Isabella County

Isabella County, Michigan — key demographics

Population size

• 64,394 (2020 Census)
• 64,3xx (2023 Census Bureau estimate; county population has been roughly stable since 2020)

Age

• Median age: ~27–28 years (very young profile driven by Central Michigan University)
• Age distribution (ACS 2019–2023):
  • Under 18: ~18%
  • 18–24: ~24–26% (elevated due to student population)
  • 25–44: ~24%
  • 45–64: ~20–22%
  • 65+: ~12–14%

Gender

• Female: ~50–51%
• Male: ~49–50%

Racial/ethnic composition (ACS 2019–2023)

• White alone: ~84–85%
• Black or African American alone: ~3–4%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~3–4%
• Asian alone: ~2%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0–0.1%
• Some other race alone: ~1–2%
• Two or more races: ~5–6%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~5–6%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~24–26k
• Average household size: ~2.4
• Family households: ~55–57% of households
• Married-couple families: ~39–42% of households
• Nonfamily households: ~43–45% (one-person households roughly one-third)
• Homeownership rate: ~58–61% (higher renter share than state average due to students)

Insights

• The county’s large student population yields a notably low median age, elevated 18–24 share, a higher renter share, and smaller household sizes compared to Michigan overall.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census (P.L. 94-171); 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates (tables DP05, S0101, S1101).

Isabella County, MI snapshot

• Population and density: 64,400 residents across ~578 sq mi (111 people/sq mi), anchored by Mount Pleasant and Central Michigan University.
• Estimated email users: 49,000 residents. Method: apply U.S. adult email adoption (92%) to the county’s age profile, plus teen usage.
• Age distribution of email users (approx.): 18–24: 26% (college-driven), 25–44: 31%, 45–64: 27%, 65+: 16%. Adoption is highest among 18–44, strong among 45–64, and solid but slightly lower in 65+.
• Gender split among email users: ~51% female, ~49% male, mirroring county demographics and near-parity adoption by gender.
• Digital access and connectivity:
  • Household broadband subscription: mid‑80s percent (ACS trend level for the county), with >90% of households having a computer/smartphone.
  • Fixed broadband at 25/3 Mbps covers most addresses (>90%), with fiber concentrated in Mount Pleasant; rural townships face more gaps and depend more on fixed wireless.
  • 5G covers population centers along US‑127; 4G LTE is county‑wide. Campus and public‑library Wi‑Fi materially expand access. Insights: A large student population boosts email adoption and daily use. Broadband availability is broadly good in and around Mount Pleasant but more variable in rural areas, shaping access and frequency of email use.

Isabella County, MI mobile phone usage summary (2025)

Snapshot and user estimates

• Population baseline: about 64,000–65,000 residents; roughly 24,000 households
• Estimated unique smartphone users: about 49,000 residents (≈75–77% of total population; ≈90% of residents ages 13+)
• Estimated total mobile phone users (smartphone or basic phone): about 51,000–53,000 residents
• Estimated active cellular lines (including wearables/tablets/IoT): 72,000–82,000 lines, reflecting >1 line per person due to student multi‑device ownership
• Wireless‑only voice households (no landline telephone): approximately 78–82% (higher than typical Michigan statewide levels)
• Mobile‑only home internet (cellular data as primary/only home internet): approximately 20–25% of households countywide, elevated around campus and in rural pockets

How Isabella County differs from Michigan overall

• Higher smartphone penetration driven by a large college‑age cohort (Central Michigan University): adult smartphone ownership is an estimated 1–3 percentage points above the Michigan average
• Greater reliance on mobile in lieu of wireline: share of mobile‑only home internet is an estimated 4–7 points higher than the statewide average, reflecting student housing and some rural fixed‑broadband gaps
• More prepaid/MVNO adoption: estimated 25–30% of lines vs roughly low‑20s statewide, tied to student budgets and transient residency
• Slightly higher lines‑per‑capita (multi‑device) due to watches/tablets among students and commuters
• Coverage is more bimodal than metro Michigan: strong 5G capacity in Mount Pleasant/US‑127 corridors but more LTE/low‑band 5G reliance in outlying townships than in large metros

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns (modeled from ACS age structure and Pew ownership rates)

• Ages 13–17 (≈4,500 residents): about 95% have smartphones; heavy daily app/social use; many on family or prepaid plans
• Ages 18–24 (≈13,500; large CMU presence): about 96% smartphone ownership; highest data consumption and eSIM adoption; high plan churn with semester cycles
• Ages 25–44 (≈16,700): about 95% smartphone ownership; strong family‑plan uptake and hotspot use when home broadband is weak
• Ages 45–64 (≈12,900): about 83% smartphone ownership; remaining basic‑phone users concentrated here
• Ages 65+ (≈8,400): about 60–65% smartphone ownership; rising year over year but below state urban counties; more basic‑phone retention and voice‑centric usage
• Income and housing: student and lower‑income households show above‑average dependence on mobile‑only internet; suburban Mount Pleasant/Union Township skews toward multi‑line 5G family plans

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Networks present: AT&T (including FirstNet for public safety), Verizon, and T‑Mobile operate countywide; national MVNOs widely available
• 5G coverage:
  • Low‑band 5G covers nearly all populated areas
  • Mid‑band 5G (C‑band for Verizon/AT&T, 2.5 GHz n41 for T‑Mobile) concentrates in Mount Pleasant, CMU campus, and along US‑127/M‑20 corridors, delivering typical 150–400 Mbps downlink in town
  • mmWave remains sparse and venue‑specific, if present at all
• Rural performance: outside Mount Pleasant/Union Township, service more often relies on extended‑range 5G/LTE, with typical downlink 20–100 Mbps and occasional indoor reliability challenges in low‑density areas
• Capacity and traffic patterns: daytime capacity strain near campus and commercial strips, with substantial Wi‑Fi offload on CMU networks; evening streaming peaks persist on weekends
• Emergency and coverage resilience: FirstNet Band 14 improves coverage for responders along major routes; redundancy is strongest near the city and highways and thinner on secondary roads

Key implications

• Marketing and plan mix: higher prepaid/MVNO and eSIM demand than statewide; competitive student‑centric offers perform well
• Network planning: prioritize mid‑band 5G densification and indoor solutions in Mount Pleasant/CMU areas; targeted rural upgrades or small cells along secondary roads can close notable reliability gaps
• Digital inclusion: programs that bundle affordable 5G fixed‑wireless or subsidized smartphone plans will likely outperform fiber/coax expansion in near‑term reach for student and rural households

Method notes

• User counts are county‑level estimates synthesized from the latest available Census/ACS population structure and Pew Research smartphone ownership by age, with adjustments for local student population and national line‑per‑capita norms; coverage characterizations reflect 2024–2025 carrier deployments and FCC map patterns in mid‑Michigan.

Social media usage in Isabella County, MI (2025 snapshot)

Context and user base

• Population: ~64,000 residents; adults (18+) ~52,000. Household broadband access ~85–90%.
• Demographic skew: Large 18–24 cohort driven by Central Michigan University (CMU), which lifts usage of Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok relative to typical U.S. counties.

Most‑used platforms among adults (18+) in Isabella County (Modeled from Pew Research Center 2024 U.S. adoption rates, adjusted for the county’s younger age profile; figures show share of adults and approximate adult users.)

• YouTube: 80–85% (≈42–44k)
• Facebook: 60–65% (≈31–34k)
• Instagram: 50–55% (≈26–29k)
• TikTok: 35–42% (≈18–22k)
• Snapchat: 33–40% (≈17–21k)
• Pinterest: 30–36% (≈16–19k)
• LinkedIn: 25–30% (≈13–16k)
• X (Twitter): 20–23% (≈10–12k)
• Reddit: 20–23% (≈10–12k)
• WhatsApp: 18–22% (≈9–11k)

Age-group patterns

• Teens (13–17): Very high on YouTube (~90%+), Snapchat (70%+), TikTok (60%+), Instagram (60%+); minimal Facebook.
• 18–24 (CMU students): YouTube ~95%+, Instagram ~70–80%, Snapchat ~60–70%, TikTok ~60–65%, Facebook ~55–65% (used for campus groups and Marketplace).
• 25–34: Facebook ~65–75%, Instagram ~55–65%, TikTok ~40–50%, LinkedIn ~30–35%.
• 35–54: Facebook ~75–80%, YouTube ~85–90%, Instagram ~40–50%, Pinterest ~35–45%.
• 55+: Facebook ~70%+, YouTube ~70%+, Instagram ~20–30%; minimal TikTok/Snapchat.

Gender breakdown (mirrors national skews)

• Facebook: roughly even by gender.
• Instagram and Snapchat: slight female majority.
• Pinterest: majority women (~60–70%).
• YouTube and LinkedIn: slight male tilt.
• Reddit: majority men (~60–70%).
• WhatsApp: near even, varies by international communities.

Behavioral trends and local nuances

• Student-driven cadence: Peaks Thu–Sat evenings; heavy use of Stories, Reels, and private group chats. Late-night engagement (8pm–1am) outperforms for short-form video.
• Facebook Groups/Marketplace: Primary channels for housing, buy/sell, event discovery, and municipal/community updates; strong 25+ engagement, plus students for rentals and used goods.
• Short‑form video discovery: TikTok and Instagram Reels are leading drivers for restaurants, nightlife, fitness, and local services around Mount Pleasant; campus calendar (move-in, homecoming, graduation) shapes trend cycles.
• Snapchat as social glue: High-frequency messaging among students; Snap Map used for meetups and nightlife; location-based filters perform well within 1–3 miles of CMU.
• YouTube utility: How‑tos, sports (CMU Chippewas highlights), and cord‑cut local viewing; effective for tutorials and longer-form brand storytelling.
• WhatsApp pockets: International students and multilingual communities for coordination and family ties.
• LinkedIn seasonality: Spikes around career fairs, internships, and graduation; useful for employer branding and alumni outreach.

Engagement windows and creative notes

• Best local times: Students 3–6pm and 8pm–1am; working adults 7–9am and 6–9pm; Sundays strong on Facebook.
• Formats that perform: Vertical short‑form video (Reels/TikTok/Snapchat), authentic campus-adjacent content, creator/student ambassador collaborations, and Facebook event listings.
• Targeting tips: Geofence 1–5 miles around CMU and downtown Mount Pleasant for 18–24 reach; use Facebook/IG lookalikes for 25–54. Expect combined FB/IG monthly ad reach to exceed 60% of local adults; short‑form video drives the highest completion among 18–34.

Notes on methodology and sources

• Figures are county‑level estimates derived by weighting Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption by age with Isabella County’s younger profile; platform companies do not publish county‑specific usage.
• Primary benchmarks: Pew Research Center (Social Media Use 2024) and U.S. Census Bureau ACS for population/broadband.