Barry County

Which source/year would you like these figures from?

• 2020 Decennial Census (official counts), or
• Latest American Community Survey (ACS) estimates (e.g., 2019–2023 5-year)

I’ll report: total population; median age and broad age groups; sex distribution; race/ethnicity shares; number of households and average household size.

Barry County, MO snapshot (estimates)

• Population and density: ~35,000 residents; ~44 people per sq. mile (largely rural).
• Estimated email users: 25,000–28,000 residents use email regularly.
  • ≈85–90% of residents age 13+; ≈90–93% of adults.
• Age-pattern of email use (share using email):
  • 13–17: 85–90%
  • 18–29: 95–97%
  • 30–49: 96–98%
  • 50–64: 90–93%
  • 65+: 75–82%
• Gender split: Near parity (about 49% male, 51% female among users); gender differences in email adoption are minimal.
• Digital access and trends:
  • Household broadband subscription roughly 70–75%, with 10–15% relying on smartphone-only internet.
  • Fixed broadband availability is improving but remains uneven outside towns; fiber is present in/near population centers, with DSL, cable, and fixed wireless common in rural areas.
  • Mobile 4G/5G coverage is strong along highways and towns but can be patchy in hollows/valleys.
  • The end of the federal ACP subsidy (2024) likely reduced affordability for some low-income households.
  • Public libraries and schools in towns provide free Wi‑Fi, important for residents in low-connectivity areas.

Notes: Email usage rates align with Pew U.S. adult patterns; broadband figures reflect ACS/FCC rural-Missouri norms applied to Barry County’s profile.

Barry County, Missouri: mobile phone usage snapshot (focus on what differs from statewide patterns)

Top-line estimates (2025, best-available approximations)

• Population: ~35,000 residents; ~13,500 households
• People who use a mobile phone (of any kind): ~31,000–33,000
• Smartphone users: ~26,000–29,000
• Households that rely on mobile data as their primary home internet: ~2,500–3,000 (roughly 18–22% of households; higher than Missouri’s overall share)
• Households with wireless-only telephone (no landline): ~9,000–10,000

What’s different from Missouri overall

• More “mobile-first” connectivity: A larger share of households use smartphones/hotspots as their main internet connection than the statewide average, driven by patchy wired broadband outside Monett/Cassville and the lake/forest terrain.
• Older population skews device mix: With a higher 65+ share than the state, there’s a slightly lower smartphone penetration and a bit more basic/flip-phone use than Missouri’s metro counties.
• Income and prepaid plans: Lower median incomes and more seasonal/shift work correlate with higher uptake of prepaid and discount carriers than the state average; upgrade cycles tend to be longer.
• Coverage variability is sharper: Performance drops more steeply away from highways and towns than in most Missouri counties. Dead zones and weak indoor signal in valleys/hollows are more common than the statewide norm.
• Summer congestion spikes: Tourism at Table Rock Lake and Roaring River State Park creates seasonal weekend load surges unusual in many other Missouri counties.

Demographic breakdown and usage patterns

• Age
  • 65+: Larger share than Missouri overall. Smartphone ownership trails county average (still majority), with more voice/SMS-first usage and a modest market for large-button/basic devices and medical/emergency apps.
  • 18–44: Dominant in Monett/Cassville employment centers; heavier data/video/social use, hotspotting for home connectivity where fiber/cable isn’t available.
• Ethnicity/language
  • Hispanic/Latino share is meaningfully higher than the Missouri average, especially around Monett/Purdy. This supports above-average use of WhatsApp, bilingual customer service needs, and some preference for prepaid/family plans.
• Work patterns
  • Agriculture, food processing, logistics, and construction drive demand for rugged devices, reliable voice/P2T, and early hours/weekend capacity.

Digital infrastructure and coverage (as distinct from statewide)

• Where service is strongest
  • Corridors: US‑60 (Monett), MO‑37 (Seligman–Monett), MO‑76 (Cassville–Roaring River), MO‑39 (Shell Knob), MO‑86 (Eagle Rock). Expect consistent LTE and growing low‑band 5G from the national carriers along these routes and in town centers.
• 5G reality
  • Low‑band 5G is fairly widespread on the main corridors and in towns, but mid‑band capacity 5G is spottier than Missouri’s urban counties; fastest tiers are mostly in/near Monett and parts of Cassville. Average 5G speeds lag metro Missouri.
• Known weak/variable areas
  • Valleys and lakeside coves (Shell Knob/Table Rock), Roaring River State Park, forested hollows south/southwest of Cassville, and stretches between smaller communities (Exeter, Washburn, Eagle Rock). Signal boosters are more common here than in much of the state.
• Carriers
  • Verizon and AT&T typically show the most consistent rural footprint; T‑Mobile coverage has improved along main roads but remains more variable off‑corridor than in metro Missouri. Public-safety FirstNet (AT&T) presence helps in-town resilience but does not fully eliminate rural gaps.
• Tower density
  • “Several dozen” macro sites countywide, concentrated near towns and highways; the distance between sites and hilly topography produces more pronounced dead zones than the state average.
• Backhaul and wired competition
  • Fiber expansion from local electric co‑ops and regional providers is steadily improving backhaul and home broadband in and around Cassville, Seligman, and selected rural pockets. Where fiber arrives, reliance on mobile-only home internet drops. Outside those footprints, residents lean on LTE/5G hotspots or fixed wireless ISPs.

Implications for planning and service

• Capacity hotspots: Plan for weekend/summer surge capacity near recreation areas; this pattern is stronger than in most Missouri counties.
• Product mix: Prepaid, bilingual support, rugged devices, and signal boosters have outsized demand. Senior-friendly offerings can outperform the statewide average.
• Network priorities: Adding mid‑band 5G sectors and small cells in Monett/Cassville, plus new/relocated sites to cover low-lying valleys, would close the largest performance gap with state norms.

Method notes

• Figures synthesize state and rural-US adoption rates, county population/age structure, local industry mix, and observed coverage patterns for the Ozarks. Use them as planning estimates; verify with the latest carrier maps, FCC broadband fabric, and local co‑op buildout updates before committing resources.

Below is a concise, county-scaled snapshot based on rural U.S./Missouri patterns (Pew Research Center 2023–2024; ACS demographics). Figures are modeled estimates for Barry County and meant as planning guidance, not exact counts.

Headline user stats

• Population context: ~35k residents; most usage is mobile-first.
• Estimated adult social-media users: ~17k–20k (about 65–72% of adults). Add ~3k–4k teens for a total of ~20k–24k users.
• Connectivity baseline: home broadband ~70–75%; smartphone ownership ~80% of adults.

Platform use (share of adults using at least monthly; county-modeled)

• YouTube: ~75–80%
• Facebook: ~65–70% (highest daily use)
• Instagram: ~30–35%
• TikTok: ~25–30% (heavy under 30)
• Snapchat: ~20–25% (dominant among teens/18–24)
• Pinterest: ~25–30% (strong among women 25–54)
• X (Twitter): ~15–20%
• Reddit: ~10–15%
• LinkedIn: ~10–15% (niche, white‑collar pockets)
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger used by most Facebook users; WhatsApp ~10–15% overall, higher in bilingual/immigrant households.

Age profile (share using at least one platform)

• Teens (13–17): ~90–95%; heavy on Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube; Instagram follows.
• 18–29: ~90–95%; multi‑platform (4+), video‑first habits.
• 30–49: ~80–85%; Facebook + YouTube core, Instagram growing; Marketplace heavy.
• 50–64: ~65–70%; Facebook and YouTube dominate; Pinterest notable for DIY/recipes.
• 65+: ~45–55%; many are Facebook‑only plus YouTube for how‑to and church content.

Gender breakdown (directional)

• Overall usage roughly even by gender.
• Women over‑index on Facebook and Pinterest; Instagram moderate.
• Men over‑index on YouTube, Reddit, and X.
• Mothers 25–44 are a key high‑engagement cohort for schools, sports, and events.

Behavioral trends to expect in Barry County

• Local‑first: High engagement with community groups, schools, churches, local government, and severe‑weather updates.
• Marketplace culture: Facebook buy/sell/swap and farm/ranch equipment trading are very active.
• Video habits: Short‑form (Reels/TikTok) rising; YouTube used for DIY, repairs, hunting/fishing, sermons.
• Messaging: Facebook Messenger is default for adults; Snapchat messaging for teens; WhatsApp in specific language communities.
• When they’re active: Peaks around 6–8 a.m., lunch, and 7–10 p.m.; weekend mornings perform well.
• What works: Practical posts (closures, deals, event reminders), familiar local faces, clear location/hours; giveaways and photo carousels outperform long text.
• Constraints: Patchy broadband means mobile‑friendly, short videos and lightweight images outperform long livestreams.
• Trust dynamics: Higher trust in known local pages/admins than national sources; rapid “sharestorms” during emergencies—timely, factual updates travel far.