Barton County

Here’s a concise demographic snapshot of Barton County, Missouri.

Population

• Total: 11,637 (2020 Census)
• Recent estimate: ~11.8k (2023)

Age

• Median age: ~42 years
• Under 18: ~24%
• 65 and over: ~21%

Gender

• Female: ~50%
• Male: ~50%

Race/ethnicity (share of total)

• White, non-Hispanic: ~91%
• Hispanic or Latino (any race): ~3–4%
• Two or more races: ~3–4%
• American Indian/Alaska Native: ~1%
• Black/African American: ~0.3–0.5%
• Asian: ~0.3%

Households

• Total households: ~4,700
• Average household size: ~2.45
• Family households: ~66% of all households (nonfamily ~34%)

Notes: Population count from the 2020 Census; other figures are recent ACS 5-year estimates and are approximate.

Barton County, MO — email usage snapshot (estimates)

• Estimated users: 8.0–8.7k residents use email at least occasionally (out of ~11.6k people), based on Pew U.S. email adoption rates applied to local age mix.
• Age distribution of users:
  • 18–34: ~1.8–2.0k (very high adoption, ~95%+)
  • 35–64: ~4.0–4.3k (high adoption, ~90%+)
  • 65+: ~1.9–2.1k (lower but rising adoption, ~80%±)
• Gender split: Roughly even (male/female ~50/50; no meaningful difference in email use by gender in national studies).
• Digital access trends:
  • About three-quarters of households have a broadband subscription; roughly one-fifth lack home internet. A notable share (≈15–20%) are smartphone-only internet users. These patterns align with ACS 5‑year data for rural Missouri.
  • Email is frequently accessed via smartphones; seniors’ adoption is improving as mobile access expands.
• Local density/connectivity facts:
  • Sparse and rural: ~19 people per square mile (≈11.6k residents across ~600 sq. mi.), with services concentrated in and around Lamar.
  • Fixed broadband options thin out in outlying areas, which can limit speed choices and competition; affordability remains a barrier for some households.

Notes: Figures are derived from 2020 Census/ACS and national email adoption benchmarks; treat as directional estimates.

Summary: Mobile phone usage in Barton County, Missouri (with emphasis on how it differs from statewide patterns)

User estimates (order-of-magnitude, based on ACS-style rural Missouri adoption patterns and Pew Research for smartphone ownership)

• Population baseline: Barton County has roughly 12,000 residents; about 75–78% are adults.
• Mobile phone users: About 9,000–10,000 residents use a mobile phone (roughly 75–85% of the total population), slightly below Missouri’s overall penetration due to an older age profile and more limited coverage outside population centers.
• Smartphone users: Approximately 7,500–8,500 residents use smartphones (about 60–70% of the total population), a few points lower than the statewide share.
• Smartphone-only internet households: Likely 18–25% of households rely on a smartphone/cellular plan as their primary home internet, higher than Missouri’s average (commonly in the low-to-mid teens), reflecting patchier fixed-broadband options outside Lamar and small towns.

Demographic breakdown (how Barton County differs from state-level)

• Age:
  • 18–44: Smartphone adoption is high (80–90%) and close to Missouri averages.
  • 45–64: Adoption trails the state by several points; more voice/text-centric use and tighter data budgets are reported anecdotally in rural Southwest Missouri.
  • 65+: Ownership and smartphone adoption are 10–15 points lower than Missouri’s 65+ average; many keep basic or older smartphones and rely on voice/SMS more than apps or video.
• Income:
  • Lower median incomes and more price sensitivity drive higher prepaid use and a higher share of smartphone-only connectivity than the state as a whole.
  • Data-capped plans are more common; when the Affordable Connectivity Program funding lapsed in 2024, some households reduced data tiers or consolidated to one shared mobile plan.
• Race/ethnicity:
  • The county is predominantly White; digital-use gaps are driven more by rurality, income, and age than by race compared with statewide patterns that show larger urban/ethnic disparities.
• Work patterns:
  • Agriculture, trades, and commuting along I‑49 increase reliance on mobile voice/SMS, weather alerts, and basic apps; less use of high-bandwidth mobile applications than in Missouri’s metro counties.

Digital infrastructure and market notes (local specifics vs state)

• Coverage and technology:
  • 4G LTE: Broad coverage from the national carriers, with dependable service on and near I‑49 and in Lamar; service degrades on secondary roads and in low-lying or heavily wooded areas.
  • 5G: Present primarily in and around Lamar and along I‑49 corridors; far more limited than Missouri’s metro areas. Outside those corridors, 4G remains the default.
• Carriers and competitiveness:
  • AT&T and Verizon tend to provide the most consistent rural coverage; T‑Mobile has improved along highways but is spottier on back roads compared to statewide urban footprints.
  • Practical choice of carriers is narrower than in Missouri’s cities, which affects pricing leverage and plan diversity.
• Capacity and performance:
  • Fewer, more widely spaced macro towers mean lower median speeds and more congestion at peak times than the statewide average; indoor coverage can be challenging in metal-roof buildings and larger farm structures.
• Backhaul and fiber:
  • The local electric cooperative (goBEC Fiber Network/Barton County Electric) and regional ISPs have been extending fiber, improving backhaul for cell sites and expanding home broadband in pockets. Even so, fiber-to-the-home remains far less pervasive than the state average, sustaining higher smartphone-only reliance.
• Public safety and resilience:
  • FirstNet/priority services via AT&T are commonly used by public safety; severe-weather resilience matters more here than in urban Missouri due to longer restoration times after storms.
• Public Wi‑Fi and anchor institutions:
  • Libraries, schools, and municipal buildings offer essential Wi‑Fi “offload” points, but these are sparse outside Lamar compared with the density of options in Missouri’s metro counties.

Key trends that diverge from Missouri’s statewide picture

• Higher share of smartphone-only households and greater prepaid usage, tied to fixed-broadband gaps and income sensitivity.
• Lower 5G availability away from the I‑49 corridor; 4G remains the workhorse.
• Narrower effective carrier choice (AT&T/Verizon favored), leading to less competition than in metro areas.
• Older population profile depresses smartphone adoption among seniors relative to the state average.
• Mobile usage skews toward essential communications (voice/SMS, alerts, basic apps) rather than bandwidth-heavy mobile entertainment common in urban counties.

Notes on uncertainty

• Figures above are estimates intended for planning/context. For precise, current values, check the latest ACS 5‑year table S2801/S2802 for county-level device and subscription data, the FCC Broadband Data Collection maps for mobile coverage, and carrier-specific 5G maps for Lamar/I‑49.

Social media usage snapshot: Barton County, MO (estimates)

Context

• Rural county of roughly 12–13k residents; median age early 40s; household broadband availability roughly 70–75%. Figures below are directionally estimated from Pew Research Center (2023–2024), rural-MO patterns, ACS demographics, and platform ad tools; county-level reporting isn’t published.

Overall use

• Residents 13+ using social media monthly: 70–78% (about 7–8 in 10)
• Daily users: 60–68%

Age groups (share using at least one platform monthly)

• 13–17: 90–95% (heavy YouTube/TikTok/Snapchat; lighter Facebook)
• 18–29: 90–95% (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat; Facebook moderate)
• 30–49: 80–88% (Facebook and YouTube dominant; Instagram/TikTok moderate)
• 50–64: 65–75% (Facebook and YouTube; some Pinterest)
• 65+: 45–55% (primarily Facebook; some YouTube)

Gender

• Overall users mirror population: ~51% female, ~49% male
• Platform skews (approximate): Facebook 55–60% female; Instagram 60%+ female; TikTok ~60% female; Snapchat ~60% female; YouTube ~50–55% male; Pinterest ~70% female

Most-used platforms (share of residents 13+ using monthly)

• YouTube: 60–70%
• Facebook: 55–65%
• Instagram: 25–35%
• TikTok: 20–30%
• Pinterest: 20–30% (women 25–40, moms, hobby/DIY)
• Snapchat: 15–25% (teens/20s)
• WhatsApp: 8–12% (families with out-of-area ties)
• X (Twitter): 8–12%
• LinkedIn: 8–12% (professionals; low engagement locally)
• Nextdoor: <5% (limited footprint)

Behavioral trends

• Community hubs: Facebook Groups/Pages drive local info (schools/sports, churches, buy–sell–trade, road/weather alerts, sheriff/emergency updates).
• Marketplace-first commerce: Facebook Marketplace is the default for used goods, services, farm/ranch equipment, and local hiring.
• Content style: Local faces, names, and practical value outperform polished brand ads. Event photos, scoreboard updates, fundraisers, lost/found pets, severe weather posts get strong reach.
• Video: Short-form (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) performs; older users often consume within Facebook rather than TikTok.
• Messaging: Adults favor Facebook Messenger; teens/20s lean Snapchat DMs. Group texts remain common for coordination.
• Timing: Peaks before work (6–8 a.m.), lunch, and evenings (7–10 p.m.); Sunday afternoons; spikes during storms and school sports.
• Seasonality: School calendar, high school sports, county fairs, harvest/planting, holidays drive engagement cycles.
• Trust signals: “Known local” pages and admins carry outsized credibility; cross-posting to multiple relevant groups helps reach.

Notes

• Treat figures as directional. For campaign planning, validate with small test spends in Meta Ads Manager (location = Barton County) and by auditing local group/page engagement to fine-tune platform mix and posting times.