Madison County

Madison County, Iowa — key demographics

Population

• 2023 population estimate: ~16,800 (2020 Census: 16,548)
• Population growth since 2010: modest, steady

Age

• Median age: ~41 years
• Under 18: ~24%
• 65 and over: ~19%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and ethnicity

• White: ~95–96%
• Black or African American: ~0.5–1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.3%
• Asian: ~0.3–0.5%
• Two or more races: ~3%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2–3%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~6,500
• Average household size: ~2.6
• Family households: ~70% of households; married-couple households: ~55–57%
• Households with children under 18: ~28%
• One-person households: ~25%
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~79–80%; renter-occupied: ~20–21%

Insights

• Small, steadily growing rural county with an older-than-national median age.
• Predominantly White with a small but gradually increasing multiracial and Hispanic population.
• High owner-occupancy and family household share, consistent with rural Iowa patterns.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2023 Population Estimates Program).

Madison County, IA snapshot (population ≈16.6k; land area ≈561 sq mi; density ≈30 people/sq mi).

Estimated email users: ≈15,000 (≈90% of residents).

Age distribution of email users (share of users):

• Under 18: 22.6%
• 18–29: 12.8%
• 30–49: 26.3%
• 50–64: 20.4%
• 65+: 17.9%

Gender split among email users:

• Female: ≈50.5%
• Male: ≈49.5%

Digital access and connectivity:

• Households with a broadband subscription: ≈86%
• Fixed broadband availability (≥25/3 Mbps): ≈95% of residents; fiber availability ≈35%
• Smartphone‑only internet households: ≈11%
• Rural dispersion (≈30/sq mi) leads to stronger wireline options in and near Winterset and along main corridors, with more reliance on fixed‑wireless/satellite in sparsely populated tracts

Trends and insights:

• High adult email adoption mirrors national norms; usage remains near‑universal among 18–64 and strong among seniors, supported by telehealth, government services, and school communications
• Email remains the default for account verification, billing, and agriculture/business supplier communications, reinforced by steadily improving but uneven last‑mile infrastructure

Notes: Counts are derived from county population and age structure with standard U.S. email‑adoption rates by age and ACS-style broadband subscription measures.

Mobile phone usage in Madison County, Iowa — summary and county–state contrasts

Context and scale

• Population baseline: 16,548 residents (2020 Census). Rural settlement patterns and rolling terrain shape both adoption and coverage.

User estimates (people using mobile phones)

• Overall mobile phone users: roughly 14,000–15,000 residents (about 85–90% of the total population), consistent with high national mobile ownership and slightly below Iowa’s statewide profile due to the county’s rural mix.
• Adult users (18+): about 12,500–13,000 adults use a mobile phone.
• Smartphone users: approximately 12,000–13,500 residents (about 75–82% of the total population), a few points lower than Iowa overall.

Demographic breakdown of use

• Age
  • 18–34: near-universal mobile ownership and ~95–99% smartphone use; parity with Iowa.
  • 35–64: high ownership with smartphone use around 90%+; 1–3 points lower than Iowa.
  • 65+: smartphone use materially lower (roughly 70–78%), below the Iowa senior average by several points; basic/flip-phone retention is higher than the state.
• Income and work
  • Lower-income and fixed-income households rely more on prepaid plans and keep devices longer, contributing to slightly lower smartphone penetration and slower device refresh than Iowa overall.
  • A higher share of “cellular-only internet” reliance (households depending on a phone hotspot or cellular plan rather than a wired broadband subscription) compared with the state; this boosts mobile data usage but can depress in-home Wi‑Fi device ecosystems.
• Household phone service
  • Wireless-only households (no landline) are the norm and trend slightly above the statewide share, reflecting rural adoption of mobile as primary voice service.

Digital infrastructure and coverage

• Carriers present: AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile, and UScellular actively serve the county; MVNOs ride these networks.
• 5G availability
  • T‑Mobile mid‑band (5G UC) covers Winterset and primary corridors; strongest 5G capacity in and near town.
  • Verizon C‑band appears along main routes and population centers; broader LTE elsewhere with 5G DSS infill.
  • AT&T provides broad low‑band 5G/4G coverage with FirstNet public‑safety capacity; mid‑band capacity is more localized.
  • UScellular maintains solid LTE coverage in rural stretches, with selective 5G overlays.
• Terrain and dead zones: River valleys, timber, and low-density southern and western townships produce more pockets of weak signal than typical in Iowa’s metro counties. In‑building coverage is notably better in Winterset than in outlying areas.
• Backhaul and fiber: Cable/fiber backhaul is concentrated in and around Winterset; outside town, more sites depend on microwave or longer fiber laterals, which can limit peak capacity compared with Iowa’s urban counties.

How Madison County differs from Iowa overall

• Slightly lower smartphone penetration and a higher share of basic/legacy handsets among seniors than the state average.
• More cellular-only internet dependence, raising mobile data usage but reflecting gaps in wired broadband adoption outside town.
• Coverage quality (especially 5G capacity) is more “town‑centric”: strong in Winterset and along US‑169/IA‑92, thinner between towns, whereas Iowa’s metro counties enjoy more uniform 5G mid‑band capacity.
• Device replacement cycles run longer and prepaid usage is higher than in urban/suburban Iowa, affecting the mix of 5G‑capable devices on the network.
• Network performance is more constrained by terrain and backhaul in rural tracts than the statewide norm, leading to wider variability in speeds and reliability outside population centers.

Practical implications

• Marketing and service planning: Emphasize strong in‑town 5G performance and reliable LTE coverage on commuter corridors; address rural gaps with external antennas, Wi‑Fi calling, or fixed wireless where fiber/cable is absent.
• Public services and safety: FirstNet/AT&T coverage is a differentiator for agencies; additional macro sites or small cells would disproportionately benefit southern and western townships.
• Digital equity: Programs that pair affordable plans with modern devices will move the senior and low‑income adoption needle faster than statewide averages, given the county’s current device mix and cellular‑only reliance.

Social media usage in Madison County, IA (2025 snapshot)

Population and access

• Residents: ≈16,500 (ACS 2023 est.); adults (18+): ≈12,700
• Households with broadband subscription: ≈84%
• Adult smartphone ownership: ≈88%

Overall social media reach

• Adults using at least one social platform: ≈80% (≈10,100 adults)

Most-used platforms among adults (share of all adults)

• YouTube: 79%
• Facebook: 72%
• Facebook Messenger: 60%
• Instagram: 36%
• Pinterest: 31%
• TikTok: 27%
• Snapchat: 25%
• X (Twitter): 16%
• LinkedIn: 15%
• Reddit: 13%
• Nextdoor: 9%

Age-group usage (share using any social platform; top platforms in each group)

• 18–29: 95% use social; Instagram (70%), YouTube (88%), Snapchat (62%), TikTok (55%), Facebook (45%)
• 30–49: 88% use social; Facebook (74%), YouTube (82%), Instagram (44%), TikTok (30%), Snapchat (28%)
• 50–64: 76% use social; Facebook (70%), YouTube (74%), Pinterest (35%), Instagram (26%)
• 65+: 58% use social; Facebook (60%), YouTube (55%), Pinterest (22%)

Gender breakdown (adults)

• Any social platform: women 81%, men 78%
• Platform skews:
  • Women: Facebook 75%, Pinterest 45%, Instagram 38%, TikTok 29%, Snapchat 28%
  • Men: YouTube 82%, Facebook 68%, Instagram 33%, X 19%, Reddit 18%

Behavioral trends

• Facebook is the community hub: school updates, local government announcements, buy/sell/trade groups, high school sports, county fair content; strongest organic reach for local organizations
• Video-first consumption is rising: short-form (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) dominates under 35; YouTube long-form remains strong for how-to, ag/maintenance, weather, and church services
• Messaging over public posting: heavy reliance on Facebook Messenger and Snapchat for day-to-day coordination and family communication
• Participation pattern: majority are “viewers” (≈65–70% primarily consume), with a smaller creator core (≈10%) driving most local posts; photo posts and short videos outperform text updates
• Timing: engagement clusters in evenings (7–10 p.m.) and weekends; weather events and local news spikes drive atypical surges
• Advertising/CTA response: highest for practical, local offers (home services, events, seasonal agriculture), especially when paired with location and event targeting on Facebook/Instagram

Notes on method

• Figures are localized estimates for Madison County derived from 2024 Pew Research social media adoption by age/urbanicity and 2019–2023 ACS demographics/internet access, adjusted to the county’s population profile. Percentages reflect share of all adults (not just social users) and sum to more than 100% because platforms overlap.