Union County

Union County, Iowa — key demographics

Population

• 12,100–12,200 (2023 population estimate); 12,534 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~42 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 18: ~23%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Race and ethnicity (avoid double-counting by showing Non-Hispanic White separately)

• White alone, non-Hispanic: ~90–91%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• Black or African American: ~0.7–1%
• Asian: ~0.3–0.5%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.3–0.5%

Households and housing

• Households: ~5,100
• Persons per household: ~2.3
• Family households: ~59–61% of households; married-couple families ~45–48%
• Nonfamily households: ~39–41%; living alone ~33–36%; age 65+ living alone ~15–17%
• Owner-occupied housing: ~70–72%

Insights

• Small, slowly declining population since 2020.
• Older age profile than the national median, with about one in five residents age 65+.
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White, with modest but growing diversity.
• Household sizes are small, with a substantial share of single-person and nonfamily households.

Union County, IA snapshot

• Population: ~12,200; area ~424 sq mi; density ~29 people/sq mi. About 60–65% live in/near Creston, where most wired options exist.
• Estimated email users: ~9,400 residents use email at least monthly.

Age distribution of email users (share of users)

• 13–17: 6% of population; ~75% use email → ~6% of users
• 18–34: 19% of population; ~97% use email → ~24% of users
• 35–54: 25% of population; ~95% use email → ~31% of users
• 55–64: 14% of population; ~90% use email → ~16% of users
• 65+: 22% of population; ~80% use email → ~23% of users

Gender split among email users

• Roughly even: ~51% female, ~49% male, mirroring county demographics.

Digital access and trends

• Home broadband subscription rate: ~78–82% of households; fiber and cable concentrated in Creston, with DSL and fixed wireless prevalent rurally.
• Smartphone-only internet users: ~10–12% of adults; more common in outlying areas.
• Fixed broadband availability: ≥25/3 Mbps to most addresses; 100+ Mbps common in town; rural last-mile speeds often 10–50 Mbps.
• Mobile coverage: countywide 4G LTE with growing 5G along main corridors; mobile email is the primary access mode for many rural users.

Mobile phone usage in Union County, Iowa (2025)

Summary

• Union County is a small, predominantly rural county centered on Creston with about 30 residents per square mile—roughly half of Iowa’s statewide density. That rural profile shapes mobile adoption, spending, and network performance, producing slightly lower smartphone take‑up among seniors, heavier reliance on mobile data where fixed broadband is limited, and more variable speeds outside Creston than the statewide experience.

User estimates

• Adult smartphone users: approximately 8,000–8,800 adults, equating to roughly 82–90% of adults. This trails Iowa’s urbanized counties by several points but is broadly in line with rural Iowa norms.
• Wireless‑only households (no landline): majority of households; materially higher among renters and younger adults. Rural counties like Union typically sit a few points below the statewide average among seniors and a few points above among younger households.
• Primary use patterns: heavier reliance on messaging, social/video, weather, precision‑ag/field apps, and navigation; comparatively less use of high‑bandwidth applications in fringe‑coverage areas due to variable speeds and data‑cap management.

Demographic breakdown (directional patterns consistent with rural Iowa)

• Age:
  • 18–34: very high smartphone adoption (near‑saturation).
  • 35–64: high adoption, with device replacement on 2.5–3.5‑year cycles.
  • 65+: meaningfully lower adoption than the state average; larger share of voice‑and‑text–centric users and LTE‑only devices.
• Income:
  • Sub‑$35k households show lower 5G device penetration and a higher mix of prepaid and budget MVNO plans than state averages.
  • $75k+ households near saturation for 5G devices and multi‑line family plans.
• Urban vs rural within the county:
  • Creston residents exhibit higher 5G device and plan uptake and measurably faster median speeds than residents on farms and in small outlying communities.

Digital infrastructure

• Networks present: AT&T, Verizon, T‑Mobile, and UScellular operate in the county. MVNOs ride on these networks.
• 5G availability:
  • Low‑band 5G covers Creston and most primary corridors (notably US‑34 and IA‑25); practical experience outside towns often resembles LTE performance.
  • Mid‑band 5G capacity (T‑Mobile n41; AT&T/Verizon C‑band) is concentrated in and around Creston and along major routes; coverage thins in sparsely populated areas.
• Performance snapshot (typical user experience):
  • In‑town (Creston): mid‑band 5G commonly delivers triple‑digit Mbps downstream with low latency suitable for HD/4K streaming and telehealth.
  • Rural roads and farms: low‑band 5G/LTE frequently ranges from single‑digit to a few‑dozen Mbps, with noticeable variability indoors and in low‑lying/wooded terrain.
• Coverage gaps and reliability:
  • Signal attenuation is most evident in valleys, timber stands, and metal‑sided buildings; external antennas or Wi‑Fi calling are common workarounds.
  • Severe‑weather reliability depends on a handful of macro sites; commercial power resilience and backhaul redundancy are more variable than in metro Iowa.
• Backhaul and fixed alternatives:
  • Creston benefits from cable and fiber backhaul, supporting better mobile capacity.
  • Outside town, fixed options are a mix of DSL, fixed wireless, and pockets of rural fiber; where fiber is absent, households more often lean on mobile data to fill gaps.

How Union County differs from Iowa statewide

• Slightly lower smartphone adoption among seniors and low‑income households than the state average, reflecting older age structure and lower population density.
• Higher reliance on prepaid/MVNO plans and budget Android devices than in Iowa’s metros, driven by price sensitivity and device affordability.
• More uneven 5G experience: mid‑band capacity is localized (mainly Creston and key corridors), while much of the county experiences low‑band 5G/LTE performance; Iowa’s larger cities see broader mid‑band overlays.
• Greater share of households using mobile data to supplement or substitute for limited fixed broadband, especially outside cable/fiber footprints.
• Agricultural and field‑work usage is more prominent than the statewide average (seasonal traffic spikes tied to planting/harvest, telematics, and weather), shaping when and where towers face peak loads.

Practical implications

• Consumer experience in Creston increasingly matches statewide 5G norms; outside town, consistency rather than peak speed remains the differentiator.
• Network investments that extend mid‑band 5G beyond Creston, add sector capacity on existing towers, and improve backhaul redundancy would close most of the usage and performance gap with Iowa’s urban counties.
• Programs that pair affordable 5G devices with prepaid/MVNO plans can lift senior and low‑income adoption faster here than in the state overall because of a larger addressable share.

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

Context

• Population baseline: 12.5k residents (2020 Census). Figures below reflect estimated shares of adult residents (18+) and are derived from the latest U.S. adult usage benchmarks applied locally.

Most-used platforms (share of adults)

• YouTube: ~83%
• Facebook: ~68%
• Instagram: ~47%
• TikTok: ~33%
• WhatsApp: ~29%
• Snapchat: ~27%
• Pinterest: ~35%
• LinkedIn: ~30%
• X (Twitter): ~22%
• Reddit: ~22%
• Nextdoor: ~20% (likely lower in rural areas)

Age-group patterns (local implications)

• 18–29: Heavy on Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; YouTube is near-universal. Facebook used for family/community groups but less central than video/messaging apps.
• 30–49: Facebook and YouTube dominate; Instagram solid for lifestyle/parenting/school updates; TikTok rising for short-form video and local recommendations.
• 50–64: Facebook is the hub (news, local groups, Marketplace), YouTube for how‑to/news; limited Instagram/TikTok use.
• 65+: Facebook and YouTube lead; platform diversification is minimal.

Gender breakdown (usage tilt)

• Women: Higher propensity for Facebook and Pinterest; stronger engagement in local groups, buy‑sell/Marketplace, events, and school/community updates.
• Men: Higher propensity for Reddit and X; more use of YouTube for news, sports, and how‑to content.
• Gender gaps on Instagram and TikTok are modest; usage is more age‑driven than gender‑driven.

Behavioral trends observed in rural Midwest counties (applicable to Union County)

• Facebook as the community backbone: Local groups (events, school, church, youth sports), buy‑sell/Marketplace, lost & found, and public‑safety updates drive daily check‑ins.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube for how‑to, DIY, farming/auto repair, church services, and local athletics highlights; TikTok/IG Reels for short local clips.
• Messaging over feeds: Facebook Messenger, Snapchat (younger users), and WhatsApp (family/work crews) for direct comms; group chats coordinate activities and work schedules.
• Local commerce: Marketplace is a primary channel for used goods, small equipment, vehicles; Instagram is used by boutiques and salons; Facebook Pages remain essential for small businesses and civic orgs.
• Trust via proximity: Content from known locals, schools, and county/city pages outperforms national brands; cross-posting to relevant local groups boosts reach.
• Time-of-day cadence: Peaks in early morning (commute/coffee), lunch, and evening (after work/sports); weekends see strong Marketplace and event engagement.
• Discovery pathways: Word-of-mouth plus Facebook Groups; short-form video increasingly influences dining, events, and services choices.

Notes on figures and sources

• Platform percentages reflect Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adult social media usage rates, applied to Union County’s adult population as modeled local penetration. Nextdoor adoption in rural areas is typically below the national adult figure.
• Because no official, platform-verified county-level usage dataset exists, treat these as best-available, policy-relevant estimates grounded in current national benchmarks and rural Iowa behavior patterns.