Taylor County

Taylor County, Iowa – Key demographics

Population

• 5,896 (2020 Decennial Census)

Age (ACS 2018–2022)

• Median age: ~45 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 18–64: ~55%
• 65 and older: ~23%

Sex (ACS 2018–2022)

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race/ethnicity (ACS 2018–2022; shares of total population)

• Non-Hispanic White: ~93%
• Hispanic/Latino (any race): ~4%
• Two or more races: ~2%
• Black/African American: <1%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: <1%
• Asian: <1%
• Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0%

Households (ACS 2018–2022)

• Households: ~2,500
• Average household size: ~2.3
• Family households: ~61% of households
• Married-couple households: ~49% of households
• Nonfamily households: ~39% (single-person households ~30%)
• Owner-occupied housing rate: ~77% (renter-occupied ~23%)

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (P.L. 94-171) and 2018–2022 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (tables DP05, S0101, DP02). Estimates rounded; ACS figures have margins of error.

• Scope and base: Taylor County, IA population 5,896 (2020 Census); land area ~534 sq mi → density ≈11 people/sq mi.
• Estimated email users: ~4,400–4,700 residents (≈75–80% of total), derived by applying national email adoption rates to the county’s population profile.
• Age-specific adoption (share of each age group using email):
  • 13–17: ~75–80%
  • 18–29: ~94–96%
  • 30–49: ~94–96%
  • 50–64: ~88–92%
  • 65+: ~80–85%
• Gender split among users: effectively even (≈50/50); nationally, email usage is near-parity by gender, so local variation is minimal.
• Digital access trends:
  • Rural connectivity patterns dominate: higher reliance on fixed wireless and satellite outside town centers; wired broadband more common in Bedford and Lenox.
  • Smartphone-only internet use is present and growing among lower-income and younger residents, which can constrain long-form email use but not overall access.
  • Gradual upgrades from legacy DSL/cable to higher-speed wired and fixed wireless are increasing effective email reliability, though peak-time speeds vary outside towns.
• Local density/connectivity insights: Very low settlement density raises last‑mile costs and leaves pockets with weaker service; email remains the default, low-bandwidth communication channel countywide, with highest consistent reliability within the two largest towns and along main corridors.

Taylor County, IA mobile phone usage summary (2024)

County snapshot

• Population: 5,896 (2020 Census); households ≈2,560
• Settlement pattern: small towns (Bedford, Lenox) surrounded by low‑density farmland and timbered valleys along the Missouri border—important for signal propagation and tower placement

User estimates

• Mobile phone users (all ages): ≈4,900 unique users (≈83% of residents)
• Adult smartphone users: ≈3,600 (≈78% of adults)
• Adult mobile phone ownership (any mobile): ≈92%
• Wireless‑only (no landline) households: ≈1,600 (≈63% of households)
• Households relying on cellular as primary home internet (phone hotspot or fixed‑wireless over LTE/5G): ≈300 (≈12% of households)

How Taylor County differs from Iowa overall

• Smartphone adoption: lower. Taylor ≈78% of adults vs Iowa ≈86% (older age mix and more fixed‑income households)
• Wireless‑only households: slightly lower. Taylor ≈63% vs Iowa ≈70% (landline retention among seniors remains higher)
• Mobile as primary home internet: higher. Taylor ≈12% vs Iowa ≈8% (patchier wired broadband beyond town limits)
• 5G population coverage: lower. Taylor ≈70% pop‑coverage vs Iowa ≈90% (fewer mid‑band 5G sites outside Bedford/Lenox)
• Typical mobile speeds: lower and more variable. Taylor median ≈40–80 Mbps in/near towns, 5–25 Mbps in farm areas; statewide medians are typically higher (≈100+ Mbps in population centers)
• Network reliability: more dead zones and indoor attenuation in metal‑roofed farm structures; booster usage is measurably higher than state average in rural residences and machine sheds

Demographic breakdown of smartphone adoption (Taylor County, adults)

• Ages 18–34: ≈92%
• Ages 35–64: ≈83%
• Ages 65+: ≈55% These rates are 3–10 percentage points below Iowa’s age‑matched rates, with the largest gap among ages 65+.

Plan types and usage patterns

• Postpaid family plans on national carriers dominate in town; prepaid/MVNO share is a few points higher than the state average in the county’s rural tracts, driven by price sensitivity and episodic seasonal work
• Voice/SMS reliability is strong along US‑2, IA‑148, and IA‑25 corridors; data performance degrades more quickly off‑corridor compared with state averages, pushing heavier users in fringe areas toward fixed‑wireless CPE with roof‑mounted antennas

Digital infrastructure points

• Carriers present: AT&T, Verizon, and T‑Mobile provide countywide macro‑coverage; 5G is primarily low‑band countywide with mid‑band concentrated in Bedford and Lenox
• Coverage pattern: near‑universal outdoor LTE across populated areas; 5G population coverage ≈70% with notable rural gaps west of Lenox, south of Bedford, and along wooded drainages at the MO line
• Capacity and speeds:
  • Town centers (Bedford, Lenox): 5G mid‑band typical 100–300 Mbps; LTE 20–60 Mbps
  • Rural roads/farms: LTE/low‑band 5G typical 5–25 Mbps; upload often <5–10 Mbps
• Tower density: sparse relative to state average, with macro sites clustered on highway corridors and high points; wider inter‑site distances create more cell‑edge conditions than in suburban Iowa counties
• Backhaul and fiber: fiber-fed sites and ISPs in town centers; beyond town limits, reliance on longer microwave backhaul links and legacy copper constrains peak capacity, which in turn lowers real‑world 5G throughput versus metro Iowa
• Fixed wireless interplay: a higher share of households adopt LTE/5G home internet CPE than statewide, particularly where cable/fiber is not available

Key insights for planning and service

• Demand: roughly 3,600 adult smartphone users and 4,900 total mobile users represent a saturated voice market but leave headroom for 5G data growth, especially for home‑internet substitution
• Gap vs state: the main deficits are mid‑band 5G reach and consistent rural capacity; targeted infill on rural sectors and additional mid‑band overlays would close the usability gap most residents notice compared with urban Iowa
• Equity angle: the 65+ cohort is the primary drag on smartphone adoption; devices with larger displays, simplified UI, and bundled telehealth support see above‑average uptake when promoted through local clinics and libraries

Notes on methodology

• Population and household counts reflect 2020 Census; adoption and usage figures are county‑level estimates derived from 2018–2022 ACS age structure, CDC wireless‑only telephone statistics, Pew Research smartphone adoption by age, and 2023–2024 FCC/National carrier coverage data for Iowa, adjusted for Taylor County’s rural density and settlement pattern.

Taylor County, IA social media snapshot (modeled 2024 estimates)

Population base

• Total population: ~5,700
• Adults (18+): ~4,500
• Adults using at least one social platform: 79% (3,550 people)

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

• YouTube: 78%
• Facebook: 66%
• Instagram: 30%
• Pinterest: 29%
• Snapchat: 24%
• TikTok: 23%
• X (Twitter): 12%
• LinkedIn: 11%
• Reddit: 11%
• Nextdoor: 5%

Age-group usage patterns (share of each age group using platform)

• Teens (13–17): YouTube ~95%; Snapchat ~75%; TikTok ~70%; Instagram ~62%; Facebook ~30%
• 18–29: YouTube ~95%; Instagram ~76%; Snapchat ~65%; TikTok ~62%; Facebook ~54%
• 30–49: YouTube ~85%; Facebook ~70%; Instagram ~46%; Pinterest ~38%; TikTok ~28%; Snapchat ~27%
• 50–64: Facebook ~68%; YouTube ~72%; Pinterest ~32%; Instagram ~23%; TikTok ~14%
• 65+: Facebook ~61%; YouTube ~55%; Pinterest ~20%; Instagram ~15%; TikTok ~8%

Gender breakdown (share of adult men vs. women using each platform)

• Facebook: Men ~64%; Women ~70% (women slightly over-index)
• YouTube: Men ~82%; Women ~76% (men over-index)
• Instagram: Men ~26%; Women ~36% (women over-index)
• TikTok: Men ~20%; Women ~28% (women over-index)
• Snapchat: Men ~19%; Women ~29% (women over-index)
• Pinterest: Men ~12%; Women ~46% (women strongly over-index)
• Reddit: Men ~18%; Women ~6% (men strongly over-index)
• X (Twitter): Men ~14%; Women ~10% (men over-index)

Behavioral trends in a rural county context

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups (local news, schools, churches, buy/sell/trade), Events, and Marketplace; posts with local faces, school sports, weather, and road conditions get outsized reach and engagement.
• Video is practical and local: YouTube usage skews toward how‑to, repairs, farming/ranching, home improvement, hunting/fishing, weather, and regional news; short clips (under 60 seconds) perform best on Facebook, Instagram Reels, and TikTok.
• Younger audiences are “message-first”: under‑30s favor Snapchat for daily communication and TikTok/Instagram for discovery; they engage via DMs and stories more than public posts.
• Trust and relevance matter: official pages (county/city, schools, emergency management, extension offices) and clearly local content earn higher click-through and shares than generic or national content.
• Timing: engagement spikes before work (6–8 a.m.), lunchtime (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evenings (8–10 p.m.), with weekend mornings strong for Marketplace and events.
• Advertising implications: target within 15–30 miles; lean on Facebook/Instagram for broad local reach, YouTube for educational intent, and TikTok/Instagram Reels for 18–34; creative with people, places, and language locals recognize outperforms stock imagery.

Notes on methodology

• Figures are best-available estimates for Taylor County derived from ACS population structure, rural U.S. usage patterns, and recent national platform adoption studies (2023–2024). County-level platform data are not directly published; local results will vary slightly with connectivity and demographics.