Monroe County

Monroe County, Michigan — key demographics (U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 American Community Survey 5-year estimates; figures rounded)

• Population: ~155,000
• Age
  • Under 18: ~21–22%
  • 18 to 64: ~58–60%
  • 65 and over: ~19–20%
  • Median age: ~41 years
• Sex
  • Female: ~50–51%
  • Male: ~49–50%
• Race and ethnicity
  • White alone, non-Hispanic: ~86–88%
  • Black or African American alone: ~3–4%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~5–6%
  • Two or more races: ~3–4%
  • Asian alone: ~1%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native alone: ~0.5%
• Households
  • Total households: ~60,000
  • Average household size: ~2.6 persons
  • Family households: ~70% of households
  • Married-couple families: ~50–55% of households
  • Households with children under 18: ~25–30%
  • One-person households: ~23–26%

Insights: Monroe County is modest in size, older than the national average, and predominantly non-Hispanic White, with small but present Black and Hispanic populations. Household sizes are close to the U.S. average, with a majority being family and married-couple households.

Monroe County, MI — Email usage snapshot

• Estimated email users: ~111,000 adults. Basis: 2020 population ~154,800; ~78% adults ≈120,700; ~92% of U.S. adults use email → ≈111k local adult users.
• Age distribution (usage rates among adults): 18–29 ≈95%; 30–49 ≈93%; 50–64 ≈90%; 65+ ≈85%. Result: near-universal adoption, with modest drop among seniors.
• Gender split: Essentially even. Email usage is ~92–93% for both men and women; Monroe County’s population is roughly 50% male/50% female, so email users are evenly distributed by gender.
• Digital access trends: Household broadband subscription ≈89% (ACS-like county profiles mirror Michigan statewide), with ~11% lacking home broadband and some relying on mobile-only service. Household computer access is ~92%. Public libraries and schools supplement access for lower-connectivity households.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Population density ~280 people per sq. mile (2020 land area ~549 sq. mi; pop. ~154.8k). Connectivity is strongest along the I‑75/US‑24 corridor and in population centers (City of Monroe, Bedford and Frenchtown Twps.), with lower-density agricultural and lakeshore areas showing relatively lower adoption.

Sources: U.S. Census/ACS (population, device/broadband access) and Pew Research Center (email adoption rates). Estimates reflect local application of these benchmarks.

Monroe County, Michigan — mobile phone usage snapshot (ACS 2019–2023; FCC mobile/broadband filings through 2024)

Scale and adoption

• Population/households: ~155,000 residents; ~61,000 households.
• Smartphone presence (households): 91% have at least one smartphone.
• Smartphone-only households (no desktop/laptop/tablet): 10%.
• Broadband subscriptions (any type, including cellular data plans): 86%; no home internet subscription: 13%.
• Cellular data plans: ~80% of households report a cellular data plan for a smartphone; ~7% are cellular-only at home (no cable/fiber/DSL).
• Estimated individual users: ~120,000 adults (18+), with ~106,000 adult smartphone users (≈88% adult adoption, derived from local ACS patterns and statewide rates).

How Monroe County differs from Michigan overall

• Higher reliance on phones as the only computing device: smartphone-only households are about 2 percentage points higher than the state (Monroe ~10% vs. Michigan ~8%).
• Slightly lower fixed broadband take-up: overall broadband subscription about 2 points below the state (Monroe ~86% vs. Michigan ~88%).
• More households completely offline: ~13% with no home internet vs. ~11% statewide.
• Greater dependence on cellular for home internet: cellular-only home internet ~7% vs. ~5–6% statewide. Net effect: day-to-day connectivity leans more heavily on smartphones and mobile data than the Michigan average, reflecting the county’s exurban/rural mix and device mix.

Demographic breakdown (householder-based; ACS 2019–2023)

• Age
  • Under 35: smartphone in 97% of households; smartphone-only ≈12%.
  • 35–64: smartphone in ~92%; smartphone-only ≈9%.
  • 65+: smartphone in ~79%; smartphone-only ≈8%. Monroe’s slightly older age profile than Michigan pulls total adoption down a bit, but younger cohorts are near-saturated and drive heavy mobile use.
• Income
  • <$25k: smartphone ≈82%; smartphone-only ≈20% (mobile-first reliance is notably above state average in this band).
  • $25k–$75k: smartphone ≈90%; smartphone-only ≈11%.
  • ≥$75k: smartphone ≈95%; smartphone-only ≈4%. The gap vs. the state is most pronounced at the low-income end, where Monroe relies more on smartphones in lieu of PCs/fixed broadband.
• Education (of householder)
  • High school or less: smartphone ≈88%; smartphone-only ≈13%.
  • Bachelor’s or higher: smartphone ≈94%; smartphone-only ≈5%.
• Race/ethnicity
  • Given sample sizes, county-level differences across groups are smaller than the age/income effects; most groups exceed 85% smartphone presence, with higher smartphone-only rates concentrated in lower-income households.

Digital infrastructure and performance contours

• 5G footprint and carriers
  • T-Mobile: wide mid-band (n41) 5G across population centers (City of Monroe, Frenchtown, Bedford/Temperance, Dundee) and along I‑75/US‑24; extended 5G elsewhere.
  • Verizon: C-band 5G is active along major corridors and in denser areas; LTE fills rural gaps.
  • AT&T: countywide low-band 5G, with 5G+ nodes in/near Monroe and along I‑75; FirstNet coverage for public safety is established.
• Corridors and cross-market effects
  • The I‑75, US‑24 (Telegraph), and US‑23 corridors anchor backhaul and macro-site density; coverage and capacity are strongest here.
  • Southern townships (e.g., Bedford/Temperance) benefit from spillover densification in the Toledo metro, often yielding better capacity than similarly rural Michigan counties.
• Coverage gaps and variability
  • Remaining weak spots are most common in interior agricultural areas and near Lake Erie’s coastal wetlands east of US‑24, where tower spacing and terrain limit indoor coverage; these gaps are more prominent than the statewide average.
• Backhaul and small cells
  • Fiber along I‑75/US‑24 (largely Charter/Spectrum and AT&T) underpins 5G upgrades and targeted small-cell deployments in commercial strips, schools, and civic sites. mmWave remains limited to a few dense nodes.

What this means on the ground

• Mobile-first behavior is entrenched: a larger slice of Monroe households than the Michigan average uses smartphones as their primary or only computing and internet platform.
• Fixed access is improving but uneven: while suburban townships along major routes approach state norms, rural tracts lag in fixed broadband, pushing greater reliance on cellular data.
• Investment priorities: filling rural LTE/5G coverage holes east of US‑24 and across interior townships, plus expanding mid-band 5G away from the highway spine, would most directly narrow the county–state gap in reliable mobile access.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 (table S2801 and cross-tabs); FCC mobile coverage/broadband availability filings and carrier public 5G deployment disclosures through 2024. Figures rounded to whole percentages for clarity.

Monroe County, MI social media snapshot (2025)

At a glance

• Population: ~155,000
• Estimated social media users: ~105,000–110,000 (about 70% of residents; ~80% of adults; ~95% of teens)
• Multi‑platform behavior: Typical user maintains 2–3 active platforms; under‑30s average 4+

Age mix (share of all social media users)

• 13–17: 9%
• 18–29: 18%
• 30–49: 31%
• 50–64: 25%
• 65+: 17%

Gender breakdown of users

• Female: 53%
• Male: 47% Notes: Women over‑index on Facebook and Pinterest; men over‑index on YouTube, Reddit, and X.

Most‑used platforms (adults 18+, share of adult users)

• YouTube: 80%
• Facebook: 75%
• Instagram: 40%
• TikTok: 30%
• Pinterest: 30%
• Snapchat: 25%
• X (Twitter): 20%
• LinkedIn: 20%
• Reddit: 18%
• WhatsApp: 15%

Teens (13–17) platform snapshot

• YouTube ~95%, TikTok ~65%, Instagram ~60%, Snapchat ~60%; Facebook low among teens

Behavioral trends

• Facebook as the local hub: Heavy reliance on Facebook Groups for schools, youth sports, community events, road closures, and severe‑weather updates; Facebook Marketplace and buy/sell/trade groups are highly active.
• Video first: Short‑form video (Reels/Shorts/TikTok) drives discovery; how‑to, home/auto DIY, hunting/fishing, youth sports highlights, and local business spotlights perform best.
• Private/closed communities: Noticeable shift from public pages to private groups and Messenger chats for neighborhood, school, and hobby coordination.
• Time‑of‑day peaks: Engagement clusters around early morning (7–9 am), lunch (12–1 pm), and evenings (7–10 pm); weekend late‑morning to mid‑afternoon is strong for events and retail.
• Commerce behavior: Local service providers (home, auto, medical, pet) and restaurants gain efficient reach via boosted Facebook/Instagram posts; coupon and event promos outperform generic brand ads. Marketplace is a primary channel for second‑hand goods.
• Cross‑platform patterns: Under‑30s split time across Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube; 50+ cohorts concentrate on Facebook and YouTube. Pinterest skews to women 25–54 for home, recipes, crafts.
• Information trust: County residents show higher engagement with local government, public safety, and school district pages than with national news brands; weather and infrastructure posts drive outsized shares and comments.

Method and basis

• Figures are 2025 modeled estimates using Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. platform adoption benchmarks, applied to Monroe County’s age and gender structure (U.S. Census/ACS). Percentages rounded to whole numbers to reflect reasonable local variation. County‑level platform usage is not directly published; these estimates align national usage with Monroe County’s slightly older, suburban‑rural profile.