Saint Joseph County

Saint Joseph County, Michigan — key demographics

Population size

• 60,939 (2020 Census)
• ~60.7K (2023 Census Population Estimates)

Age

• Median age: ~39 years (ACS 2019–2023)
• Under 5: ~6%
• Under 18: ~24–25%
• 65 and over: ~17–18%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race and ethnicity (ACS 2019–2023; percentages may not sum to 100 due to rounding and overlapping ethnicity)

• White alone: ~86–88%
• Black or African American alone: ~2–3%
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: ~0.5–1%
• Asian alone: ~0.5–1%
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: ~0–0.1%
• Some other race alone: ~2–3%
• Two or more races: ~5–7%
• Hispanic or Latino (of any race): ~9–11%
• White alone, not Hispanic or Latino: ~78–81%

Households (ACS 2019–2023)

• Households: ~23,000–23,500
• Persons per household: ~2.6
• Family households: ~63–66% of households
• Married-couple families: ~45–50% of households
• Households with children under 18: ~30–32%
• Nonfamily households: ~34–37%; living alone: ~26–29%; 65+ living alone: ~9–11%
• Housing tenure: owner-occupied ~73–77%; renter-occupied ~23–27%

Insights

• Stable-to-slightly declining population since 2010, with modest aging.
• Predominantly White, with a notable Hispanic/Latino community near 1 in 10 residents.
• Household size (~2.6) is slightly above the Michigan average; ownership dominates tenure.

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

Saint Joseph County, MI email landscape (2025)

• Population and users: ~61,000 residents; ~46,000 adults (18+). Estimated adult email users ≈42,700 (about 92% adoption).
• Age distribution of email users (≈42.7k total):
  • 18–34: ~11,900 (28%)
  • 35–54: ~16,000 (37%)
  • 55–64: ~6,800 (16%)
  • 65+: ~8,100 (19%)
• Gender split: ~50% female and ~50% male among email users; usage rates are effectively equal by gender.
• Digital access trends:
  • ~80% of households subscribe to home broadband; ~10–12% rely primarily on smartphone-only internet.
  • Fixed networks offering ≥100/20 Mbps are available to roughly 92–95% of locations; the remaining 5–8% face slower DSL, fixed wireless, or satellite options.
  • Adoption is highest in and around Three Rivers and Sturgis; rural townships show lower subscription rates due to affordability and last‑mile constraints. Mobile data usage continues to grow, supporting on‑the‑go email access.
• Local density/connectivity facts: Population density is about 120 residents per square mile, with denser clusters in the two small cities and more dispersed settlement patterns elsewhere, which correlates with patchier high‑speed coverage in low‑density areas.

Mobile phone usage in Saint Joseph County, Michigan — summary and local contrasts with statewide patterns

Executive snapshot (latest available public data through 2023–2024; ACS 2018–2022 5‑year S2801, FCC program data, Pew national device adoption applied to local age mix)

• Population and households: ~60.8k residents; ~24.1k households
• Estimated smartphone users: ~45–46k residents use a smartphone (about 41k adults 18+ plus ~4–5k teens)
• Household device and connectivity profile (county vs Michigan):
  • Households with a smartphone: ~89% in the county vs ~92% statewide
  • Any cellular data plan (smartphone/tablet hotspot in home): ~73% vs ~78%
  • Smartphone‑only internet at home (cellular data plan but no fixed broadband): ~12% vs ~8–9%
  • No internet subscription at home: ~13% vs ~11%
  • Households with a computer (of any type): ~86–87% vs ~90%

How usage differs from the state

• Greater reliance on phones as the primary connection: Smartphone‑only households are several points higher than the Michigan average, reflecting more limited wireline options and lower median income locally.
• Slightly lower overall device saturation: A smaller share of households report a smartphone or any computer relative to the state.
• Older‑adult gap is wider: Smartphone adoption among 65+ residents is notably lower than the state average, while younger cohorts are near parity with Michigan.
• Faster growth in fixed wireless access (FWA): T‑Mobile 5G Home and Verizon LTE/5G Home subscriptions represent a higher share of home internet than statewide, substituting for cable/DSL in outlying townships.
• Rural coverage variability is more pronounced: Mid‑band 5G is concentrated in Sturgis/Three Rivers and along major corridors; several agricultural and wooded areas remain 4G‑only with occasional weak‑signal pockets.

User estimates and demographic breakdown

• Adults 18+: ~46k; estimated smartphone adoption ~88–90% → ~41k adult smartphone users
• Teens 13–17: ~5k; smartphone adoption commonly ~90–95% → ~4.5–4.7k users
• Age pattern (county estimates aligned to Pew adoption by age, adjusted for local age mix):
  • 18–34: ~96–98% smartphone adoption
  • 35–64: ~92–94%
  • 65+: ~75–80% (below statewide by a few points)
• Income pattern (household level, ACS device/internet indicators):
  • Under $35k: highest smartphone‑only reliance (~20–25% of these households), above Michigan’s share
  • $35k–$75k: mid‑teens smartphone‑only reliance
  • $75k+: low single‑digit smartphone‑only reliance
• Race/ethnicity pattern (using county composition and ACS internet indicators):
  • White, non‑Hispanic majority shows slightly lower smartphone‑only reliance than Hispanic households
  • Hispanic households are more likely than the county average to be smartphone‑only and less likely to have wireline broadband, mirroring statewide and national patterns
• Notable local factor: The county’s visible Amish/Mennonite presence modestly reduces headline smartphone adoption and home‑internet figures relative to Michigan, particularly in northern and central townships.

Digital infrastructure and performance points

• Mobile networks
  • 4G LTE: Countywide baseline coverage from AT&T, Verizon, and T‑Mobile; performance strongest in and between Sturgis, Three Rivers, and along US‑131/US‑12/M‑60 corridors
  • 5G:
    • Mid‑band 5G (Verizon C‑band; T‑Mobile 2.5 GHz “UC”) concentrated in Sturgis, Three Rivers, Constantine/White Pigeon vicinity, and major travel corridors
    • Rural areas are mixed 5G/4G, with several 4G‑only pockets in Prairie Ronde, Fabius, Leonidas, and Florence areas
    • mmWave is not a material factor; outdoor hot‑spot coverage is sparse to none
  • Public‑safety/FirstNet: AT&T Band‑14 overlays on key sites; coverage gains in and near Centreville and along main arterials
• Home and community broadband that shapes mobile reliance
  • Fiber and cable in population centers: Xfinity (DOCSIS) in Sturgis and Three Rivers; municipal Sturgis Fiber and competitive fiber builds; Frontier upgrading select exchanges to FTTH; Surf Broadband and Midwest Energy & Communications (MEC/“TrueStream”) expanding FTTH in rural zones
  • DSL legacy persists where cable/fiber are absent, driving higher smartphone‑only and FWA uptake
  • Fixed wireless access: T‑Mobile 5G Home and Verizon LTE/5G Home widely marketed; estimated 7–10% of county households use FWA, above Michigan’s average
  • Community anchors: Glen Oaks Community College, K‑12 districts, and library branches provide free Wi‑Fi that supplements mobile access, especially for homework and job search
• Cross‑border effect: Proximity to Indiana introduces carrier selection and handoff quirks along the state line, with occasional network re‑selection and billing‑area differences that are less common in interior Michigan counties.

Key takeaways

• Around three‑quarters of households engage mobile data at home, and roughly one in eight depend on phones as their only home internet — both more pronounced than the state average.
• The county trails Michigan on overall device availability and wireline broadband, which keeps mobile central to daily connectivity, especially for lower‑income and younger households.
• Mid‑band 5G has improved speeds in towns and along corridors, but rural 4G‑only pockets keep performance and reliability below statewide norms.
• Ongoing fiber and FWA buildouts are narrowing gaps, yet the combination of rural settlement patterns and a modest share of households opting out of modern internet (including Plain communities) sustains a different, more mobile‑centric profile than Michigan overall.

Social media usage in Saint Joseph County, Michigan (planning-grade snapshot, 2025)

Most-used platforms among adults (expected share of adult residents)

• YouTube: about 83%
• Facebook: about 68%
• Instagram: about 47%
• TikTok: about 33%
• Snapchat: about 30%
• Pinterest: about 35%
• LinkedIn: about 30%
• WhatsApp: about 25% (low-to-moderate locally; higher in bilingual/immigrant communities)
• X (Twitter): about 22%
• Reddit: about 22%
• Nextdoor: about 15–20% (lower in rural areas)

Age-group usage patterns (share using each platform is highest in these cohorts)

• 13–17: Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram dominant; TikTok heavily used; Facebook minimal
• 18–29: YouTube (95%), Instagram (78%), Snapchat (65–70%), TikTok (60–65%); Facebook ~50%
• 30–49: Facebook (70–75%), YouTube (90%), Instagram (55%); TikTok (35–40%); Snapchat (~35–40%)
• 50–64: Facebook (70+%), YouTube (80%); Instagram (30–35%); TikTok/Snapchat (20% range)
• 65+: Facebook (50%), YouTube (60%); Instagram/TikTok/Snapchat each ~10–20%

Gender breakdown (tendencies among adult users)

• Women: more likely on Facebook (+5–7 pp vs men), Instagram (+3–6 pp), and especially Pinterest (women ~50–55% vs men ~15–20%)
• Men: more likely on YouTube (a few points higher), Reddit (men ~30% vs women ~15%), and X/Twitter (men ~25–28% vs women ~17–20%)
• Snapchat and TikTok skew slightly female; LinkedIn is relatively even

Behavioral trends observed in rural Midwest counties like Saint Joseph (applicable locally)

• Facebook as the community hub: heavy reliance on Groups for schools, youth sports, churches, road closures, auctions, and municipal updates; Marketplace is a primary local classifieds channel
• Video-first consumption: short-form (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) growth for news, product discovery, and local events; YouTube used for DIY, trades, auto repair, hunting/fishing
• Mobile-first usage: high dependence on smartphones due to patchy fixed broadband; content that loads fast and works well on mobile performs best
• Messaging layer: Facebook Messenger is default; WhatsApp pockets in agricultural and bilingual households; Snapchat is the primary peer-to-peer for teens
• Local commerce: restaurants, boutiques, and service trades lean on Facebook + Instagram; Reels and Stories outperform static posts; Google Business Profile and reviews remain critical for discovery
• Timing patterns: engagement peaks early morning (6–8 a.m.), lunchtime (11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.), and evenings (7–10 p.m.), with weekend spikes around events and sports
• Trust and information: local news is consumed via Facebook pages and shares; hyperlocal content outperforms national topics; moderation matters to reduce rumor/misinformation spread
• Creator crossover: short-form videos are often cross-posted (TikTok to Reels/Shorts) to maximize reach in areas with mixed platform preferences

Notes and method

• Percentages reflect Pew Research Center’s 2024 U.S. adult social media adoption rates, used as planning estimates for Saint Joseph County’s adult population profile. Platform adoption in rural counties skews slightly more toward Facebook and YouTube and slightly less toward Instagram/TikTok than in large metros; ranges above reflect that tilt. Use these as directional but decision-grade benchmarks in the absence of county-level survey data.