchat: 2,925 (32.3%)
• Pinterest: 2,920 (32.3%)
• LinkedIn: 2,503 (27.7%)
• WhatsApp: 2,420 (26.7%)
• X (Twitter): 1,836 (20.3%)
• Reddit: 1,836 (20.3%)
• Nextdoor: 1,585 (17.5%)

Age-group patterns

• Teens (13–17): Very high YouTube (95%); TikTok (63%), Snapchat (60%), Instagram (59%) lead; Facebook is niche (~23%).
• Young adults (18–29): Heaviest on Instagram/Snapchat/TikTok; strong YouTube; Facebook still common but secondary.
• 30–49: Broadest multi-platform use; Facebook and YouTube anchor; Instagram solid; LinkedIn meaningful for professionals; WhatsApp/Pinterest moderate.
• 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest moderate; TikTok/Instagram smaller but growing.
• 65+: Primarily Facebook (for family, community) and YouTube (news/how-to); limited use of newer apps.

Gender breakdown (pattern, not totals)

• Overall social media usage is roughly even by gender in aggregate.
• Platform skews: Pinterest strongly female; Facebook modestly female-leaning; Instagram slightly female-leaning; YouTube slightly male-leaning; Reddit and X (Twitter) male-leaning; Snapchat mixed to slightly female-leaning; LinkedIn balanced to slightly male-leaning.

Behavioral trends observed in rural Midwestern counties (applicable to Louisa County)

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups (schools, churches, youth sports, local government), Events, and especially Marketplace for buy/sell/trade.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how-to, local sports highlights, ag/DIY content; short-form video (Reels/TikTok) drives discovery for local businesses and events.
• Messaging over posting: Younger users rely on Snapchat and Instagram DMs; adults use Facebook Messenger; WhatsApp pockets exist for family/work coordination.
• Lurkers > posters: Most users consume and react; a smaller core creates content, especially in Groups and short-form video.
• Local news and alerts: Weather, road closures, school updates, and public safety posts see high engagement on Facebook.
• Seasonality: Spikes around school-year sports, county fair, holidays, and harvest-related content; weekends and evenings see higher engagement.
• Commerce: Marketplace and local business pages are primary for product discovery; couponing and limited-time offers drive clicks more than long-form posts.
• Trust and authenticity: User-generated photos/videos, recognizable local faces, and plain-language posts outperform polished corporate-style creative.

Notes on methodology

• Population: U.S. Census 2020 for Louisa County.
• Adult platform reach and “any social media” rates: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (U.S. adults).
• Teen platform rates: Pew Research Center, Teens, Social Media and Technology 2023.
• Local figures are modeled by applying national usage rates to the county’s age cohorts; treat as directional, county-calibrated estimates.