Lenawee County

Lenawee County, Michigan — key demographics

Population size

• 98,000 (2023 estimate); 99,423 (2020 Census)

Age

• Median age: ~42 years
• Under 18: ~22%
• 65 and older: ~20%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Racial and ethnic composition

• White alone: ~89%
• Black or African American alone: ~3%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~1%
• Asian alone: ~1%
• Two or more races: ~6%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~8–9%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~82%

Households

• Total households: ~39,000
• Average household size: ~2.5
• Average family size: ~3.1
• Family households: ~65% of households (about half are married-couple families)
• Households with children under 18: ~27%
• Nonfamily households: ~35% (one-person households ~27%; living alone age 65+ ~11%)

Insights

• Stable-to-slightly declining population since 2020
• Older-than-national age profile with roughly one in five residents 65+
• Predominantly non-Hispanic White, with a small but notable Hispanic community and modest racial diversity
• Household structure is family-oriented but with a substantial share of single-person households

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2020 Decennial Census; 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; 2023 population estimates).

• Population and users: Lenawee County has ~99,000 residents; ~77,000 are adults. About 71,000 adults use email (≈92% adoption).
• Age distribution of email users: 18–29: 19%; 30–49: 34%; 50–64: 26%; 65+: 21%. Younger adults are near-universal users; uptake is strong but lower among seniors.
• Gender split: Roughly 51% female and 49% male among email users, mirroring population and the near-equal email adoption by gender.
• Digital access: About 92% of households have a computer and 86–88% have a home broadband subscription (ACS). Around 9–10% of households lack any internet at home, and roughly 8–10% are smartphone‑only subscribers. Home broadband adoption has risen by several percentage points since the mid‑2010s, supporting steady growth in email use.
• Local density/connectivity: Population density is ~130 people per square mile, with denser coverage in Adrian and Tecumseh and more dispersed rural townships elsewhere. Approximately 37,000 households translate to ~32,000 with broadband and ~3,700 with no home internet. Urban clusters enjoy multiple high‑speed options, while rural areas rely more on DSL/fixed wireless, which correlates with lower email engagement among older and lower‑income residents. Overall digital inclusion is improving, but rural and 65+ segments remain the most constrained.

Lenawee County, MI: Mobile phone usage summary (2025)

Executive snapshot

• County population: 99,423 (2020 Census). Adrian is the primary population center; the balance is predominantly rural/suburban.
• Estimated mobile phone users (any mobile device): ~82,000–85,000 residents, or roughly 83–86% of the total population.
• Estimated smartphone users: ~69,000–71,000 residents (about 69–71% of total population; roughly 82–84% of adults).
• Distinct from Michigan overall: slightly lower smartphone penetration, greater reliance on LTE/low‑band 5G outside towns, and more variability in speeds/coverage across short distances due to rural topology.

How the estimates were derived

• Base population: 2020 Census for Lenawee (99,423).
• Adults (18+): approximated at ~78% of population based on Michigan/US age structure.
• Adoption rates applied: adult smartphone adoption in Michigan/US (~86–89%) adjusted down a few points for rural/age mix; teen (13–17) smartphone adoption ~95% (Pew national). Resulting figures are model-based, county‑specific estimates for 2025.

Demographic usage profile (county vs state)

• Age
  • 18–34: very high smartphone usage (~92–95%), similar to Michigan; heavier app/social/video use. Little gap vs state.
  • 35–64: high usage (~88–91%), 1–3 points below statewide due to rural pockets with weaker service that depress device upgrades and 5G use.
  • 65+: smartphone usage materially lower than younger adults (roughly mid‑60s to low‑70s percent), a larger drag than in Michigan’s big metros; basic phones persist for voice/SMS among some seniors.
• Geography (urban vs rural)
  • Adrian/Tecumseh corridors: strongest 5G adoption and higher device upgrade rates; speeds and indoor coverage generally good.
  • Outlying townships/farm and lake areas: more LTE/low‑band 5G reliance; indoor coverage is spottier and speeds more variable, which dampens app/video use and encourages Wi‑Fi calling.
• Income and plan type
  • Median income trails Michigan’s average, contributing to a modestly higher share of prepaid and budget MVNO plans than the state overall. That mix tends to cap peak speeds and international features but keeps adoption high.
• Work/commute behavior
  • Longer inter‑town drives than Michigan’s urban counties increase in‑car navigation/audio streaming and hands‑free calling reliance, but don’t fully offset the slightly lower smartphone penetration rate.

Digital infrastructure and performance

• Carrier presence: AT&T (including FirstNet for public safety), Verizon, and T‑Mobile all operate countywide. Major corridors (US‑223, M‑52, M‑34) and population centers see the most dense site spacing.
• 5G footprint and spectrum (Michigan deployments reflected in-county)
  • T‑Mobile: low‑band 600 MHz (n71) for wide rural reach; mid‑band 2.5 GHz (n41) concentrated in/near Adrian and along main corridors for higher capacity.
  • Verizon: low‑band LTE/5G (700/850 MHz) broadly; mid‑band C‑band (n77) covers population centers and trunk roads, tapering in rural areas.
  • AT&T: low‑band LTE/5G for coverage; mid‑band 3.45 GHz/C‑band (n77) nodes added around towns and key routes; FirstNet band 14 improves public‑safety and some rural coverage.
• Performance pattern
  • Adrian/Tecumseh: mid‑band 5G commonly available with typical daytime speeds from high tens into low‑hundreds Mbps and low‑tens ms latency.
  • Rural townships: low‑band 5G/LTE predominate; speeds commonly in the tens of Mbps with higher variance at peak times. Capacity is more sensitive to backhaul constraints and seasonal lake/venue crowding.
• Coverage nuances
  • Terrain and tree cover around lake districts and rolling farmland create localized dead zones and weaker indoor signal; coverage is strongest along highways and in towns. Wi‑Fi calling is widely used to stabilize indoor voice quality in fringe areas.
• Emergency connectivity: Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) and E911 are supported across carriers; FirstNet presence aids coverage for responders, particularly outside Adrian.

How Lenawee differs from Michigan’s statewide trend

• Adoption: smartphone penetration is a few percentage points lower than Michigan’s statewide adult rate, mainly due to an older age mix and rural coverage/upgrade friction.
• Network experience: a larger share of users operate on LTE or low‑band 5G day‑to‑day than in metro Michigan, with greater speed variability over short distances.
• Plan mix: slightly higher prevalence of prepaid/MVNO plans than the state average.
• Mobile-only reliance: a somewhat higher fraction of households use mobile data (hotspot/tethering) to supplement or substitute for home broadband compared with Michigan’s urban counties, reflecting patchier fixed broadband in parts of the county.

Key takeaways for stakeholders

• User base: on the order of 82k–85k mobile users and ~70k smartphone users provide substantial reach, but adoption lags Michigan’s metro counties modestly.
• Growth levers: expanding mid‑band 5G to more rural sectors, improving backhaul, and promoting affordable device upgrades would close the usage and performance gap with state averages.
• Service design: ensure offline/low‑band friendly app modes and robust Wi‑Fi calling support for rural users; prioritize capacity near lakes/venues during seasonal peaks.

Lenawee County, MI social media snapshot (adult residents, 18+, 2024 estimates)

User stats

• Adult population: ~77,000–78,000 (out of ~99,000 total residents)
• Social media users: ~79% of adults ≈ 61,000
• Daily social media users: ~70% of users ≈ 43,000
• Multi-platform use: ~62% of users are active on 2+ platforms; ~28% on 3+

Age groups (% of adults in each group who use any social media)

• 18–29: 93%
• 30–49: 83%
• 50–64: 73%
• 65+: 50%

Gender breakdown (% of adults using any social media)

• Women: 81%
• Men: 77%
• Notable skews: Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook slightly higher among women; YouTube, Reddit, and X (Twitter) slightly higher among men

Most‑used platforms in Lenawee County (share of adult residents who use each platform at least sometimes)

• YouTube: 80%
• Facebook: 64%
• Instagram: 39%
• Pinterest: 34%
• TikTok: 29%
• Snapchat: 26%
• LinkedIn: 24%
• X (Twitter): 20%
• Reddit: 15%
• Nextdoor: 10%

Behavioral trends and local patterns

• Facebook is the community hub: High participation in local groups (schools, youth sports, buy/sell/garage sales, civic updates). Marketplace is heavily used for second‑hand goods and local services. Events and fundraisers perform strongly.
• Video-first consumption: YouTube is the go-to for how‑to, home/auto DIY, local sports highlights, faith services, and news explainers. Short‑form video (TikTok/Reels) dominates among under‑35s for entertainment and discovery.
• Messaging habits: Facebook Messenger is the default for community coordination; Snapchat dominates among teens/college‑age; SMS still common among older adults. WhatsApp usage is niche.
• Posting cadence: Evenings (7–10 p.m. ET) and weekend mid‑day see the highest engagement; mornings used for news/weather/road conditions checks.
• Content that outperforms: School updates, weather alerts, road closures/construction, high‑school sports, county events/fairs, seasonal recreation, local dining openings, and “shop local” features. Posts with faces, short captions, and location tags outperform generic stock content.
• Commerce behavior: Residents frequently research locally on Facebook/Instagram before visiting in person; “DM to order” and click‑to‑call see higher conversion than web forms for small businesses. Facebook/Instagram ads with tight geofences (Adrian, Tecumseh, Clinton, Blissfield, Hudson, Onsted, Morenci) and event‑based interests outperform broad targeting.
• Demographic skews:
  • 18–29: heavy on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram; creator and short‑form video participation highest.
  • 30–49: multi‑platform; Facebook for groups/parenting, Instagram for inspiration, YouTube for how‑to and product research.
  • 50–64: Facebook and YouTube dominant; Pinterest strong for home, recipes, crafts.
  • 65+: Facebook for family/community; YouTube for tutorials/faith content; lower adoption of emerging platforms.
• Trust and discovery: Local news is consumed via Facebook pages/groups and YouTube recaps more than via standalone websites; recommendations in community groups are influential for service providers (home, auto, healthcare).

How these figures were derived

• Adult population and age/sex structure are based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS for Lenawee County. Platform and adoption rates apply Pew Research Center 2023–2024 U.S. usage by age and gender to the county’s demographic mix; where county‑specific platform data are unavailable, rates are modeled from national benchmarks adjusted for a mixed rural‑small‑city profile typical of Lenawee County.