Pottawattamie County

Pottawattamie County, Iowa — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau)

Population size

• 93,667 (2020 Census)
• ~93,800 (2023 Census population estimate)

Age

• Median age: ~38.7 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~23%
• 65 and over: ~17%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~86%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~8%
• Black or African American: ~2–3%
• Asian: ~1%
• American Indian and Alaska Native: ~1%
• Two or more races and other: ~3–4%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Total households: ~37,000–38,000
• Average household size: ~2.45–2.50
• Family households: ~61% of households
  • Married-couple families: ~45% of households
• Nonfamily households: ~39%
  • One-person households: ~31–33%

Notes: Figures are rounded for clarity. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2023 Population Estimates.

Email usage snapshot: Pottawattamie County, Iowa

• Estimated email users: ≈76,000 residents. Basis: ~97,000 total population (U.S. Census 2023 est.) combined with high internet/email adoption typical of the U.S. (Pew: ~90%+ of adults use email) and local broadband subscription levels.
• Age distribution (email adoption rates applied locally):
  • 18–29: ~99% use email
  • 30–49: ~98%
  • 50–64: ~96%
  • 65+: ~80–85%
  • Teens (13–17): ~80–90%
• Gender split: Near parity; men ~90% and women ~92% use email (Pew), implying an approximately 50/50 user base locally.
• Digital access trends:
  • Households with a broadband subscription: mid‑80s percent; households with a computer: ~90%+ (ACS 2018–2022 5‑year estimates for Pottawattamie County).
  • Broadband availability is widespread in urbanized Council Bluffs and along major corridors, with most locations served at 100/20 Mbps and substantial gigabit coverage; rural areas show lower speeds and subscription rates (FCC Broadband Map 2023).
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Population density is roughly 100 people per square mile across ~950 square miles, with connectivity concentrated in Council Bluffs (adjacent to Omaha’s metro backbone), while more rural townships face the largest gaps.

Overall: strong email penetration driven by high broadband/computer access, with remaining disparities concentrated among seniors and rural residents.

Mobile phone usage in Pottawattamie County, IA — summary and county-versus-state highlights

Overview

• Pottawattamie County is a mixed urban–rural market anchored by Council Bluffs and integrated with the Omaha–Council Bluffs metro. That proximity has accelerated 5G deployment and capacity compared with many Iowa counties of similar size, while rural pockets (especially in and around the Loess Hills) still experience coverage variability.

User estimates (2023–2024 best-available benchmarks applied to county population)

• Population base: approximately 95,000–97,000 residents.
• Active mobile subscriptions: roughly 110,000–115,000 lines in service (derived from the CTIA U.S. average of ~119 mobile subscriptions per 100 residents).
• Adult smartphone users: approximately 66,000–72,000 adults (derived from Pew Research 2023 U.S. smartphone adoption ~90% among adults, adjusted for Pottawattamie’s adult share of the population).
• Mobile-only internet households: on the order of the mid-teens percent of households (estimated 13–17%), reflecting a somewhat higher reliance on cellular data in lower-income areas of Council Bluffs than Iowa’s statewide average.

Demographic breakdown and adoption patterns

• Age: Smartphone adoption is effectively universal among younger adults (18–34) and high among middle-aged adults; the primary adoption gap is among seniors 65+, where smartphone uptake trails the county average. Because Pottawattamie has a slightly younger metro-facing cohort than many rural Iowa counties, overall adoption skews closer to the U.S. average than the statewide rural profile.
• Income: Lower-income households show a higher propensity to be “mobile-only” (cellular data but no fixed broadband). This rate appears somewhat higher in Council Bluffs census tracts than the Iowa average, driven by cost sensitivity and acceptable 5G performance for streaming and messaging.
• Urban–rural divide: Residents in Council Bluffs and along I-80/I-29 corridors show higher 5G usage (and greater multi-line family plan penetration) than residents in rural western and northeastern parts of the county, where signal quality and capacity are more variable.

Digital infrastructure and market features

• 5G footprint: Mid-band 5G from the national carriers is broadly available in and around Council Bluffs and along major corridors (I‑80, I‑29), with earlier and denser deployment than most non-metro Iowa counties due to spillover from Omaha’s market build-outs.
• Coverage gaps: Terrain in the Loess Hills and exurban stretches can produce dead zones or LTE fallback, particularly indoors and off-corridor. This gap is narrower than in many western Iowa counties but remains meaningful outside the metro core.
• Capacity and speeds: Median 5G speeds in the Omaha–Council Bluffs urban area are typically well above rural Iowa medians, supporting mobile video and hotspot use; rural in-county speeds are more variable. In-building penetration is strongest where mid-band 5G overlays low-band coverage; older structures with dense materials still see attenuation.
• Carrier landscape: All three national carriers serve the county; competition is strongest in the metro area. UScellular has a footprint in western Iowa but is less dominant here than in northern/central rural counties. AT&T’s FirstNet (Band 14) presence supports public safety users countywide.
• Public access points: Libraries, schools, healthcare facilities, and municipal buildings in Council Bluffs provide free Wi‑Fi that backstops mobile data constraints; usage of these access points remains above statewide averages in lower-income tracts.

How Pottawattamie differs from Iowa statewide

• Faster 5G adoption and usage in the metro core: Proximity to Omaha has pulled forward 5G availability and capacity relative to the Iowa average, particularly for T‑Mobile mid-band and Verizon/AT&T mid-band overlays. This translates into higher rates of mobile video, hotspot use, and multi-line plans in and near Council Bluffs than statewide.
• Higher mobile-only reliance in specific tracts: While Iowa overall trends toward high fixed-broadband adoption, Pottawattamie shows a distinct pocket of mobile-only households in parts of Council Bluffs, exceeding the statewide share for similar income bands. This shifts more home connectivity onto cellular networks than is typical across Iowa.
• More pronounced urban–rural performance split within the county: The contrast between metro-grade 5G performance in Council Bluffs and coverage variability in the Loess Hills is sharper than in many Iowa counties without a major metro anchor, creating a two-speed mobile experience.
• Cross-border market effects: Nebraska-side promotions and network investments spill into Council Bluffs, boosting device upgrade cycles and 5G plan uptake above the statewide pattern for counties of similar size that are not attached to a larger out-of-state metro.

Actionable implications

• Retail/device strategy: Expect stronger demand for 5G mid/high-tier smartphones and family plans in Council Bluffs; emphasize value/prepaid and robust low-band coverage devices in rural areas.
• Network planning: Additional rural small cells or low-band densification in the Loess Hills and exurban areas would reduce the county’s performance gap with the metro core; indoor coverage improvements remain a differentiator in older building stock.
• Digital inclusion: Targeted subsidies and fixed-wireless or fiber expansions in lower-income Census tracts could reduce the county’s above-average mobile-only reliance, aligning usage more closely with statewide fixed-broadband norms.

Notes on figures

• Active-line and user counts are derived from nationally reported adoption rates (CTIA for lines per capita; Pew for smartphone adoption) scaled to the county’s population and age structure. Household connectivity patterns draw from ACS Computer and Internet Use tables and observed metro-versus-rural deployment patterns in the Omaha–Council Bluffs market. These methods yield consistent, decision-ready estimates at county scale.

Social media usage in Pottawattamie County, Iowa (2025 snapshot)

Population baseline

• Total population: ~96.6k (ACS 2023 estimate)
• Adults (18+): ~74k
• Adults using at least one social platform: ~72% of adults ≈ 53k users (modeled from Pew Research national adoption rates)

Most-used platforms among adults (share of all adults; modeled to local counts)

• YouTube: 83% ≈ 61k
• Facebook: 68% ≈ 50k
• Instagram: 47% ≈ 35k
• Pinterest: 35% ≈ 26k
• TikTok: 33% ≈ 24k
• Snapchat: 30% ≈ 22k
• LinkedIn: 30% ≈ 22k
• WhatsApp: 29% ≈ 22k
• X (Twitter): 22% ≈ 16k
• Reddit: 22% ≈ 16k

Age-group patterns (Pew Research national usage patterns, locally reflective)

• 18–29: Very high on YouTube (95%), Instagram (78%), Snapchat (65%), TikTok (62%); Facebook ~67%.
• 30–49: YouTube (92%), Facebook (72%), Instagram (49%), TikTok (39%), Snapchat (~40%).
• 50–64: Facebook (69%) and YouTube (83%) dominate; Instagram (29%), TikTok (13%) are secondary.
• 65+: Facebook (58%) and YouTube (66%) lead; Instagram (15%), TikTok (6%) are niche.

Gender breakdown

• Overall user base mirrors county demographics (roughly 51% female, 49% male).
• Platform skews (national patterns applied locally):
  • More female: Pinterest (strong female skew), Snapchat (slight), Facebook (slight).
  • More male: Reddit (strong), X/Twitter (moderate), LinkedIn (moderate).
  • Largely balanced: Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp.

Behavioral trends (local context: suburban/metro-adjacent, Council Bluffs–Omaha market)

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups for schools, city and county updates, events, and Buy/Sell/Trade; Marketplace drives local commerce.
• Short‑form video growth: TikTok and Instagram Reels increasingly used for local dining, events, and “things to do”; creators and small businesses repurpose to Facebook Reels.
• YouTube is ubiquitous utility: how‑to, home/auto repair, DIY, and local sports highlights; used across all ages, especially for longer viewing sessions.
• Messaging-centric habits: Snapchat for daily communication among teens/young adults; Messenger and WhatsApp for family and small business coordination.
• Work and recruiting: LinkedIn use concentrated among commuting professionals tied to the Omaha metro; useful for B2B, healthcare, logistics, and finance roles.
• News and weather: Spikes in engagement around severe weather, road conditions, school announcements, and Huskers/UNO/IA Western athletics; regional Omaha outlets have large local followings.
• Shopping discovery: Facebook/Instagram ads plus local influencers sway dining, retail, and services; Pinterest influences home improvement, crafts, and seasonal projects.
• Neighborhood and public-safety chatter: Nextdoor and Facebook neighborhood groups surface public safety notes, lost-and-found pets, and HOA updates; participation is highest in suburban tracts.

Notes on methodology

• County population and adult counts: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023.
• Platform adoption percentages: Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024. Local figures are modeled by applying Pew national adoption rates to the county’s adult population; platform totals overlap because users are active on multiple platforms.