Adair County

Adair County, Missouri — key demographics (latest available)

• Population: ~25,200 (2023 estimate)
• Age:
  • Median age: ~29
  • Under 18: ~19%
  • 18–24: ~23%
  • 25–44: ~25%
  • 45–64: ~17–18%
  • 65 and over: ~16%
• Sex: ~51% female, ~49% male
• Race/ethnicity:
  • White (alone): ~90%
  • Black or African American (alone): ~3%
  • Asian (alone): ~2–3%
  • American Indian/Alaska Native: ~0.4%
  • Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: ~0.1%
  • Two or more races: ~4%
  • Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3%
  • White alone, not Hispanic: ~88%
• Households:
  • Total households: ~10,000
  • Average household size: ~2.3
  • Family households: ~50%
  • Housing tenure: ~57% owner-occupied, ~43% renter-occupied

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2019–2023 American Community Survey (5-year) and 2023 Population Estimates Program.

Adair County, MO (pop. ≈25k; ≈569 sq mi; ~44 people/sq mi). Kirksville concentrates most residents and campus users (Truman State, A.T. Still).

Estimated email users: 18–20k (≈70–80% of residents). Method: county-level internet adoption roughly in line with rural/Small‑Metro Missouri (≈80–85% of households have broadband), and email use among internet users ≈90% (Pew), adjusted for a large student population.

Age distribution of email users (approx. share of users):

• <18: 8–12% (high schoolers with school accounts)
• 18–34: 38–42% (university-driven, near‑universal use)
• 35–64: 32–36%
• 65+: 12–16% (growing but below younger cohorts)

Gender split among users: ~52% female, 48% male (reflects local population and higher female representation in colleges/healthcare).

Digital access trends:

• Kirksville has the strongest fixed broadband (cable/fiber); rural townships rely more on DSL, fixed‑wireless, or satellite.
• Smartphone‑only internet households are increasing, especially outside city limits; many residents check email primarily via mobile.
• Public/institutional Wi‑Fi (universities, libraries, hospitals) supplements access and drives high daily email use among students and staff.

Notes: Figures are reasoned estimates combining county population, Missouri ACS broadband patterns, and national email adoption rates.

Below is a concise, planning-oriented snapshot of mobile phone usage in Adair County, Missouri, with estimates, demographic patterns, and infrastructure notes. Because county-level mobile adoption is not published in a single source, figures are presented as reasoned ranges based on ACS population, rural adoption patterns, and recent national/state trends; they’re best used as directional guidance.

Executive snapshot

• County context: ~25,000 residents centered on Kirksville (college town: Truman State University and A.T. Still University) surrounded by largely rural areas. This mix produces both “college-town” and “rural” mobile behaviors.
• Big picture: In-town usage and 5G capacity are strong for a rural county; outside Kirksville, coverage is mostly low-band 5G/LTE with notable dead spots. Mobile-only internet reliance is higher than the Missouri average, driven by students and rural households.

Estimated user base

• Adult smartphone users: ~16,000–18,000 adults (assumes ~19–20k adults; smartphone adoption 80–90% overall, higher among 18–34, lower among 65+).
• Total active mobile lines (phones, wearables, hotspots, tablets): ~23,000–28,000 lines. College population, secondary devices, and hotspots push the ratio above 1 line per adult.
• Mobile-only internet households: roughly 18–25% of households rely primarily on cellular data for home internet (vs. a lower share statewide). Expect this to fluctuate with the academic calendar and affordability programs.

Demographic patterns that shape usage

• Age
  • 18–24 (college cohort): Very high smartphone penetration (>95%), heavy app/social/video use, and an iPhone skew stronger than the state average. High on-campus Wi‑Fi use reduces in-home fixed broadband demand; many rely on mobile plus campus Wi‑Fi.
  • 25–44: High adoption; strong BYOD for healthcare, education, and public sector employers; hotspot use where fixed broadband is weaker outside town.
  • 45–64: Near-ubiquitous smartphone ownership but more price sensitivity; some remain on LTE-only devices.
  • 65+: Adoption lags the county average; higher incidence of voice/SMS-centric or simplified devices, though telehealth is nudging data use upward.
• Income and plans
  • More price-sensitive plan selection than urban Missouri; prepaid/MVNO share likely a few points above the state average due to students and lower rural incomes.
  • After the wind-down of federal affordability support, some households shift from fixed broadband to mobile-only or down-tier plans.
• Platforms and apps
  • iOS share elevated in the student population; Android share higher in rural, older segments. Overall mix likely tilts slightly more iOS than Missouri’s statewide balance because of the campus effect.
  • High use of campus apps, mobile ID/payment, streaming, and telehealth; farm and field-service workers rely on offline-capable and low-bandwidth tools where coverage is thin.

Digital infrastructure highlights

• Macro coverage
  • All three national carriers serve the county; strongest, most consistent capacity is in Kirksville and along primary corridors (US 63 north–south; MO 6 east–west).
  • 5G: Predominantly low-band (broad coverage, modest speeds) outside town; mid-band/“Ultra Capacity” style 5G more available in Kirksville, less so in outlying areas.
  • LTE remains the fallback in many rural pockets; valley bottoms, timbered areas, and certain northwestern/southwestern tracts experience dead zones.
• Capacity and performance
  • In-town: Typical 5G speeds are sufficient for HD streaming/telehealth; network gets busier during the academic year and event weekends.
  • Out-of-town: Throughput drops to single/low double-digit Mbps in some areas; uplink can be the bottleneck.
• Backhaul and fixed networks (important for mobile capacity)
  • Kirksville has cable and some fiber builds; surrounding rural areas are a mix of fiber co-op footprints, wireless ISPs, and legacy DSL.
  • Where fiber backhaul is present on towers near town, mobile capacity is notably better; farther sites often have leaner backhaul, constraining 5G performance.
• Home/mobile broadband interplay
  • 5G fixed wireless (especially T-Mobile; Verizon in select areas) is present and substitutes for cable/DSL in fringe and rural addresses, reinforcing mobile-first behaviors.
• Public safety and institutions
  • AT&T FirstNet presence benefits public safety; hospitals, schools, and campus facilities have robust Wi‑Fi that offloads student and staff traffic.

What’s different from Missouri overall

• Younger skew: Higher share of 18–24 users than the state average drives higher smartphone penetration, heavier app/streaming usage, and a stronger iPhone tilt.
• Higher mobile-only reliance: A larger slice of households use mobile as primary internet compared with Missouri overall, due to student living patterns and rural fixed-broadband gaps.
• Greater rural variability: Outside Kirksville, coverage depends heavily on topography and tower proximity; mid-band 5G density lags metro Missouri (KC/STL/Columbia/Springfield).
• Price sensitivity and plan mix: Slightly higher prevalence of prepaid/MVNO and hotspot use than statewide norms.
• Seasonal patterns: Noticeable demand swings with the academic calendar (move-in/move-out, events), less evident at the state level.

Implications for planning

• Prioritize mid-band 5G upgrades and fiber backhaul on towers along US 63, west along MO 6 toward Novinger, and into the sparser northern/southern townships to reduce dead zones.
• Small cells or carrier-owned indoor solutions near campus, hospital, and downtown Kirksville help with peak-load months.
• Programs for signal boosters and digital literacy aimed at older and rural residents can narrow the remaining adoption gap.
• Coordinate with local fiber/co-op builds; where new backhaul is lit, mobile capacity gains follow.

Notes on method and confidence

• Estimates are derived from county population, rural versus urban adoption patterns, and national smartphone ownership by age; they are meant as ranges, not point values.
• For decisions that hinge on precision (e.g., tower siting), validate with the latest FCC/Broadband Maps, carrier RF planning data, and recent crowd-sourced measurements (Ookla/M-Lab) plus local drive tests.

Here’s a concise, decision-focused snapshot. Figures are estimates inferred from 2020 Census/ACS population for Adair County (~25.3k residents), its college-town profile (Truman State, A.T. Still), and recent U.S. social-media patterns (Pew and platform trend data). Use as directional; pull platform ad tools for exact local reach.

Headline user stats

• Estimated social media users (13+): ~16,000–18,000 (roughly 75–85% of ~21k residents aged 13+)
• Daily users: ~10,000–12,000
• Mobile-first usage: >90% of sessions; vertical video dominant

Age mix among social users (approximate share)

• 13–17: 8–10%
• 18–24: 18–22% (college-town bump)
• 25–34: 15–18%
• 35–54: 28–32%
• 55+: 22–28%

Gender breakdown among social users

• Women: 52–55%
• Men: 45–48%
• Note: Nonbinary users are present but not reliably quantified in public datasets

Most-used platforms (share of local social users active monthly; ranges reflect rural + college-town blend)

• YouTube: 80–85%
• Facebook: 70–75% (Groups/Marketplace very strong)
• Instagram: 45–55% overall; 18–29: 70–75%
• Snapchat: 35–45% overall; 13–24: 65–75%
• TikTok: 35–40% overall; 13–24: 60–70%
• Pinterest: 25–35% (women: 35–45%)
• LinkedIn: 15–20% (university/healthcare staff)
• Reddit: 15–20%
• X/Twitter: 15–20%
• Nextdoor: 10–15% (mostly homeowners 35+)
• WhatsApp: 10–15% (international students/medical community)

Behavioral trends to know

• Facebook is the community hub: local news, school/sports updates, weather, lost/found, church/civic groups, Marketplace (housing/furniture spikes at semester changes).
• Events discovery flows through Facebook Events and Instagram Stories; younger users increasingly spot local spots via TikTok.
• Short-form video wins: 6–30 seconds, native audio, local faces/places. Reels/TikTok outperform static; cross-post works.
• Messaging-first commerce: Facebook Messenger and Snapchat are primary for quick questions; many expect near-real-time replies.
• Trust = local proof: posts featuring recognizable locations, community involvement, and UGC outperform polished ads.
• Time-of-day cadence:
  • Peaks: weeknights 7–9 pm; secondary: lunch 11:30 am–1 pm
  • Fri 3–6 pm: weekend planning; Sat morning: Marketplace scroll
  • Seasonal pulses: Aug/Jan student move-in surges; May/Dec dips; county fairs/homecoming boost local content.
• Information diet: YouTube for how-tos/sports highlights; Facebook for announcements; Instagram for lifestyle/food; TikTok for discovery; Snapchat for close-friend chatter.
• Accessibility habits: captions on by default; vertical framing; concise copy with clear CTAs.