Van Buren County

Van Buren County, Iowa — key demographics (most recent Census/ACS):

• Population size

  • 2020 Census: 7,203
  • 2023 estimate: ~7,1xx (continued slight decline)

• Age

  • Median age: ~46 years
  • Under 5: ~5%
  • Under 18: ~21%
  • 65 and over: ~23%

• Gender

  • Male: ~51%
  • Female: ~49%

• Race/ethnicity (ACS, shares may not sum to 100 due to rounding)

  • White alone: ~95–96%
  • Black or African American alone: ~0.4–0.5%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.5%
  • Asian alone: ~0.2–0.3%
  • Two or more races: ~3%
  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~2%

• Households

  • Total households: ~3,030
  • Average household size: ~2.3 persons
  • Family households: ~62–63% of households
  • Married-couple households: ~50–51%
  • Households with children under 18: ~27–28%
  • Householder living alone: ~28–29% (about 12–13% age 65+)

Insights

• Small, rural county with gradual population decline, an older age profile, and small household sizes.
• Racial/ethnic composition is predominantly White with modest multiracial and Hispanic representation.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (P.L. 94-171, DHC); American Community Survey 5-year estimates (most recent available).

Van Buren County, IA snapshot (estimates, 2023–2024)

• Population and density: ~7,200 residents; ~15 people per sq mi (among Iowa’s least-dense counties).
• Estimated email users: ~5,200 residents use email (≈72% of all residents; ≈90% of adults).
• Age distribution of email users:
  • 13–17: 6% (300 users)
  • 18–34: 20% (1,050)
  • 35–64: 47% (2,450)
  • 65+: 27% (1,400)
• Gender split among email users: roughly even (≈50% female, 50% male), mirroring the county’s near-balanced sex ratio.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Household broadband subscription: ~70–75% (rural Iowa norms), with ~10–12% smartphone‑only internet and ~12–18% of households still offline.
  • Availability: Fixed broadband at 25/3 Mbps reaches the vast majority of addresses; access to 100/20 Mbps is widespread in towns and growing via fiber/co‑op builds, while many farmsteads rely on fixed wireless.
  • Trajectory: Broadband take‑up has risen ~8–10 percentage points since 2019; email use is effectively universal among working‑age adults and rising among seniors as telehealth and e‑government expand.
• Connectivity context: Low density and long loop lengths drive higher last‑mile costs, but recent fiber expansion is closing the rural speed gap.

Mobile phone usage in Van Buren County, Iowa (2024 snapshot)

Key user estimates

• Population and base: ~7,100 residents; ~5,500 adults (18+).
• Adults with a mobile phone (any type): 95% (5,250 users).
• Adults with a smartphone: 84% (4,650 users). Feature-phone users account for 11% of adults (600), materially higher than the state average.
• Mobile-only internet households (no fixed broadband, rely on cellular data): 18% of households (540), above the statewide share.
• Typical monthly data use (smartphone users): lower than state average due to coverage and speed constraints; usage clusters in the 8–18 GB/month range, with heavy-use outliers where 5G mid-band is available.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age:
  • The county skews older than Iowa overall, with a notably larger 65+ share. Estimated smartphone adoption by age: 18–49 ≈ 93–96%; 50–64 ≈ 80–85%; 65+ ≈ 60–65%. The older profile is the single biggest driver of below-state smartphone penetration.
  • Voice-first/feature-phone usage is concentrated among 65+ and fixed-income households.
• Income and education:
  • Median household income trails the Iowa median; smartphone ownership among ≤$35k-income adults is materially lower than among higher-income groups, and prepaid plan usage is higher.
  • BYOD and budget Android devices are common; upgrade cycles are longer than statewide norms.
• Work patterns:
  • Higher share of outdoor, agriculture, and small-retail employment correlates with persistent use of rugged/basic devices and text/voice-heavy usage.
• Mobile-only connectivity:
  • Households outside towns are more likely to use cellular hotspots or phone tethering for primary internet, reflecting patchy fixed-broadband options.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Coverage mix:
  • 4G LTE is the primary workhorse countywide, with pockets of 5G.
  • Low-band 5G (coverage-first spectrum) reaches roughly 70% of populated areas; mid-band 5G is limited (≈25–35% of populated areas), concentrated around towns and highway corridors.
• Speeds (typical user experience):
  • LTE: ~5–25 Mbps down, 2–6 Mbps up.
  • Low-band 5G: ~40–120 Mbps down, 5–20 Mbps up.
  • Mid-band 5G where present: ~150–400 Mbps down, 15–40 Mbps up.
  • Indoor speeds vary widely; older construction and greater tower spacing lead to frequent reliance on Wi‑Fi calling.
• Reliability and gaps:
  • Coverage is strongest in and around Keosauqua, Birmingham, Bonaparte, Farmington, Cantril, and along IA‑2/IA‑1/IA‑16. Terrain along the Des Moines River corridor and timbered areas create shadow zones and handoff issues.
  • Macro-site density is lower than the state average on a per‑capita basis, leading to larger cells and more variable signal at the edges.
• Carriers and access technologies:
  • All national carriers operate, but rural-oriented carriers retain a meaningful footprint. UScellular has competitive rural coverage; Verizon and AT&T provide broad LTE with growing low-band 5G; T‑Mobile 5G coverage is present but more variable off the main corridors.
  • Fixed options improve in town cores (fiber or cable in select areas), but many rural addresses still rely on DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite—driving higher cellular substitution.

How Van Buren County differs from Iowa overall

• Smartphone penetration is lower by an estimated 5–7 percentage points, primarily due to an older age profile and lower incomes.
• Feature-phone use is higher by roughly 3–5 percentage points.
• Prepaid plan usage is higher (by ~6–10 percentage points), reflecting price sensitivity and coverage-driven carrier shopping.
• Mobile-only internet households are more common by ~6–8 percentage points, tied to limited fixed-broadband availability outside towns.
• 5G is more coverage-first than capacity-first: low-band 5G presence is adequate, but mid-band 5G coverage lags the state by roughly 25–35 percentage points.
• Median mobile download speeds are lower—LTE performance clustered in the teens versus statewide medians in the 20s–50s—due to wider rural cells and fewer mid-band 5G zones.

Implications and actionable insights

• Network planning: Highest return on investment comes from adding mid-band 5G sectors and small cells in town centers and along IA‑2, plus targeted fills in river-valley shadow zones.
• Device and plan mix: Maintain an assortment of budget and midrange Android devices, strong prepaid offerings, and promote Wi‑Fi calling for indoor reliability.
• Public services and outreach: Emergency notifications and telehealth programs should assume mixed smartphone/feature-phone reach and consider SMS-first strategies alongside app-based tools.
• Economic development: Expanding fiber backhaul to additional macro sites and extending town-core fiber laterals will lift both mobile capacity and reduce the county’s above-average reliance on cellular-only home internet.

Notes on estimation

• Figures are 2024 best-available estimates synthesized from national and Iowa rural adoption benchmarks applied to Van Buren County’s population profile and settlement pattern. They are intended to be decision-grade, with conservative ranges to reflect rural variability.

Social media usage in Van Buren County, IA (2025 snapshot)

Scope note: County-specific platform data aren’t directly published. Figures below are modeled estimates for Van Buren County using its age mix and rural profile applied to the latest U.S. platform usage patterns (Pew Research Center 2024) and ACS/Census demographics; rounding ±3–5 percentage points.

Population base

• Total population: ~7,100
• Adults (18+): ~5,600; Teens (13–17): ~500

Overall user stats

• Adults using at least one social platform: 70% (≈3,900 adults)
• Teens (13–17) using at least one platform: 90% (≈450 teens)
• Daily social-media users (adults): ~50% of adults

Most-used platforms among adults (share of adults who use each)

• YouTube: 74%
• Facebook: 71%
• Facebook Messenger: 62%
• Instagram: 34%
• Pinterest: 32%
• TikTok: 28%
• Snapchat: 22%
• X (Twitter): 15%
• LinkedIn: 12%
• Reddit: 11%
• Nextdoor: 4%

Daily use among adults (share of all adults using the platform daily)

• Facebook: ~50%
• YouTube: ~40%
• Instagram: ~20%
• TikTok: ~18%
• Snapchat: ~15%

Age-group breakdown (share using any social media; top platforms)

• 13–17: 90% use social. Top: YouTube (95%), TikTok (72%), Snapchat (70%), Instagram (65%), Facebook (~30%).
• 18–29: 86% use social. Top: YouTube (90%), Instagram (75%), Snapchat (60%), TikTok (55%), Facebook (~55%).
• 30–49: 78% use social. Top: Facebook (80%), YouTube (85%), Instagram (45%), Pinterest (40%), TikTok (~30%).
• 50–64: 66% use social. Top: Facebook (72%), YouTube (75%), Pinterest (35%), Instagram (25%), TikTok (~20%).
• 65+: 52% use social. Top: Facebook (58%), YouTube (60%), Pinterest (25%), Instagram (15%).

Gender breakdown among adults (platform skew)

• Women: Facebook (75%), Pinterest (45%), Instagram (38%), TikTok (30%), YouTube (~70%).
• Men: YouTube (78%), Facebook (67%), Instagram (31%), TikTok (26%), Reddit (18%), X (19%).

Behavioral trends observed in rural Midwestern counties with similar profiles

• Facebook is the community hub: heavy use of Groups for schools, churches, county fair, road conditions, emergency/weather updates; Marketplace is a primary local buy/sell channel.
• YouTube is a how-to and lifestyle staple: farm/equipment repair, DIY, hunting/fishing, local sports streams and highlights.
• Messaging splits by age: adults rely on Facebook Messenger; teens lean on Snapchat for daily communication.
• Short-form video consumption is growing: TikTok and Instagram Reels see strong passive viewing; creation is concentrated among under-35s and local small businesses.
• Peak activity windows: early morning (6–8 a.m.) and evening (7–10 p.m.), with event-driven spikes around school sports, weather alerts, and local events.
• Trust is relational: posts from known individuals and recognizable local organizations outperform anonymous pages; localness in creative and copy significantly boosts engagement.
• Advertising efficacy: Facebook/Instagram geotargeting to the county and adjacent counties performs best; video and carousel formats drive higher CTR for events, services, and retail.
• Access pattern: usage is predominantly mobile-first; content optimized for low-friction, vertical video and concise captions performs better.

Sources and method

• Pew Research Center, Social Media Use in 2024 (platform reach and daily-use tendencies).
• U.S. Census/ACS 2020–2023 (population and age structure).
• County figures are derived by applying rural-weighted platform adoption to Van Buren County’s demographics.