Monroe County

Monroe County, Iowa – key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau: 2020 Decennial Census; 2018–2022 ACS 5-year; 2022 population estimates)

Population

• Total population: 7,577 (2020 Census); ~7,5xx in 2022 estimates (slight decline since 2010)

Age

• Median age: ~44 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18–64: ~57%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Gender

• Female: ~49.5%
• Male: ~50.5%

Race/ethnicity (ACS, share of total)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~94–95%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~2–3%
• Two or more races, non-Hispanic: ~2%
• Black or African American, non-Hispanic: ~0.3%
• Asian, non-Hispanic: ~0.4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native, non-Hispanic: ~0.3%

Households and housing

• Total households: ~3,100–3,200
• Average household size: ~2.3–2.4
• Family households: ~64%
• Married-couple families: ~52%
• Households with children <18: ~25%
• One-person households: ~28–30%
• Housing units: ~3,500
• Owner-occupied rate: ~80%
• Vacancy rate: ~7–8%

Insights

• Small, aging population with about one in five residents 65+
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White with limited racial/ethnic diversity
• High owner-occupancy and smaller household sizes typical of rural Iowa

Monroe County, IA email landscape

• Population/density: 7,577 residents (2020) across ~434 sq mi; ~17.5 people/sq mi.
• Estimated email users: ~5,980 (≈79% of total population; ≈92% of residents age 13+).
• Age mix of email users: 13–17: 6.9%; 18–34: 22.4%; 35–54: 30.5%; 55–64: 16.4%; 65+: 23.8%.
• Gender split among email users: ~50.5% female, 49.5% male.

Digital access and connectivity

• Home broadband subscriptions: ~83% of households; smartphone‑only internet: ~14% of households.
• Fixed broadband availability: ~85% of locations can get ≥100/20 Mbps service; >99% population covered by 4G LTE.
• Network footprint: Fiber/cable concentrated in Albia and along primary corridors; fixed wireless commonly serves outlying areas; public/library Wi‑Fi in Albia and nearby towns augments access.

Insights

• Email is near‑universal among working‑age adults and strong among seniors, yielding ~6k reachable users countywide.
• The small, dispersed population (17.5/sq mi) raises last‑mile costs, so rural households rely more on fixed wireless and smartphone‑only access, which correlates with slightly lower home‑broadband adoption than urban Iowa.

Mobile phone usage in Monroe County, Iowa — 2025 snapshot

County context

• Population: ~7,480 residents (2023 Census estimate); ~3,100 households; land area ~434 sq mi (≈17 people/sq mi), indicating a sparsely populated, rural service environment.
• Age: ~22% of residents are 65+, versus ~17% statewide. The older profile depresses smartphone uptake relative to Iowa overall.
• Income: Median household income ≈$60,000 (vs ≈$70,000 statewide), a factor that increases prepaid plans and “smartphone-only” internet reliance.

User estimates (adults and households)

• Any mobile phone users: ~6,900 residents (≈92% of the population), slightly below Iowa’s ≈94–95%.
• Smartphone users: ~5,800 residents (≈78% of residents; ≈88% of adults), versus Iowa at roughly ≈84% of residents (≈92% of adults).
• Smartphone-only internet (no fixed home broadband): ~1,100 adults (≈20% of adults), meaningfully higher than Iowa’s ≈14–16%. This reflects both income and fixed-broadband gaps in rural areas.
• Wireless-only voice households (no landline): ≈72% of adults live in wireless-only households, a bit above the Iowa average (~69–70%).
• Households with a cellular data plan: ≈2,250–2,400 households (≈72–78%), below Iowa’s ≈80–85%.
• Households without any internet subscription: ≈15–20% locally, above Iowa’s ≈10–13%.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Seniors (65+): Make up ~22% of the county; smartphone ownership among this group is notably lower than among younger adults, contributing to a countywide adoption gap versus the state.
• Working-age adults (25–64): Highest smartphone adoption and data usage; a material share use mobile hotspots or 5G home internet as their primary home connection.
• Youth (13–24): Near-universal smartphone access; heavy app/social/video use but constrained by patchy coverage outside towns.
• Income and plan type: Lower median income correlates with a higher prepaid share and tighter data budgets than the state average; this increases Wi‑Fi offload behavior in town centers and at home where fixed broadband exists.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Networks present: AT&T (including FirstNet), Verizon, T‑Mobile, and UScellular all operate in and around Monroe County.
• 5G availability: Present in and around Albia and along major corridors (e.g., US‑34, IA‑5), with T‑Mobile’s mid‑band 5G most consistently available in town. Outside population centers, coverage often reverts to LTE, and signals can be attenuated by terrain and timber near river valleys.
• Typical speeds observed locally:
  • In-town 5G (mid‑band where available): ~100–300 Mbps down, 10–30 Mbps up, with low latency.
  • LTE or low‑band 5G outside towns: ~10–40 Mbps down, 2–10 Mbps up; performance varies with distance to sites and foliage.
  • Compared to Iowa statewide medians, Monroe County experiences lower and more variable speeds, reflecting sparser site density.
• Coverage gaps: Likely along wooded valleys and low-lying areas away from highways and town centers; farm and gravel roads can see signal drops, particularly indoors without modern devices or carrier aggregation.
• 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) for home internet: Available to many addresses in and near Albia from T‑Mobile and, more selectively, Verizon. Estimated adoption is ~10–15% of households—higher than the state average—driven by competitive pricing and limited wired options outside town.
• Backhaul and site density: Fewer macro sites per square mile than urban Iowa; microwave and regional fiber backhaul support most towers, with newer upgrades clustered near Albia and along main transport routes. This limits capacity scaling compared with metro counties.

How Monroe County differs from the Iowa state-level trend

• Adoption: Lower overall smartphone penetration and a larger gap among seniors due to an older population mix.
• Access pattern: Higher share of smartphone-only and mobile-first households, reflecting both affordability choices and fixed-broadband availability outside town.
• Network quality: More variable speeds and reliability; users experience strong mid‑band 5G in town but rely on LTE/low‑band 5G with modest throughput in outlying areas.
• Carrier mix: UScellular remains a meaningful option alongside the three national carriers, whereas many urban Iowa areas are dominated by the national trio.
• Investment focus: Upgrades concentrate around Albia and primary corridors first, with slower expansion into low-density areas than seen around Iowa’s metro counties.

Key takeaways

• Expect robust, modern 5G performance in Albia and along main highways, but plan for LTE or lower‑band 5G with modest speeds in rural stretches.
• A sizable minority of households rely on mobile data as their primary home internet, materially above the state average.
• The county’s older age structure and lower median income dampen smartphone penetration and raise the prevalence of prepaid and smartphone‑only usage compared with Iowa overall.

Monroe County, Iowa — Social Media Usage Snapshot (2025)

Scope and method: County-level figures are modeled from Pew Research Center’s 2024 US social media adoption (with rural adjustments) and the county’s age/sex profile from the U.S. Census. Percentages refer to adults (18+) unless noted.

Overall penetration

• Adults using at least one social platform: ~80%
• Daily users among social media adults: ~70%

Most-used platforms (share of adults)

• YouTube: ~80%
• Facebook: ~70%
• Facebook Messenger: ~60%
• Instagram: ~38%
• TikTok: ~30%
• Pinterest: ~30%
• Snapchat: ~28%
• LinkedIn: ~20%
• X (Twitter): ~19%
• Reddit: ~18%
• Nextdoor: <5% (limited rural footprint)

Age groups (share of local social media users)

• 18–29: ~22%
• 30–49: ~35%
• 50–64: ~24%
• 65+: ~19% Notes: Younger adults over-index on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; 65+ concentrate on Facebook and YouTube.

Gender breakdown (share of local social media users)

• Female: ~53%
• Male: ~47% Platform skews: Women over-index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over-index on YouTube, Reddit, and X.

Teens (13–17) highlights

• Any platform: ~95%
• Top apps: YouTube (95%), TikTok (63%), Snapchat (60%), Instagram (59%), Facebook (~33%)
• Behavior: Heavy short-form video and messaging; Facebook usage is primarily for school, sports, and community announcements.

Behavioral trends in Monroe County

• Facebook is the community hub: school athletics, churches, city/county updates, buy/sell/trade, lost-and-found, obituaries, local fundraisers.
• Marketplace is a primary channel for local commerce (farm/ranch equipment, vehicles, furniture), with high evening and weekend activity.
• YouTube usage centers on ag/DIY, hunting/fishing, small-engine repair, weather, and local sports highlights.
• Instagram is used by small businesses for promotions; Reels drive reach more than feed posts.
• TikTok/Snapchat dominate among teens and young adults; usage peaks evenings (7–10 p.m. CT).
• LinkedIn adoption is modest; professional networking often happens in Facebook Groups.
• Information needs are hyperlocal: storm and road conditions, school closings, local events (4-H/FFA, county fair), and high school sports.
• Messaging is clustered around Facebook Messenger and SMS; WhatsApp usage is low outside specific groups.

Sources: Pew Research Center (Social Media Use, 2024; Teens, 2023) and U.S. Census Bureau (Monroe County demographics). Figures are best-available local estimates derived from those datasets.